Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Reality and the Spiritual Path By Scott Shaw


By Scott Shaw

         Just as in the concept of enlightenment, many people believe that by walking the Spiritual Path they will somehow be removed from the trials and the tribulations of life. Certainly, with a spiritual mindset, most will possess a better set of tools to deal with reality than the average person who fights their way through life dominate only be desire and the fulfillment of those momentary desires.
         This being stated, the reality of life is, you will encounter obstacles, even if your feet are firmly planted on the Spiritual Path. This is the reality of life.
         Some people choose to believe that when they encounter some form of reality, that they are not particularly happy with, they are being tested. But, this is just mental nonsense—justification for the reality of reality.
         Why would anybody be testing you?
         The simply fact of the matter is, life is life. There are so many people doing so many things—all based in their won desires, that is factually inevitable that you will encountered someone or something that will cross your path and challenge your peace.
         I often detail evens that have taken place in my own life to illustrate this fact. The fact, that we all encounter Life-Things that we do not like. No one is immune.
         And, the more you are out there in life, the stronger the chance of these events occurring we be. This is why some of those walking on the Spiritual Path choose to retreat to monasteries and live a life sheltered from the world. For within those walls, the chances of being forced to deal with the reality of reality are far less possible.
         Personally, I too have spent time in a monastery, locked deeply within the walls of a religious group. One of the first things that shocked me was that I quickly came to realize that there were personality conflicts within these groups, as well.
At the time I came to realize this, I was sixteen years old and full of all of the youthful exuberance of someone newly walking the Spiritual Path. Though it shocked me at the time, it also caused me to realize that this is the reality of life and particularly life on the Spiritual Path. No matter how much you attempt to run and hide to be spiritual, the reality of life, ego, desire, and the definitions of humanity will come to find you.
It is important to understand that this is not bad or good. It is simply life. And, in life we are all destine to deal with Life-Stuff. So, running and/or hiding is never the answer. Sure, it can be nice to get a break from the daily grind. But, it will never free you from the Human Condition.
This being said, the ultimate truth is that all you can do is live your life as spiritually and as consciously as possible. When Life-Stuff comes at you, do what you can do to keep your focus on the spirituality—keep your gaze focused on enlightenment and try to gain new realization while learning from the experience(s). Perhaps you will learn a method to keep you from dealing with that same type of experience ever again.
The reality of life on the Spiritual Path is that we all must realize that we are no different, certainly no better than anyone else. All we are is someone who embraces the seeking of higher consciousness and attempts to make sense of the actions that take place in this place we call, “Life.”
So, when something comes that you don’t like… …And, it will come. Stay conscious, step back from the emotions that surround it, (especially if they are negative emotions), and embrace the essence of who you are—a spiritual being.

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