A discussion on the perfection of all teaching, coupled with the necessity of constantly going beyond each level.
Greetings!
The spiritual path comes in all shapes, sizes and difficulty levels. There are teachings on the planet geared toward every level of seeker imaginable, and each is perfectly placed to appeal to those for whom its lessons are targeted.
One of the understandings we must learn to accept is that, in highest Truth, no teaching is greater than any other; instead, each is equal in its purpose…to assist in awakening greater levels of understanding and the expansion of consciousness in its students. While it is accurate to say that certain teachings are higher, deeper or more advanced, it does not make them better, just better suited to those functioning from higher levels of conscious awareness.
The reality is that without the multitude of paths and teachers currently in place, it would be far more difficult for the human to move up along the ladder of his own spiritual evolution. The ego, while embodying the role of the seeker, is simultaneously the greatest hindrance to that seeker. The mind utilizes everything in its database of memory and capacity for future projection to lead itself as seeker astray. And it is truly an expert at what it does…creating all the obstacles to continue its pattern of running in never-ending circles.
The beauty of moving into focused spiritual work is that it begins to pave a road into consciousness. This may begin from a seemingly simple place with the introduction of new concepts that are easier to assimilate, such as reincarnation, the world of the afterlife in the astral plane, the law of karma or the teaching of the interconnectedness of all life. Through the lower mind’s continued study, contemplation and eventual acceptance of these and more advanced concepts, it becomes increasingly more open and trusting concerning greater Truths which exceed the mind’s capacity to understand them in any real manner.
The seeker awakens to the reality of spiritual paradox through many lifetimes of devout study and devotion. Like Alice in Wonderland, who entered a world of paradox and tried to make sense of it, the mind of the seeker will convince itself that enlightenment can be attained through the use of the intellect. However, true understanding of the paradox of existence is fully experiential and the ego’s mind does not exist in the space of Truth.
Alice tumbled down the rabbit hole. I encourage students to jump.
It is divine Will which leads you to the edge of the rabbit hole of the Truth of Being and that same Will can be harnessed to consciously elect to dive into the formidable abyss…the void where ego’s experience does not rule and the intellect gets left behind…where even the observer no longer exists.
It takes the interwoven tapestry of all the planetary teachings, each in its own perfect place, to guide each person there; to that precious moment where you are left behind to experience yourself as you Are. And at that point, all teachings fall away, relegated to the illusion of concept that they are.
The teachings of the spiritual path point the direction home. The journey can be slow and winding with many cul-de-sacs along the way where seekers can choose to linger awhile, preferential to the familiarity and comfort of their spiritual refuge. Or the road home can be straight as an arrow, steep, uncomfortable and uncompromising for the seeker who desires Truth above his own physical, mental and emotional comfort. The teachings from this rare and precious path lead you further and further, deeper and deeper…and then, in the sweetest now of complete surrender to what Is, there you Are.
Jump!
Love,
Shusara
Satsang with Shusara, Thursdays at 6pm PST, Station 1
