Spiritual journey

“Spiritual awakening is frequently described as a journey to the top of a mountain. We leave our attachments and our worldliness behind and slowly make our way to the top. At the peak we have transcended all pain. The only problem with this metaphor is that we leave all the others behind—our drunken brother, our schizophrenic sister, our tormented animals and friends. Their suffering continues, unrelieved by our personal escape.

In the process of discovering bodhichitta, the journey goes down, not up. It’s as if the mountain pointed toward the center of the earth instead of reaching into the sky. Instead of transcending the suffering of all creatures, we move toward the turbulence and doubt. We jump into it. We slide into it. We tiptoe into it. We move toward it however we can. We explore the reality and unpredictably of insecurity and pain, and we try not to push it away. If it takes years, if it takes lifetimes, we let it be as it is. At our own pace, without speed or aggression, we move down and down and down. With us move millions of others, our companions in awakening from fear. At the bottom we discover water, the healing water of bodhichitta. Right down there in the thick of things, we discover the love that will not die.” ~ Pema Chödrön from When Things Fall Apart

The spiritual journey is not about personal escape. Neither is it about meditating in a cave in Nepal, or being locked away in some monastery chanting behind some huge wall , neither is it escaping into an other dimension through prayer. It is all about becoming more and more fully alive, being engaged and plugged in to the “highest” within ourselves so that we can most fully give ourselves to the world as we shine with a joyous, radiant enthusiasm.  It is about living in the world—not an easy exercise.

Our actual potential, our gift that often lies dormant and lost—has to be discovered,  integrated into life, into the world so that one may benefit from it, as well as the world. Not an easy task –to extricate and bring back the hidden treasures, the hidden gifts—but it is worth it, as  it is that what gives us a sense of fulfillment, a sense of purpose  and reason for life. Otherwise life is but an empty vessel—hollow filled simply with echoes of what could be, may have been.—filled with empty dreams and desires. Sure—meditation, prayers are needed for the “Holy Spirit” to manifest, to guide one`s soul—they are the tools, vehicle for activating us into action from the “divine”-- to help us on our quest.

The so called “hero’s journey” is not about being enamored by the journey of spirituality, of being special, being different, being the chosen one of God—Neither is it a road where we leave the world behind and enter the forest of the unknown at the darkest point as we battle metaphorical demons in pursuit of inner treasures. But, we need to remember that that is only part of the process. The real challenge—and the most important part of the journey—begins when we bring what we have discovered back to the world—all that which one discovers , that is our mission. Bring forth all the undiscovered potential that we each posses and through its action make the world a better place. Integrate all this knowledge to the world—to life a fulfilled, meaningful life. Easy to get to the treasure, much more difficult to bring it forth.

Thus real ,authentic life is all about being involved, helping utilizing all the gifts that we were given in making the world a better place for all of creation—all that is living. It is through this process that we grow, unfold and move forward.