To Be ‘Spiritual’ Means…

What anything ‘means’ is identical with what it is, for what it is, is its meaning. With this realization, the essence of the world shines forth with the Radiance of Divinity as revelation, and all is seen to be equally loveable, perfect, magnificent, and beautiful. To restate: The world as it is, is perfect for the advancement of human consciousness as it provides maximum opportunity for gaining positive merit and the undoing of the negative via the spiritual options of the will.  To see it as such results in gratitude as well as forbearance with seemingly negative experiences that involve suffering.

To be ‘spiritual’ means that intention is focused on spiritual goals, meaning and spiritual recontextualization of life’s events and experiences.  It also means to value the gift of life itself as well as that of other sentient beings.  Spiritual intention itself recontextualizes all of life in all its expressions, and thereby meaning and significance become apparent.

Reality, Spirituality, and Modern Man, Ch. 16, pg. 309-310

How Can That Be Overcome?

Despite dedication to the goal of Enlightenment, the mind seems reluctant, resistant, or even too lazy to go through the necessary process.   How can that be overcome?

Resistance is to be expected and accepted as an innate quality of the ego.  Part of its function is stabilization in order to facilitate performance and reliability.  It does not like to feel out of control or off balance and is thus resistant to being questioned or examined, which is perceived as a potential threat to its sovereignty.

The ego has a vested interest in its positionalities, presumptions, and assumptions.  There is therefore an ambivalence regarding change–on the one hand, it is exciting and interesting, but on the other hand, it can be viewed as an unwelcome challenge and resented.  Thus, it tends to maintain the status quo, even if doing so continues to be unsatisfactory; for example, repeating the same resistances over and over, hoping for a difference outcome.

The Discovery of the Presence of God, Ch 13, pg. 220-221

Truth is Self-Evident within your own Self

The state reached by the great sages of history is available; the solutions are within us and easy to find. The mechanism of surrender is simple and the truth is self-evident. It works during daily life. There is no dogma or belief system. You verify everything for yourself, so you cannot be misled. There is no dependence on any teachings. It follows the dicta of “Know thyself”; “The truth shall set you free”; and “The kingdom of God is within you.” It works for the cynic, the pragmatist, the religionist, and the atheist. It works for any age or cultural background. It works for the spiritual person and the nonspiritual person alike.

Because the mechanism is your own, nobody can take it away from you. You are safe from disillusionment. You will find out for yourself what is real and what are just the mind’s programs and belief systems. While all of this is going on, you will become healthier, more successful with less effort, happier, and more capable of real love. Your friends will notice a difference; the changes are permanent. You aren’t going to go for a “high” and crash later. You will discover there is an automatic teacher within yourself.

Eventually you will discover your inner Self. You always unconsciously knew it was there. When you come upon it, you will understand what the great sages of history were trying to convey. You will understand it because Truth is self-evident and within your own Self.

Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender, Ch. 1,  Introduction, Pg 5-6

The Splendor of Reality

Our experience of the world and of life is totally the result of inner beliefs and positionalities.  Out of love and respect for God arises the willingness to surrender all these prejudgments, and the humility that ensues opens the doors to the splendor of reality, which is the revelation of the Self.  Love is the magic catalyst that brings about the awareness.  In the end, faith is replaced by certainty, and therefore it is said that God is found by those who seek Him.  Daily Reflections from Dr. David R. Hawkins, pg. 72

“The universe responds to love by revealing its prevalence.  It is hidden to ordinary perception but the awareness is finessed by lovingness itself.  Awareness is a capacity that is beyond the senses or emotions.  If one ceases anthropomorphic projections and limitations, it is revealed that all which exists is innately conscious and emanates love as a consequence of the divinity of Creation.” The Eye of the “I”, ch. 15, pg. 228,  Veritas Publishing 2001

 

Preventing Grief

The basis of all mourning and loss is attachment, plus the denial of the transitory nature of all relationships.

We can begin by looking at our lives, identifying those areas of attachment, and asking ourselves: “What internal needs are they satisfying? What feeling would come up if I were to lose them? How can my inner emotional life be balanced so as to decrease the extent, degree, and number of attachments on external objects and people?” The greater our attachment to that which is outside of ourselves, the greater is our overall level of fear and vulnerability to loss. We can ask ourselves why we feel so incomplete. “Why am I so empty within myself that I have to search for solutions in the form of attachment and dependency on others?”

We can begin to look at our own inner areas of immaturity. Specifically, we need to examine: “Where am I looking to get love rather than to give it?” The more loving we are, the less vulnerable we are to grief and loss, and the less we need to seek attachments. When we have acknowledged and let go of all negative feelings, and we have graduated from smallness to the recognition of our greatness so that our internal joy comes from the pleasure of giving and loving, then we are really invulnerable to loss. When the source of happiness is found within, we are immune to the losses of the world.

…By constantly letting go of our negative feelings, we thus cure present pain and prophylactically prevent the occurrence of future pain. Fear is replaced by trust and with it comes a profound sense of wellbeing. Immunity to grief of loss occurs when we replace dependence on the small self (the personality) with dependence on the Self (the Divinity within). We look for security to the Self, which is eternal, instead of to the small self, which is transitory. 

Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender, Ch. 5, pg. 83-84