Quartz – Up and Down
Religion is an outward expression of an inner belief, and like quartz, sadhana has many colors. Everyone is unique in their ability to perceive the principles inspired by the Lord’s teachings. Some find deeper meanings than others, but all colors or stages are important for spiritual growth.
Differences in color also represent the religions, and one is no more loved by the Lord than another. If we look down on our brothers and sisters for following another religion, how can we say we love the Lord? It’s no different than discriminating against someone for the color of their skin.
We may be brown or black in one lifetime and white in another. So, too, as one religion may be more optimal or prevalent than another, depending on one’s birth circumstance.
Following a certain set of beliefs does not reflect the being-state, and our level of goodness is independent of whatever religion we follow. Those who are dedicated to love and ahimsa can follow any of the religions and lead a fulfilling and peaceful life that’s pleasing to God.
Ahimsa
Ahimsa is the most basic cornerstone of all religions and what the Lord values most. We can’t wear a quartz of many colors, commit violence in the world, and assume that we are following the Lord.
The current war between Israel and the Middle East appears to be associated with Daniel and Revelation in the Bible, which is not really that remarkable of a prediction. It’s not that difficult to predict the ego’s level of destruction with the amount of overpopulation.
God is not wrathful but is allowing the nations to reap the consequences of their actions. These events have been reiterated through the ages and noted in the writings of the Bible, Quaran, Nostradamus, Mayans, and others.
These end-of-the-age events could all have been avoided if not for all the prejudices and violence the ego causes. What would be more remarkable is nations and religions choosing peace over war and love over hate.
The ego is divisive and uses religion for its own struggle for power. These people represent the stage of rajas along with the militaries, and regardless of their spiritual beliefs, they are leading the countries to destruction. It is inevitable that their warmongering will cause billions of deaths and usher in a new age.
Recently, I watched a Jewish Rabbi declare that all religions should view Jews as superior and worship them instead of the individual Jesus. Their Talmud is quite wicked, as they refer to Jesus as a sinner and Gentiles as less than human.
It’s customary and not inappropriate to spit on their neighbors who are not Jews, which has happened between the Jews and Catholics. The Catholic nuns and priests walk by and the Jews who spit on them, view it as a matter of tradition. Not all Jews view the Talmud as important or follow its teachings, but for those who do, it spreads hate in the world.
Religion is a set of beliefs to help us remember the Lord in our daily sadhana. The differences in the religions may result in different beliefs and traditions, but they all circle back to the principle of love and ahimsa.
The Lord taught ahimsa in all religions as an aid in guiding the soul toward personal inner growth and liberation of the ego. As the spiritual aspirant focuses the mind upward through meditation and karma yoga, small but profound changes occur within the being state. The result is joy and a sense of well-being, or the fruits of the spirit, which is the reward of the Atman.
Those who make war against their spiritual brothers and sisters are not following the Lord’s teachings of ahimsa, which is present foremost within all religions. It is the ego that separates religion and color and creates factions and destruction across the globe.
Our relationship with the Creator is measured through our actions in the world, which has nothing to do with how popular we are or the religion we follow. What are we doing with our lives? Where are we going? What goodness are we adding to the world?
These are all important questions and not particular to any religion or belief we follow. If only one religion mattered, then the Holy Spirit would have only supported one over the vast millennia as society was progressing.
Multiple religions are God’s gift of different paths to aid the sadhu and reveal how destructive the ego is in attempting to manipulate and turn these paths into divisiveness and war. The Israel War against Gaza shows the struggle between Muslims and Jews, and yet, the Lord brought both for support and growth in sadhana.
Humans have twisted the Jewish and Muslim faith to meet the ego’s imperious agenda, becoming God’s enemy, whether through Mohammed or Moses and now we are thrust into terrible end-time events.
The Mother’s Way is an extension of the Lord’s teachings that are intended to help those who are striving to be more like the Lord in their daily sadhana, for it is our everyday actions that lead to spiritual growth.
We should accept one another in our differences, for it is God’s Way and the Mother’s Love extending out into the world through those who truly follow the Lord through love and ahimsa.
The Soul’s Kryptonite
The hero or heroine of any plot always has some kind of issue. If we observe Superman, we see that kryptonite took away his powers and left him weak.
Our kryptonite is when we rely on the world’s esteem that never corresponds with the Atman’s joy, leaving us tossed about from one sense experience to the next. By aligning with the Lord’s principles, the soul becomes resilient, stable, happy, and productive.
So, in describing the ego, we find all the mayhem and misery in the world. For tamas and rajas, mastering the externals is their sadhana. They may follow a religion but use it to fulfill their selfish desires. If it requires violence, they will become violent, which has produced religious extremists, whether Christian Zionists or Islamic jihadists.
The ego causes chaos within the soul, too, just as it reaps war and dissension without. Knowing which way is up and which is down is crucial in determining where our real joy and happiness lie.
For those in the higher chakras, the externals have been mastered. They’ve gone beyond the “Donald Trumps” and ruling the world; now they find the inner world more compelling to master. It’s in this inner dwelling that they find lasting peace and joy.
Desires
Desires are temporal and do not reap lasting happiness. Once, my grandmother took me to a small grocery store and asked, “What would you like?” There was so much to choose from, and I had never been asked such a question.
At four, I pointed to a container of cottage cheese. My grandmother was amused that I picked cottage cheese over candy, yet this was something that I liked most. It could also be enjoyed by everyone and expanded my own joy in sharing it.
When we consider the joy of the whole, it increases our own. Preferences that are healthy, kind, and good will increase the joy of others when we apply them in the world. The soul is drawn to wholeness and inner peace as the way up, while desires draw the mind downward toward distress and misery.
Depression is a form of anger and sadness that most often begins spiritually. There may be instances where it is physical as well, with a dual effect present. Yet, the lack of joy in life may cause a depressed state just as easily as a physical condition.
A lack of balance in life causes negative states, and the Atman’s response is to send sadness or discomfort. It’s designed to create changes in our behaviors that are positive and uplifting to the world, thus increasing our own joy.
As an example, there are those who retire and grow melancholy or lonely from leaving the workforce. Others do not experience these states as they donate their time to bring joy through service to their community and loved ones. This joy overflows in serving others, which is, in essence, serving the Lord.
Through our own contribution, we bring a little bit of heaven to earth, which is one of the goals of sadhana. Each has a place in the community that begins within the mind and heart. Inner joy reaps peace and joy in the world as we apply the Lord’s principles in life.
How can we share what we do not possess? The world is collectively cold, angry, and hostile, reflecting the lack of love each possesses for his neighbor. The Mother’s Way is not to deny the neighbor through our own pursuit of happiness when it might impinge on another’s.
My mind goes back to Osho’s desires, which denied his sadhus proper food and shelter so he could own 93 Rolls Royce’s, and Andrew Cohen, who even denied his mother an adequate dwelling place.
Desires bring immediate pleasure, but they’re never satisfied, as lasting joy goes beyond the moment and rests eternally.
Self-Purification
Any religion or teaching that denies self-purification as the route to wholeness is irrational and withholds joy from those who follow the path. The Holy Spirit is present in all religions and in those of no religion, and It does so continuously.
There are two sources of joy that assist the soul in sadhana. One is given by the Holy Spirit to encourage the soul to go forward, and the other is given by the impersonal Atman when the soul is striving.
Encouragement from the Holy Spirit is God’s sign to strive, not Self-produced, which initiates change within. This has caused confusion within Christianity that doesn’t recognize the difference between the two, supposing that God’s grace is sufficient.
It’s effort through self-purification that produces a positive change within the being-state. A man is known by the fruits of his labor and not by the words from his mouth. A person’s sadhana is visible in the world through attitudes and actions, not beliefs.
Through my many years in the workforce, those who worked the hardest and were the most cooperative weren’t the ones who proselytized. Goodness within is lived and can’t be summed up through language or belief.
God is good, and anyone who believes in God believes it to be so, yet belief doesn’t increase the soul’s goodness or make a person whole. Religion is not a set of commandments that we adhere to, to appease God. It’s a way of life that we strive for in every life to reach the ultimate goal of wholeness.
The outward garment of religion must become an inner quest for goodness that reaches into the unconsciousness and produces change within the being-state. This has not been taught in the religions thus far, but it is vital for transformation and the only path of real sadhana.
The rest are forgeries through misinterpretation of the Incarnations to appease the ego, which wants instant transformation without effort. A religion that teaches this is not living but dead to spirit.
Santa Claus doesn’t exist, and the soul must work through ahimsa with spiritual practices and karma yoga. There is no back door to heaven through grace or an act of kindness so profound that one should lose his life and reap instant paradise. It may offer future boons, but sadhana takes time since the soul is profound with many layers and depths.
Spiritual Experiences
Upon conversion or spiritual experiences, the soul may be rewarded with a paradigm shift in thinking. The awareness is like shifting a lens by switching the scenery or bringing it closer into focus.
As the soul engages in sadhana, these spiritual experiences may become profound and an indication that the soul is reaping the benefits of current and past striving as spiritual progress is carried forward from one life to the next.
The strongest paradigm shifts are from the bodhisattvas, and spiritual experiences shouldn’t be confused with a change in the being-state outside of samadhi, due to the complexity of the soul.
This confuses the Christians, for when they receive a spiritual experience, they assume that they have been cleansed of evil tendencies. The ego is not so easy to defeat, and the samskaras are always present to inflict suffering on the soul and others.
The strongest indication is the spurts of joy that accompany the individual upon waking, during meditation, and before sleep. This is Atman’s joy with a sense of peace that accompanies the one who strives in his or her daily walk with the Lord.
Lasting happiness and inner joy is the goal and can be achieved in every lifetime by looking up and esteeming that which is good. Through self-reflection, we begin to understand which way is up, thereby moving closer toward the goal of wholeness.
Worldly Success
Success in the world is not a sign of inner venerability, and it shouldn’t be confused with goodness. Many world destroyers in rajas are recognized by their power and influence, yet all lack in goodness.
Spiritually, the fruit of our labor is one of Love. We find our deepest sense of joy and well-being when we live according to the Incarnations. Buddha rejected the earthly riches of kings, while the worldly endorse them.
When kept in proper perspective, a person may live with a higher income and not be deterred from positive sadhana since it’s impossible to function in the world without laboring for one’s physical needs.
The Lord understands the requirements of the body and supports work as materially needful and spiritually beneficial for the soul. The combination of daily work and spiritual practices is the most satisfying and fulfilling, leading to optimal spiritual growth.
A person may have a mediocre income and still rely on objects for happiness. Materialism is unfulfilling and promotes discord as the Atman oversees the soul’s progress.
Finding joy in objects is the meaning of serving mammon. Without self-reflection, a person will chase objects as a means of happiness for an entire lifetime with little or no spiritual progress.
The face we show in the world is not typically our inner selves, but our affections will always be visible to the world. Where our treasures lie, there will be the heart, also. We can’t serve God when the heart is focused on objects as our source of happiness.
Serving mammon also extends to relationships. Unbeknownst to the world, all of God’s incarnations were reviled and rejected. The popularity of the masses came after death and through a much longer period.
We can’t measure our sadhana by looking at the world’s view, for the ego looks down on God’s nature in others. Looking up is to seek the Atman’s supernal joys and never run dry for those who search diligently; recognizing that the Intangible is worth seeking and eternal for the one who finds.
Many use relationships as a crutch for their own sense of well-being and feel empty inside when they are rejected. A rich inner life helps to negate feelings of rejection or abandonment, as the person’s or world’s views and opinions change often.
The Bodhisattva
The best, as seen in the bodhisattva, rarely win popularity contests and are often detested by the world. The Holy Spirit may let their light shine within the masses, but personal interactions have a far different effect without notoriety.
Jordan Peterson, a bodhisattva, wasn’t expecting that he would become famous through his views on politics. Yet his messages on social media have caused a frenzy of persecution against him.
Recently, I watched an interview with Scott Stapp and a podcaster in the fourth chakra. The interviewer seemed to steal the show by interjecting often when Mr. Stapp was speaking. Throughout the interview, he remained patient and kind, and his level of humility was refreshing to witness.
The illumined and bodhisattvas produce a fake or false ego for survival and protection. As the ego loses its grip during samadhi, the soul is transformed and replaced with true inner goodness and humility that no longer posture the states of the righteous.
Before that time, we should aspire to find this inner goodness in daily life, which is reflected in those nearest to the goal. It’s another way of looking up as we acknowledge those with more wisdom and the divine inspiration that follows in their daily actions.
The Catholics have done well in this area, acknowledging the saints in history who’ve brought wisdom through their actions and spiritual writings.
There’s a spiritual inference, too, to being in the presence of one who is higher, as seen among the illumined gurus and their followers. Those in the higher chakras, whether guru or not, assist those in the lesser through association, raising the spiritual awareness of the lesser and one of the internal meanings of Jesus “raising the dead.”
The being-state shouldn’t be confused with a person’s IQ, which changes from one life to the next. The Atman may dumb down the soul’s ability to excel in studies in one life and, at other times, may allow a photographic memory.
Acknowledging these supermen and superwomen is positive sadhana and keeps us in a proper perspective; otherwise, the ego wants to put all under its feet. The Source is free to all who strive to go forward inside, and each should continue the inner quest for righteousness through self-purification.
It’s a profound state to become co-creators with the Lord. Jesus described it as “the blind shall receive their sight, the lame shall walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, and the deaf shall hear.”
He was describing the state of wholeness that accompanies a transformation so powerful that it’s life-changing and world-changing for the one who embarks on this path of Self-discovery!
Each day is a new set of moments to find our deepest joy and richest treasures in life, where “moth and rust don’t corrupt, and thieves don’t break in and steal.”
Through ahimsa and spiritual practices, we find all that we need in life and are a step closer to the goal of becoming a new creation and most beloved by the Lord. Within it, we may find the path forward just as rewarding as reaching the goal!
Higher Chakras
Those in the higher chakras are less aggressive while interacting with the world, and we shouldn’t look down on ourselves when our responses are introspective or not compatible with the world’s view.
The spiritually sophisticated are more thoughtful and may be slower to respond due to their understanding of deeper underlying complexities. The wisest are slow to speak and quick to cooperate with those who follow ahimsa through life.
Do not secretly envy those who are worldly. Those in the higher chakras are closer to the goal with a deeper understanding of ahimsa that flows through their daily actions. The higher the chakra, the more profound the influence of the impersonal Atman, who oversees the soul’s progress.
The best find their deepest joys with others by bringing peace to the world and helping the Lord “raise the dead” through karma and raja yoga. Let’s labor in love toward the goal, be patient with those who don’t possess the same level of understanding, and always look up to those who have more.
This principle is universal and the way to enlightenment in all worlds. At the end of our striving, our light, too, will shine like the stars and sadhana, a distant memory.
Conqueror
She dwelt in darkness but not alone.
The score of a million cries pierced her soul,
Nay, it was a million more.
Its breath was unforgiving on that timeless ancient shore.
Not I, said I, with certain distant peace.
I won’t fall prey,
To the God of Dismay,
Nor any of His minions, defeat.
The Lover of my soul is here,
Profound within those cries.
She sings with sweeter effigies,
Then all the starry skies.
Cast out! Cast out!
The darkness that must flee,
The Lover is the Victor,
The Conqueror inside of me!