We have been 
leading up to this topic. Care for ‘the world’ is an inadequate basis for choice. Awareness of impending death provides a basis for integrity. It shows that choosing for ‘the world’ is completely inauthentic. It robs us of our self-determinism, energy, attention and authenticity. Integrity is required 
for authentic Being. Integrity is the subject of one of our advanced courses. We use a positive model of integrity, versus the typical normative virtue model. We define integrity as “the state or condition of being whole, complete, unbroken, unimpaired, sound, in perfect condition.”

1. Being in the World 6: Study Guide
— The Esoteric Teaching —
dharmasar@gmail.com

2. SLIDE 1
• We have been
leading up to this topic.
• Care for ‘the world’ is an inadequate basis for choice.
• Awareness of impending death provides a basis for integrity.
• It shows that choosing for ‘the world’ is completely
inauthentic.
• It robs us of our self-determinism, energy, attention and
authenticity.

3. SLIDE 2
• Integrity is required
for authentic Being.
• Integrity is the subject of one of our advanced courses.
• We use a positive model of integrity, versus the typical
normative virtue model.
• We define integrity as “the state or condition of being
whole, complete, unbroken, unimpaired, sound, in perfect
condition.”

4. SLIDE 3
• Our life as a whole
is what matters.
• The quality of our whole life is at stake in each of our
choices.
• Phenomenological analysis reveals that human life and
activities comprise an unbreakable unity.
• Should we aim for consistency or variety in our experience?

5. SLIDE 4
• Integrity as a positive value
is measurable.
• Philosophy and theology view it as a normative virtue.
• Whose morality? Which ethics? What country’s legality?
• “How much integrity do we possess?” is an answerable
question.

6. SLIDE 5
• Which theology?
What religion? Whose culture?
• Choice based on external standard means caring about the
Other.
• Values based on external standards reduce integrity by
fragmentation.
• Reduced integrity reduces freedom, energy, intelligence and
ability.

7. SLIDE 6
• Personal aims and desires are
not stable enough to give meaning to our whole life.
• They are part of life, but the part cannot give meaning
to the whole.
• Our ability to choose is far more important, but still
partial.

8. SLIDE 7
• Commitment is a better basis for choice, but still
external.
• A created self will always be synthetic, or
inauthentic.

9. SLIDE 8
• The part cannot give meaning to the whole.
• Choice can be arbitrary; what gives choice its meaning?

10. SLIDE 9
• Our life as a whole must
derive meaning from something beyond it.
• Traditional philosophy suggests God as this
transcendental source of meaning.
• Translation:“You must submit to an external standard
of morality based on ecclesiastical authority.”

11. SLIDE 10
• We can relate our whole life
to something beyond it, that also shows up within it: death.
• Authentic relation to death provides an absolute
transcendental standard with which every choice in our
life can be related.
• Relating our life to our death solves the problems caused
by requiring an external standard for choice.

12. SLIDE 11
• Comparison to the
transcendental infinite implies that we can never attain
anything beyond our present finite being in the world.
• This is why religious people remain stuck in inauthentic being.
• Without integrity, religion and morality always degenerate
into ordinary being in the world.

13. SLIDE 12
• This does not mean that we advocate atheism: we don’t!
• Nor do we accept nihilism or nihilistic and impersonal
forms of religion.
• We are creating an experiential platform for theism—
direct personal experience of the Deity.

14. EXERCISES AND QUESTIONS
• Recall a time when you chose fully for yourself. How did you feel?
• Recall a time when you chose for the Other. How was that
different?
• Do you use an external standard of choice? Which one?
• If you were to choose only for yourself, how would you choose
differently?
• Get clear that integrity as a normative virtue is unmeasurable.
• Does your life as a whole have a meaning? What is it?

15. EXERCISES AND QUESTIONS
• Are you a religious person? How do you deal with the essential
hypocrisy of religious morality?
• Over time, have you seen that you and others get better at following
external standards of morality and choice? If so or if not, why or why
not?
• Recall a time in your life when you changed your desires. How did that
affect your choices?
• Have you ever tried to be something you’re not? How did it affect you?