I enjoy “hanging out” on Facebook because it keeps me informed about what is happening in the lives of my friends and family. I also learn about things that are happening in the world, which I wouldn’t know about otherwise because I have no TV and do not read newspapers. I do not use Facebook to become educated about Spiritual Awakening, Truth, Non-duality or any related topics, most of which are being presented by a plethora of self-designated spiritual teachers.
Facebook is not satsang (a gathering to focus on Truth). If I go to satsang, it is only with someone who is authentically awake, not those who believe themselves to be awake and really are not.
Why do I have so many Facebook friends who pontificate on my newsfeed? In the majority of cases it has been from someone I know nothing about, requesting to be “friended” after they read comments I made in response to what other’s have written. I do not know whether they are interested in getting to know me as a teacher, a their student , or as a girlfriend, as all of these reasons seem to apply unbeknownst to me, and their intention is only revealed after I say yes to their request.
A few requests have come from authentic spiritual teachers who inspire me to write or speak about the topics they introduce in their posts, but the majority of posts I am subjected to are not from authentic teachers speaking from Awakened Awareness, they are intellectualized personal opinions which originate from ego’s arrogance, not True Self awareness.
I sometimes wonder what the underlying intention is of someone choosing to pontificate on FB? For attention, recognition, competition, to attract clients? From where I sit, as a spiritual guide myself, it looks primarily like ego’s arrogance. Where is the humility of genuine Awakened Awareness which shows the recognition of being “nobody?” Where is pointing to Truth within ones Self? Dogma in any form, including Facebook posts, is still dogma, and this seems to be the primary content of a lot of what appears in my newsfeed. You know the “This is the Truth” boxes I am talking about, featuring a “clever phrase” or rehash of “a piece of truth,” featured in a brightly colored box.
I am not interested in what anyone speculates Truth to be. I would much prefer to read about their real life experiences and discoveries. Honesty and humility tell me more about someone’s qualifications to teach than any of these proclamations of “wisdom.” If these folks want to use Facebook as a teaching forum, wouldn’t it be better if they set up a private Facebook group for those interested in their teachings? Their own forum where there could be useful dialog rather the misinformed, confusing and often confrontational posts which only serve to clog up my daily newsfeed.
I encourage my students to see what others have to say so they learn to discern for themselves what Truth is and what it is Not. But in doing so, I am careful to recommend teachers I consider credible, so they do not give their power away to someone who is not clear enough to be an empty vessel for True Self to teach through.
Facebook is a public forum where anyone and everyone can post what they believe Truth to be, but the number of disagreements I am seeing there lately has made it obvious to me that a lot of what is showing up on Facebook today is a conglomeration of personal beliefs, posted by those wanting to promote themselves rather than activating the awareness of Truth within their fellow Facebook readers.
Confronted with the daily barrage of questionable information, we all need to fine tune our own personal BS meter for what does not really fit with Awakened Awareness,
