YOUR OWN JOURNEY TO LIGHT

Are you the type who is not a joiner, and/or is unable to find a spiritual community that resonates?

It is good to find a teaching and possibly a living teacher to provide illumination for your spiritual journey, but in the end each person takes a unique path. If the teacher is effective, he/she will help the student to unlock the wisdom that the student holds within, and if that happens the student will be set free, for “the truth will set you free.” However, not everyone finds a teacher who is able to make such an impact.

If you are the type to go your own way, here are some signposts that can identify if you are moving in the right direction:

-Are you finding moments when your mind naturally becomes quiet and there is a sense of peace?

-Do you find yourself living more in the present moment with contentment and surrender?

-Are you feeling greater joy in everyday experiences?

-Is your heart of compassion opening?

-Do you feel an invisible hand guiding you on your journey?

A regular meditation practice is probably the greatest tool to generate success in all of these areas, and the easiest meditation practice is simply to watch the breath, as it goes in and out. However, there are a multitude of spiritual practices that you can employ.

(For more information on spiritual practice, refer to my books “Pure One” and “Causing the Wisdom to Flow”)

Spiritual Practice

THOUGHTS ON VIPASSANA MEDITATION

It is said that Lord Buddha achieved enlightenment through the practice of Vipassana, which means “to see things as they really are.” Briefly stated, the practice involves watching the inflow and outflow of the breath. As thoughts arise the mind is directed back to the breath without judgment.

Our normal everyday mind is full of judgments about practically everything. Certainly we could not function in our everyday world without exercising judgment. However, when there is no retreat from this method of functioning the mind never stops, making it extremely difficult to find inner peace. In Vipassana the practice is to observe the discursive nature of the mind, but not to attach labels of good or bad to any thought or object of a thought.

The same applies to feelings that arise. All thoughts and feelings arise, are allowed without judgment, and then the attention is directed back to the breath.

Observing this practice one finds that thoughts and feelings arise as a natural process of healing. For example, someone said a hurtful thing to us and our mind wants to think about it. If we simply allow the hurt to be felt and accepted without judging the self or other, we can release and clear out the hurt.

As we continue this practice on a regular basis, we find that our mind is more quiet and no longer dominated by grasping and fear. Moreover, we experience a sense of flow, freedom and joy, as we are now open to all experiences as they arise.

Healing, Spiritual Practice

THE BLESSED CROWN OF VIRTUE

In this “modern” world we think of virtues as a burden, but actually the practice of virtues makes us a fit vessel for the energies of awakening, leading us to greater joy. Action in accordance with virtues allows us to become a channel for all that is elevated, and awakens our inherent divine nature.

Practice of any one of the virtues helps us to gain mastery of the others, because they are all interconnected.

In his Yoga Sutras, Sage Pantanjali included yamas (“restraints,” i.e. actions to avoid) and niyamas (“observances,” i.e. positive actions) as the initial practices leading to the ultimate goal of samadhi, or total absorption in the Divine.

Non-Violence (Ahimsa) – Listed as one of Patanjali’s yamas, non-violence is considered to be a state of consciousness that is capable of overcoming the force of violence.

Truthfulness (Satya): Patanjali lists avoiding non-truths as one of the yamas, and in Hinduism truth itself is considered a powerful force. In fact, Gandhi created his political movement towards India’s independence based on “satyagraha,” which Gandhi considered to be the force of truth itself. Patanjali in fact writes that for the sage who is firmly established in truthfulness, whatever he speaks becomes reality.

Contentment (Santosh) – The mind that is ever grasping is never happy. This is because once aroused the desire nature becomes a kind of fire that never has enough, and accordingly is very hard to subdue. It is for this reason that Patanjali elevates the virtue of contentment, stating that: “From contentment arises superlative happiness.” (2.42).

Compassion and Empathy – When we come across someone who is suffering or in distress, our hearts should be open to them since the natural expression of love is compassion for their suffering. Likewise, when someone is joyful in our presence, the natural expression of love is to share that joy and happiness. On the other hand, we should be indifferent to wicked behavior. Should we lash out at them, we will lose our mental power and peace of mind. (See 1.33 of the Yoga Sutras).

Humility – In 2.3 Patanjali describes the obstructions of the mind (kleshas) that cause suffering. Chief among these is “egoity,” or prevalence of the ego-mind. When we conquer the ego so that it is our servant and not our task master, we arrive at humility and simplicity, which is God-like. The expression of humility is the natural outcome of our awakening to the truth that in our essential nature we are all the same–a spark of the Divine. It revels in the joy of service, seeing the Divine ever present as the very Self of others.

Non-Attachment and Non-Stealing- The mind is very difficult to control when it is constantly outgoing, thinking of objects or experiences in the world. Patanjali tells the aspirant to practice non-attachment, described in 1.15. “The subjugation of the thirst for objects seen or heard of is called non-attachment.” As this sense of non-attachment develops, we no longer hanker for what belongs to others, and therefore can easily practice Patanjali’s yama of “non-stealing” (Asteya).

Patience – Whatever we desire in life will come to us, but in its own divine timing. Those who realise this are the happiest among us, and have developed the beautiful virtue of patience. They may also have developed non-attachment, realizing that true and permanent joy comes from within, not from what the world can provide. Patience leads to calmness and to simple and blessed joy.

Faith – (Sraddha) – Nothing in life can be obtained without faith. One must keep the goal in mind, and then apply energy to the task, trusting in the process. In describing the spiritual aspirant’s movement towards the goal of samadhi, Patanjali writes that the goal: “…is attained through faith, energy, memory, concentration and discrimination (of the real from the unreal).” (1.20)

For those who are interested in further study of this topic, the reader is referred to the Swami Vivekananda commentary on the Yoga Sutras, entitled “Raja Yoga.”

Karma and action, Spiritual Practice

THE ADDICTION THAT WILL SET YOU FREE

When we find something that gives us pleasure, we figure that double the dose will mean double the pleasure, but the law of diminishing returns sets in.

This is well understood by drug addicts who repeatedly but unsuccessfully attempt to replicate the pleasure that they experienced with the first use of their drug. Though not so dramatically,the same principle applies to the simple pleasures of life.

However, this principle of diminishing returns does not apply to spiritual joys experienced by those who practice meditation or other spiritual disciplines. In fact, the opposite is the case: the joy grows and in time becomes ever present. Moreover, the practice of spiritual disciples produces rewards that we can take with us when we die, unlike the pleasures of worldly life, and eventually sets us free!

So who would not want to succumb to this addiction?

Happiness, Spiritual Practice

THE JOURNEY OF UNDERSTANDING

When we come upon a spiritual or esoteric text that is beyond our level of comprehension, we need to recognize that our attunement with the concepts presented may take time, and we may need to leave behind the conceptual frameworks that we had previously held and used in daily living. These conceptual frameworks contain many assumptions that are not true on an absolute level, and while they may serve us well in our “normal” day-to-day interactions, they will only serve to hold us back as we approach the Divine.

The Patanjali Yoga Sutras teach us how to achieve the power of higher knowing. Patanjali describes eight limbs, the first five of which are preparatory to achieving higher states of meditation. The last three are dharana (concentration), dhyana (continuously focused meditation) and samadhi (complete absorption). In dhyana self-awareness continues, but in samadhi the sense of self as a separate identity disappears and there is only oneness.

These three states combined are called samyama, and result in the awakening of deep knowing. The message here is that if one wants to attain the knowledge of something, one needs to focus on it with complete absorption for an extended period of time.

The knowing may not come during the practice of samyama, but often the “doors of perception” are opened during samyama and the knowing arrives at a later point in time.

Rinzai Zen utilizes a similar practice. The student is given a question to solve (koan) that the student meditates upon until she has an awakening to the ultimate meaning embodied in the koan. Each koan challenges the student to think “outside the box” and to discover the underlying meaning.

When I first came upon the teachings of Ramana Maharishi, I struggled to understand the concepts presented, but it was only years later that the teachings came alive for me.

My journey to understanding the Bhagavad Gita went through a similar process. Many of the passages in the Bhagavad Gita have meanings on several levels. While I certainly benefited from my initial readings, my level of understanding developed gradually over the years.

At a certain point I found that just reading the scriptural texts caused energetic changes in my spine. The true knowing comes on an energetic level. Before that, it is only book learning.

So if you want to understand a scriptural text or other written teaching, stay with it. Practice absorption with it. Think about it before you go to sleep as the deeper levels of your unconscious mind may be stimulated. Allow time for the answers to come to you. Pray for understanding.

If you persist in this manner, then true knowledge will certainly come and make its home in your heart.

Spiritual Practice
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