September 23, 2012
Buddha Tara Kaleidoscope
This road of life follows many paths at once, and each of us finds the opportunity to choose how we travel it.
As these paths present themselves to us, each one glows with enticements that appeal to our senses and sensibilities. We can revel in the journey for its own sake or we can set our sights on Ascension or Enlightenment, and we can switch back and forth between these as we travel.
In any case, we’re on spiritual paths, regardless of whether or not we see it that way. We all are spirits, living – hopefully thriving – within bodies, so how could it be any other way?
That said, how we view ourselves engaging the world and those we share it with tremendously affects the quality of our brief visits here. We can follow synchronicities that arise for us in many ways. We can watch them with fascination and curiosity, or we can view them as nudges and hints from our Spiritual Guides. We can also view them as random chaotic events, or mere meaningless phenomena, and the list of variations can expand to suit everyone’s experience.
We’d like to suggest that the views can all be boiled down into three categories: spiritual, materialistic, and phenomenal (or any combination of the two).
If we hold our own paths (experiences of this particular lifetime) as being primarily a series of puzzling or fascinating events, and we simply follow along, trying to find happiness, we might say we’re on a phenomenal path – one of phenomena.
Life just beats on, and we try our best to roll with the punches and enjoy the ride.
When our fascination escalates to the point that we begin to look for explanations, develop theories and search for “proof”, then we’ve stepped into a more materialistic (perhaps even scientific) path. Here we search for understanding of the world around us.
Now we can compare notes with others… Perhaps we look for patterns or rhythms that begin to “make sense” to us.
As we travel this path, at some point we may notice we feel we comprehend the physical world around us more completely. New questions may begin to arise. And these questions may seem more mysterious, less explicable.
This curiosity often leads us inside ourselves.
Once we look inside, even for just a brief moment, we’ve danced our way onto a spiritual path. We’ve caught a glimpse of the possibilities that hover outside the grasp of phenomena and materialism.
It’s okay, relax!
Dipping your toes into a spiritual path doesn’t mean you’ve become religious. Religion itself has nothing to do with spirituality. Religion is a human construct, invented by humans out of fear. We won’t go into that right now.
Moments spent on a spiritual path carry us into our hearts, our third eyes, more subtle physical realms, and even the astral planes. It doesn’t matter who or what you choose to guide you. If you intend to elevate yourself and experience your life meaningfully, that intention serves as your true protection and guidance, and whatever spirits, beings, angels or gods you choose as guides are really just your facilitators.
Stepping out of fear is the real goal.
At some points on our path, we may strive out of anger or fear. In these moments, we open ourselves to a greater assortment of “guides”, because our discernment weakens and we look for a quick, “permanent” fix. If we catch ourselves feeling frustrated, afraid or resentful, this is a good time to question deeply the source of our “nudges”.
As we familiarize ourselves more with joy and relax enough to allow our path to flow and teach us, we find more focused guidance.
Focused guidance presents the same puzzles and challenges along our way as scattered guidance. However, focused lessons tend to lead us in a progression along the path, rather than looping us into a cycle where we feel stuck. When we sense that we’re getting the same lessons, fears and frustrations repeatedly, we might do well to examine who – or what – we’re relying upon… if anything.
Finding focused guidance to keep us on a clear spiritual path is actually quite easy in principle. All we need to do is set our intention first, and then request help. Again, our intention protects us. It’s as if Intention conducts the “job interviews” before our guides are granted access to our heart, mind, spirit, or soul.
Sounds easy.
The challenge is to stick with it and be consistent. Discovering our intention may take time and effort. It usually requires meditation in order to develop a mind powerful enough to maintain clarity; self-discipline and steady practice play key roles.
We’ll hand you some encouragement. If you’ve reached a point where you recognize in yourself the wish to experience a spiritual path, you probably already have a good start on the intention, practice, and self-discipline pieces. Usually, by the time we’ve developed some spiritual wishes, they’ve sprung from having grown tired of learning lessons the hard way. Pulling ourselves up out of the mud highly motivates us towards effort. When we feel tired, frustrated or impatient, we can simply recall where we’ve been and how far we’ve come. This encourages us to catch our breath and then forge onwards.
Whatever path we find ourselves on now we can feel assured that in the big picture, we’re moving forward. Sometimes we may feel we’re waltzing around back and forth, or even circling endlessly in a square-dance, but every breath we take keeps us in our bodies, and our bodies carry us ultimately forward.
That’s why we took them. Abiding in the physical may seem tedious at times, but when we make progress in a physical body, we’re moving at a pace much faster than if we continuously hung out in the astral or spirit realms. Here on Earth we’re bombarded by lessons and experiences that force us to choose, discern, and apply effort – quickly – if we want to find happiness. We see graphically, sometimes brutally, how we are connected with one another, and how our actions impact others.
So please try to enjoy even the most confounding and painful moments of your life, by viewing them as stepping stones leading you to happiness.
When you reflect, look for the encouraging and delightful synchronicities. Use them to remind yourself that you enjoy guidance and protection, even when nothing feels very enjoyable.
We wish you many moments of feeling the presence of your guides, and feeling your progress in ways that bring you joy. Call on your guides if you feel alone, and we will be there, without fail. Your progress fills our being with immense delight, and when you smile in your hearts, your world expands into Light.
With much love to all of you,
Adrial and Lhamo Dorje
http://allaboutenlightenment.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/what-is-a-spiritual-path/
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