During the honeymoon phase immediately after my 1993 Awakening, I became aware that even though I had realized the Ultimate Truth at my Awakening, several automatic reactions to life had not really changed, and consequently, I was still not living in full alignment with what I had realized. Observing myself acting in these same old patterns made me wonder how I could get rid of the apparent programming that seemed to be the root of these reactive behaviors. Eventually I discovered that as soon as I became aware of a belief or behavior which did not fit with Truth I could consciously manage my mind to discredit that belief or choose to not do “that” behavior again; but there remained an unconscious part of mind which was not totally compliant with these intentions. For example, why would I continue spending time with people who obviously did not treat me well, or trust people who had demonstrated to me that they were not trustworthy? In other words, why was I continually sacrificing myself to please others? I didn’t learn the answers to these questions until I discovered my Enneagram type.
Fortunately, the person who led me to Gangaji and Papaji also introduced me to the Enneagram. And even though he was very knowledgeable about this personality-typing tool, he mistakenly assumed that I was a different type than I actually am. I say fortunately, because it was this mistyping error that caused me to study the Enneagram in great depth to determine what my type actually was, and it was that study which brought me to the clarity I now have about how my mind had actually been programmed. Even though I was still elated about my new awareness and my mind was getting quieter and quieter each and every day, this fabulous tool enabled me to uncover and break patterns I had not realized were still controlling my life. The Enneagram showed me why some of my behaviors were still inconsistent with my awareness, allowing me to end them before they were acted out. In fact, discovering what was stored in my unconscious that would precipitate these behaviors significantly simplified and accelerated my deepening process . . . probably by many years!
I wanted to live life in peace and harmony, yet be flexible enough to flow with the impulses and inspirations provided by True Self . . . this Enneagram tool provided me a way to do just that.
If you are seeking Awakening and ultimately Enlightenment, make yourself aware of the gifts the Enneagram is able to provide you. Many people have profound Awakenings and fool themselves into believing they are already Enlightened while still being controlled by their unconscious mind. This is not Enlightenment. As Papaji has said: “If you see the illusion you’re enlightened; if you think you’re Enlightened you’re in the illusion.” Liberation includes being absolutely freed from this aspect of mind, so True Self can be the sole responder for your physical experience.
Many people teach The Enneagram. Their approaches differ. Be sure to find one that is very clear about your Enneagram type being WHO YOU ARE NOT!
