Spirituality

Wisdom Teachings
The Basics

The creation is an admixture of descending and ascending intelligences and species. In the process of involution, spirit becomes matter, and in the process of evolution, matter becomes spirit. All beings are spiritual in their original substance; they emerge as units from the ocean of the spirit, just as waves rise from the ocean. As souls, we have emerged from wholeness; we are therefore naturally spiritual and connected to the spirit. But when dense matter prevails in us, the mind is more oriented towards the material. So we forget the spirit and lose ourselves in the material world. Many people even deny the spiritual existence and declare that only the material existence is real.

Our consciousness is composed of spirit and matter. Therefore, there is, strictly speaking, no spiritual consciousness, for consciousness only emerges when matter and spirit permeate each other: consciousness is the child whose father is the spirit and whose mother is matter. Consciousness means a state in which there are two: the observer and the object of observation. In the state of pure spirit there is no observer to observe, and nothing can be realised or comprehended. Only what comes out of the spirit can experience the spirit.

A spiritual experience does not belong to the spirit but to the consciousness. What we call spiritual consciousness is the awareness of the soul, of the self. With a true spiritual perception, we recognize the truth that there is one spirit working in many ways through many bodies. When the spiritual perception is complete, we will not identify with our name, gender, our form, nation, etc., but only with the spirit, with THAT. As I AM, we are an inseparable part of the all-pervading spirit.

With the descent of the soul into matter, nature built nine layers around the soul. There are five layers of matter, three layers of force, and one layer is of pure consciousness. The spirit is the tenth one; the spiritual awareness is the ninth state around which there are the forces of the spiritual triad - divine will, love and intelligent activity. Our goal is to reach the ninth and the tenth state and not to get distracted by the forces that surround them. The five lower layers contain the lower psychic powers; the four higher layers contain the higher psychic powers. All psychic powers are related to nature; they may unfold as by-products on the path but are not a sign of a realized soul. We should not think that anyone who is clairvoyant or has other powers is spiritual or even a realized soul. All forces are at the disposal of a realized soul; but he does not use them. He does not meddle into the psyche of someone else but relates from soul to soul. If one clings to faculties the path will be lost. A spiritual aspirant should focus on the centre, not on the surrounding circles.

We should constantly remember our identity with the spirit. Through inner alignment, we can maintain this spiritual awareness throughout the day. Otherwise, we are thrown out by the thoughts. Sometimes in our spiritual practice, we are also hectic, and sometimes we are completely out of our practices. Often we also get lost in external things. There are situations in life that appear important to us, and in attending to them, we lose our rhythm. We have set the rhythm for ourselves; nobody has imposed it. Whenever another program comes, we should check if it disturbs our rhythm. If a duty is waiting for us which seems to prevent us from the so-called spiritual work, we better attend to the duty and let the other thing wait. In truth, there is no such thing as a non-spiritual work. Prayers can help keep the spiritual focus and to keep calm. Without prayer, we can easily lose our vision and power.

The effort of constant orientation to the spirit is spiritual aspiration. All meditations are given for this. However, spirituality is not something that is practiced for half an hour or an hour in the meditation room, but is practised in all events of daily life. The obstacles exist in our mind and not outside. What exists outside are persons and things. Obstacles exist as our opinions, our feeling of obligations to others, and our misunderstandings. When these things are removed from our mind, there are no obstacles left. As we begin to regularly align ourselves, uttering OM and listening to it, the obstacles will gradually be removed and things will be rearranged in our lives.

To be spiritual means to be normal and to have both feet on the ground. Some practise spirituality in an unbalanced way and lose the ground under their feet. There are many impractical persons who are more in the “heaven” than on the earth because of their over-emphasis on the subtle realms. Many also want to give up their profession to devote themselves entirely to spirituality. They think that they are spiritual when they turn spirituality into a profession. However, spirituality is not a profession, but a way of life in which every act is filled with spirituality.

With spiritual organizations there is also a lot of activity around the inner; we can participate without being involved in it. Spirituality is often a business today. There are world conferences on spirituality where all spiritual gurus come together onto one platform - but why? This is not motivated by a love for humanity and their needs but by spiritual selfishness and a desire to influence and a desire for recognition.

Many have their own imaginations about spirituality. They think that things of everyday life are not spiritual, and they neglect responsibilities and family commitments. With their crazy feelings, they even think that they are somewhere on high cosmic levels. We cannot leave life and live on others like vampires. Many spiritual leaders are also a load on others. A true spiritual man bears his burden himself and does not shed it on others. He is not a crazy dreamer, but a practical and efficient worker. Master Djwhal Khul says, “My disciples are equally effective in the mundane as well as in the super-mundane world.”

If you have ability, you can easily turn your skills from one direction to the other. Being practical and competent also means not to fly into speculative spirituality and confuse others with spiritual concepts. We should keep our spiritual understanding in the background and speak with others as simply as possible and in their own language. Also, in terms of spiritual work, there is no influencing, only informing. There is no need for external marketing, there is only inner growth. All inner growth happens through an inner urge, not through outer bombardment.

A true spiritual aspirant feels in himself a deep need for the spirit via the soul; all his other life activities are therefore of subordinate importance to him. He moderately attends to the domestic, social and professional demands, but his pursuit is to achieve THAT. Most aspirants have a lukewarm approach to the path and apply the power of their will inadequately. Often a student experiences a big disorder in his life after beginning a spiritual practice. Unexpected obstacles may emerge, triggering doubt and hesitation. He should not try to avoid, but should face the inequalities of his past karma.

A true spiritual aspirant is a fighter whose battlefield is within his own personality. He has to fight many internal battles and sacrifice his undesirable traits. We may come into situations where we have to sacrifice parts of our personal lives for the spiritual work. In the early stages, personal life does not allow us to step in this direction. Only permanence will enable us to carry out such a work of goodwill.

The spiritual practice belongs to the soul and it continues through series of births and deaths. Each incarnation carries with it the programme of the soul as also the programme of the personality. Personality’s programme commences and concludes in each incarnation, to recommence in the next birth on the basis of the individual karma. As long as the karma conditioning continues, every death washes off one's memories. Soul’s programme too continues through spiritual practices during the series of births and deaths as seed tendencies. There is a hidden continuity of work as part of one's consciousness.

The spiritual part of us has one codename through all incarnations through which we are known and are identified. The name of our personality part keeps changing from incarnation to incarnation. Linking up these two layers of consciousness enables us to realize our original identity and our purpose in life. Thus, we become a bridge between the divine and the material worlds and messengers of God upon Earth.

Sources used: K.P. Kumar: The Aquarian Master. Notes from seminars. Dr. E. Krishnamacharya: Overseas Messages. The World Teacher Trust - Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India