Spiritual Awakening—Is Time of the Essence?

It is an illusion to think that time can help us with the Awakening process. The spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti was especially adamant about this point. “The revolution has to happen here and now”, he used to say, and then he added, “The idea of self improvement is very much like renovating a prison cell.” That’s all true, but in most people’s lives, this shift in consciousness comes in stages. Many spiritual travelers experience a break-though in one dimension of their being, and then feel stuck as they appear to have one foot in the so-perceived ‘real’ world, and one in the spiritual world, and the conflict between the two worlds hurts. It’s all ok, I would say based on my experience, face the annoying ‘real’ world to the best of your abilities and see what comes of it.

We can bring the different worlds in unison. We can get a grip on the workings of the ego, and can stop all the self-sabotaging. It is a process we can learn, and we are taught by the most patient and wisest of all teachers, life itself. Don’t wish for that island in the Philippines with perfect WiFi connection, a Zen library and a Buddhist meditation hall. Enticing as this spiritual oasis appears, it will also not get you any closer to the inner Awakening that you seek. Economic necessities, allegedly missed opportunities in the past, or recurrent struggles are all there for a reason. Sure, work with a life coach to tackle all the obstacles that you face, there is no need for suffering if you can prevent it. Yet, the inner revolution that J. Krishnamurti talked about, and the holy Now that Eckhart Tolle discovered, will find you on the battlefield called life. That, at least, has been my experience. Face life’s ups and downs patiently, and stand ready to enjoy the upgrade here and now.