Considerations of integrity · The Consciousness Path

Considerations of integrity

Hey,

This is more of a "casual" kind of inquiry, anyone feel free to hop in, I just thought I'd share a real experiential consideration I'm beggining to actually contemplate called integrity.

As an experience, what does that look like? Maybe it's easier to look at what NOT integrity is, and use that as a model to better help understand what alternative is, and if it's happening within us.

I'd wager, from my own personal perspective, integrity can be described as one part not fighting against another. No disintegration. To become whole. No "split" in consciousness between one aspect and another.

But the big thing is, what are REALLY the consequences, of having versus not having integrity?

I'd say first off, obviously, is a certain kind of lack of self honesty that can go on. You literally have the one aspect, what your most genuine sense or observation of what is actually going on or true about anything, and if we have a SPLIT in our integrity, then you start to turn away" from that, as if. You literally have a split between "what is true," in your most honest perspective, and "whatever you're trying to do." Your "perceptions" or activities are not aligned with your Most honest perceptions or awareness, as goofy as that sounds.

Then obviously, in your life, you lose an ability to be in touch with what you want or what you're trying to do. You know, the whole "I don't know what I want to do with my life" or "lacking motivation" thing. You have on the one hand this idea of something you want to attain, but then on the other you wanna sit on your ass. A spit. There's this misalignment that can come along, a "confused awareness" when a being is less "whole," if that makes sense. If you really want that, why aren't you working for it? Maybe you WANT to sit on your ass but don't admit that to yourself. Or maybe there's a more complex thing happening you need to be more honest with yourself enough to find out.

And the big thing, I swear to God, is that this shit is really not moral. Seems more like a "fact" or principle. No a "system," just seems like when things are out of whack or "misaligned," shit is bound to happen.

Even in martial arts. A "confused awareness" and a body "tripping over itself" could be called a loss of "integrity." It seems to lose function as the tool it was "designed to be," which might also lend incentive to the power of real martial arts as a "tool for self reflection." I think there's a Buddha quote that might apply here that goes something like the "foot feels foot when foot feels the ground" or something like that.

As for "how" to have more integrity, it can be weird to describe, because there is really no step by step process to "give it to you." You have to just BE more integral, which seems to start and end with honesty, and that seems to really go hand in hand with your depth of understanding what honesty really is, and how well you "accumulate" it.

Just saying true things and not lying to people really doesn't mean you have a lot of integrity OUTSIDE of the social world or context. I myself am a pretty honest dude, but hugely, I lack integrity, I actually see that as an experience, hugely in part by this dawning new insight on what actual integrity might look like, and am workin' on it.

So, what is integrity, as an experience? Where does it "go," where does it "lead?" What has to happen for us to "lose" it, as well as what happens when the alternative?

Anyway, feel free to hop on the train.

I would appreciate any of your thoughts on integrity

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