A: It is pride beyond all else. Pride in the form of the vanity of thought, mentation, concepts, and opinions are all the basis of ignorance. The antidote is radical humility, which undoes the domination of perception. Ask for truth to be revealed instead of assuming that you already know it.
It is only necessary to institute rather simple procedures and processes that could be likened to ‘spiritual engineering’ by which identifying the structures and forces involved automatically reveals the necessary processes required to undo the basic structural functions.
… A person feels trapped by what is believed to be a worldly goal, such as money, fame, or possessions. With analysis, it becomes clear that it is not the ‘things’ themselves to which one is attracted or attached but primarily the ‘juice’ or pleasurable emotional gratification attached to them. It is really not ‘winning’ that is desired or important but the payoff of the juice of emotional satisfaction itself. Thus, the question arises not whether one can relinquish the desire for wealth and fame but ‘could one’ surrender the ‘juice’ of the payoff to God. With resistance, the mind may think… Therefore, the underlying process of resistance is not ‘could’ but ‘would’. ‘Can’t’ implies impossibility, whereas ‘don’t want to’ or ‘would’ implies that the real, underlying resistance is that of unwillingness.
To surrender a goal does not mean to automatically lose it. What is illusive via greed often effortlessly materializes as a consequence of evolving to a higher level of consciousness…
… The mind is often aware of error and character defects, but it lacks the power or incentive to surrender them. Devotion is of the heart and has the strength and motivation to overcome resistances and obstacles beyond the capacity of mere mentalization. An aspect of devotional love is constancy, as well as loyalty and commitment, “no matter what.” Devotion includes fortitude and alignment with endeavor and is like the glue that holds all these aspects together.
Devotion is like an inner valor or fortitude that incorporates courage, willingness, and conviction, together with the knowledge of essential information. It develops wisdom, patience, and forbearance with experience. … By virtue of devotion, there is alignment with inner integrity that results in the self-honesty and conviction necessary to transcend the seduction of transitory emotional payoffs of the intransigent ego.
… the choice is by decision and assent of the inner will, and by this assent, the enormous power of Divine Will aligns with intention and empowers devotion to overcome all obstacles.
Spiritual Evolution is a lifetime commitment and a way of life by which the world and all experience subserves spiritual intention. There is no greater calling than to choose to be a servant of God. With spiritual progress, each increment is of equal importance for, analogously, it is only by the removal of a single brick that an entire wall collapses. And the seemingly impossible becomes possible.
Sooner or later, the seemingly miraculous may begin to appear spontaneously. It is important to recognize that the phenomena are not of one’s own doing or of the personal self, and that they do not represent some magical ‘power’. Miraculous events are merely the actualization of potentiality that appears when conditions are appropriate. One of those conditions is the presence of the energy of a high level of consciousness. From an even more advanced level of consciousness, it becomes apparent that all phenomena are actually occurring spontaneously as a consequence of the evolution of the universe itself, and therefore not only is life perfect at any moment, but it is also a continuous revelation in which one is a participant/observer.
From Reality, Spirituality, and Modern Man, ch. 19, pg. 350 – 351
Q: What is the essence of the spiritual quest?
A: The spiritual quest could be simplified as the task of transcending the limitations of linear, sequential duality created by perception so as to reveal Reality, which is unlimited and nonlinear and therefore nondual.
On a calibrated scale of consciousness, we can see that the weakest levels below 200 have to rely on force as a substitute for power. As one gets closer to Reality, the power increases exponentially at a rapid logarithmic rate. The 400s denote the realm of the highest development of the Newtonian paradigm and indicate mastery of the physical domain. The world of science is unsurpassed in its capacity to comprehend and manipulate the world of materiality. Science gets us to the moon, but only man’s consciousness gives the feat meaning or significance. Likewise, joy does not come from figures or statistics but from what they mean.
From Eye of the I From Which Nothing Is Hidden, Ch 17, pg. 286-7
