“Know Thyself”
If you think about it, what isn’t spiritual?
Most people tend to believe spirituality is something separated from their “normal” lives. They believe that there is a place where they can be spiritual; at home or in retreats, and that there are places where spirituality doesn’t dare to penetrate.
The truth is that, apart from our mind that has been built to discriminate and segment information, spirituality is not separated from normal life.
Wherever we are, whatever we do — and as unbelievable as it may seem to be when you consider some things human beings are capable of doing — everything is spiritual. From a higher perspective, there is no “error” in Creation.
It is our mind’s discriminatory nature therefore, which has its place and use, that creates contradictions in our lives.
As an example, most spiritual teachings encourage us to be loving with one another, but because we believe spirituality is separated from our normal lives — it’s hard to love everyone.
We may love Jesus, but we don’t always love our coworkers for screwing us in the back. We may love the Buddha, but we may find it hard to love other people from other countries whom we are told want to conquer us.
Of course, people would freak out if you continuously gazed at them with loving eyes, that’s just how the world is, the good news is that you don’t need to prove to people you love them, just love them, that’s all.
As we start noticing these minor but significant distortions in the ways we think and react, we start questioning them.
If I’m told that I should love my fellow human beings, and I want to, why is it that I find it hard to love my boss unconditionally?
At this point, we may remember that our boss has often been mean to us. And we refused to let it go. We didn’t forgive him.
Yes, in our moments of happiness, it’s easier to pretend we did. But unconsciously, how we react whenever we set out to love others unconditionally, this resistance we feel tells us we still hold grudges.
As long as we hold grudges, it’s hard to love. As long as we hold grudges, whether against others or ourselves, we are judgmental. And as long as we’re judgmental, we perceive others in a limited way, which doesn’t allow love to flow freely.
As a note: Love isn’t mine or yours. Love is the binding force of Creation. It is everywhere. It flows through you as much as it does through others; it only differs in how much of it we’re able to feel. The more love moves through us, the happier and more alive we feel.
Do you see now how understanding yourself impacts your spiritual growth?
The spiritual teachings and principles we have received from teachers and masters throughout time serve as “signposts,” and as we try to implement them into our daily lives, we realize that it’s not as easy as we thought it would be.
As we pay attention to why it’s not so easy, and as long as we are sincere in our intention to grow spiritually, we ask questions. And those questions always lead us back to ourselves, to understanding how we function. Through this understanding, we naturally release what isn’t ours, and through this release — we see the world, and others, in a new light. We become “enlightened.”
There is a difference between enlightenment and entitlement however. This process takes time. But the process itself is the goal.
I hope this piece brought you some clarity on the subject. If you have any additional questions, be sure to ask them in the comments.
As a final note.
Most people embarking on the spiritual path, actually, even those who have been on it for a while now, are confused about what they should do due to the conflicting information out there.
What’s the cause? People trying to compensate their lack of understanding through the use of fancy explanations. The result? Confusion.
The spiritual path shouldn’t be confusing. It requires simple directives and consistency on your part. If you resonate with those teachings, I wrote a book with the only purpose of helping you understand what the main blocks to spiritual growth are, how to overcome them, and grow spiritually as a result. Check the book here.
Thank you for reading!