intro – The Meaning of Spirituality

Spirituality is:

The quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul,

or

what could be considered our True Nature

as discovered through an in-depth practice of “Self-Realization”

as opposed to the desire, clinging and attachment to material or physical things.

Thus

a Spiritual practice will lead to our True Nature of Happiness

that is not effected by materialist things,

as those things can only offer a happiness that is just

a short phase between two phases of UN-happiness.

A Spiritual Path has nothing to do with religion…

Often,

Spirituality and seeking the Ultimate Truths

that all the classic philosophers and mystics have contemplated over millennia

could not be further away and the opposite of

all religions that are made up by man from their wildest imaginations…

typically for the intensions of controlling the masses

in a time when the power of ‘church and state’

was used as a formable weapon.  

All the distracting dogmas and doctrines do not serve the inspired aspirant of whom

seeks a Path to experience the Higher States of Human Consciousness here & now

to find the answers to life’s most compelling questions for themselves

and not to rely on taking someone else’s word for it

that it will be answered sometime after this life in a man made up imaginary place.

But yet,

Even those that currently still identify with a religion

can embark on their own personal Spiritual Path

which will not only liberate them from the unnecessary frustrations of

pain and suffering that life inherently throws our way

and we mistakenly identify with.

Simply with an open mind, the right effort

and the volition to seek the Ultimate indivisible Truths

of our Real Being…

to get know our Real Self

and not the one we’ve allowed ourselves to be misled into believing was…

”Us”.

Most folks mis-believe themselves to be their egos

and the ‘story’ of who they think they are.

This Path of Liberation is complete when

we simply find our Selves.

Our True Self.

This is called Self Realization. 

Most people mistake their selves to be their

bodies, mind, thoughts, egos, emotions, likes & dislikes, memories

and other characteristics they identify with… In other words…

just the story of who we think we are… presented as a tidy label.

But everyone at some point will come around to agree that…

The body dies. :-O

And along with it,

all of those objects, adjectives, and labels that describe who we think we are…

die with it.

So,

even if you consider yourself to be a ‘religious’ person,

If you pursue this path of Self contemplation…

Along the line you will also consequently feel like you’ve discovered “God”.

You will discover for a brief moment that you feel like ‘you’ are “God”…

Then quickly see that there is no ‘you’ as you thought…

And thus,

There is no object that can be labeled a “you” or “God”. 

Life becomes tranquil, peaceful, and calm…

Happiness, Joy, and compassion of your True Nature

flows with an unperturbable equanimity

that allows all of life’s stories and challenges

to simple not effect your well-being.

The Spiritual Path integrates three main aspects to be learned

and put into a daily Practice.

Morality – Concentration – Insights.

Morality – Works with the ‘conventional mind’,

things we can read, study and put into a daily practice.

Knowing that being unloving, cheating, untrustworthy, lazy, willfully ignorant, and

all the negative aspects the unevolved ego

will temp us with, these unmoral behaviors

will also distract us with guilt, remorse, aggravation, grief

and countless other distractions from achieving the “Right Concentration”

in meditation and life in general

which is essential for all of the three ‘pillars of practice’.

Also included are studies of psychology that will instill

a balanced psychological outlook on life,

which will help us avoid self-defeating ways to look at life.

And,

A well-rounded philosophic perspective of life, our life, the meaning of life, and what all this

‘timeless wonder of it all’… is all about.

~

The next pillar of practice is:

Concentration – this is basically meditation.

In order to get to the ‘Fruition’ of the next phase of “Insights”,

one must train the mind to be able to focus on an ‘object of meditation’

to the exclusion of all other distracting background phenomena.

This series of articles will outline the perfect way for beginners and even those

who need a wee bit of a refresher on initial basics of meditation.

Often,

Even with aspirants that are nearing the deep end of their Practice…

Will have some gaps in their training instructions.

In concentration meditation, one chooses an ‘object of meditation’…

Typically the breath.

In the next phase –

Insights…

The object of meditation is… “object-less”.

In a way it’s a form of ‘formless’ meditation.

Once you’ve achieved a certain ‘glowing feeling’ achieved by

focusing on one’s chi, prana, life force…

through whatever meditation practice you choose like

Kriya Yoga and or Kundalini…

This ‘after glow’ called Parvastha in Sanskrit becomes the object of meditation.

Deeper along in the practice,

it will be revealed that this so called ‘after glow’…

Is really part of our Natural State… Rigpa in Dzogchen…

I call it the…”Always Glow”, as it is always there,

it’s just veiled by the distractions of life we allow to keep us …

distracted from our True Nature.

It has a peaceful easy feeling.

When our meditation gets to this level,

we touch the Spiritual essence of our True Nature.

The nature that was never born, will never die,

is not effected by the challenges of earthly materialistic things…

It feels like a relief.

This relief blends in with a Joy, feels like Love…

As the practice of Insights matures…

‘We’ become absorbed into a natural flow of well-being

in which a solid ground of Equanimity prevails.

‘We’ become impervious to mental and physical distractions.

There is a flow that takes over and the practice becomes effortless.

It’s called

the effortless effort, the practice-less practice…

In the Insight meditations, during these higher states of consciousness

‘We’ become less & less aware of the feeling of a ‘self’ that is in charge…

The ‘self’ that we’ve been mistaking for who ‘we’ thing we are.

If feels like the body has become somewhat…

disengaged from our awareness.

There is no thinking going on, not even the thought that there is no thought.

In fact,

the ‘Insights’ do not even arise consciously during this type of deep meditation…

Those insights must be contemplated later on after this meditation is done.

Those special Insights can manifest through the conventional minds

as thoughts, or unconsciously arise during our daily life or even in dreams.

Once one has achieved the first level of these Insights states, called Jhana…

All one has to do allow them to arise and mature.

Over time…

They will deepen.

Ultimately, they will result in the ultimate Fruition of a Spiritual practice…

Liberation.

Once this is achieved,

there is no sliding back into ignorance and the pain and suffering

of that ignorance of our True Self.

This series of articles highlight and focus on the first 3 stages

of the 10 stage process towards the Ultimate goal of Awakening.

I have come to regard these first three stages as outlined by

Neuro Scientist John Yates… AKA Culadasa

to be the most useful way to learn how to meditate

for Ultimate goal of meditation.

With his neuro science along with his psychology background and lifelong Buddhist Practice,

he has the unique qualifications to bring together the complete Spiritual Path together

in the most thorough way.

This subject has many different traditions and perspectives that for the most part

evolved separately in various locations around the world, and yet,

they all point toward the very same outcome…

Attaining the highest form of human consciousness possible, with names such as…

Enlightened, Awakening, Self-Realized… that all offer the Ultimate goal and Fruition of…

Liberation of pain and suffering.

Beyond these first 3 stages is beyond the scope of what I can effectively share,

but for those so inspired… This book is a must read:

The Mind Illuminated:

A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science

for Greater Mindfulness

by – John Yates; Matthew Immergut; Jeremy Graves

So, Pull up a meditation cushion and let’s get started.

Here’s the most profound way to learn …

https://mauimarryingman.com/category/2-1-a-very-in-depth-course-on-beginning-a-meditation-practice/