Instruction vs. Indoctrination

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference."
- Robert Frost

We live in a realm of Duality, and often we find ourselves standing
at a Crossroad where we are required to Choose between two
diverging Paths: one which is easy, or one which is right.

One of these forks-in-the-road, which each one of us must Choose
to travel sooner or later, is between the Road which leads us to
Instruction or the Road which leads us to Indoctrination. And,
although the names of these two Roads sound quite similar they are,
in fact, two entirely different Paths. And because they are two very
different Paths it is important that we weigh the Consequences of
Choosing one Path over the other.

Indoctrination: This is the easy path; the path of the crowd.
Indoctrination is the one-sided presentation of an idea, theory,
Choice, or Belief. It is something which is imposed upon us by
either subtle means, such as guilt or salesmanship, or by forceful
means, such as fear or threat.

In other words, Indoctrination is a form of "brainwashing". It is the
removal of previous held Beliefs and ideals so that new, regimented
dogmas can be implanted. Indoctrination, in its most fanatical sense,
is aimed at, and accepted by, the most Ignorant, gullible and weakest
of minds.

When we willingly and unquestionably accept Indoctrination, our
Horizons shrink and our growth and Thinking become stagnated
and frozen. We are required to live in a world of policies and
procedures which are not of our own Choosing. Our Imagination
and Dreams are "surgically removed" from our thought process
and our Individual Sovereignty is forfeited to those whose sole
purpose is to dominate and control others.

Indoctrination fractures and divides in its attempt to conquer and
dominate. This fracturing and division is openly visible in the
political and religious organizations which occupy our planet.
However it also exists, just as strongly if not as openly, in scientific,
mathematic and research groups whereby the faction which has
been Indoctrinated into a regimented belief system fights ferociously
to discredit any new ideas, concepts, or theories brought forth by
free-thinkers and visionaries in that particular field.

Instruction: This is the difficult Path; the "Road less traveled".
It is the Path of the Lone Wolf, the visionary, the free-thinker, the
Seeker. It is the Path of wide Horizons, Imagination and Dreams.

The Path of Instruction is the Path which Blends and Creates. It is
the Road on which we discover Wisdom, Truth, Magic and personal
Adventure. Instruction is the inclusion of all possible natural, and
universal, alternatives along with how they apply to, and are
affected by, Universal Principles.

When we embark upon the Path of Instruction we are handed the
Keys which unlock the secrets of the Universe and are Instructed to
go forth and unlock the doors of Eternal Truths which must remain
locked to all but the True Seeker and Initiate.

In ancient times a worthy and well-qualified Initiate would Seek
admission to one of the Mystery Schools where he, or she, would
be Instructed in the Eternal Wisdom of the Universe. Today, we
no longer have these Mystery Schools, nor do we have any of
the Ancient Masters walking among us. Therefore, if we are to
Truly learn that which is understood by only the very few, we
must Choose to travel "the Path less traveled by" ... the Path of
Self-Initiation and Self-Instruction.

And although the Ancient Masters are no longer among us to help
guide us along our way, they have left us the Keys to Ancient
Wisdom by way of their Sacred Writings, Symbols, Mythologies
and Legends. It is now up to us to simply Choose to grab hold of
their Ancient and Mystical Keys, venture forth upon our own
Personal Path, and unlock the doors which hold the Truth,
Wisdom and Enlightenment of all Eternity.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2010

Beliefs

"We enter our current incarnation spiritually wise
but materialistically ignorant.
It is our abandonment of spiritual wisdom solely
for the sake of materialistic gain which is the
source of all our woes.
-Joseph Panek

When we consider the many different "beliefs" we are burdened
with throughout our life, it is easy to understand why Truth,
Wisdom and Harmony seem so elusive to us and why we often
feel confused.

Since many of these Beliefs become part of our character, it is
important for us to understand how we obtain them. Once we
understand the source of our Beliefs we become better able to
"weed out'' those pestering Beliefs which are not in Harmony with
our Divine Nature.

Let's consider some examples of how Beliefs are ingrained within us:

What we are taught to believe: These are the earliest Beliefs
to which we are introduced. These Beliefs come to us from parents,
teachers, relatives and neighbors. These are people whom we trust;
people who are very dear to us; people we rely upon to advise, teach,
and protect us when we are very young. In addition, these individuals
sincerely believe that the Beliefs they are instilling in us are sound
and true.

But regardless of how well-intentioned the Beliefs of these persons
may be, if they are erroneous beliefs to begin with, the Consequences
that these Beliefs have upon us will ultimately be harmful, and
perhaps even calamitous, to our life-experience.

One of the most common, and earliest, mis-Beliefs which we are
introduced to is that we must "follow the crowd", "fit in", and not
"rock the boat".

When we follow this common Belief we relinquish our individuality.
We forsake our Free Will to Think our own pure Thoughts, experience
our true personal feelings, and imagine our most wondrous dreams.
We then find ourselves taken off our personal, unobstructed Path
and forced into the traffic jam, the "rat race", of the masses. We
become diverted from the Spiritual Purpose of why we were placed
into our Current Incarnation.

What we are trained to believe: Although we may envision
regimented Beliefs to be part of a militaristic or monastic setting,
these types of Beliefs are also imposed upon us by way of corporate
"training" and group involvement.

Regimented Beliefs are a form of conversion, or brainwashing, in
which we are disciplined to believe that "we" are better than "them".
It is the replacing of Instruction and open-mindedness with training
and Indoctrination.

Regimented Beliefs coerce us to believe that: our product is better
than theirs; our organization is superior to theirs; our Beliefs are
right and their Beliefs are wrong; and, our cause is holy and just
while "they" need to be saved. Regimented Beliefs put us at odds
with, instead of in union with, our world-wide brethren.

In a regimented Belief type of setting, we are often required to don
uniforms which are designed to fracture our individuality and help
ease us into being assimilated into the thought process of that
particular group.

The unfortunate result of regimented Belief organizations is that
they demand unconditional obedience to their dogmas from all
of their "followers".

Many people turn to groups and organizations in search of Wisdom,
Truth, and Enlightenment only to often find that they are
disappointed, and perhaps even deceived, by the same organizations
and institutions which profess to honor and provide the Truth,
Enlightenment, and Instruction which these individuals are Seeking.

What we think we believe (a phantom most deceptive):
Unfounded conclusions are the bane of humanity. Quite often,
what we think we Believe is usually a combination of what we are
taught to Believe and what we are trained to Believe. This is why
it is so easy to be fooled, and disappointed, by what we think we
Believe.

What we think we Believe are, in fact, false Beliefs which enter our
lives by way of unfounded Opinions, gossip, rumors, subliminal
suggestions, media propaganda, and a lack of research, Awareness
and insight on our part.

We fall victim to this type of Belief when we allow our ego, laziness,
and complacency to replace reason, research and intuition.

What we truly believe: This is knowledge and Wisdom which is
gained through Self-Instruction, personal investigation and unbiased
evaluation. It is the Seeking out of what is - not what "should be".
True Belief is being in Harmony with both our Divine Nature and the
external world of our Current Incarnation.

True Beliefs are the Truths, Wisdom, and knowledge which we have
taken the time to un-Veil for ourselves. True Beliefs require great
effort on our part; they must be earned. This is why they are so
rare. However, each True Belief we uncover brings us one step
closer to the Star of Enlightenment which beckons us to continue
down the wondrous and mysterious Path of our current earthly
journey.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2009