5. The vast majority of murders are committed by men. Therefore anyone who disputes that male violence is the biggest problem in our society:

1. a) Is a misogynist or an idiot.
2. b) Is a victim of patriarchal brainwashing, and therefore should not be blamed. Patriarchy is to blame, not individuals.
3. c) Should be blocked and reported.
4. d) Is correct.

Answer: d. The biggest problem is not male violence but our collective misunderstanding of reality. Once we recognise reality for what it is, we understand that things like murder and death are not real. They are merely concepts – the dream-like projections of our minds. Our true self, the one we all are and which is neverending Awareness, cannot be killed. (With regard to the murders of physical bodies, which do occur, these will happen less and less often as we gradually come to learn that the hatred and anger that drives a killer to kill is not, in fact, a hatred of his chosen victim, but, instead, either the dangerous chasm that has opened between his ego and his true self – which we call ‘unconsciousness’ – or the mistaken belief that his self can be harmed by the actions of another.)

6. If one day women are liberated by feminism from the male oppression that they have always endured:

1. a) I will be proud of the part I played in making that happen.
2. b) I will DM Deepak Chopra and demand that he endorses sneering and sniping online all day long as a healthy spiritual practice.
3. c) I will say, ‘This has nothing at all to do with me.’
4. d) I will need to find something else to start attacking people about, because I’m full of rage and I misunderstand its cause.

This is a trick question, since the true self of every woman is already free, so there is no need for liberation. But if we interpret the question in the way most people would, there are two correct answers, c and d. C because once you are enlightened, you no longer think of the self as an agent of action. Enlightened people know that they are actionless Consciousness. D is also correct: your pain and rage will not dissipate until you stop mistaking yourself for your ego. Your desire for liberation is a thirst that can only be quenched by getting in touch with your true self.

Regards,

Your Secret Detractor

PS. I’ve enclosed another story, ‘The Dress’. Read it and think.

The Dress

from Stories of Enlightenment

One day, a fashion designer named Perdita went out to buy a birthday present for her personal assistant, Dolores. Perdita was passionate about clothes, so she decided to buy Dolores a beautiful new trouser suit, knowing they were Dolores’ favourite thing to wear. She went to the exclusive department store near her home and pressed the button to summon the lift, since all the clothes were on the third floor.