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This thorn is exceedingly sharp;
the woe to the queen,
dweller of the cliff,
ward-runes' foe,
the lord of time
to every noble, its grasp is evil,
excessively fierce to any man
who rests with it.

Attachment is a thorn. Aversion is a thorn. Delusion is a thorn.

Dwell unthorned, monks! Dwell unthorned & dethorned! The nobles are unthorned, monks. The nobles are unthorned & dethorned.

—Kaṇṭhaka Sutta

Ten stages of Shamatha development

1. Directed attention - developing the ability to focus on a chosen object.
2. Prolonged attention - the ability to hold attention to a chosen object for a minute.
3. Restored attention - the ability to instantly restore attention to an object when distraction has occurred.
4. Persistent attention - the object of attention is never completely erased from memory.
5. Mastered attention - the practice of unidirectional concentration, samadhi, begins to be satisfying.
6. Subdued attention - the mind ceases to resist practicing attention.
7. Fully humbled attention - attachment, melancholy, and apathy are eliminated.
8. Unidirectional attention - agitation or lethargy no longer disturbs samadhi (unidirectional concentration).
9. Balanced attention - samadhi(unidirectional concentration) is maintained effortlessly.
10. Shamatha - the ability to effortlessly maintain concentration on a chosen object for at least four hours. The thinking and psychological flexibility of the mind are greatly increased. There are many associated effects (increased physical stamina, physical and mental satisfaction, mental stability, and mental clarity).

a) For the development of stages 1-4, it is most effective to concentrate on breathing, for example, by performing Anapanasati.
b) For the next three stages (5-7), it is recommended to use the practice of bringing the mind to its natural state. In this practice, attention shifts from the breath to mental events. We observe everything that appears in the mind—thoughts, visual images, and emotions—in a completely dispassionate way, completely uninvolved.
c) For stages 8-10, we practice what is called object-free shamatha, or in other words, Awareness of Awareness. Before this stage, we focused our attention on the object. Here, the focus is on Awareness itself. Whereas breathing and mental events are objects of conceptual thinking (in other words, Awareness is focused on an object other than itself), in the practice of objectless shamatha, Awareness simply rests in itself, manifesting qualities such as clarity and understanding.

".. Look at the power of his heroic samadhi! Although he demonstrated the deeds of a buddha, from entering the womb up to buddhahood and nirvana, he never cast aside the nature of a bodhisattva and never completely passed into parinirvana.”

Mahakashyapa then said to Manjushri, “It must be difficult for you to demonstrate such inconceivable deeds!”

Manjushri replied, “All dharmas are fabricated by causes and conditions, and are without self. Therefore one can accomplish whatever one wants to. For someone who has seen the truth, there is no difficulty in this whatsoever.”

"Spiritual practice should be a laxative, not a sedative."
~ Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Yes, General George S. Patton strongly believed in reincarnation and often spoke about his past lives. He was convinced that he had lived multiple warrior lives throughout history. Patton believed he had fought in many famous battles, including as a Roman legionnaire, a Napoleonic marshal, and even a soldier in Alexander the Great’s army.

One of his most well-known quotes on the subject is:
“Through the travail of the ages, midst the pomp and toil of war, have I fought and strove and perished countless times upon this star.”

He reportedly had vivid memories of past battles and felt a deep connection to ancient battlefields. For example, during World War II, while in North Africa and Europe, he would sometimes describe past-life experiences in those very locations. He once told an aide in France, “I was here before,” referencing a past life in Napoleon’s army.

General George S. Patton’s belief in reincarnation was a defining aspect of his personal philosophy, shaping both his military strategy and his worldview. He was convinced that he had lived multiple lives as a warrior, and he spoke about these past lives with an unusual level of certainty. Unlike most people who speculate about reincarnation as a vague possibility, Patton seemed to have detailed memories and visceral experiences tied to specific historical events.

Patton’s Past-Life Memories

Patton believed he had lived many lives as a soldier, spanning different eras and civilizations. Some of the most notable past lives he claimed to remember include:
1. A Roman Legionnaire – Patton felt a strong connection to ancient Rome and believed he had served as a soldier in Julius Caesar’s army. He often referenced Roman military strategies and admired their discipline.
2. A Carthaginian Warrior in Hannibal’s Army – He was fascinated by Hannibal and his campaigns, particularly the crossing of the Alps. While in North Africa during World War II, Patton claimed to recall fighting in ancient battles there.
3. A Viking Raider – Patton felt he had been a Norse warrior, engaging in violent and ambitious conquests. His aggressive approach to warfare and belief in the warrior’s destiny aligned with Viking ideals.
4. A Knight in the Crusades – He saw himself as a medieval knight, possibly fighting in the Crusades. He admired the chivalric code and had an intense interest in medieval combat.
5. A Marshal in Napoleon’s Army – Patton frequently referenced Napoleon’s campaigns and seemed to have an intimate understanding of the tactics used by his marshals. While in France, he reportedly walked old battlefields and made comments as if he had been there before, saying, “I was here, I remember it perfectly.”
6. A Soldier in the American Civil War – He believed he had fought and died in the U.S. Civil War, possibly as a Confederate soldier. He had an intense connection to battlefield sites and even wrote poetry about past lives as a soldier.

Patton’s “Memories” on the Battlefield

Patton’s past-life beliefs were not just abstract ideas; they influenced how he conducted military campaigns. During World War II, he would visit battle sites and claim to recognize the terrain as if he had fought there in a previous incarnation.

One of the most famous incidents occurred in Sicily in 1943. As he surveyed the terrain, he reportedly said:
“We will attack exactly as Hannibal did here more than 2,000 years ago.”
To his astonished officers, he then detailed the ancient Carthaginian general’s maneuvers as if he had witnessed them firsthand.

Similarly, while in France, Patton believed he had fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Walking through the countryside, he remarked that he had been part of Napoleon’s campaigns and had seen the battlefields before.

Patton’s Poetry on Reincarnation

Patton wrote poetry about his belief in past lives, expressing his certainty that he had fought and died in countless battles. His most famous poem, “Through a Glass, Darkly,” includes lines that reflect his deep conviction in reincarnation:

“So as through a glass, and darkly
The age long strife I see
Where I fought in many guises, many names
But always me.”

This suggests that Patton didn’t just believe in reincarnation in a general sense—he saw it as a warrior’s eternal cycle, where he was reborn again and again to continue fighting.

Philosophical Implications of His Beliefs

Patton’s belief in past lives gave him an almost supernatural confidence in battle. He saw himself as part of an unbroken warrior lineage, destined to fight in every age. This belief made him fearless, sometimes reckless, and completely unafraid of death. He once said:

“Death is nothing but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.”

His reincarnation philosophy also influenced his leadership style.

He believed that soldiers were part of a grand historical cycle, and he often used this idea to inspire his men, telling them they were the spiritual successors of great warriors of the past.

"The task of knowing is not to recapitulate in the form of concepts what is given to us in another way, but rather to create an entirely new domain which, when combined with the world presented by sense perception, produces for the first time a complete reality. From this point of view, the highest mode of human activity—the creative activity of the mind—organically adapts itself to the complete process of cosmic events. In this activity, the world processing could not be understood as something total and complete in itself. [...] The human being is not a spectator watching the spectacle of the world, imitating in his spirit what is happening in the universe without becoming involved; he is an active participant in a cosmic creative process, and his knowledge is, in fact, the most evolved part of the organism of the universe."

— Rudolf Steiner, Truth and Science (1892)

YOU CAN JUST DO THINGS

I have this idea that "objective knowledge" is possible. But for it to be possible it needs to rest on something. Objective knowledge of the Universe requires Objective knowledge of the Self.

There's a term sometimes used; "self-realization". This is a bit tricky to talk about because when talking about "meta-cognition" you either have to make up a bunch of new technical terms or become a poet (words cease to be "label" and merely become tools that indicate or point in the direction of meaning).

I think we "do" something. We initiate something. And that something allows us to acquire a different type of knowledge. Not of the senses or gained through rational deduction but a secret third thing.

And it's this third type or category of knowledge, understanding, comprehension. Etc. that is "Gnosis" and its build up leads to something else.

It's not one and done, now you're enlightened and now you know the universe.

It's more like; the consciousness and subconsciousness are now mediated by a secret third thing that's born through a type of Meta-Cognitive process becoming untangled from the world and identifying with itself.

Like an eye seeing itself. Or the light from a projector bending back and illuminating the projector (the source of light) itself.

You kinda get where I'm pointing?

Once this "Objective knowledge" of the "Self" is obtained it's not over. In fact now it's begun! Now you are able to obtain Objective Knowledge of the World, Nature, Universe, Cosmos. Etc. Etc.

This is "Awakening". True Awakening. Not just a changing of beliefs and "now I'm awake bro".

True Awakening entails the acquisition of a certain Knowledge which I believe is connected but not limited to:

-The Secrets of Nature
-Knowledge of Higher Worlds
-Knowledge of the Inner Divinity or Higher Functions (Aka the HGA vs Higher Genius debate)
-Eternal Memory (Past Lives)

Someone who is "Awake" in this way has been "Initiated". They are true Initiates of the Mysteries. Everything else is a mere title, everything else is kindergarten.