Understanding The Journey Towards Spiritual Awakening
What is Enlightenment? Enlightenment means to bring in the light — the light of the truth. It is about the realization of the truth. It is about inner illumination. We all live in the darkness of ignorance. We don’t know who we are. We think we are the body, mind and ego, when in reality we are the Soul, the Atman. We think that God is a person who lives in heaven. The truth is that God is a Power — the Supreme Immortal Power, SIP, that is everywhere and in everything and we are a part of this power. We mistakenly believe that this world is real when in reality, it is an illusion. This is what awakening is — it is waking up from the deep sleep of ignorance, of the lies, the myths that we have grown up with. Enlightenment leads us to the ultimate peak of happiness, a state known as Satchitananda— a state of bliss that comes from living in consciousness of the truth. Unfortunately, only a few people embark on a quest for Enlightenment and from these, only a few attain Enlightenment.
To be enlightened, we must understand the MAGIC one uses to be enlightened. These are the prerequisites of Enlightenment:
M - MUMUKSHUTVA
One must have a deep yearning for the Divine and Liberation
A - ASKING QUESTIONS
One must ask questions:
1. What is life? Where do we come from? What is the secret of our birth?
2. What is death? Where will we go after death?
3. Who is God, where is God and what is God?
4. Are heaven and hell real? Are these physical locations where we go after death?
5. Is there life after death? Or is death the end?
6. Is there a Soul? What is it?
7. What is the Law of Karma? Does this law really exist?
8. What is the purpose of our life on earth?
9. What is Enlightenment?
G - GGGG
Guru's Guidance and the Grace of God. We need both to be enlightened
I - IGNORANCE
Ignorance must be overcome
C - CONSCIOUSNESS
Remain in Consciousness all the time. Consciousness is the state where we transcend the mind. In this state, thoughts do come but gently, one by one. It is a state where the intellect, the power of discrimination, is activated. It is in this state that we can be enlightened.
The key steps on our spiritual journey are — going on a quest for the truth; asking questions and investigating our findings and finally, we will arrive at the truth. Spiritual practices that will help us on our journey are meditation or being in silence and transcending the mind; being in the state of Yoga, ever-connected with the Divine; living with discipline, detachment or dispassion, discrimination and of course, the desire for the Divine.
How do we progress on our spiritual journey? There are 3 stages of Enlightenment. The first stage of Enlightenment is realization of the self. One realizes — Neti Neti; Tat Twam Asi — I am not the body that dies. I am not the mind that I cannot find. I am not the ego - the ego is an illusion. Then, who am I? I am the Soul, the Atman, the Spirit. This is the first realization. Next, we realize that the Soul, the Spark Of Unique Life is SIP, the Supreme Immortal Power we call God. God is not a person but a power, the Supreme Immortal Power. Therefore, if I am the Soul and the Soul is SIP, then we realize — ‘I am SIP’. We realize that we are a part of the Divine. God and I are one, we are not separate or different. Finally, we realize the Supreme Immortal Power in everyone. One realizes that not only am I the Soul, but everyone else is also a Divine Soul. We are all manifestations of the Divine. We are not different from each other. We are one; we are all a part of the Divine. We come from God, we return to God. In fact, everything is a manifestation of the Divine. Animate or inanimate — everything is God. God exists in every molecule of matter. Everything is an illusion. Only God exists.
We must also understand that spiritual knowledge of the self is not enough — knowledge is not Enlightenment. Enlightenment is not about ‘knowing’ who you are. It is about ‘realizing’ who you are — it is an inner intuitive experience. If we are not pulled back into this world after Enlightenment, if we live as a Yogi, ever connected with God, in a state of Consciousness, then at death we attain Moksha — not only liberation from all suffering on earth but also liberation from the Karmic cycle of death and rebirth.
