What would be the High-Consciousness Role of Hierarchy within Spirituality?

[bmcnicho]

The key implication of non-duality is that all things are perfectly Good, as they are one with Infinity/God.  This seems to suggest a state of total equality, whereby placing one thing above another would merely be a relative bias. Yet many religions have the idea that God represents only the highest good, that stands above lower things

For example, Christ is meant to represent the highest of what a human could be, such that the infinite is embodied within the finite. (I’m not a Christian and see many problems with how religion affects the world, but still think some of the stories have symbolic value)

The counter to this would be that everyone is God, or that only you are God and Christ is imaginary.  However, I think it can still be useful to people to have a notion of a highest good that they can strive for.  It may be ultimately true to tell someone that they are already identical to infinite perfection, but many people have difficult lives and major personality flaws, so I don’t know if that’s the most helpful message

Traditional religions have the notion of the “straight and narrow”, drawing a clear dividing line between correct and incorrect behavior and forming a hierarchy of the ways you could conduct yourself in the world. (This can be achieved without religion as well) While it might be true that all paths are equal, because everything’s a dream, that doesn’t help a conflicted person decide which path to take.

Obviously, the idea of hierarchy can be horribly misused.  It’s easy for one to believe that their personal bias represents a higher spiritual truth and then force it on others violently.  But could  the idea of hierarchy serve a healthy role within a high consciousness spirituality? Or is Equality ultimately the Truth?

[Carl-Richard]

What you're looking for is the distinction between meaning and being. You have to act a certain way in order to not cease to exist, and to maximize the meaningfulness of those actions is what concepts like health and morality (the good") is about. How to properly align your actions with "the good" is what meaning is about.

The other side of the coin is being, which is the ground of all experience and all action. Without being, you cannot initiate any actions or experience the fruits of your actions. Being actualizes the potential of meaning in your life (and vice versa: without meaning, you cannot undertake the proper actions in order to facilitate being, e.g. meditation).