Could it be that once you choose to take a “spiritual path” you then cannot possibly be on one?
Does your spiritual path help you differentiate your ‘self’ from others? Are you somehow different from those ‘ordinary’ souls who have not yet consciously chosen a spiritual path? Maybe they will choose “spirituality” in the next life or the one after.
Thank god, you are evolved!
But if this is what you SEE, how could you be?
Always differences made of “judgment.” This is how the guilty seek reprieve from the world in order to embrace a fraudulent sense of innocence. But true forgiveness collapses all levels and observes that in our differences we are joined as One.
Did you catch the breaking news? Change is no longer certain! This is because time is vertical and not horizontal. We merely experience centuries of believing we're different, while we've always been the same.
I recently came across this monumentally profound quote from another “spiritual enlightenment” website (and there seem to be millions of awakened ones teaching awakening):
“The sole purpose of the universe is the evolution of the individual spirit-consciousness”
Of course, that makes perfect sense!
Yet, I wonder if my rather un-spiritual, non-religious, Nascar-loving neighbor Bob, knows that "the sole purpose of the universe is the evolution of the individual spirit-consciousness."
Hmmm...I'll bet he doesn't. Well... he's a nice guy, anyway... so... I wonder if it matters if he doesn't know that "the sole purpose of the universe is the evolution of the individual spirit-consciousness"?
Sadly, most spiritual theorists fail to grasp the paradox and merely mouth antiquities. Words like “sole” and “individual” seem poor teaching tools, since ego yelps with glee at what those words actually signify.
Now it can comfortably settle back on its cushion and say 'so-long' to the world of “illusion.” It can gloat over how splendidly it has transcended egoic material wants and desires and revel in its austerity. Now it can forget the troubles of the world in its quest to awaken to “truth.”
But what of the rest of us?
Are we NOT seeking? Are we nothing but mundane and ordinary working-stiffs, blinded by our ignorance?
What of the “everyman” who toils in slavery to the world’s conditioning, is he NOT “spiritual”? He must be, for if he is not, how can you be?
Do not forget the 'everyman' of the world, for he is YOU.
Where is the division? What imaginary thin line separates you from him? Do you really think, all smug and spiritually complacent on your cushion, that you are different in some way? Is your "awakening" merely nothing more than a contrast, rather than an end to all contrasting? Has your “spiritual path” caused you to inadvertently look down upon the everyman. Do you pretend or deny consciousness of this disengagement? Do you believe your enlightenment will save them?
Who do you think you are, God?
When you experienced that whiz-bang of the 4th Jhana, were they with you? If not, than what good was it?
What happened to "no child left behind"?
Crawl down in the ditch and engage with your world, because without them you are merely a caricature of a self, mouthing the pithy quotes of the venerable. Awakening is intimate engagement of the many to discover One in the world. You can’t do it alone.
Get off your cushion. Enlightenment is engaged and anything less is more of the same blah, blah, blah.
But then...so is this...Ha!
7 comments: