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1.4.8 spirituality in practice

Human beings come into this world for the purpose of expressing their innate Dharma. Human life is a search for that which is essential, for the divinity that lay quiescent within. So a human being may not know that they are destined for greatness. They may in the course of their life become immersed in the physical and mental world living out their joy and suffering in this sphere. They may come to think that this is the only existence open to them. They may believe that the life they are leading is the only possible avenue, that they are caught in the pain and suffering of a particular circumstance. So when a person feels like this, they become disenchanted with spiritual life, it seems far away and inaccessible. The woes and tribulations of their existence are overpowering. The need they feel is dominating. To secure happiness in the physical realm or in some outer situation becomes foremost. Little thought is given to the happiness which arises from internal contemplation of the Supreme as the outer circumstances are demanding all attention. A person in this position may find that life has come to a very unhappy juncture.

Now, what to do? The thought of Parama Parusha is far from the mind and problems of daily life have consumed all vital force. Should such a person be advised to meditate? They cannot. They are distraught within and there is no mental peace. Their need is too great and their unhappiness in their circumstance dominates their mind. Now such a person cannot meditate, life has become too engrossing. But there is something they can do. They can think "What is this pain I am experiencing and what is this need?". They may reflect upon the situation and in so doing separate themselves from the immediacies of the experience. Thus they are no longer a helpless victim of circumstances in which they are dominated by external pressures of physical and psychic needs. They may reflect and in that reflecting the cognitive faculty begins to be activated, the awareness itself begins to slowly emerge out of the complete absorption in physical and psychic difficulty or involvement. So the person analyzing their situation, identifying the feelings and thoughts which they are possessing or expressing, is in fact expanding the degree of conscious awareness which they possess. This is a first step towards the development of cognitive awareness of Self.

Now, the second step is to then identify that entity which is analyzing the situation, so that the person may think "not only do I have these problems, these needs, but I am aware that I am not the needs or the actor who responds to circumstance. I am the one who knows that these needs exist, who experiences the pain and suffering and the joy of fulfillment. I am the one who experiences this life of mine." Thus through self reflection this individual may extricate themselves from merger in the pleasure and pain of outer circumstance and gain greater and greater degrees of self awareness. When the thought is that "I am, the experiencing entity," there is now freedom, for the outer life no longer binds so tightly the consciousness of the individual. Then as self reflection continues, the person may think "I am not the experiencing entity, I am not the one who is experiencing, but the one who is witnessing the experience. I am the known of my experience". The knower becomes the experience and not the weal and woe of ones' existence.

Joy and suffering are alike. They absorb the mind in outer experience. When the mind becomes merged in outer experience, when self reflection is lost, the degree of cognitive awareness becomes diminished and the person thus merged with their experience becomes helplessly tossed about by the ups and downs of outer circumstance. When self reflection is utilized, this process diminishes and cognition grows. The knower of an experience may choose how to respond, what to do or not to do. They are not so tightly bound by the chords of worldly involvement. So even when meditation cannot be done, this self reflection may ever be accomplished, even when the mind is turbulent. Self reflection may be practiced until a sufficient repose is reached for contemplation upon the sublime. The sublime is none other than the very Self of your self. The one who is the knower of the weal and woe of experience, of the passion of life, may also become the knower of the Self. So you see, now this same person may extricate themselves from daily burdens and make a choice to know the knower of life and contemplating who is it that is knowing, learn the meaning of eternal blessedness. So if the burdens of life have overcome the mind and meditation seems very difficult, practice first this self awareness and then the contemplation of the infinite . It will help you, I think.