Disciplines of personality

[Rolci]

Hello. Can somebody please explain to me about the disciplines of personality as used in the Ra Material. Please start from the basics and explain like you would to a small child (who never heard of the Ra Material), step by step, building up to a complete "understanding". Thanks.

[Stranger]

I've just re-read everything Ra had to say on the topic at lawofone.info, and I believe I have a rather clear understanding of what they are referring to.

The disciplines of personality is the task of eliminating distortions from the personality.

The personality consists of our unique way of distorting the life energy that continuously flows through us, transforming the original pure light that flows into us into the broad spectrum of emotions and thoughts we characteristically experience. The extent of disharmony that exists within ourselves, and disharmony between ourselves and the rest of Creation, is the extent of personality distortions which we carry.

Our personality distortions come from our past, including past lives. They manifest as automatic thoughts and emotions in response to events (ie, catalyst). Do you have difficulty trusting people? Become enraged when someone cuts you off on a road? Self-criticize whenever you make a mistake? Feel sadness or anxiety that you realize is excessive given your circumstances? These reactions have deeper roots inside ourselves; these roots are in our past, stored in our unconscious.

Underneath the distortions (or, equally, once the distortions have been cleared away), we are clear; the personality becomes transparent. Think of it as a funhouse mirror that suddenly becomes flat: it is now able to reflect the original light undistorted. This is why Ra says,

74.11 The heart of the discipline of the personality is threefold. One, know yourself. Two, accept yourself. Three, become the Creator.

The third step is that step which, when accomplished, renders one the most humble servant of all, transparent in personality[...]. To become the Creator is to become all that there is. There is then no personality in the sense with which the adept begins its learn/teaching.

To remove these unconscious personality distortions, it is essential to begin examining our emotional reactions to catalyst. What are the deeper origins of this rage, mistrust, self-criticism, anxiety, guilt, etc.?

82.3 Ra: I am Ra. [...] In the context of doing work in the disciplines of the personality, in order to be of more full efficiency in the central acceptance of the self, it is first quite necessary to know the distortions of the self which the entity is accepting. Each thought and action needs must then be scrutinized for the precise foundation of the distortions of any reactions.

"Foundation" is the key word here - what's underneath the reaction that you see or experience? (This is the "know yourself" step from Ra's three steps).

Importantly, this process of inquiry is NOT one based in thought (thinking about the distortion and trying to reason out its causes). This is because the origins of these distortions are in our UNconscious - by definition, the conscious mind is not aware of them. The mind's job in all of this is simply to notice how we've reacted to something, and become curious, setting it aside for later inquiry. Then, when you have the time to do so afterwards, sit in silence and without distraction or judgment with that reaction, mindfully and compassionately being present with it. This will allow you to begin receiving the understanding of what's going on "under the hood", so to speak.

Whatever you find, to un-distort it, meet it with acceptance and compassion. (This is the "accept yourself" step from Ra's three steps).

Ask for help and guidance with this process. These are available, but due to free will cannot be offered to the fullest extent unless requested.

You will know that you have balanced a distortion when the same or similar situation (catalyst) produces much less of a reaction in you than before.

[Nau7ik]

Really great response from Stranger!

I’ll add that some disciplines of the personality are more practical such as being able to control the conscious mind (invoking silence when needed, for example), controlling and directing the breathing rhythm, visualization (being able to see or project clear images in the mind). I’d say that meditation is a form of discipline of the personality.

We need self-imposed discipline to realize our potential and power. All spiritual traditions and religions realize this. Monks and priests commit to living a virtuous life, for example. As do the philosophers (the living of the philosophic life, I.e. virtue). This takes constant discipline of the self because we’re trying to balance our higher natures with our lower natures. We have both, that’s the beauty of humanity. But the problem is that the higher can’t be realized when the lower reigns supreme (lower triad, red, orange, yellow, blockage).
This discipline of self results in the opening of the heart chakra for the positive entity, which then Opens the way to the indigo chakra which can make contact with intelligent infinity and thence use intelligent energy.

Very few there are who achieve this effortlessly, although Ra did say that these people do exist.

[Rolci]

This will allow you to begin receiving the understanding of what's going on "under the hood", so to speak.

Would you explain this bit further, maybe use an example to illustrate the process? Otherwise great reply, clear and understandable, thanks, both of you. Explains a lot that the followers of the magickal traditions go through.

[Stranger]

This will allow you to begin receiving the understanding of what's going on "under the hood", so to speak.

Would you explain this bit further, maybe use an example to illustrate the process? Otherwise great reply, clear and understandable, thanks, both of you. Explains a lot that the followers of the magickal traditions go through.

Rolci, the reason I took my time in replying is that it is a very large subject.  There is a whole world inside us that contains our unresolved hurts, traumatized inner children, protective parts that attack either ourselves (we call these inner critics) or those around us who threaten to impinge upon the hurts we're already carrying. 

If you wish to understand it better, I recommend looking into Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Experiencing, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).  They are all finding ways to access this inner world of past trauma and transform it.    There are videos you can find on youtube.  The founder of IFS has written several exceptional books which I would highly recommend.

If this is more than a passing curiosity for you, I highly recommend diving into this subject.  There is no way a single post could do it justice.

[loostudent]

Hello. Can somebody please explain to me about the disciplines of personality as used in the Ra Material. Please start from the basics and explain like you would to a small child (who never heard of the Ra Material), step by step, building up to a complete "understanding". Thanks.

This is one explanation:

Acceptance of self, forgiveness of self, and the direction of the will; this is the path towards the disciplined personality. Your faculty of will is that which is powerful within you as co-Creator. You cannot ascribe to this faculty too much importance. Thus it must be carefully used and directed in service to others for those upon the positively oriented path.