As I wrote about recently, many things in life require action. Life is movement and flow. It requires activity to be sustained. We need to breathe, to eat, to consume, to move to live. If we want to move forward, more is required. We often need to experiment and seek advice for best ways of doing to get a certain result.
But if we’re planning to express higher values into life, we need a different approach that’s not driven by action. Spirituality is about being rather than doing. If we come to spiritual teaching as a person wanting results and fulfillment, we’ll entangle spirituality in our shadows.
Too many people have taken spiritual roles way too soon, before they’ve matured and cleaned house. Sure, a shift can be very inspiring and something we want to share. But we can do that as a friend without taking on the responsibility of a mantle prematurely.
Most people have deep, long-term traumas that cast a shadow over their lives and recreate circumstances repeatedly. This may show up as being regularly unheard, angry, abandoned, or whatever. It’s better to resolve this before acting it out with students.
If we learn to heal and surrender more deeply, we can more fully be a vessel of the Divine. Then we can allow the Divine to lead the process. When the higher calling comes, one of two things will happen. We’ll start acting to support it without realizing what’s unfolding right away. Or it will be quite obvious and overt. But when being rules, it can unfold more innocently and naturally.
I can use myself as an example. When I was younger, I had some expectation of becoming a teacher. Both my parents taught in university and I presumed a similar path. It was “in my blood.” Yet academics didn’t appeal. When I was exposed to a decent approach to spirituality, I became inspired to become a teacher. I learned to teach meditation and give philosophical talks.
However, that life was not supported in several ways. I tried for a while anyway but the signal got stronger. It became clear there was karma in the way. I finally let it go.
I later saw people get entangled in “spiritual” roles, acting out their stuff on students. Whole organizations can be entangled in the leaders stuff. Or there can be self-reinforcing group memes that entangle students. Beware the musts and shoulds.
Around the time I woke up, I got an unexpected calling to write and soon began blogging. Although I took awhile to clue in to what was unfolding, it was well supported. It soon became clear this was the right process. But I remained low-key as the old karmic pattern around teaching still showed itself occasionally.
Unexpectedly, academics arose and I got my grad degree, consolidating my education. As usual, there were many dynamics included in that process that helped clean up the past and move things forward. But further academics were not supported then.
In 2015, it became clear a hunk of karma had resolved and it was time to come forward more. I did the BATGAP interview.
In the fall of 2017, I spoke at SAND for the second time. During questions, a fellow from Malaysia referred to me as a teacher and I corrected him, saying I was a writer and that teaching is a skill some don’t have.
Yet now, with the advent of Higher Love, a close friendship has catalyzed many events. This is partly due to spiritual resonance and complementary energies. But also ancient past life connections bringing very old baggage to the surface to be cleared. I’ve not kept up with all the things that have recently shifted – both in the outer life and deep within. (laughs)
At the same time, a new law of nature has awoken. This and the above are calling for more use of the voice. Further, I’ve been called by multiple sources to teach effortless meditation again. And I’m moving across town this week. None of this was anticipated. I’m sure there will be more news to come. 🙂
Davidya
Wonderful news, David! Yes, with increasingly moving into the fullness of Brahman, our true purpose is more completely revealed. So happy to hear you are teaching meditation again. I’ll take a wild guess that the entire experience has changed favorably since you last did that. 🙂
Lots of abilities coming to light these days. I was recently doing TM with two siddhas and my wife in a car near the docks in Scandinavia before leaving the port. One said we should park out of the way so they don’t think the vehicle is full of dynamite. One of those present quietly said, “it is”. 🙂
Thanks, Jim. The form this will take hasn’t fully formed yet but I’m curious to see what unfolds.
Teaching has always been enjoyable. It’s beautiful to teach someone to go beyond the mind and enliven the lineage. Even to simply inspire with a vision of possibilities. The karma was in various aspects of supporting that work.
But yes, it was the first time teaching meditation since awakening. It was very different in that way. The sense of lineage was much stronger too.
(laughs) Good vignette.
Wonderful!! Can’t wait to see what unfolds 🙂
Moi aussi, Amaryllis
I am not sure how it happened, but my wife and I are putting the finishing touches on taking our suburban house off the grid. I created a 2500 square foot organic garden over the last 15 years, we installed 8 kilowatts of solar panels on the roof, and we are now installing geothermal air conditioning for the entire house. All of this has just unfolded and it has been a delight to accomplish. We are planning to encourage neighbors and friends to follow in our path because it just seems like the right thing to do. After nearly 50 years of meditating I find that these things just unfold, and I don’t seem to be able to do anything but cooperate. More and more silence and activity move as one.
Wonderful example, TO. More straightforward than mine. Small changes, projects, etc add up. And then suddenly we get a sense of where it’s going. 🙂
🙂
🙂 O wordless one.
Nicely said about teaching and inspiration. It is great when the vessel is clean, so that it always overflows with purity. Such is the essence of the technique taught as well, effortless transcending into action from the source, until united. Then the Dharma unfolds and the Knowledge flows through clear channels and open pipes without obstruction.
Exactly, Jim. And well said.