Our spiritual welfare

Even though we may have a spiritual teacher(s), our spiritual development depends on…us. It will be our motivation that will carry us all the way. This altruistic attitude will attract blessings, but it is our continual aspiration that does the work.

 We need an authentic teacher from an authentic lineage to instruct us, and show us how things actually are. This is pointing out the nature of mind and of all phenomena.

 We also need the support of a spiritual community…up to a point. I say this, as joining a group with a similar mindset does help both them and us, but there comes a time when we need to just practise on our own. The group can help with our momentum but, like a slingshot, we must let go and fly. Spirituality is no longer a lifestyle when we recognise, or get an inkling of our true nature, which is beyond this human form.

 The speed at which we evolve will depend on the sense of urgency we feel. Motivation and aspiration has much to do with previous practice in previous lives. It’s just a matter of remembering what we are about, and recognising the importance of this.

 When considering our spiritual welfare, we also start to recognise the importance of others’ spiritual welfare. Compassionate responsibility naturally arises when we understand the big picture: we recognise how and why others suffer. They may seem happy enough, but they are merely falling into a social patterning, in which they repeat the same things every day. This familiarity creates a sense of safety and security.

 When removed from a familiar situation, there is an experience of disorientated, and a wish to return to habitual sounds and gestures to make it familiar again – or we acquire another’s patterning. It’s like moving house and getting the ornaments up as soon as possible to look the way they did before….like everyone else 😉

 We have to be aware of this in ourselves, and when dealing with appearances, cut through our habits of repeating the same responses day after day. We are holding on to a fixed picture, when every day is different. A film comprises of separate frames, but we don’t notice that and only see a continuous stream of imagery. Observing a landscape, we see the light changing tones and colours constantly. Everything is in perpetual change if we but only noticed it.

 Our spiritual welfare is about relaxing relaxing relaxing, and merely observing – being aware. Gradually, we break free from these earthly, human distractions. Of course, we need to be decent human beings, but that isn’t our whole story.

 To protect our spiritual endeavours, we should watch the company we keep, until we can deal with any situation. We are easily infected – just watch the television and note how our emotions are manipulated! Actually, don’t watch the television! Its flicker, and the electro-magnet frequencies and drivel/propaganda has a damaging effect on the human body and mind, creating stress and addiction. It has no place in our spiritual life. That goes for most media: they only give us part of the picture anyway (although it is interesting to note trends).

 Anything that creates a subtle stress is against our spiritual welfare. Stress changes our vibration, raising tensions and inner winds in the channels of the subtle body, creating knots or restrictions, and so we forget ourselves. In fact, we often lose ourselves in the vacancy of busy-ness.

The secret of looking out for our spiritual welfare
is looking after others’ spiritual welfare.
Give what you think you lack…
…kindness.