Holiness and Wholeness

Sri Ramakrishna, the 19th century mystic from India, claimed that he couldn't associate with money at all, so his disciple Vivekananda decided to test him. He put a coin under his bed mattress just to see what would happen. Next day Sri Ramakrishna complained that he couldn't sleep all night.

The notion of holiness can be a big struggle in our spiritual community. We don't want to be greedy, we don't want to lust after bodies, we don't want to be egoistic, but somehow we carry a shadow with us. Temptations pop up just when we think we have put them aside. We think Taoism can help you with that problem. The journey of the Tao is one of wholeness first and foremost, but soon you will discover that wholeness and holiness go hand in hand.

Think of yourself and life as one big magnet wrapped around you. Each moment you attract the people and situations that give your soul the ability to heal. Let go of your notions of good and bad, just embrace everything wholeheartedly that comes your way. In every situation there is the opportunity to grow spiritually, just as there is the opportunity to take a step towards your self, away from your Self. Don't lose sleep over this choice, for every spiritual traveler at each signpost the next step is literally a non-brainer.

The yin and yang of daily life is tailored just for you to come home, back to the Source. The Tao will make you whole, and yes, soon you realize that you are converging with your notion of Heaven on earth. It may mean sexual abstinence the way Sri Ramkrishna lived it, or it may be the celebration of divine love the way Lord Krishna practiced it. You are the divine creator who will tell us how Heaven on earth looks like.  Let the Tao show your idiosyncratic expression of holiness. One thing is for sure, along the Way the self will be absent while the Self will be radiating - that's the way the Tao is.