Can Mysticism Be Popular?

Mysticism is best practiced in solitude away from the eyes and ears of the multitude. This is well understood by all great teachers who urge us to find stillness and look within. Mysticism is about a personal relationship with the Divine. While this relationship leads to awareness of oneness with All that Is, paradoxically it is most easily cultivated away from society.

Once the mystical experience has been realized, it must be constantly reinforced. In all but a few individuals, the experience fades and becomes unfamiliar if the individual allows the practice of quiet meditation to lapse. In other times, most who sought this experience lived monastic lives in which they were permanently isolated from the distractions of secular life.

Contemporary teachers stress that the times demand that mysticism emerge from the monastery. There is a sense of compelling urgency about broadening the scope of mystical experience not for the benefit of the individual, but for the benefit of all - all beings and all things, whether or not sentient or even animate. This is because humanity as a species has achieved the ability to destroy itself and every other form of life on this planet; and at times seems hell-bent on exercising that ability. Salvation, it seems, can come only by bringing a larger proportion of humanity into direct contact with Divine Spirit than has ever been the case in the past. There is a sense that once a certain critical mass of souls has achieved a sense of Oneness, the scale will tip in the direction of survival rather than annihilation.

Learning Oneness from differences

We incarnated as individuals so that we could be different. Because we are different we can learn from each other. What can a person teach you who thinks exactly as you do?

Because we can observe our differences, we can also observe our similarities.  This teaches us the concept of Oneness encompassing the diverse manifestations of our Universe.  Having learned the concept, we can progress toward the conscious experience of Oneness.

Thoughts on Bin Laden's Death

Even the Dalai Lama must have mixed emotions today. It is to be hoped, though there is no certainty this is true, that the death of Osama will help reduce terrorist threats. On a spiritual level we can have compassion for his soul while accepting  on a practical level the necessity of his death.

Years ago I received this teaching which I shared in this blog:

"Even those who seem to have come into this world only to cause pain and destruction are sinless children of God at the core of their being. Encrusted and bound as they are by the scars of past pain, the soul within still glows and yearns to be released. Osama's soul is like a man buried alive; his hatred is like a coffin blocking out all light and even air, and the weight of Separation bears down like tons of earth heaped upon him. Wrapped in ropes of pain, it struggles only to find itself held tighter. It will require much compassion and lovingkindness from others to free that soul from the crushing weight of all the pain its thrashing about has caused. But if Osama and the millions of others like him are ever to be deflected from their destructive course, it will be by the true force of love and compassion, which is Spirit, and not by the false and hollow means of further death and destruction."

His soul is now free to return wrapped in another body, with a different mind and personality. What experiences await it are beyond our power to predict.

I see today's news as the carrying out of an execution. Temporal powers demand an eye for an eye. We would do well to remember that the personal desire for revenge does not emanate from the God-spark at the core of our being, but from a primitive part of the mind expressed through the ego. Society must have laws and there must be punishments for breaking those laws. Society also has the right to protect itself from those who would cause it harm. But we can be steadfast and uncompromising in enforcing our laws and protecting our families without taking pleasure in the pain it causes to such as Osama. To take such pleasure is to yield to the same egoic pressure that drove his own actions, and to ensure that the cycle of violence and hatred will intensify. As for myself, I understand the urge to celebrate, but I will try very hard to be faithful to the teaching I have been given.

Are We "Special"?

When we enjoy good fortune, or even when we just feel good, there is a tendency for ego to rise up and proclaim that we are special because we have been singled out by the Universe for special blessings. We may feel that this is because we are "more spiritual" than others. This is an example of ego's constant effort to take command of the situation and shine the spotlight on itself. Ego conveniently forgets that we have suffered misfortune in the past and most likely will suffer it again in the future, leading to the inference that at those times we were not as "special" as we are now -- or at least, not special in a positive way.

To a great extent, the favors of the Universe are bestowed randomly because the Universe does not recognize distinctions among individuals. One person cannot be more meritorious than another because all persons are part of the singular Unity that the Universe is. The circumstances in which each of us find ourselves are transitory and meaningless from the Universal perspective. "Good" things may happen to "bad" people and vice versa, but only because we make it so -- it is we who attach the labels "good" and "bad" to people and events.

You really can't say you are "blessed" when things happen that fit into your concept of "good" unless you are willing to admit you are "cursed" when events fall outside that concept. But in truth, all events are neutral and should be accepted with equanimity. Because the Universe is Love, all beings are blessed all of the time. It just takes a long practice of meditation and mindfulness to become aware of that principle. When you are in the flow of that awareness, then your are constantly bathed in Love and joy no matter what seems to be happening around you. Moreover, there is nothing that you need to do but to Love. Love God and its manifestations in the physical Universe that you are experiencing at each moment. That is, to paraphrase Luke, the one and only Law.

It can be hard for us to accept that when we meditate, practice loving kindness, and strive to eliminate unloving behaviors, we are not entitled to a reward.  The world of reward and punishment is ego's world, not God's. To love God and its manifestations is its own reward. It is the be-all and end-all of our human existence. It is this that we incarnated to learn, and to practice until we have it perfected. Once we have learned perfect forgiveness and through it perfect love, our task is complete. There is no other task that has meaning.

Nothing but Love

You don't have to be taught to love your neighbor, or even your enemy. That love is already in you. What is needed is to break free of the ego that insists you must compete, you must fight, you must seize all you can; and that whispers in your ear that others - all others - are conspiring to take what you already have and trample you in the dust. Simply quieting the mind and listening for the Voice that comes from beyond mind and the small self is enough. You will know that Voice because it is untainted by selfishness or hatred. 

The calm, reassuring Voice of God comes in stillness to counsel that all are One; that peace is strength; that Love is the only Power in the Universe. Then all the concerns that trouble ego are revealed as emptiness, nothingness. The image of evil fades and dissolves in the knowledge that God is all and God is only Love. You rest in the awareness that God is in you and you are in God, inviolate and eternal. With nothing to fear, there can be nothing in you but Love.

Sleeping and Waking

A period of meditation at bedtime can be useful in clearing your mind of the cares of the day and preparing for restful sleep. It is a natural way to set aside the mind's agenda and to make room for the voice of Spirit. Some people follow the routine of counting their blessings before sleep. This also is a beneficial practice as it invokes the "attitude of gratitude." Anything that can help you enter your sleep period in a peaceful and receptive state is beneficial.

In sleep, your active consciousness is temporarily disabled. This allows other influences greater access to your passive  awareness. If you fall asleep worrying about life situations, those worries may continue to possess your awareness during sleep, leading to a greater likelihood of troubling dreams and restlessness. However, if you prepare yourself for sleep by setting aside worldly concerns and opening yourself to Spirit, then the Spirit within you that never sleeps may fill your awareness, allowing disturbing ideas no access. Sleep may then become the time during which you most fully experience the peace of Oneness.

The attitude that you carry into your sleep period is likely to remain with you when you wake up. Peaceful, restful sleep leads to peaceful awakening. However, your awareness is still vulnerable in the first moments of wakefulness and the ego may try to take advantage this by causing worldly cares to rush in and take possession. To avoid this, develop a practice of meditating immediately upon awakening. This will extend the period of complete receptiveness to Spirit so that it encompasses your entire sleep cycle, including the periods of entering into and emerging from sleep. Your higher consciousness or inner Spirit will be able to establish itself as the guide and protector of your awareness during the day to come, increasing your ability to meet everyday challenges with equanimity and a positive attitude.

One method of meditation both at bedtime and in the morning is to practice body awareness. After going to bed, perform a relaxation exercise by focusing your awareness on one part of your body at a time, becoming aware of any stress or tension that has become embedded in your nerves or muscles and encouraging your body to let go and relax. Try to sense the underlying energy of Spirit that actuates your body, maintaining its physical manifestation. You may sense this as a vibration or tingling in each body part as it becomes the object of your awareness. Allow this sensation to become a generalized feeling of well being as your awareness of it spreads to encompass your entire body.  Keep your focus on quiet restfulness and relaxation as you do this, because this exercise also has the capability to fill your body with active energy and make sleep more difficult to achieve.

In fact, a recommended morning practice is almost identical. Immediately on awakening, begin with a moment of total  surrender and receptiveness to Spirit. Then become aware of each part of your body as it emerges from the sleeping state. Allow the universal actuating positive energy to fill each part in turn until your entire being is vibrating harmoniously. Open your awareness again to the healing message of Spirit as it fills your consciousness with affirmative attitudes for the coming day. You will enter into your period of wakefulness and activity well prepared for a day filled with peace, love, and successful endeavor.

Everything Is All Right

Compassion is both a way to connect with the indwelling Spirit, and a manifestation of that connection. A sense of compassionate connection with other beings reinforces the awareness of Oneness that is otherwise too often inwardly-directed. 

I have had a sense of peace and security about my life situation more and more lately as I learn to relax into Love and to surrender to Spirit. My meditations focus on acceptance of the higher Self as my true being, and on giving up the complaints and demands of the egoic self. In many situations that I would formerly have found stressful or threatening my reaction is now not panic or fear, but a gentle awareness that everything is all right. This awareness is not limited to spiritual themes but extends into everyday living. At home, at work, and anywhere else I may find myself, I am learning to accept that nothing can be wrong in Spirit and that, sometimes despite appearances, everything is all right. I am becoming increasingly aware that as I allow Spirit to manifest in my being, so it manifests in my life situations as well.

Recently when I have felt a compassionate connection with another being, I find that it expresses itself in a way that I feel as cherishing. I look at the other with my eyes or with my mind, and the affirmation “I cherish you in Spirit” arises seemingly of its own accord in my consciousness. There is feeling of safety and acceptance that comes along with this phenomenon; acceptance of my being, and of the other, as if we were both cradled in the same pair of loving arms. I can only describe this as the loving power of Spirit flowing through me, and the other, and filling us both with the fundamental loving energy of the Universe. Any anxiety or concern I may have had for the other’s well-being is lifted from me as I become aware that everything is all right.

I am excited at the realization that this profound sense of well-being does not stop at the limits of my  physical body. I feel that not only I, but also those whose life situations attract my compassion, are sheltered in the protective embrace of Spirit. They may not immediately feel the same  sense of security that I do, because they have not cultivated their connection with Spirit. Nor may they be able to see beyond the immediate crisis to the safe harbor beyond. But I hope that my own tranquil awareness that everything is all right may be communicated to them and that they may come to that realization sooner themselves. Their realization in turn should enhance the manifestation of Spirit in their life situations so that, in the end, it will be evident to all that indeed, everything is all right.