1. The ego controls all thinking.
2. The ego can create an argument against anything.
3. Therefore, reserve all arguments against what is being presented here until you have read the book at least three times.
4. Otherwise, the ego will generate arguments against any anti-ego presentation, thus blocking what is being presented.
5. See the vicious circle:
6. The ego in its attempts to block the ego from being exposed for the imposter that it is, and to block the realization that the ego is the cause of all human sorrow and suffering, creates arguments against what is being revealed in this book.
7. Because the ego sets the standards for the debate, the ego always wins the debate.
8. The way to break that vicious circle is to delay all arguments against what is being presented here until you have read the book very slowly at least three times.
9. When the ego forms an argument against what is being presented in this book, see the argument as an ego preservation strategy and ignore it, delaying all argument until the presentation is complete.

10. Having the motivation to understand, instead of to argue, will help to produce an insight into what is being presented here.
11. Put the arguments on hold until you have read the book at least three times.
12. By that time you may be so skilled at recognizing the ego's preservation strategies, you may decide to delay the arguments forever.
13. At least give what is being presented here a fair chance by being aware of the arguments that the ego creates and disregarding those arguments until an insight into what is being presented here is awakened.
14. Plenty of time to argue later, after you have read the entire book.
15. The ego has been deceiving humans for as long as there have been humans.
16. Be aware of when the ego is trying to deceive you.
17. The ego controls all thinking, therefore, various combinations of thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and opinions are the ego's primary tools to preserve the ego's imaginary "self" and to prevent you from discovering your true Self.
18. Most humans live their entire lives without ever having observed the background of awareness.
19. Therefore, whatever opinions most people have about what the background of awareness is, what are its qualities, what is the true Self, etc., have no basis.
20. If you observe the background of awareness for many hours every day for a number of years, then you will eventually know that your awareness is: infinite-eternal-awareness-love-bliss.
21. Because most humans spend their entire lifetime looking outward at thoughts, the body, the world, people, places, things, etc., most humans have never even once observed their own awareness, not even for one second, in their entire lifetime.
22. What is important are not concepts, beliefs or conclusions. What is important is Direct Experience.
23. Be aware of your thoughts, ideas, beliefs and opinions and see how they are serving the ego.
24. See Chapter One for a clarification of the difference between the ego and the true Self.
25. What is being presented here in this book is a practical guide to Direct Experience, not some theory for intellectual entertainment.
26. Because the ego is afraid of ending, the ego directs and creates thoughts, ideas, concepts, beliefs and opinions that will help the ego to continue its illusion of being real and to prevent it from being brought to an end.
27. Those concepts are ego preservation strategies. Those concepts are the ego's tricks.
28. Because thoughts can be combined in trillions of combinations, the ego can create trillions of preservation strategies.
29. The ego has the ability to hide what it is doing from itself.
30. The ego can be creating preservation strategies throughout the day and you may not be aware that the ego has been creating preservation strategies throughout the entire day.
31. If you are not aware of how the ego preserves its imaginary self, then the ego succeeds in preserving its imaginary self.
32. One of the purposes of this book is to look in detail at how the ego preserves its imaginary self.
33. If one million people study a spiritual teaching and only one of those people ends the ego illusion, why did the other nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine miss the opportunity?
34. The reason the other nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine missed the opportunity is because of the ego's fear of ending.
35. Due to the ego's fear of ending, the ego creates strategies to preserve its imaginary self.
36. Distorting the teachings is one of the many strategies the ego has to preserve its imaginary self.
37. That applies to the teachings in the book you are now reading and to other spiritual teachings.
38. Right from the beginning, the ego's preservation strategies have to be dealt with, otherwise the ego would block out what is being presented here in this book.
39. Then, instead of being an extraordinary journey, this would be just one more failed attempt.
40. The ego's preservation strategies can be brought to an end and we will look at how to do that in this book.
41. Usually any mention of exposing the ego's preservation strategies makes the ego run the other way.
42. To be willing to look at the ego's preservation strategies is a sign of spiritual maturity.
43. Most people are not willing to look at the ego's preservation strategies.
44. Reading a book that reveals some of the ego's preservation strategies does not make one immune to them.
45. One of the ego's preservation strategies is the thought "This does not apply to me".
46. The ego is very tricky and deceptive in all humans. The ego is a liar in all humans. The ego lies to its imaginary self.
47. Therefore, when something is pointed out in this book and you think "This does not apply to me", take a second look.
48. Maybe it does apply to you and the ego is blocking that fact out, as a preservation strategy.
49. Challenge the thought "This does not apply to me".
50. The thought "This does not apply to me" may be an ego preservation strategy.
51. One of the differences between the one out of a million who awakens and the nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine who do not, is the ability to stay focused on an essential point until it becomes an insight and a tool that you can use.
52. The fact that the intellect understands what is written here is not enough.
53. The book you are now reading is filled with the insights that lay the foundation to be the one who awakens and not one of the nine hundred ninety nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine who miss.
54. Dwell on what is written in every sentence in every chapter until an insight is awakened that becomes a tool you can use.
55. To awaken insight, don't read what is written like you were reading a newspaper or a book of trivia, and don't read for the purpose of gathering information.
56. To awaken insight, read as though you were reading instructions about how to fly that are vital so that you do not crash.
57. Slowly reflect on each line.
58. That is why the sentences are often separated with a space between them, to encourage you to slowly reflect on them and not to be in a hurry to get to the next sentence.
59. Continue to read and re-read long after the intellect has understood the meaning of the words.
60. Reading very, very slowly is insight reading.
61. Read very, very slowly.
62. The ego is like an inchworm that lets go of one thought only when it has grabbed hold of the next thought.
63. Therefore, when re-reading every chapter over and over, don't be in a hurry to proceed to the next sentence.
64. It is important to understand the difference between insight and intellectual understanding.
65. Never confuse intellectual understanding with insight.
66. Intellectual understanding, which is to understand the words, is good as a first step.
67. However, after one has understood the words, if one then goes on to another concept before the insight has been awakened, the words will become obstacles and hindrances to ending the ego instead of tools that end the ego.
68. Intellectual "understanding", an intellectual appetite and an intellectual approach to "spirituality" are what characterize the nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine who miss.
69. Insight is what characterizes the one in a million who brings the ego to its final end.
70. Most people study "spiritual" teachings because they enjoy the concepts.
71. The ego is fundamentally dishonest in humans and has the ability to hide what it is doing from its imaginary "self".
72. Therefore, most people may not allow themselves to see that they are studying "spiritual" teachings because they enjoy the concepts.
73. The desire to go quickly to the next concept and to gather more and more information and to read more and more spiritual books and to think about what has been read and to discuss what has been read and thought about are symptoms of the intellectual appetite and are symptoms of intellectual "spirituality".
74. Approaching the study of spiritual teachings intellectually, as just described (73) is an approach that the nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine who miss use.
75. There are no opinions, philosophies or beliefs being presented in this book.
76. The report of Direct Experience and a practical guide to Direct Experience is what is being presented in this book.
77. What is being pointed towards in this book are not ideas.
78. What is being pointed towards in this book is the awareness that is prior to thought and how to directly experience that awareness.
79. The ego likes to scatter attention.
80. Scattering attention is one of the ego's preservation strategies.
81. Thinking is scattering the attention.
82. To bring the attention to a single point and to dwell on that single point for a very long time is the way to awaken insight.
83. Insight is not thinking and insight is not belief.
84. Insight is: a permanent new perspective.
85. To find one powerful quote, not a quote that the ego that wishes to preserve itself selects, and to stay with that quote until insight awakens is the kind of approach the one in a million who brings the ego to its final end uses.
86. One might stay with a single quote for one day or one week or much longer than one week. Those who use this approach are rare.
87. Keeping the attention directed outward is one of the ego's fundamental tricks.
88. Creating unnecessary activities is one way the ego keeps attention directed outward and is another of the ego's tricks.
89. Dropping all unnecessary activities, to create the maximum amount of time for spiritual practice, is an essential key to bringing the ego to its final end.
90. Pretending a journey through thought is an authentic spiritual journey is also one of the ego's tricks.
91. The ego has as many tricks to draw upon as there are concepts, ideas, beliefs and opinions.
92. Choosing belief instead of Direct Experience is one of the ego's tricks.
93. Wasting time is one of the ego's tricks.
94. Spending time in entertainment that could have been spent in spiritual practice is one of the ego's tricks.
95. Almost all thoughts are just the ego's tricks.
96. Reflect on one sentence for a very long time before reading the next sentence.
97. Reflecting means looking.
98. Reflecting does not mean thinking and reflecting does not mean arguing.
99. Stay with each sentence until you have an insight into it.

100. The previous sentence (99) describes a key approach that the one in a million who succeeds in living in infinite-eternal-awareness-love-bliss uses.
101. There are a few key principles to be understood and a little reading may be required for that.
102. However, to go on and on reading spiritual books is an ego preservation strategy, another of the ego's tricks.
103. Most reading, discussing and thinking about spiritual teachings is an ego trick.
104. The ego keeps thoughts about spiritual concepts going to avoid the practice that leads to the ego's final end.
105. The ego keeps people lost in an endless maze of concepts.
106. Spiritual concepts do not lead to freedom.
107. Only practice leads to freedom.
108. However, it must be the most rapid and direct practice and not a practice created by or distorted by the ego.

Read Chapter Two very slowly three times before reading Chapter Three.

To read Chapter Three click this link: chapter-03.htm

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Michael Langford