Are we ready to slough off our existence in pretence

[Paragon]

Definition of Slough :

 

1- The dead outer skin shed by a reptile or amphibian.

2-Medicine. A layer or mass of dead tissue separated from surrounding living tissue, as in a wound, sore, or inflammation.

3- An outer layer or covering that is shed.

 

 

sym•bi•o•sis (smb-ss, -b-)

n. pl. sym•bi•o•ses (-sz)

 

1-A close, prolonged association between two or more different organisms of different species that may, but does not necessarily, benefit each member.

2-A relationship of mutual benefit or dependence.

 

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See if you can follow my reasoning fellow forum-users. It could be confusing or rather would be.

__________

 

When an amphibian sheds a slough; it does so to reveal hidden new-ness and beauty that attests to nature's regularity and self-organization. Even more incredibly, this process of sloughing is testimony to the Creator's efficient regulation of life and it's stages. Any human who studies processes such as this and others, only comes to appreciate the intrinsic values of natural things for their own sake, due to the way these natural things and their existence work towards natures over all integrity . Living organisms, big or small, visible or invisible are perfected for life in their natural state. Any efforts to perfect a perfectibility which nature itself found suitable is both ungainly and in the long run destructive. Just as humans efforts on nature mean destruction for its integrity and beauty; so does its neglect and harm.

 

Many organisms can fare well in symbiosis and not otherwise. Symbiosis usually involves a balance between organisms; therefore it is not advisable to remove one organism from the companionship of the other, owing to guess that they do not benefit each other. Humans are not advanced enough to identity many of nature's workings. Our technological advancement and scientific development may not reveal patterns of interdependency between organisms. For that reason alone, instead of studying other organisms, it should be possible to turn our attention to our human minds. In regards to different types of ( i.e.indigenous or foreign) knowledge, which our minds can accommodate, we must be able to identify whether our minds – to operate perfectly and in their natural manner- can prioritize between types of knowledge, so as to enable the creation of a good character; that is both socially and individually progressive.

 

This is where the phrase: to shed a slough , becomes operative. Were our minds exposed to the right knowledge but with confused or imposed prioritization? Or the other way around, and that our minds require to slough off the pretence necessitated by alien knowledge to reveal natural and indigenous knowledge? As school children, is it arguable to say that many African minds were masked off from obtaining vital self-knowledge? Self knowledge builds and contributes towards the growth of genuine native character. If such growth of the native self is neglected, the mind is only made aware of foreign knowledge (quite irrelevant mostly) which harms the future symbiosis of different types of knowledge. This means as long as indigenous/native self-knowledge is neglected, the mind with the help of foreign knowledge lives and acts in pretence with little progress or growth.

 

The mind only accepts the growth of what is organic to it and not what is alien to it, just as in the body, organ transplant can be rejected for being an alien body part, or even just as a piece of land accepts crops which are native or suitable to it and rejects the rest. Once the mind is taken over by alien knowledge, quite forcefully in most of the times, it always awaits inputs to be relayed to it from that initial alien source, because it cannot develop this alien knowledge further by its own since it is not accustomed to such a task. That, I believe, is the problem faced by most our so-called educated minds, which only end up performing automated tasks robotically.

 

We may read as many books as we wish but the knowledge in those books does not grow; we can only skip from one book to another and forever regurgitate them, pretending we have gained more knowledge when in fact, all we are doing is, only increasing the dosage of books read! I am not against reading many books, but I am strongly suggesting that we need to slough off former mental constructs that were build and maintained with the help alien knowledge, in order reveal the genuine self that has been neglected for so long, so as to nourish it, educate it to produce organic and native knowledge, and mostly importantly, to create a suitable atmosphere for future symbiosis of types of knowledge.

 

This symbiosis is currently not there. The inner-core of our mind is still remote to real organic or native education. This inner-core forms the foundation for a successful and progressive livelihood. As long as our inner-core is covered with a slough, whose job is to render useless the inner-core of our mind, self and our foundation of our being, we will not rise from this state of being. Civilizations and societies have in history risen to greatness, by educating and strengthening these inner-core and foundation. Only when they have educated their inner-core self and foundation did they endeavour for power. Power without such education and strengthening is useless and is quick to fade. The education and the strengthening of the inner-core requires honesty to one’s self. However if pretence or pride inhibits one’s heart, there is no hope of achieving individual or societal greatness.

 

In this forum, there is a great deal of dishonesty with one’s self. Our so-called minds are bent on impressing each rather than being intentioned to grow. In every line written in these pages, I cannot help but feel an oozing pretence scattered all around. There are only few individuals, if any, who honestly reason and reply to posts with the aim to expand their minds. The rest are impressionists. Many here cannot tell the difference between their own thoughts and the books they have read. The future, if we let our minds live under the slough of pretence, is truly dim. All that can be done now is to catch ourselves short from such pretences. We must honestly, genuinely think and reason, so as to kick-start the process of sloughing off. We must do this because there is no other choice open to us. We have had enough of pretence and it doesn’t yield any fruits.

 

Are we ready to slough off our existence in pretence?

[Elysian]

Paragon thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

If I have understood you right what you are saying is that we humans are under the influence of “alien†knowledge, which is negative in the sense that it encapsulates the “true†self. And therefore one must liberate oneself in order to live in harmony with its environs and “truly†develop intellectually.

 

You talk about alien vs. indigenous knowledge, how do you define these two? Only when I know their definition will I be able to understand your following statement;

“The mind only accepts the growth of what is organic to it and not what is alien to itâ€

 

You also wrote:

“we must be able to identify whether our minds – to operate perfectly and in their natural manner- can prioritize between types of knowledgeâ€

How is a perfectly operating mind and what is its natural manner?

 

I’m not able to agree or disagree with your thinking simply because, to me, the post is to abstract, you use too many value-laden words, metaphors and undefined assumptions that the essence of what you want to say could mean just about everything. Why not concretize your thoughts, be more specific, and relate your abstract thinking to something more tangible.

[Viking]

Paragon,

Interesting post! I recall how as a kids we sprinkled salt on slugs to see them shed their outer layer. We had no idea that we were actually dehydrating the poor creatures and causing them to die when they become unable to dilute the salt sprinkled on their bodies.

 

Just like the slugs, people have to be aware of what they are 'sloughing off' so as not to shed some of the things that nurture the soul.

 

 

Elysian,

Why not concretize your thoughts, be more specific, and relate your abstract thinking to something more tangible.

Vannen, I initially thought that Paragon is flirting with gnosticism

[NASSIR]

Originally posted by Paragon:

In this forum, there is a great deal of dishonesty with one’s self. Our so-called minds are bent on impressing each rather than being intentioned to grow. In every line written in these pages, I cannot help but feel an oozing pretence scattered all around. There are only few individuals, if any, who honestly reason and reply to posts with the aim to expand their minds. The rest are impressionists. Many here cannot tell the difference between their own thoughts and the books they have read. The future, if we let our minds live under the slough of pretence, is truly dim. All that can be done now is to catch ourselves short from such pretences. We must honestly, genuinely think and reason, so as to kick-start the process of sloughing off. We must do this because there is no other choice open to us. We have had enough of pretence and it doesn’t yield any fruits.

 

Are we ready to slough off our existence in pretence?

Excellent point, thanks for contributing

[Muhammad]

Thanks for the post Paragon!

 

`The Messenger of Allah(pbuh) said:

"None of you can become a true believer

until you bring your Hawaa(opinions, desires, emotions)

into accordance with what I have brought."

The enemy within

is the Nafs amara.

[SeeKer]

Originally posted by Paragon:

Self knowledge builds and contributes towards the growth of genuine native character. If such growth of the native self is neglected, the mind is only made aware of foreign knowledge (quite irrelevant mostly) which harms the future symbiosis of different types of knowledge. This means as long as indigenous/native self-knowledge is neglected, the mind with the help of foreign knowledge lives and acts in pretence with little progress or growth.

 

Bravo The epoch of original thinkers is over. All you have to do is look at the movie theatres and notice the amount of remakes and sequels.