Work, karmic accounts and “spirituality.”

As a person going through the process of self-realization settles karmic accounts, huge changes will happen in his Life. Relationships will change, health will change as the body will need some time to adapt due to circumstances and emotions which are totally unforeseen. Even work will change. It is important to emphasize that

“I cannot settle karmic accounts by believing that I am doing so, or by avoiding situations or people.”

The settlement happens when it is time for that. We cannot run away or avoid when the time has arrived.

The perceived economical security that a job in our society brings, is one of the many illusions that we may hang onto. Nevertheless, as mentioned many times; all of these changes will happen naturally, at its own time. This is not something that will happen because “I want to follow so and so who is a saint.” That is artificial.
When a person is going through the process of self-realization, this individual will need plenty of free time to be alone, for all the inner transformations to take place. All of these will be offered in Life through circumstances. This is not the seclusion that some religions offer to their followers. That is artificial, nevertheless; it has some benefit for followers.

Through different channels, unforeseen circumstances, things will happen. Life will provide. The ability to think and “plan for the future” is truly an obstacle to perceive things from different perspectives. Of course, the above is not taught in our society. In our society it is important to plan and use reasoning to come up with some futuristic, idealistic plan where I will be “secure” as well as “my loved ones.”

All of these combined changes truly bring a new person throughout the process of catharsis. That is why it has been traditional, to change names. Religious followers will copy that; although there has never been a change to a “new” person. It is all for the sake of “fashion.”

Brahma Baba (Dada Lekhraj) did not have any ties with “regular work” at one point in his Life. It is said that he donated his money and put some individuals in trust, to help run the space that he was providing for those seekers who later became an organized religion, the Brahma Kumaris.
Someone who is providing some sort of “spiritual support” through his inner transformation, is not fit to play the game of “having a job” or “administer funds.” This has been a problem in many religions as those appointed to administer things are conditioned to run a “for profit” institution. The “spiritual” purpose is forgotten and the aim is to spread whatever teachings for the sake of gaining followers, for that means; greater institutional profits.

Our society has its ways and a person going through the process of self-realization does not fit that anymore.
Observe a person running a “spiritual center” sponsored by a religion or institution. Sooner or later, the interest of the organization (to exist, expand and flourish) will overtake personal time needed for inner development. Granted, not every person running a center is fit for self-realization, thus; consider the type of “spiritual support” that this person is providing. This is an issue that every organized religion has to deal with. “Good administrators” does not translate into good providers of “spiritual support” for seekers.

Nevertheless, any religion is an optimal starting point for a seeker. A particular seeker will be attracted to a particular path, according to his destiny. However, that religion is not necessarily the end point of the journey, as everyone needs to be exposed to different experiences to trigger inner changes. Life offers those experiences, not people with thought out plans or “methods.”

The experiences offered by Life are unexpected, for otherwise; those experiences are artificial. Nothing artificial could bring true change, but only a shortly sensation that “I am changing.”
Life is the true religion, but we may need to experience fully a religion to truly understand that. Those who are in the religion of Life, will need to experience complete insecurity, that is when the limited supports brought by our society, fall apart. Few are fit for that.

A child could play safely in the playground of a religion. But that is a preparation to open the gates and meet Life. Nevertheless, most believe that Life is society. To be able to go beyond the conditioned playground of society and all its fictional securities; is the next step to experience.
Those who are trapped in society will need to go to a different playground; a religion perhaps, to experience something different. Those who are AWARE of the different playgrounds may learn something useful for their own edification.

Finally, these things need to be experienced as Life brings the experiences. These things are not meant to be intellectually understood.

Greed for God and Self-realization

What is the meaning of desiring to be with “God”? What is the “reason”?
Salvation? From what? A “high status” in the Golden age? If everyone is happy there, what is the need of a “high status”? Do you desire a “plus,” an “elite” treatment? To be recognized as a king or queen now?
All of those things only show our greedy nature. I want that because it enhances ME. Nothing wrong with that, but only look at it, observe it.
Look at the childish motives and the neediness to be “safe” in the afterlife. All “you” want is some gain for “yourself.” Just like the “normal” behavior in society.
Label that greed as love for “god” and then it will be respectable. All is “good”!

Have you seen a “respectable seeker” wanting to obtain “self-realization” in this lifetime?
Pretty much, these naïve individuals believe that self-realization is like getting a masters’ degree or a Ph.D. They are only looking for the guru offering the “fully accredited” method to get there.
Why do you want to be “self-realized”?  To get a “high status” now. To become something “better” so we believe that all of our problems will get behind.

It is laughable when some seeker, throws the “I want to be self-realized” without knowing what that entails.
All our karmic accounts will be settled. From this Life and past lives. That is not an easy scenario. For some you will be the “bad” guy and for others, the “good” one. No one will know if you are really “self-realized” as everyone has an idea, a concept an opinion of what that is, although they don’t know. Those who like you, or who had some utility with your company, aka “experiences”; could make you into an idol to worship. Others, could crucify you in a heart beat.

Whatever value you think you have or that you deserve, will be gone. Whatever safety our society offers, will not be applicable for you. Do you want to be a “successful” CEO and self-realized? That will not happen. What about a powerful politician and self-realized? That is a good joke. One of the best descriptions I have read of what is like while going through the process is explained in the Tao Te Ching Chapter 20. (Note there are 3 different translations, so we get the idea and not a literal meaning, which is deceitful.)

“Self-realization” does not happen out of “my effort” or my greed to BECOME something. That is childish. It happens only when it is our time and that is out of our hands to decide. 

Once someone realizes about their own greed for “spiritual” things, the next question goes like this:
How do I get rid of my greed, attachment, ego, etc? 
That question only shows lack of observation of the self. Greed for obtaining self-realization, is not a thing that we can take away by following steps or methods. This is not something that we could get rid off by following some method like “having yoga with Baba for 30 minutes thrice a day for 3 weeks.”

Simply put: What we ARE we OBSERVE to become AWARE of it. As our awareness increases, then changes will appear. We do not OBSERVE to BECOME “better.” We OBSERVE to acknowledge who we ARE, to enjoy who we ARE.
Seekers want to change things that they do not believe should be in their personality, to become “pure,” a “saint,” “god chosen ,” etc. 

All they have are mental concepts of what the “right” thing should be. That ideal is not real. Is not who they ARE, thus repression and dishonesty will occur.

OBSERVE, become AWARE and let CHANGE happen. What “happens” is a step forward in your own evolution, whether you like it or not. Some may need to go down before going up. Some will go up as they already went down. Every journey is different.
Learn to appreciate your own role in this Life. Become AWARE of it. Put aside all of those ideas and concepts to reach somewhere “higher.” Appreciate who you ARE. That may be the best thing to DO.

Those who leave a path to come back again…

This post answers the question here.
Someone follows a religious path, and then leaves that path after a few years to come back again after a couple of years. Is it OK to switch paths?
Sure. It is OK. You could leave and come back as many times as you want to.
The gist of the matter is to ask yourself what is what you are looking for? A religious path such as the Brahma Kumaris; offers a “barrier” which will force us to overcome not through force but through acceptance. A religious path is asking us to go beyond our comfort level. If we decide to quit, we will not be able to experience that “barrier” and take full advantage of the path.

When you are living in a country, you could be a resident or a tourist. There is a huge difference. We will be like tourists moving from path to path, rather than fully experiencing a country by staying and living in it. When do you leave that path? Ask yourself: Why would you leave the country where you were born? We can find many “reasons” but if you feel with your gut that it is time, then it is.

In your long question, you implied that you just wanted to “feel better” as things in your Life were not going according to your wishes. You are looking for something or someone to take you out of your suffering. That is all.
Life is as it IS. We perceive Life as we are conditioned. Our perception tends to make things worse when Life does not fit our conditionings.

There is suffering everywhere. Your suffering may be terrible, but so is your neighbor.
Despite your “knowledge” of “karma” and the Brahma Kumaris’ philosophy; you believe that your suffering is too much. You think that you cannot take your lot.
What are you looking for by following a religious path? What makes you leave it?
Why do you go back to it? See that. You just want a fix but like a desperate person drowning in the Ocean; you may be incapable of relaxing and floating, but keep moving your hands forcefully; wanting to save yourself.

Have you watched a fly trying to escape through a window in a room?
The fly is not capable of remembering how it got there. It cannot go back by following its footsteps. The fly will hit the window and fly a bit over it, hit it again and so on. If the fly gets lucky and the window has an opening, the fly will be free; otherwise, it will die in its fruitless attempts.
The same is with a religious path. It offers that “barrier,” that window. We keep on hitting it trying to go through, believing that our “salvation” is through them.

The fly will only stop its futility through exhaustion. Just like the religious follower. Why are we incapable of “seeing” the way out?

To have an “interest in self-realization” means very little. There is no self-realization because we want to, or because a path promises so. Self-realization happens when it is our time. Not a second before. No matter what we DO or what we FOLLOW or WHO we follow in Life.
Thus, the question is: If it is not my time to self-realize, what do I DO to “help me”?

ENJOY YOUR LIFE. Learn to enjoy it.
Many times we do what we want to DO and yet complain when things do not occur as we want. We suffer. We want something more, something else, something “better,” and we keep on trying many things hoping that one should “work.”
Once you fully accept your lot, you will be able to start enjoying, even if that means to hit the window to find your way out.
This acceptance is not intellectual. It is not a clever way to escape from suffering. This acceptance is from the heart, and many times we may need to hit that window and feel the pain, just to realize that it is time to change “my way.”

Life will give us experiences so they can be experienced, not rejected or despised. Acceptance comes in, little by little.
Nothing lasts forever, but yet our mind makes us believe the opposite. That is what we need to be aware of.
You are awake, alive. Conscious of BEING. Look at all the ways we reject that gift. Look at how the mind comes up with “reasons,” comparisons for unfulfilled needs and wants.
BEING does not depend on “you.” Let it BE. Allow for the experiences in Life to change “you.”

The importance of Celibacy

Celibacy is a natural consequence of feeling fulfilled in Life. Whenever there is that inner fulfillment, the mind will not go someplace to look for fulfillment.
When someone had a good meal, that person will not feel hungry. Similarly in Life, as we experience and live, the former “needs” will diminish. What we found to be important at one point in our lives, will cease to be at a later time.

Any religious follower who claims to practice celibacy should ask himself:
Do my mind bring sexual desires within me? Do I still feel attraction for someone? Do I unconsciously bring sexuality into my dreams?
If the answer is yes, then that follower is only repressing to comply with the ideal of celibacy.
If we are fully aware of this, then perhaps we will need to OBSERVE the need, acknowledge it and decide for how long I will be living with a repression, knowing that sooner or later, in this Life or the next ones, there will be a consequence to deal with.
The Golden age is not for repressed individuals. I can guarantee that.

Celibacy cannot be “attained” by the use of will power. It will only be repression.

Why is it that pornography or romantic novels is seeked out by many individuals? Because the mind can fantasize with something that it is not part of his experience. In a few words, that which I don’t have, I want and denying that I want that, only increases my repression and my desire to have it. Have we observed that? The opportunities that Life will bring to observe that repression will be plentiful. Nevertheless, a seeker may avoid those scenarios and live a repressed Life for fear of “failing.” That seeker will not be AWARE of that repression.

Why is it that men and women need to be separated in a “spiritual gathering”? Obviously, to try to avoid a collision of attraction between repressed individuals. Physically may be possible, but mentally cannot happen.
I am not saying that this code of conduct is “bad” or “good.” That doesn’t matter. What matters is to OBSERVE if there is repression. That is all.

Sexuality is not the same for everyone. Not everyone is ready for a fulfilled Life through sexuality. Therefore, when dealing with the masses, it is important to make a “yes” or “no” statement, “good or bad” to simplify things, to make it “safe.”

Celibacy is a process. It is not a compulsion. It doesn’t happen because I want it or because I am too old or too sick. If the mind keeps fantasizing and desiring, there is no celibacy at all.

If I “practice” celibacy, it will only be repression.

Knowing that I am repressing, I could accept that and deal with the consequences; but if I am not AWARE of it, then I am wasting the opportunity to learn from my own experiences.

Celibacy is the completion of a fulfilled Life. Sexuality is the means to that completion for those who are ready. For those who are not, sexuality is a mirror. It will only show who they ARE.