It is impossible to become free from one influence without becoming subject to another. The whole thing, all work on oneself, consists in choosing the influence you which to subject yourself, and actually falling under this influence. And for this it is necessary to know beforehand which influence is the more profitable.
(G. I. Gurdjieff)
Religion isn't very popular these days. We prefer to be "spiritual" instead, whatever that means. Yet, the literal meaning of the word religion means to hold onto. Perhaps the problem with the olden concept of religion was that a few "enlightened" folks wanted to tell the masses what to do. That's not working any longer. We all need to hold on to something very unique and specific - we need to walk our own spiritual path. Yet, holding on we must, just as G. I. Gurdjieff discovered before. You can believe in a random, karmic universe, or you can believe in a divine connection - the choice is yours, and either way you will be right.
So we encourage you to hold on to the miraculous, the infinite. The signposts are easy to find, they are love and light. You may ask, so how exactly do I find this Force. Well, the Way shows in the opposite direction of narrow-mindedness, egoism, scarcity, hate and dis-trust. Make it a life goal to communicate with this Force and you can't miss it. Every step of the Way you will have something to hold onto, and it is bound to be a lot of fun.
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
There Must be Another Way
The Course in Miracles was born when the head of a psychology department got fed up with the quarreling of his colleagues and one fine decided, "There must be another way!" A working group to find a resolution was formed and Helen Schucman volunteered to participate. Around that time she heard voices in her head. A couple of years later 700 plus pages of deep spiritual insights formed the book.
It is a little hard to stomach the idea that Jesus Christ channelled his updated message to the world with the help of a modern day psychologist, but it is not hard to see that Helen Schucman's mission is yours as well. You must have seen for yourself that well-meaning people get lost in their aspirations and career strive, or that seemingly healthy friends suddenly have to face life- threatening diseases; that some of our parents disintegrate in front of our eyes, or that even some of our children have to face the harsh realities of life well before they are supposed to. Why should we accept any of this stuff. There must be another way!
The Course in Miracles has become a religion for some, but you can test its main premise like any scientist would. In sum it claims, "There is no miracle you cannot have when you desire healing." Well, try and see whether it works in your vicinity of influence. When you see dysfunction, and when you are sufficiently fed up with the situation that you are willing to let go of your agenda, try to see what happens when you approach your environment with the goal of healing instead.
The surprise you will be in is the realization that our minds and fates are entangled in way beyond your comprehension. As you seek compromise, so will your friends, colleagues and so-called foes. As you drop your guard, so will they. Try this conjecture, what exactly do you have to lose? The good thing about dysfunction is that there is little downside in trying something new, but lots of upside if you succeed.
There must be another way! The truth of the matter is that there always is, but the change has to start with you. Make healing your hypothesis for a while and let us know what happens. A new prospective is well worth the try!
It is a little hard to stomach the idea that Jesus Christ channelled his updated message to the world with the help of a modern day psychologist, but it is not hard to see that Helen Schucman's mission is yours as well. You must have seen for yourself that well-meaning people get lost in their aspirations and career strive, or that seemingly healthy friends suddenly have to face life- threatening diseases; that some of our parents disintegrate in front of our eyes, or that even some of our children have to face the harsh realities of life well before they are supposed to. Why should we accept any of this stuff. There must be another way!
The Course in Miracles has become a religion for some, but you can test its main premise like any scientist would. In sum it claims, "There is no miracle you cannot have when you desire healing." Well, try and see whether it works in your vicinity of influence. When you see dysfunction, and when you are sufficiently fed up with the situation that you are willing to let go of your agenda, try to see what happens when you approach your environment with the goal of healing instead.
The surprise you will be in is the realization that our minds and fates are entangled in way beyond your comprehension. As you seek compromise, so will your friends, colleagues and so-called foes. As you drop your guard, so will they. Try this conjecture, what exactly do you have to lose? The good thing about dysfunction is that there is little downside in trying something new, but lots of upside if you succeed.
There must be another way! The truth of the matter is that there always is, but the change has to start with you. Make healing your hypothesis for a while and let us know what happens. A new prospective is well worth the try!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
The Beauty of Sexual Energy
Sexual energy is God's creative force running
through you. You can see this force everywhere, in animals, in plants and in
us. In nature this energy is innocent and natural. You can observe this circle
of creation when animals are in heat or even in plants as they get ready for the
next season. Everything reproduces along God's cycle. When we see plants bloom,
we are wowed by their beauty and when we see animals mate, we take it as natural
without spending a second thought on it.
Experiencing sexual energy is more complicated in us. We are the only ones who can have sex all the time and our mind can get into the way. In some cultures sex is still something that isn't talked about openly. Yet whether our cultures or religions feel comfortable with it or not, it is still a fact that this force drives us beneath the surface. In animals you can see a spike in their attractiveness when they are ready to mate. When mating season is approaching they will present themselves in the most attractive light to the other sex. The same is true in us. Did you know that in an experiment the tips of exotic dancers were tracked over a month's period and that ovulating women received significantly more? We might not be conscious of it, but the creative cycle is alive and well in us very much as in nature.
When the hormone surge in you, you will become beautiful and attractive and you have the natural desire to attract a mate. You can see this desire in teenagers. They develop the desire to hang out with the opposite sex and will start dressing up if the culture allows them to. In the Western culture this is accepted now, though parents naturally grind their teeth over the fact that soon their beloved children will be ready to have sex.
Religious mindsets are hindering more than helping when it comes to sex. Why to step in front of this natural cycle of expressing the beauty of the creative force. Why to make it a taboo to have sex before marriage. The sanctity of marriage makes sense for those who believe that a soul partnership allows two people to become whole by devoting a life time with each other and by raising a family together. But why would that prevent us from expressing the creative sexual force with meaningful other partners before this commitment, or if you have a like-minded partner, perhaps even afterwards. If you repress your natural instincts it will have negative ramifications. Our demon pops up often in the bedroom just because we repress this strong and beautiful force in us.
Sex is beautiful if you let God's natural cycle run its course. Sex hormones make you beautiful if you allow their natural flow being expressed through you. Bloom like a flower and attract the right partner into your life. God has a present for you. Decorate yourself with this magic power and shine bright like a diamond. Share God's present with the world.
By Christian and Su Zhen
Experiencing sexual energy is more complicated in us. We are the only ones who can have sex all the time and our mind can get into the way. In some cultures sex is still something that isn't talked about openly. Yet whether our cultures or religions feel comfortable with it or not, it is still a fact that this force drives us beneath the surface. In animals you can see a spike in their attractiveness when they are ready to mate. When mating season is approaching they will present themselves in the most attractive light to the other sex. The same is true in us. Did you know that in an experiment the tips of exotic dancers were tracked over a month's period and that ovulating women received significantly more? We might not be conscious of it, but the creative cycle is alive and well in us very much as in nature.
When the hormone surge in you, you will become beautiful and attractive and you have the natural desire to attract a mate. You can see this desire in teenagers. They develop the desire to hang out with the opposite sex and will start dressing up if the culture allows them to. In the Western culture this is accepted now, though parents naturally grind their teeth over the fact that soon their beloved children will be ready to have sex.
Religious mindsets are hindering more than helping when it comes to sex. Why to step in front of this natural cycle of expressing the beauty of the creative force. Why to make it a taboo to have sex before marriage. The sanctity of marriage makes sense for those who believe that a soul partnership allows two people to become whole by devoting a life time with each other and by raising a family together. But why would that prevent us from expressing the creative sexual force with meaningful other partners before this commitment, or if you have a like-minded partner, perhaps even afterwards. If you repress your natural instincts it will have negative ramifications. Our demon pops up often in the bedroom just because we repress this strong and beautiful force in us.
Sex is beautiful if you let God's natural cycle run its course. Sex hormones make you beautiful if you allow their natural flow being expressed through you. Bloom like a flower and attract the right partner into your life. God has a present for you. Decorate yourself with this magic power and shine bright like a diamond. Share God's present with the world.
By Christian and Su Zhen
Sunday, February 3, 2013
The Path of Darkness and Light
About a century ago Freud had an astute
observation. There is an interplay of our consciousness, the "I", the ego, with
the norms that our parents and our society impose on us, which he called the
super-ego and then there are all these drives, the instincts and animalistic
spirits, the so-called "It". He worked under the assumption that if you really
do your homework, if you really face all your animalistic passions, if you
worked out all the suppressed stuff then perhaps you could be a pretty sane
individual.
We in the spiritual community don't really disagree with any of this. Of course our society and our friends and parents as well as our religions have created a super-ego and we also certainly accept that we are driven by animalistic spirits which are biological and evolutionary in nature. Where we differ is in the insight that the " I" is an institution that can never become sane. Instead, we think of the "I" as an interplay of devil and angel, ego and True Self, darkness and light, and that more often than not the "good" in us wins the upper hand despite ourselves. But we also say that there is a path that allows us to integrate the two and that the Tao will help us in this process.
How to proceed from this insight is not so straightforward. You agree with this concept mentally, but in order to be in touch with your True Self you have to bring your entire "system" along and there is frustration growing inside of you because your "system" wants to point out to you that you are negating parts of your being by eying the elusive True Self. You want to be good and in that wanting you create a shadow that just waits for its opportunity to let off steam. In this expectation you create a conflict within yourself. The more we want to be good, the greater our struggle will be and the bigger our shadow will become in the process. Naturally, we spiritual path travelers struggle especially with the shadow personality.
We say "I must be a good person" because my True Self wants me to be. We say "I must not take advantage of someone only because I want a promotion", or "I must not lust after attractive people because I am married", etc. Freud's simple idea is still very relevant in this aspect. Try repressing your animalistic drives, try undermining what you deep down inside really appreciate and the dark empire will strike back. We humans have known this fact for millennia, this is an issue that is as ancient as the Tree of Knowledge. The question now only is what exactly can we do about it?
We think that the Tao can help you very much in the search for who you truly are. The Tao is the way of paradoxes. Hot and cold, yin and yang, dominance and submission, attack and defense. The Tao is the Way of the Middle, engaged but detached, following, but leading, last, yet first. A Tao traveler doesn't have to be afraid of shadow work - we specialize in paradoxes. There is an exciting riddle waiting for you to be solved, a Mission Impossible made possible just for you if you choose to accept. When you are done solving yours you will have literally turned the world you live in upside down. You will have redefined spiritual norms, you will have expanded the spiritual possibility frontier. Do not lose sleep on whether the spiritual community frowns on you or not, do whatever the Tao wants you to do. You will see that along the Way there will be white lies, there will be sex, there will be anger and laughter and crying.
Get in touch with your emotions, face your desires and express them creatively without undermining your spiritual path. But don't have any preconceived notions of how this path should look like let the Tao show you the way. When it is beneficial for your soul development to engage in the dark corners of your being, the Tao will ask you to do it no matter how difficult or how dirty this effort may appear to you. But the Tao will also show you the way into the light, the symbolic cleaning process, the ability to let go of your frustrations and the path to let go of your psychological baggage. There is a path through the darkness into the light and nobody but you can travel it. Just follow the signs and be prepared to walk in the daytime as well as at night.
By Christian and Su Zhen
We in the spiritual community don't really disagree with any of this. Of course our society and our friends and parents as well as our religions have created a super-ego and we also certainly accept that we are driven by animalistic spirits which are biological and evolutionary in nature. Where we differ is in the insight that the " I" is an institution that can never become sane. Instead, we think of the "I" as an interplay of devil and angel, ego and True Self, darkness and light, and that more often than not the "good" in us wins the upper hand despite ourselves. But we also say that there is a path that allows us to integrate the two and that the Tao will help us in this process.
How to proceed from this insight is not so straightforward. You agree with this concept mentally, but in order to be in touch with your True Self you have to bring your entire "system" along and there is frustration growing inside of you because your "system" wants to point out to you that you are negating parts of your being by eying the elusive True Self. You want to be good and in that wanting you create a shadow that just waits for its opportunity to let off steam. In this expectation you create a conflict within yourself. The more we want to be good, the greater our struggle will be and the bigger our shadow will become in the process. Naturally, we spiritual path travelers struggle especially with the shadow personality.
We say "I must be a good person" because my True Self wants me to be. We say "I must not take advantage of someone only because I want a promotion", or "I must not lust after attractive people because I am married", etc. Freud's simple idea is still very relevant in this aspect. Try repressing your animalistic drives, try undermining what you deep down inside really appreciate and the dark empire will strike back. We humans have known this fact for millennia, this is an issue that is as ancient as the Tree of Knowledge. The question now only is what exactly can we do about it?
We think that the Tao can help you very much in the search for who you truly are. The Tao is the way of paradoxes. Hot and cold, yin and yang, dominance and submission, attack and defense. The Tao is the Way of the Middle, engaged but detached, following, but leading, last, yet first. A Tao traveler doesn't have to be afraid of shadow work - we specialize in paradoxes. There is an exciting riddle waiting for you to be solved, a Mission Impossible made possible just for you if you choose to accept. When you are done solving yours you will have literally turned the world you live in upside down. You will have redefined spiritual norms, you will have expanded the spiritual possibility frontier. Do not lose sleep on whether the spiritual community frowns on you or not, do whatever the Tao wants you to do. You will see that along the Way there will be white lies, there will be sex, there will be anger and laughter and crying.
Get in touch with your emotions, face your desires and express them creatively without undermining your spiritual path. But don't have any preconceived notions of how this path should look like let the Tao show you the way. When it is beneficial for your soul development to engage in the dark corners of your being, the Tao will ask you to do it no matter how difficult or how dirty this effort may appear to you. But the Tao will also show you the way into the light, the symbolic cleaning process, the ability to let go of your frustrations and the path to let go of your psychological baggage. There is a path through the darkness into the light and nobody but you can travel it. Just follow the signs and be prepared to walk in the daytime as well as at night.
By Christian and Su Zhen
Friday, January 11, 2013
Just Do It
Walking the Tao is not really a religion in the way that
someone can tell you what is good for you and what is not. But then, it is very
much a religion when you go by the true meaning of the word "religion" which
means to bind in Latin. When you follow Her signals you are literally glued to
the path. But it is you who has to do the steering to get into the vicinity of
the holy Now; from there on She will take over. We hope that our notes can help
you with that first step.
You can not really know what the Tao is, very much like you do not know what a summer breeze is until you have actually experienced it for yourself. We have tried to describe the Tao in detail to you in many previous notes but this is based on our experiences. Many ways lead to Rome as they say and you will likely travel your idiosyncratic path. You probably already had a glimpse, or you are about to get a glimpse of Her. But this first encounter is unfortunately just transient. It will be up to you to make this connection a permanent one and there is only one authority in the world that has the ability to accomplish that feat and that is you.
Everything you do can be an experiment; everything you experience is a chance to connect with the holy Now or an opportunity to remove psychological blocs in yourself. To connect with theTao means to surrender to life. Trust, love, joy, peace and a magnificent feeling of connectedness are your companions when you travel the Tao and they can be your yardstick. But as you will find out for yourself, they are present for only as long as you are ready to receive them. A spiritual path is a journey to make this connection with the Tao a permanent one and more importantly, it is your journey; no one else can help you with that.
Su Zhen and Christian discovered the Tao from different starting points. Su Zhen discovered the ancient Voice inside herself with the help of meditation and mindful living exercises while Christian discovered the Tao in external signs, in relationships, in synchronicities and in seeing meaningful connections wherever he looked. Take it easy, do not over-think it, as a matter of fact, do not think at all, just do it. Go towards Her and discover how you can always discover a soul sibling in all your daily interactions. Take a few steps away from Her and see how the babbling in your head will get stronger and stronger. Just experiment! If you are really driven to experience this divine connection you cannot really make a mistake. Everything you do will make Her path clear to you one way or another.
Slowly, you will find yourself connecting with a Force which is all knowing, loving and guiding. The more encounters you have with Her, the more confidence you will have to walk the Way. This Force is growing you the wings to fly. You only need to have tasted Her once and a life-long synchronization process will occur.
Everything will make sense along the Way. The good stuff as well as the bad stuff; everything will be spiritually meaningful to you. Dismantling walls has some dust, dirt and noise attached to it so please bear the demolition process patiently. This destructive force is just there to break down the walls that inhibit you from experiencing freedom, healing, joy, peace and love. The things She tries to take away from you are harmful for you so please don't stand in Her path. Don't be scared and trust the Tao always knows best and always does everything for you with love and care. With this trust, even you are undergoing some difficult transitions, you will still experience peace doing it. Our last advice, stop reading and thinking about the Tao. Delve into life and experience Her yourself. Just do it!
By Christian and Sue Zhen
You can not really know what the Tao is, very much like you do not know what a summer breeze is until you have actually experienced it for yourself. We have tried to describe the Tao in detail to you in many previous notes but this is based on our experiences. Many ways lead to Rome as they say and you will likely travel your idiosyncratic path. You probably already had a glimpse, or you are about to get a glimpse of Her. But this first encounter is unfortunately just transient. It will be up to you to make this connection a permanent one and there is only one authority in the world that has the ability to accomplish that feat and that is you.
Everything you do can be an experiment; everything you experience is a chance to connect with the holy Now or an opportunity to remove psychological blocs in yourself. To connect with theTao means to surrender to life. Trust, love, joy, peace and a magnificent feeling of connectedness are your companions when you travel the Tao and they can be your yardstick. But as you will find out for yourself, they are present for only as long as you are ready to receive them. A spiritual path is a journey to make this connection with the Tao a permanent one and more importantly, it is your journey; no one else can help you with that.
Su Zhen and Christian discovered the Tao from different starting points. Su Zhen discovered the ancient Voice inside herself with the help of meditation and mindful living exercises while Christian discovered the Tao in external signs, in relationships, in synchronicities and in seeing meaningful connections wherever he looked. Take it easy, do not over-think it, as a matter of fact, do not think at all, just do it. Go towards Her and discover how you can always discover a soul sibling in all your daily interactions. Take a few steps away from Her and see how the babbling in your head will get stronger and stronger. Just experiment! If you are really driven to experience this divine connection you cannot really make a mistake. Everything you do will make Her path clear to you one way or another.
Slowly, you will find yourself connecting with a Force which is all knowing, loving and guiding. The more encounters you have with Her, the more confidence you will have to walk the Way. This Force is growing you the wings to fly. You only need to have tasted Her once and a life-long synchronization process will occur.
Everything will make sense along the Way. The good stuff as well as the bad stuff; everything will be spiritually meaningful to you. Dismantling walls has some dust, dirt and noise attached to it so please bear the demolition process patiently. This destructive force is just there to break down the walls that inhibit you from experiencing freedom, healing, joy, peace and love. The things She tries to take away from you are harmful for you so please don't stand in Her path. Don't be scared and trust the Tao always knows best and always does everything for you with love and care. With this trust, even you are undergoing some difficult transitions, you will still experience peace doing it. Our last advice, stop reading and thinking about the Tao. Delve into life and experience Her yourself. Just do it!
By Christian and Sue Zhen
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Be Aware of the Energy Bubble
It is amazing that we have that notion that we
exist as a person when in fact all that we experience is to the contrary. It
seems much more that we are jumping channels all the times, surfing different
energy waves that jump to the surface, driven by a process outside of our
conscious control; yet we have the illusion that all these images fit together
as part of an overriding movie plot.
Clearly there is sex energy that activates you. Sometimes it comes from within, sometimes a touch activates it, or the sight of an attractive body. Evolutionists tell us that this drive is key to our survival and based on the frequency of this energy wave it doesn't look like we will die out any time soon. Then there is the mind power that sometimes takes off like a rocket, but sometimes is quite sluggish as well. There are the nutrition needs that have to be met; our belly will tells us when we need a little energy boost. There are the instincts that protect us from the life-threatening dangers. There all the emotions, the desires, aspirations, the worries and fantasies. Countless subconscious and conscious programs are running side side, activated and sustained by the environment we operate in, by our conscious thought patterns as well as all the subconscious energy waves that rise to the surface.
Many of us spiritual travelers want to be free from all that. We want to be the conscious director of our movie plot and not a robot at the mercy of subconscious programs. All the different religions develop different methods that try to deal with these drives. They say we should't be controlled by sex urges, should understand that we aren't our bodies and that we should only have holy conscious thoughts. This might be a nice state to aspire, but the question is how to get there? If you only repress your drives in the name of spirituality, you will end up giving up on life. This may work for some spiritual stoics, but is unlikely to be the answer for all spiritual travelers.
We also try to numb our minds with alcohol, drugs or pharmaceuticals as we simply don't like the crazy stuff that our mind comes up with.The hostility, aggression, our fears or anxiety. You have the right to be loved, to experience happiness and peace, yet, our mind more often than not doesn't want to cooperate. No wonder that we want to slow it down or escape from it altogether.
Traditional religions are missing one important step in the homecoming process. You have to accept all the fickle states when they pop up. You have to accept who you think you are. If you lust after an attractive body in the street, acknowledge that you are horny at that moment. If your mind produces crazy thoughts or irrational worries, put them out in the open for you to see. It is the same when you are hungry or if you touch a hot stove with your hand, you also accept to eat something, or to instinctively pull the hand away, right? Don't be afraid of all these energies materializing. The opposite is true, the more you resist a certain energy, the more it will persist, because you will continue to attract it subconsciously until the day when you truly understand it and realize that you are not that energy.
You will be free when all these different energies when all these notions of who you think you are flow right through you. You acknowledge all energies exist, but you transcend them. Only then will you be free. When you understand and experience for yourself that there is a layer of peace, joy and happiness beneath all these energy moves, not any of these experience can touch you. You might experience lust, worry, anxiety, greed, but it will only be an instant because you use the opportunity to reconnect with the True Self without getting involved with the energy that pops up at all. There is no repression involved whatsoever, it is just an act of reconnection with the Source that is always at your disposal. These energy will then go through you just like cloud moving in the sky, they show up, accumulate and disappear. All that will be left at that holy moment is the experience of the Ancient Voice.
By Christian and Su-Zhen
Clearly there is sex energy that activates you. Sometimes it comes from within, sometimes a touch activates it, or the sight of an attractive body. Evolutionists tell us that this drive is key to our survival and based on the frequency of this energy wave it doesn't look like we will die out any time soon. Then there is the mind power that sometimes takes off like a rocket, but sometimes is quite sluggish as well. There are the nutrition needs that have to be met; our belly will tells us when we need a little energy boost. There are the instincts that protect us from the life-threatening dangers. There all the emotions, the desires, aspirations, the worries and fantasies. Countless subconscious and conscious programs are running side side, activated and sustained by the environment we operate in, by our conscious thought patterns as well as all the subconscious energy waves that rise to the surface.
Many of us spiritual travelers want to be free from all that. We want to be the conscious director of our movie plot and not a robot at the mercy of subconscious programs. All the different religions develop different methods that try to deal with these drives. They say we should't be controlled by sex urges, should understand that we aren't our bodies and that we should only have holy conscious thoughts. This might be a nice state to aspire, but the question is how to get there? If you only repress your drives in the name of spirituality, you will end up giving up on life. This may work for some spiritual stoics, but is unlikely to be the answer for all spiritual travelers.
We also try to numb our minds with alcohol, drugs or pharmaceuticals as we simply don't like the crazy stuff that our mind comes up with.The hostility, aggression, our fears or anxiety. You have the right to be loved, to experience happiness and peace, yet, our mind more often than not doesn't want to cooperate. No wonder that we want to slow it down or escape from it altogether.
Traditional religions are missing one important step in the homecoming process. You have to accept all the fickle states when they pop up. You have to accept who you think you are. If you lust after an attractive body in the street, acknowledge that you are horny at that moment. If your mind produces crazy thoughts or irrational worries, put them out in the open for you to see. It is the same when you are hungry or if you touch a hot stove with your hand, you also accept to eat something, or to instinctively pull the hand away, right? Don't be afraid of all these energies materializing. The opposite is true, the more you resist a certain energy, the more it will persist, because you will continue to attract it subconsciously until the day when you truly understand it and realize that you are not that energy.
You will be free when all these different energies when all these notions of who you think you are flow right through you. You acknowledge all energies exist, but you transcend them. Only then will you be free. When you understand and experience for yourself that there is a layer of peace, joy and happiness beneath all these energy moves, not any of these experience can touch you. You might experience lust, worry, anxiety, greed, but it will only be an instant because you use the opportunity to reconnect with the True Self without getting involved with the energy that pops up at all. There is no repression involved whatsoever, it is just an act of reconnection with the Source that is always at your disposal. These energy will then go through you just like cloud moving in the sky, they show up, accumulate and disappear. All that will be left at that holy moment is the experience of the Ancient Voice.
By Christian and Su-Zhen
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Religion versus Spirituality
I am currently writing a book that argues that you can experience metaphysics like an experiment. If you look for the Tao you will see Her. I started seeing messages from the beyond a few years ago and the observed signs and the experienced connectedness has steadily grown from there. If I can see it, the book argues, why shouldn't you especially once you look for the Way.
I see my path in accordance with the recent New Age literature, so I would put myself in the spirituality camp; I use the word 'religion' sparingly in my writings. Yet, spirituality only describes the interest and curiosity into the 'beyond'; once you are there, once you are connected, you really become religious. The word religion is derived from the root 'to tie' - the Tao traveler is literally tied to the Tao.
I once came up with the car wash comparison. All I do in my writings is to let you know that you will soon hear a click if you steer a few more meters into that direction. And once you hear that click, a very powerful Force will connect with you. After that experience you will never let go again.
I see my path in accordance with the recent New Age literature, so I would put myself in the spirituality camp; I use the word 'religion' sparingly in my writings. Yet, spirituality only describes the interest and curiosity into the 'beyond'; once you are there, once you are connected, you really become religious. The word religion is derived from the root 'to tie' - the Tao traveler is literally tied to the Tao.
I once came up with the car wash comparison. All I do in my writings is to let you know that you will soon hear a click if you steer a few more meters into that direction. And once you hear that click, a very powerful Force will connect with you. After that experience you will never let go again.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Tangential
The Tao is a religion as well. The literal meaning of religion is to hold onto. The traditional believer holds on to the notion that there is a Force that one can appeal to and get guided by. The Tao traveler holds on the now as a holy institution. You completely embrace and accept the moment and all the symbols that come your way; all the conversation and all the people you interact with. So you are holding on to the fleeting now which is a strange notion in itself.
When I thought about this concept I came up with the image of a tangent. A tangent of an object describes the underlying figure for only an infinitesimal stretch and then adjusts to the new point of reference. Just in case if this concept is too intellectual for you, perhaps you can imagine Tarzan swinging from vine to vine. At each moment he has to hold on tight, but before you know it he grabs the adjacent vine if he likes to get anywhere. So you have the religion of a believer and the flexibility of an agnostic. I think this combination describes the Tao traveler quite well.
When I thought about this concept I came up with the image of a tangent. A tangent of an object describes the underlying figure for only an infinitesimal stretch and then adjusts to the new point of reference. Just in case if this concept is too intellectual for you, perhaps you can imagine Tarzan swinging from vine to vine. At each moment he has to hold on tight, but before you know it he grabs the adjacent vine if he likes to get anywhere. So you have the religion of a believer and the flexibility of an agnostic. I think this combination describes the Tao traveler quite well.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
A Spiritual Renaissance
Whenever societies crumble, Arjun, I will be born again.
Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita
There is a renaissance in religion and spirituality today; it is subtle, yet the trend is very clear. People send their children to Sunday School even though they themselves don't believe. They do that because they want to save the cultural values our religions have to offer, our sense of community as well. Alain de Botton developed this theme in his book, 'Religion for Atheists' claiming that all the religions helped us over the millennia by integrating our psychological needs with the ethical demands of humanity. Yes, even if you do not believe in a God, you are still the same person with the same psychological needs and the cravings for connection as the folks in the medieval times were. You miss something in today's modern society. Something ancient, holy has been lost, yet, as Lord Krishna reminds us in the Bhagavad Gita, nothing ever can get lost. Every decadence brings a renaissance, every crisis an opportunity and every death a birth.
Do not fear to explore your spiritual dimension, you are in good company, many folks search for this soul connection these days. Alain de Botton is a self-declared agnostic but even he believes you have a right and a need to reconnect with your roots. I would even take his argument a step further. You have the possibility to discover a Force, the Tao, that is right in front of your eyes. When you find the Way you will discover a new creativity and a source of energy and determination that you have never experienced before. All you have to do is to take an interest in what is going on in your life right now. When you search, this Force will connect with you. When you knock, metaphysical doors will open. Once you have see the Force It will never go away. You can't really miss the Way, in fact you are walking on It.
Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita
There is a renaissance in religion and spirituality today; it is subtle, yet the trend is very clear. People send their children to Sunday School even though they themselves don't believe. They do that because they want to save the cultural values our religions have to offer, our sense of community as well. Alain de Botton developed this theme in his book, 'Religion for Atheists' claiming that all the religions helped us over the millennia by integrating our psychological needs with the ethical demands of humanity. Yes, even if you do not believe in a God, you are still the same person with the same psychological needs and the cravings for connection as the folks in the medieval times were. You miss something in today's modern society. Something ancient, holy has been lost, yet, as Lord Krishna reminds us in the Bhagavad Gita, nothing ever can get lost. Every decadence brings a renaissance, every crisis an opportunity and every death a birth.
Do not fear to explore your spiritual dimension, you are in good company, many folks search for this soul connection these days. Alain de Botton is a self-declared agnostic but even he believes you have a right and a need to reconnect with your roots. I would even take his argument a step further. You have the possibility to discover a Force, the Tao, that is right in front of your eyes. When you find the Way you will discover a new creativity and a source of energy and determination that you have never experienced before. All you have to do is to take an interest in what is going on in your life right now. When you search, this Force will connect with you. When you knock, metaphysical doors will open. Once you have see the Force It will never go away. You can't really miss the Way, in fact you are walking on It.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Religion versus Spirituality (Continued)
Say to the Holy Spirit 'Decide for me' and it is done.
A Course in Miracles
Religion is to pray to God and ask Him for answers which He will gladly provide if they are asked in the right frame of mind. Spirituality is to ask for nothing, just to have the willingness and determination to show up and deal with life moment to moment, knowing the right answer will be provided to you by the holiness of the situation.
A Course in Miracles
Religion is to pray to God and ask Him for answers which He will gladly provide if they are asked in the right frame of mind. Spirituality is to ask for nothing, just to have the willingness and determination to show up and deal with life moment to moment, knowing the right answer will be provided to you by the holiness of the situation.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Religion versus Spirituality
The first gulp of the glass makes you an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass, God is waiting for you.
(Werner Heisenberg)
Tell your children fairy tales for they are closer to the truth than what is going on in your head sometimes. Tell your children about love, respect, honesty, integrity and the sisterhood of man for it is a pretty good approximation of the 'beyond' that we like to capture. Yet, go easy on all religious description of God for this Force can only communicate the complexity of the Universe one by one. Everyone has a deeply personal psychological starting point and will discover this Force in a different way. The scientist will discover Her via the beauty of Her Creation, this poet will discover Her via love for nature and people. True, at the end of the road we are all religious because the word religion comes from the root 'to tie'. Once you have seen Her you will never let go. And as you walk in Her Presence, you are finally free.
(Werner Heisenberg)
Tell your children fairy tales for they are closer to the truth than what is going on in your head sometimes. Tell your children about love, respect, honesty, integrity and the sisterhood of man for it is a pretty good approximation of the 'beyond' that we like to capture. Yet, go easy on all religious description of God for this Force can only communicate the complexity of the Universe one by one. Everyone has a deeply personal psychological starting point and will discover this Force in a different way. The scientist will discover Her via the beauty of Her Creation, this poet will discover Her via love for nature and people. True, at the end of the road we are all religious because the word religion comes from the root 'to tie'. Once you have seen Her you will never let go. And as you walk in Her Presence, you are finally free.
Friday, March 30, 2012
The Science of Spirituality
Give up sainthood, renounce wisdom,
And it will be a hundred times better for everyone.
Throw away morality and justice
And people will do the right thing.
(Lao-Tzu)
You are you, it is as simple as that. Our spiritual community says we should appeal and embrace our True Self and I would say enjoy when you see it but don't spend much time thinking about this concept. The Christians say 'Love your neighbor the way Christ would' and I would say enjoy spending time with the neighbor you love and see what spiritual lessons thas other one has in store for you. You are who you are, observe yourself, observe your environment - the Tao - and cut out interferences if you think that something holds you back from becoming free.
The science of spirituality is to understand that non-believers have exactly the same birth right to becoming free as believers do. Start from what you see and figure out how you can get from here to the concept of oneness, the brother- and sisterhood of man as John Lennon puts it so well in 'Imagine'. You don't have to imagine anything. Just look at life as is, the beauty and the ugliness, the love and the greed. In my experience the science of spirituality can get you to John Lennon's Utopian idea. But some work is involved and only if you start from what you see can you turn this dream into reality.
Imagine there is no Heaven,
It is easy if you try
No hell below us,
Above us only sky.
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace
(John Lennon)
And it will be a hundred times better for everyone.
Throw away morality and justice
And people will do the right thing.
(Lao-Tzu)
You are you, it is as simple as that. Our spiritual community says we should appeal and embrace our True Self and I would say enjoy when you see it but don't spend much time thinking about this concept. The Christians say 'Love your neighbor the way Christ would' and I would say enjoy spending time with the neighbor you love and see what spiritual lessons thas other one has in store for you. You are who you are, observe yourself, observe your environment - the Tao - and cut out interferences if you think that something holds you back from becoming free.
The science of spirituality is to understand that non-believers have exactly the same birth right to becoming free as believers do. Start from what you see and figure out how you can get from here to the concept of oneness, the brother- and sisterhood of man as John Lennon puts it so well in 'Imagine'. You don't have to imagine anything. Just look at life as is, the beauty and the ugliness, the love and the greed. In my experience the science of spirituality can get you to John Lennon's Utopian idea. But some work is involved and only if you start from what you see can you turn this dream into reality.
Imagine there is no Heaven,
It is easy if you try
No hell below us,
Above us only sky.
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace
(John Lennon)
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Spiritual Experiment
Richard Dawkins, the author of 'The God Delusion' once wrote that he could never accept the jump of faith in a God and I understand where he is coming from. Many modern day people struggle with this concept. Still, I would point out that all scientist make the same jump when they test a new hypothesis. They imagine it was true and then see whether reality is holding up to this new point of view.
Those of us who have not experienced God can only listen to the descriptions of those who claim they have. They say that the world we are living in exists if we believe in it, but folds like a Matrix once you have managed to step outside of it. The spiritual path traveler will make oneness as her working hypothesis, will experiment with this new concept for a few years and then see whether the perceived 'reality' merges with this new concept. I want to invite you to start this journey with me. It is like driving a car to the belt of a car wash and once you have heard a click just letting go of the steering wheel. Yes, 'magic' is bound to happen along the way, but life will get you to this point; you can keep your scientific mind set in the interim.
Vivekananda described how the rishis in India first discovered their spiritual insights many thousands of years ago. It sounded like they were discovering their yoga techniques like scientists and based on their experiences described the state beyond. Just imagine how far we can get today if the spiritual path travelers of this world start comparing notes in today's interconnected world.
Those of us who have not experienced God can only listen to the descriptions of those who claim they have. They say that the world we are living in exists if we believe in it, but folds like a Matrix once you have managed to step outside of it. The spiritual path traveler will make oneness as her working hypothesis, will experiment with this new concept for a few years and then see whether the perceived 'reality' merges with this new concept. I want to invite you to start this journey with me. It is like driving a car to the belt of a car wash and once you have heard a click just letting go of the steering wheel. Yes, 'magic' is bound to happen along the way, but life will get you to this point; you can keep your scientific mind set in the interim.
Vivekananda described how the rishis in India first discovered their spiritual insights many thousands of years ago. It sounded like they were discovering their yoga techniques like scientists and based on their experiences described the state beyond. Just imagine how far we can get today if the spiritual path travelers of this world start comparing notes in today's interconnected world.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
If You Lived Honestly ...
"If you lived honestly, your life would heal itself" is a quote by David Viscott, which was shared in the Personal Development for Smart People Forums. If you want to know how to reach enlightenment or wholeness, that's all there is. Alfred Adler talked about perfecting your soul, i.e. the notion that life has a habit of making you whole if you just let it. The trick though, you have to have something that is holy to you, your word, your spiritual path, your family, your work ethic, etc. Once you give the system something to work with, i.e. living honestly, it will present you all your significant life decisions in light of these constraints.
The root of the word religion is to bind. In the olden days we tied ourselves to a Son of God, a guru, or just our notion of what the Almighty demands of us. In today's world some of us are unwilling to do that, yet, the journey is a similar one. As we go through life we find that there is a voice inside ourselves that guides us and as we experience our journey over the years and decades we discover that there is a magic red threat combing everything and everyone. It doesn't matter what your notion of living honestly is, as long as you have one the Holy Spirit inside yourself will perfect it and will tie your life around it. Enjoy your spiritual path!
The root of the word religion is to bind. In the olden days we tied ourselves to a Son of God, a guru, or just our notion of what the Almighty demands of us. In today's world some of us are unwilling to do that, yet, the journey is a similar one. As we go through life we find that there is a voice inside ourselves that guides us and as we experience our journey over the years and decades we discover that there is a magic red threat combing everything and everyone. It doesn't matter what your notion of living honestly is, as long as you have one the Holy Spirit inside yourself will perfect it and will tie your life around it. Enjoy your spiritual path!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Prisoner's Dilemma
Economists created a game that was supposed to describe the workings of our society in the following way: Two suspects are arrested by the police. The police have insufficient evidence for a conviction, and, having separated both prisoners, visit each of them to offer the same deal. If one testifies (defects from the other) for the prosecution against the other and the other remains silent (cooperates with the other), the betrayer goes free and the silent accomplice receives the full 10-year sentence. If both remain silent, both prisoners are sentenced to only six months in jail for a minor charge. If each betrays the other, each receives a five-year sentence. Each prisoner must choose to betray the other or to remain silent. Each one is assured that the other would not know about the betrayal before the end of the investigation. How should the prisoners act? (From Wikipedia)
The right answer is that both will betray the others if they are rational, so they will both end up in jail for 5 years. When I thought about this game I was suddenly reminded of our ego discussions. This is actually the game of the ego. I also love how we conclude that if the player is rational, non-cooperation will be the outcome. What do you think the outcome of this game would be if one of your parents or children would be sitting in the other room, or a dear friend?
The ego is insane and love is the way, yet we call the workings of the ego rational. I think spirituality is about recognizing our brothers and sisters in all interactions. This does not mean that you should be naive in your dealings with people (the ego's biggest fear) but simply connected. If you are following the script of the Tao your brother and sister will always cooperate. If you are trown into jail for 10 years instead, well, that probably means you overlooked something somewhere.
The right answer is that both will betray the others if they are rational, so they will both end up in jail for 5 years. When I thought about this game I was suddenly reminded of our ego discussions. This is actually the game of the ego. I also love how we conclude that if the player is rational, non-cooperation will be the outcome. What do you think the outcome of this game would be if one of your parents or children would be sitting in the other room, or a dear friend?
The ego is insane and love is the way, yet we call the workings of the ego rational. I think spirituality is about recognizing our brothers and sisters in all interactions. This does not mean that you should be naive in your dealings with people (the ego's biggest fear) but simply connected. If you are following the script of the Tao your brother and sister will always cooperate. If you are trown into jail for 10 years instead, well, that probably means you overlooked something somewhere.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Lebenskuenstler
"Du bist ein Lebenskuenstler" sagte eine gute Freundin an der Brown Universitaet in Providence, RI. Das Kompliment kam unerwartet und ich wusste nicht so recht was ich erwidern sollte. So habe ich einfach verlegen gelaechelt. Aber eigentlich spuerte ich, dass sie Recht hatte. Zwar hatte ich auch dann meine Ups and Downs, aber im Ganzen waren die Jahre an der Brown Universitaet einfach maerchenhaft. Es war nur einige Jahre spaeter als ich erkannte was Providence uebrigens heisst, Vorausbestimmung. Ich erinnere mich auch als kleiner Junge in Berlin, mit dem Fussball in der Hand und auf dem Weg ins Tuerkenquartier. Ich schaute auf den bewoelkten Himmel. Die beruehmte Berliner Luft was damals vor dem Mauerfall bescheiden, und dennoch hatte ich ploetzlich den Einfall, dass ich der gluecklichste Mensch auf der ganzen Welt bin. Beide Lebensphasen liegen nun lange zurueck, dennoch frage ich mich, ob man diese Glueckserlebnisse nicht permanent erfahren kann.
Wie schafft man es also wie ein Kuenstler durch das Leben zu gehen? Zwar weiss ich das genauso wenig wie die Vielen, die seit Jahrtausenden nach dem Lebensglueck gesucht haben, aber ich habe da so eine Ahnung. Wie Sokrates habe ich ploetzlich erkannt, dass da eine Stimme im Hintergrund fluestert. Je leiser das Ich, das Selbst oder das Ego, desto lauter die Stimme. Lao Tse schreibt in seiner Poesie von einem roten Faden, der sich durch das Leben zieht. Den Faden habe ich auch gesehen. Leider nur ab und zu, doch wenigstens immer oefter. Vor einiger Zeit sass ich in einem Hotel und habe poetzlich meine Lebensaufgabe erkannt, naemlich die, ein Lebenskuenstler zu sein. Erst einmal fuer ein paar Jahre die Theorie zu meistern, und dann spaeter als Schriftsteller und Lebensberater, die Erfahrungen an Andere weiterzugeben.
Die Verbundenheit der Menschen und der Dinge ist mir zum ersten Mal mit meinem Sohn Neel aufgefallen. Er hat buchstaeblich auf meine Gedanken reagiert, sogar wenn er in einem anderen Zimmer war. Seitdem habe ich die Erfahrung haeufig gemacht, im Gespraech mit anderen sagen ploetzlich Leute etwas Seltsames zu mir, was fuer mich aber genau Sinn ergibt. Elektronische Geraete, das Wetter, Krankheiten, seltsame Zufaelle; vieles zieht sich wie ein roter Faden durch mein Leben. Man hat da den Eindruck mit der Quelle, dem Universum im Einklang zu stehen. Ganz egal was passiert, es hat Bedeutung und das Geschehende ist, ganz persoenlich gesehen, genau richtig so.
Ich habe oft in meinem Blog ueber das Ego geschrieben. Man kann es beobachten wie ein Aussenstehender. Es gibt kleine Tricks aus sich Selbst herauszutreten. Wenn man das tut, dann kommt man ploetzlich mit der inneren Stimme in Kontakt. Man hat auch Kraefte und Faehigkeiten, von denen man vorher nie etwas geahnt hatte. Das Ego versteckt sich zumeist in den Bereichen der Macht, des Reichtums oder dem Sex. Man lernt sich bewusst zurueckzustellen, ganz einfach um zu sehen was hintererher passiert. Eine magische Welt wartet dann zumeist auf Einen.
Ich fuehle mich gut ausgestattet fuer meine neue Lebensaufgabe. Die Grosszuegigkeit, die Gutmuetigkeit und den Scharfsinn habe ich von meinen Eltern geerbt. Das sind gute Anlagen fuer den Beruf des Lebensberaters. Das Schreiben und die effektive Austauschen mit meinen Mitmenschen lerne ich in meiner jetzigen Taetigkeit. Auch ist es kaum ein Zufall, dass meine Eltern immer ein gemeinsames Hobby gehabt haben, die Lektuere philosophischer und psychologischer Werke. Hinzu kommt noch ein wenig latente Religion von Seiten meiner Mutter, und es beschreibt eigentlich ganz gut meine metaphysische Reise hin zum wahren Ich.
Wie schafft man es also wie ein Kuenstler durch das Leben zu gehen? Zwar weiss ich das genauso wenig wie die Vielen, die seit Jahrtausenden nach dem Lebensglueck gesucht haben, aber ich habe da so eine Ahnung. Wie Sokrates habe ich ploetzlich erkannt, dass da eine Stimme im Hintergrund fluestert. Je leiser das Ich, das Selbst oder das Ego, desto lauter die Stimme. Lao Tse schreibt in seiner Poesie von einem roten Faden, der sich durch das Leben zieht. Den Faden habe ich auch gesehen. Leider nur ab und zu, doch wenigstens immer oefter. Vor einiger Zeit sass ich in einem Hotel und habe poetzlich meine Lebensaufgabe erkannt, naemlich die, ein Lebenskuenstler zu sein. Erst einmal fuer ein paar Jahre die Theorie zu meistern, und dann spaeter als Schriftsteller und Lebensberater, die Erfahrungen an Andere weiterzugeben.
Die Verbundenheit der Menschen und der Dinge ist mir zum ersten Mal mit meinem Sohn Neel aufgefallen. Er hat buchstaeblich auf meine Gedanken reagiert, sogar wenn er in einem anderen Zimmer war. Seitdem habe ich die Erfahrung haeufig gemacht, im Gespraech mit anderen sagen ploetzlich Leute etwas Seltsames zu mir, was fuer mich aber genau Sinn ergibt. Elektronische Geraete, das Wetter, Krankheiten, seltsame Zufaelle; vieles zieht sich wie ein roter Faden durch mein Leben. Man hat da den Eindruck mit der Quelle, dem Universum im Einklang zu stehen. Ganz egal was passiert, es hat Bedeutung und das Geschehende ist, ganz persoenlich gesehen, genau richtig so.
Ich habe oft in meinem Blog ueber das Ego geschrieben. Man kann es beobachten wie ein Aussenstehender. Es gibt kleine Tricks aus sich Selbst herauszutreten. Wenn man das tut, dann kommt man ploetzlich mit der inneren Stimme in Kontakt. Man hat auch Kraefte und Faehigkeiten, von denen man vorher nie etwas geahnt hatte. Das Ego versteckt sich zumeist in den Bereichen der Macht, des Reichtums oder dem Sex. Man lernt sich bewusst zurueckzustellen, ganz einfach um zu sehen was hintererher passiert. Eine magische Welt wartet dann zumeist auf Einen.
Ich fuehle mich gut ausgestattet fuer meine neue Lebensaufgabe. Die Grosszuegigkeit, die Gutmuetigkeit und den Scharfsinn habe ich von meinen Eltern geerbt. Das sind gute Anlagen fuer den Beruf des Lebensberaters. Das Schreiben und die effektive Austauschen mit meinen Mitmenschen lerne ich in meiner jetzigen Taetigkeit. Auch ist es kaum ein Zufall, dass meine Eltern immer ein gemeinsames Hobby gehabt haben, die Lektuere philosophischer und psychologischer Werke. Hinzu kommt noch ein wenig latente Religion von Seiten meiner Mutter, und es beschreibt eigentlich ganz gut meine metaphysische Reise hin zum wahren Ich.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
The Fantastic Four
They say one can reach God on four paths: Knowledge (jnana), action (karma), devotion (bhakthi) and meditation/channeling our life energies (kriya). Quite frankly, up to recently, this meant very little to me. I started out thinking that knowledge might be my path, but you cannot help concluding that God is beyond thoughts, so the intellect seemed of little use. Action is often led astray by the ego. Bhakthi is easier said that than done. God has to be held above everything in this world. OK, but what if you do not feel that way. Lastly, meditation just never worked for me. Most spiritual fellow travelers just asked me in amazement, what do you mean it does not work? I just did not work because my thoughts were always in the way. A lost cause one might conclude.
Recently it struck me that the Fantastic Four are actually surprisingly intertwined. As you progress along one, all other avenues suddenly appear as well. Karma and knowledge are two faces of the same coin. If you manage to overcome your ego in your work, suddenly amazing insights about yourself, others and the spiritual path become available to you. It is possible to work selflessly, it requires attention and concentration, but it can be done. By the way, an easy trick is creativity. When you are creative you focus on your project, your baby, the ego is naturally pushed into the background. As your awareness about yourself and others rises you will feel things on a much deeper level - your emotional dimension opens up - the requirement for Bhakthi. Meditation becomes easier as well. By living a more selfless life and gaining spiritual insights along the way your mind becomes less cluttered. Lastly, at least in my case, this period coincided with a resurgence of life energies. It was as if suddenly new pipes opened up in my body.
Will this path lead me to liberation? I do not know, but I was encouraged when I read this story in Sadhguru's Mystic Musings: One day, one Jnana Yogi, one Bhakthi Yogi, one Karma Yogi and one Kriya Yogi were walking together. Usually these four people can never be together, because a thinking person has complete disdain for everybody else. A bhakthi yogi, full of emotion and love, thinks that jnana, karma and kriya yoga is just a waste of time. Just love God and it will happen. The karma yogi thinks that everybody else is just lazy. One must work and work and work. The kriya yogi just laughs at everything. The whole existence is energy. If you don't channel your energies nothing is going to happen. Then it started to rain and they all ran looking for shelter, they found an ancient temple. As the storm grew more and more furious they all moved closer to each other inside the temple. Suddenly they felt a huge presence. Lord Shiva Himself was there. They all cried out together, why now, we have pursued you for years and nothing happened. Lord Shiva replied, at last the four of you got together. I have been waiting for this for a long time.
Recently it struck me that the Fantastic Four are actually surprisingly intertwined. As you progress along one, all other avenues suddenly appear as well. Karma and knowledge are two faces of the same coin. If you manage to overcome your ego in your work, suddenly amazing insights about yourself, others and the spiritual path become available to you. It is possible to work selflessly, it requires attention and concentration, but it can be done. By the way, an easy trick is creativity. When you are creative you focus on your project, your baby, the ego is naturally pushed into the background. As your awareness about yourself and others rises you will feel things on a much deeper level - your emotional dimension opens up - the requirement for Bhakthi. Meditation becomes easier as well. By living a more selfless life and gaining spiritual insights along the way your mind becomes less cluttered. Lastly, at least in my case, this period coincided with a resurgence of life energies. It was as if suddenly new pipes opened up in my body.
Will this path lead me to liberation? I do not know, but I was encouraged when I read this story in Sadhguru's Mystic Musings: One day, one Jnana Yogi, one Bhakthi Yogi, one Karma Yogi and one Kriya Yogi were walking together. Usually these four people can never be together, because a thinking person has complete disdain for everybody else. A bhakthi yogi, full of emotion and love, thinks that jnana, karma and kriya yoga is just a waste of time. Just love God and it will happen. The karma yogi thinks that everybody else is just lazy. One must work and work and work. The kriya yogi just laughs at everything. The whole existence is energy. If you don't channel your energies nothing is going to happen. Then it started to rain and they all ran looking for shelter, they found an ancient temple. As the storm grew more and more furious they all moved closer to each other inside the temple. Suddenly they felt a huge presence. Lord Shiva Himself was there. They all cried out together, why now, we have pursued you for years and nothing happened. Lord Shiva replied, at last the four of you got together. I have been waiting for this for a long time.
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