| It is not the events of life, but the meaning that we | | | | In the world of spirituality or non-duality, life no longer |
| attach to these events, that brings either pleasure or | | | | requires labels to give it meaning. In non-duality, the |
| suffering. And that meaning is driven by our deepest | | | | essence shows forth its truth and requires no meaning |
| fears and desires. We suffer whenever life seems to | | | | or labels. What it is, is self-evident. It makes no sense |
| be in conflict with these desires. | | | | to ask what the meaning is of Love, Being, Presence, |
| How do we turn this around? | | | | or Awareness. The very essence of non-duality is |
| If we want this suffering to end, we need to move our | | | | Love, Being, Presence and Awareness, so the notion |
| perspective out of identification with our human | | | | of meaning is superfluous. |
| personality with its ego-based thinking mind and toward | | | | Spiritual practice is the discipline of undoing the |
| identification with our true nature as souls. For | | | | conditioning of the ego and the thinking mind, and |
| emotional suffering to end, we need to turn inward | | | | learning to align with higher Truth, the principles that |
| toward the Source of our being, where happiness is | | | | guide our souls. A healthy spiritual practice will consist |
| independent of external things. | | | | of learning, devotion (prayer, meditation or |
| Indian teacher Ramesh Balsekar stated this process | | | | contemplation), practice (ways in which you implement |
| eloquently in A Net of Jewels, where he says, | | | | what you are learning to integrate it) and interaction |
| "Essentially, what the average person wants out of life | | | | with like-minded individuals. |
| is just one thing: happiness. It is in this quest that he | | | | You may find a fulfilling spiritual practice within a |
| goes through life day after day, believing that he will | | | | specific religion, order or teaching; or your practice may |
| somehow, someday find final satisfaction through the | | | | be more eclectic and ecumenical. Your practice may |
| things and circumstances of his world. | | | | look different than that of another; and it is not |
| "There comes a time, however, when man gets utterly | | | | important. What is vitally important, however, is that |
| tired, physically and mentally, of this constant search | | | | you commit to some form of spiritual practice |
| because he finds that it never ends. He comes to the | | | | consistently over time. |
| startling discovery that every kind of satisfaction has | | | | Effective spiritual practice relieves suffering by quieting |
| within itself the roots of pain and torment. At this stage | | | | the thinking mind. This is necessary for the efficient |
| his search cannot but take the turn inwards toward | | | | functioning of the working mind. A quiet mind is also an |
| that happiness which is independent of external things." | | | | end in itself since it is always accompanied by the |
| The essence of manifest existence is continuous | | | | peace of pure Awareness. |
| change from birth to death. With physical existence | | | | In fact, this can be a guide to distinguish between |
| comes the will to live, to survive, to resist threat - and | | | | effective and ineffective practices. If suffering is |
| this will resides in the ego. The human ego drives the | | | | relieved by a practice, it is worth continuing. If it does |
| thinking mind and all our misery in the ensuing attempts | | | | not, and especially if suffering increases, it is better to |
| to avoid the inevitable. | | | | discontinue it. |
| Life presents problems because our ego nature resists | | | | Effective practices further help us detach from all |
| the process of life; we don't accept what is there in | | | | forms of conditioning. A quieter thinking mind allows |
| the present moment. We want to become something | | | | unconscious conditioning to rise to the awareness of |
| other than what we now are, have something other | | | | the conscious mind from where it can be cleared. |
| than what we now have and so on. | | | | The thinking mind ordinarily represses unwanted |
| Suffering, then, is a consequence of identification with | | | | thoughts, urges, and desires, which are the dark side of |
| the ego self and its physical domain. If we feel that we | | | | the ego (the shadow). When repression ceases, the |
| are limited bodies of protoplasma, we will feel a need | | | | shadow emerges into awareness. The Indian sage |
| to have control over what happens to us. | | | | Papaji described this process by saying that, when you |
| When we shift our perspective back to our true | | | | begin to awaken, all the gods and demons of your |
| nature as eternal souls, we realize that we are limitless. | | | | past come to reclaim you. |
| We do not need to control or resist what is happening | | | | The potential of these forms of old conditioning to |
| because what is happening out there, cannot threaten | | | | destroy one's peace is minimized by the deepening |
| our true nature within. | | | | realization that their release represents the dissolution |
| As a result, we also don't need to label, react or judge | | | | of the ego-based thinking mind. It is also helpful to keep |
| anything that happens out there any longer. Birth, life, | | | | in mind that these emerging forms are finite in number, |
| good fortune, misfortune, and death simply happen, and | | | | even when it feels as if the stack of emotions that |
| have no meaning of their own. Any thought about their | | | | arises is endless. |
| meaning is just a thought that has no more meaning | | | | As we continue the work of becoming aware of and |
| than any other thought. | | | | clearing limiting patterns of conditioning, we grow in |
| The Course in Miracles teaches this principle because | | | | understanding of our true nature. The journey of |
| if we want to find inner peace, it is important to learn | | | | spiritual awareness requires us to be vigilant and |
| to distinguish between what happens out there, and | | | | earnest in our commitment to Truth, trusting the flow |
| the meaning we attach to it. When we can detach | | | | of life wherever it takes us so we can learn. |
| from the meaning we have allocated to any given | | | | This is the kind of learning that supports the soul to |
| event, we are able to find a place of neutrality. | | | | realize its highest potential and give true meaning to life. |