Is Your Spiritual Life Working? Seven Areas to Monitor . . .

These seven areas are not necessarily the ones we think of or connect to when discussing the spiritual life. They are not only unusual, but authentic measuring sticks if we truly want to determine what progress we have made. Some of the terms may be unfamiliar, but their strangeness doesn't mean that they are invalid. Actually, the opposite is true; it is when we become aware of these things in ourselves that we can say that our spirituality is progressing at very deep levels. So here they are: 1. Dispassion. Here, our great interest and energy previously directed toward things of the world diminishes. 2. Fading of lust. This is the beginning of the end of grasping at things. When we grasp at things, we create a "grasper" or one who grasps, which is our idea of a "self." Once we establish a self, our karma establishes itself as an illusion of personality. This karma then continues after death as a rebirth consciousness. This rebirth consciousness then seeks out and takes on material existence in the form of a fetus when the time and conditions are right. Being reborn into a fetus means that we now have senses: Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body feelings, and mind. These senses require stimulation, and the subsequent contact with world brings up feelings of pushing away those things that are unpleasant, and grasping at those that are pleasant. This grasping leads to the idea of self, and the idea of existence, which again leads to birth , and subsequently death. Only with the "fading of lust" can we cut the chains of this cycle of grasping that keeps us chained to the wheel of birth and death forever. 3. Cessation. This means ceasing or stopping. Ceasing our mindless activities in the beginning, and finally ceasing our belief in a permanent self. This is the end of becoming, of building a false ego. 4. Peace. Peace is the opposite of aggravation and frustration. Peace is a deep breath and time to relax. Peace is not a movement, which is a striving and an ambition. Peace is the opposite of this and can only be developed inwardly, and can never develop as a group. The peace that is developed, as a group, will always deteriorate into non-peace if the individuals have not cultivated true peace within themselves, Their movement will then be caught up in only competition and ambition. 5. Direct knowledge. Direct knowledge is not secondary knowledge. Secondary knowledge is taking what you have read or heard and believing it without taking the time and trouble to experience it for yourself. This is laziness, and the result is that without direct experience, whatever one does will be done incompletely. There will always be loose ends hanging. 6. Enlightenment. Complete Enlightenment is that final, tremendous shift in consciousness where the "I" thought and the self are seen through. Now there is only object, no longer subject, and with this rare territory comes unconditional love, as well as wisdom. 7. Nirvana (Blowing out the flame). Ineffable and not explainable, the doorway, (only the doorway) to Nirvana is that tremendous white light; that's all that the mind can understand, white light; a light so bright that it dwarfs a million suns, yet there is no glare, only warmth and encompassing compassion. Not understandable to our primitive understanding, we can only know Nirvana's image, we can only feel the peace, the forgiveness, the all inclusion, the ete ity and the unconditional love that we have been searching for our entire lives. When the enlightened one's body dies, there is no longer the prospect of life and death. Ten fetters have been overcome: 1. "Personality belief" (belief in a permanent personality). 2. "Skeptical doubt" 3. "Adherence to wrongful rites, rituals and ceremonies" 4. "Sensual desire" 5. "Anger and aversion" 6. "Attachment to the form realms" Desire for fine material-form existence (eye, ear, and mind). 7. "Attachment to the formless, immaterial realms (mind only). 8. "Measuring" Spiritual pride, I have attained, arrogance, self righteousness. 9. "Restlessness" Distracted, confused state of mind. 10. "Ignorance" of human suffering and its cause, which is egoism, the illusory idea that I exist personally or the "I" thought. The above areas of spirituality are deep, not superficial. They are the ones that the great sages and saints of history have visited and overcome. The first step for anyone seriously interested in living a truly spiritual life, culminating in unconditional love for our fellow men and women regardless of their beliefs and opinions, is to consider the relevance of these seven interesting and profound areas. nn