Paul Marko's Mindful Endeavors

Discussion

Contributed by Karen Gregg. Posted on 8/6/06

The following comment is in response to comments made by participants at the Teachers conference during the workshop on Ego Development and the Enneagram

It strikes me in looking at the enneagram types list that was generated that personality traits are used at lower levels of development to forge ahead to new levels and then at a certain point what used to be useful--becomes an obstacle so that further development can't occur until there is an awareness of the type structure and how it gets in the way. Our greatest strengths become our biggest obstacles. Just a reaction to the reading since I noticed that this issue came up in more than one type. Thanks for posting it.

In response to the website...

--I end up thinking a lot about what makes people move from one level of development to another. In teaching Kindergarten and administrating/supervising the teachers in the school and working with parents in the school--it always comes up. So I am appreciating your work and I found the enneagram presentation very useful.

Once Huen Tsang put a question to Shil Bhadra, the head of the Nalanda University:
"What is Knowledge?" He replied, "My child, Knowledge is perception of the
principles or laws of life. And the best principle of life is fellow-feeling sharing
with others what you have." From Kirpal Singh's Toward a New Education

So thanks for creating your website and sharing your knowledge. 



Contributed by Natalie Felix. Posted on 8 /1/06


In response to the summer newsletter...



i find this commentary fascinating, but i'm wondering about the growth "beyond" the Ego? if one is a "seeker" then isn't the goal to transcend the ego and function from the "higher self"? (although i'm still not sure if i even like the term "higher self" because how is it really higher?!?) the Ego seems so limited in it's capabilites to grow, and regardless if one is an achiever, conserver, or seeker how can one connect to the limitless possibilites of creation solely through the Ego? i think the part about the seeker releasing the need for security is interesting as well, because the "need for security" is a man-made concept, obviously not fit for All!



anyway~ my mom has always said to me that "people get to a certain point in life, and just stop growing." this was always a very scary concept for me, seeing that i thrive off growth & change. thanks for doing such great work toward helping people understand the different possibilites for growth!
PEACE.
**n**




Contributed by Mary Arsenault. Posted on 7/26/06


The following comment is in response to the summer newsletter...

    
You asked for comments..... The word "security" is used as a "measurement" of sorts, but it is not defined anywhere. Even the quote regarding Seekers, which states that they forgo security for self-expression, seems rather meaningless without such a definition. It is my opinion that everyone seeks security and it is how an individual DEFINES security (what makes them feel safe) that accounts for the individual differences between the three groups. For example, the Conserves may be more likely to define security as related to events occuring in the external world; the Achiever may define security as related to events occurring within their ego mind/self; and the Seeker may have a more spiritual/mystical notion of security.





posted by Mindy Urken on 7/23/06


The following comment is in response to comments made by participants at the Teachers conference during the workshop on Ego Development and the Enneagram


Reading through some of the comments, one in particular caught my eye and I wanted to dispel what could be a misunderstanding about one of the characteristics of the unitive stage. During a conversation Paul and I had with Helen Palmer, this very area came up. From my experience scoring the SCT's of Unitive level participants and my personal interactions with these people, it is my speculation that when one reaches and operates from the unitive stage, there is really not an abscense or a discontinuance of pain and suffering, as Paul also noted in his personal communication. The scope of it however seems to change. You might say it enlarges in a sense to encompass the pain and suffering of all beings, rather than an individual sense of suffering, as one's worldview seems to enlarge to experience oneself as part of all life force.