The thoughts, speech, and actions of being Spiritual is just a simple matter of coming from a place of Loving Kindness, with Unconditional Love the core motivating volition.
No matter where one is along their personal Path of Spiritual Awakening, the Practice is primarily to mindfully expand one’s circle of embrace.
We all start out life as babies with no ‘self’ awareness at all, until about 18 months old. As soon as we learn about a ‘me’, all life revolves around ‘me’ and ‘my’ needs. Then we get a bit older and start to be aware of the perspective of not only ‘me’, but now ‘mommy’, ‘daddy’… later this circle of embrace includes siblings, and later other kids.
If we stay stuck in the ‘me’ only narcissistic group, we live grumpy self-centered lives, which becomes a ‘self-defeating’ drag on ourselves and the community.
If we grow on to the next circles of embrace, we grow into a more evolved community that fulfills a human need to be integrated in a way that a fosters creative flow.
We must break out of self-defeating ways that are keeping us from collectively evolving. For millennia we have been indoctrinating our children’s children with the ‘divide & conquer’ concepts that enforce a sense that:
You love mom & dad and your siblings.
You are generally OK with the kids at YOUR school,
unless they are in any way different from ‘you’,
but
all other kids at all other schools
are to be disenfranchised at some level.
Often
a flag is part of this indoctrination process which it represents the school, town, state or country that:
I will fight and die for or at least beat up with this flag like Jan. 6th.
So, when you see a flag… tread lightly.
Then it deepens with sports…
My school against your school,
My town against your town,
My state against your state or region.
My country – Right or Wrong! against the rest of the world.
Even at this un-evolved view…
it has transcended the other less evolved perspectives.
But,
In order to sustain ourselves,
we’ll have to evolve to higher perspectives that open up our choices to be more in line with World-centric perspectives.
The ability to integrate a wider circle of embrace and awareness,
always results in better solutions.
This is also the ‘metric’ or
way of measuring one’s level of psychological growth.
The more evolved we are, the more perspectives we can comprehend, process, and integrate into our world view.
By connecting with others from a place of common sense and dignity, we can begin to find shared similarities that are beyond just the typical my school, my town, my state, my country… to a World-centric view, embracing all aspects of life and our sustainability.
So,
Spirituality is basically just ‘common sense getting along’.
Anywhere anyone has progressed along their personal Path towards becoming
a fully Awakened Self-actualized Enlightened Being, will be
the essential bridge of inspiration towards
a transformative community.
No matter where you are on this Path,
realize that,
we don’t have to wait until we are a fully Enlightened Being
levitating in a mystic glow… before we can practice and integrate
Enlightened qualities in our meditation, speech, and actions.
Every action we take affects those that are subjected to our egos.
For example:
If someone comes into a group or gathering with a big smile and a positive attitude,
this vibe will positively influence the group as a whole.
Same as if just the opposite walks in… but
with profoundly negative results.
You can make a difference in just the way you flow.
“Go with the ‘Flow’… Zenfully move through your space.”
the Tao is about being cool with… “It Is What It Is”
If reality causes confusion, anger or dis-pleasure…
then,
be thankful that the wrong direction has shown it’s true nature…
If life seems like you are attempting to swim upstream…
then,
make peace and go with the flow.
If the flow towards a better place requires all the stranght you have…
keep your eye on the prize, know that the nessesities of your actions are paramount to the goal of creating a wholesome self sustaining future for your children’s children…
Be the ‘Evolutionary’! Seek ‘The Right Livelihood’.
~ ~ ~
We have a natural intrinsic drive towards fulfilling a creative spark that speaks to us. Sometimes it just a subliminal whisper, other times it’s roar and all too often our negative egos talk us out of following through with a visionary project that would benefit the human condition.
Realize that –
We don’t have to wait until we are in the right place in life to help others.
We don’t have to wait until we are retired and have a life of leisure before we apply ourselves to fulling our creative desires that will in some way that will help the world community. Even a nice picture painted with loving kindness can offer a positive vibe and contribute a flow that will bring joy and inspiration.
So,
Spirituality for the most part, can be directly related to just being a good person, just like my Mom taught me by example. Honesty, integrity, compassion, and loving kindness will help you and everyone you meet make the world a better place.
~ ~ ~
For those that still ask that Perennial philosophy question of Life,
“What is our place in the timeless wonder of it all and
the Great Beyond?… “
Spiritual philosophy wades into the Deeper end of contemplations to inspire the motivated Seeker. Yet, this concept is beyond our mind’s ability to conceive, there is nothing in our experience that we can normally relate it to.
I’ve described Spirituality so far in the
human element of loving kindness.
As we evolve to higher perspectives of mindful consciousness, widening our circles of embrace to be in line with all humanity, then widen further to include all life and this biosphere we inhabit. We are intrinsically drawn towards the Ultimate Truth of Oneness. To be ‘at One with it All’, is being inseparable from all that ‘Is’,
a ‘non-duel’ perspective that is our True Nature.
With the inspiration to wade into the deep end of Spirituality,
‘Self-Realization is part of the inquiry one naturally and essentially must deeply contemplate.
With the Hindu/Buddhist technique of “Neti Neti”, one can use negative deduction to help reveal our True Nature…
‘not this’ not that…
We all know we can’t take our money with us,
and
I’m not my body, it dies while
my True Nature is never born, nor never dies.
I’m not any of my body parts ether.
Although metaphorically
my heart represents my love and compassion…
it is just a body part, like my brain.
The thoughts that our ‘mind’ generates are too
just functions of the body…
they are not an everlasting eternal ‘me’.
This Spiritual ‘Self’ inquiry can take a few minutes
or
the rest of one’s life.
But all inquiries wade into the deep end of…
Awareness.
The aspects of a ‘non-duel’ unified consciousness is simply
Awareness.
~ ~ ~
In the deepest sitting meditation,
once the universal focus on breath is focused,
abiding in the awareness of Awareness
is about as close as we can become Aware of our True Nature.
Tibetan Bon Buddhist practice of Great Perfection – Dzogchen –
calls this Rigpa.
Many traditions refer it as ‘the Ground of our Being’. Our True Self.
Christ Conscious. God Nature. Buddha Nature.
There is much written about the philosophical wisdoms that expand upon this Ultimate-‘Self’ understanding. But simply reading about these wisdoms will not bring a profound understanding of our True Nature.
That which can be read or written is not the Tao… the Great Mystery or the Divine Flow of Life, nor can it lead to understanding our True Nature.
nor can it lead to understanding our True Nature.
All the Spiritually philosophical writings and teachers can do
is ‘point out’ the wisdoms of the way.
Like the spokes of a wheel, they all point toward
the Ultimate Destination… yet,
The journey can only be done by the one that seeks.
This ‘True Nature’ we seek is Always Already Alright…
We can experience this as awareness of Awareness in both deep meditation and daily practice periods.
~ ~ ~
To address the ‘timeless wonder of it all’ concern of:
‘What happens after this life?’
That part is
‘Always Already Alright’.
There is nothing we can do to mess this up.
Neti-Neti… not this, not that…
Our True Nature cannot be found through even the most intelligent mind.
It’s beyond the mind’s ability to relate to or bring ‘us’ to this
awareness of Awareness.
To be ‘at one with it All’…
there is no place for the egoic view of our ‘selves’.
there is no place for a you or me… an us or we…
it just Unity.
~ ~ ~
“Non-duel” unified, ‘at One with it All’… conscious.
Resting in deep meditation as Awareness of Awareness,
is a Spiritual retreat we can abide in often
that brings us into alignment with our True Nature.
Know or at least seek to realize that our True Self… Awareness…
cannot be affected by anything in this material world.
Just as the movie screen can show movies of
horror, wars, and destruction…
the movie screen remains unaffected.
The stories of our life and all the world’s chaos is nothing more than a bad TV show to whatever it is, that is our True Self.
Live your life to the fullest, and never for one moment worry about whatever is to come after this Journey, this… experience of our unique perspective of Awareness.
Nothing changes… except that
All the veils that hide our True Nature fall away in the most natural Divine way.
Do nothing at all…
and this Timeless wonder of it all will naturally flow from this breath to our last while our conscious flows into a unified ocean of conscious.
~ ~ ~
If one suffers the pain the ignorance of not knowing our True Self, or
if the questions of ‘what comes next’ consumes your curiosity…
Study the ‘non-duel’ Spiritual traditions such as:
Tibetan Bon Buddhism, Dzogchen, Zen, Advaita Vedanta, Sufi, Christian mystics.
Study the Buddha’s Noble-Eight Fold Path.
Study the Buddha’s teaching on ‘Anatta’ – the Truths of ‘no self’…
that’s a good start…
but,
The ‘Work‘…
The Work is never done…
there is always room for more Love, Wisdoms, more Depth…
and Bliss.
~ ~ ~
Metaphorically,
In this life we are like drops of water.
While suspended in air, like a rain drop,
we can see the drop’s boundaries like an individual.
but just like a raindrop is destined to fall to the ocean below,
and become an inseparable part of the ocean.
Our once perceived individual conscious
flows directly into an ocean of consciousness…
at one with it all in a Bliss that is Boundless.
Again,
this ‘non-duel’ concept of ‘at one with it all’ and a boundless Bliss,
cannot be learned by any knowledge our thinking minds can comprehend or apply… These perennial Wisdoms
can only be gained by earnest experience
in the contemplative ‘non-duel’ practices.
~ ~ ~
Find quiet time to meditate.
This is our time to take a retreat from the chaos of life,
resting in that deep place within that is not affected by the concerns of the materialistic world.
Abiding in the Awareness of our True Nature
lifts our Spiritual momentum,
rejuvenating our volition towards inspiring projects
that can help humanity as a whole.
~ ~ ~
Very few of us can honestly say they are completely at peace with
exactly how reality is for them right now.
but for those few…
and those that don’t even concern themselves with such thoughts…
Then,
Do nothing at all!
Everything will take care of itself
in the natural ‘Way’ of things.
If you are indeed drawn into the intrinsic inspiration to be a part of the ever on-going Evolution that has been going on for over 13.8 billion years…
Start your Practice today!
I don’t expect these willey words of my wisdoms
will be enough to say it all… It can’t.
Meditate on this as a daily practice
and each time you will experience it deeper.
When your done with your seeking… or at any time,
just live every moment from a place of loving kindness…
the rest will take care of it’s Self.
Widening your circle of embrace in this ‘here & now’
aligns us more & more with a life’s natural flow
of ‘being at one with it all.
Be the Evolutionary.
Every thought, speech, and actions we take all contribute towards our collective communities becoming more & more whole, improving the human condition for our children’s children.
Be mindful of the dreadful mis-information that our very own political party, the gop is doing. Don’t be duped. Work towards a sustainable future for the sake of all humanity! Together we stand, divided as we’ve become is a self-defeating way to a deteriorating human condition… Don’t be a part of this unnecessary tragedy.
~ ~ ~
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