Above all: Be honest with yourself

Out of the many meanings the word “honesty” could have, “integrity” is the one that I refer to in this article. What is integrity? To be true to yourself, that is complete and undivided.

In a society where we are taught to comply and “fake it til you make it,” I feel it is important to observe this quality of honesty. I feel it is the most important quality a seeker could ever have.

In my time as a religious seeker, I was believing in things that I did not experience. Part of that comes from that fear to be left out of the ‘chosen’ crowd and another part is because of sheer compliance with the norms: If we belong to a particular faith, then we are expected to comply. It is the same with belonging to a political party, a team, even to a country. We will find that the level of influence the collective consciousness has into an individual is directly proportional to his lack of self observation.

In my Christian times or even Brahma Kumaris experience, I experienced that issue of lack of self honesty, integrity. It is understandable, for no one is expected to be by himself in a spiritual path and make some spiritual progress. We may need support from others, what is known in BK parlance as the ‘spiritual family.’

However; if ever by yourself, then it is a twofold path: It is a great opportunity to climb to new heights as long as you have the discipline and the openness to accept and learn from the tests that Life will throw at you; or it is the best opportunity as well, to fall little by little into darkness: To be the protagonist of the famous fable of the ‘boiling frog.’ We need a degree of keen awareness to be able to make it or you will burn away into a comfort zone of lethargy.

My sister “Raysha,” has a spiritual path of her own. She is into “cover yourself with a violet light and send a white light of blessings to the world,” Chakras, kundalini, mudras, dimensions, magic… etc. Get the point? That path works for her because she experiences those things and can “see” those things having an effect on her and she has unique spiritual gifts. Typically, she is the one chosen to work with Nature and ‘elementals’ as she can relate at a level that ‘normal’ people wouldn’t. When we see all the wonders of the world as magical, we are not far from what is. My friend Mathias once told me:”First was magic, then philosophers wanted to interpret and explain to others, finally came science where you had to rationally explain your findings.” Have you been in Disney’s “Magic Kingdom”? The kid fully enjoying it is not the one asking questions like: why? how? That ain’t real, right?” This life experience is like that “Magic Kingdom.” Where we are meant to enjoy this ride not to ask questions during it and miss the moment.

What good is to know theoretically something that you cannot experience? That is only information which could be good to participate in programs like “Jeopardy” or to get some on-line certification in “spiritual studies.” That is all.

My path on the other hand, is ‘Down to the Bone’ (like the musical group.) Observation, awareness, feelings, intuition, discipline. That is all, folks! No magical powers… Some may say “good intellect” as some BKs used to say, but that was the Avyakt7 from way before. Some of the intellectual, philosophical, sort of scientific writings that one used to write, are not part of my experience today. Sometimes I even attempt to read those and they do not resonate with me. Too much mind! However, that experience has been integrated in the one existing today. The Universe speaks to me through other means. For instance, I have signed up to receive free daily emails from “J. Krishnamurti online,” a daily quote. That is usually the first thing I read in the morning. I have been amazed at the synchronicity: It is usually what I need or what I need to decipher inside me. Krishnamurti was sharing his own experience but that has been made into an intellectual trip to nowhere by many intellectual people. Unless you had similar experiences leading you to understand beyond the limitations of words; you will not understand, no matter how smart or ‘educated’ you could be. We cannot explain what is water to someone who has never experienced it.

I experienced that being honest with myself meant that those things which are not part of my experience, are just that; not part of my experience although for many others it could be.

Therefore, as I understood that my mission was to have my two feet firmly planted on the physical realm, my spiritual dimension opened up as I was true to my mission. Nevertheless, I will not make the mistake of belittling other people’s experiences or spiritual/religious paths; for my sister’s path has helped me tremendously.

The Universe is immense and full of mysteries! There is too much information for a little human mind and everyone of us has its own strengths to help each other out in the common good. Therefore, my previous search for the “true path,” or the “true belief system,” or to know the “truth,” all of that is out of my system; although at one point in my spiritual career, those items were very important for me.

Someone “spiritual” one day told me: “As it is inside, it is outside.” I thought that to be a lie. But, I used to repeat it and sound “spiritual” with others because that phrase was ‘in’ the spiritual repertoire. I thought that I needed to “practice those skills” and whenever I experienced a gray day in my life, I only had to say to others that it was beautiful! I am sure, many seekers have gone through the same experience. ‘Fake til you make it’ does not achieve any influence in the realm of BEING, which is the one which truly matters.

Now, I could experience that as you ARE, that is how your vision IS and while some may perceive problems and obstacles, others may see those as challenges, opportunities to conquer. Different perceptions, none of them right or wrong. Nevertheless, without those problems or challenges there could not be a possibility to blossom in the spiritual realm, no matter how great our information or experience is on chakras, karma, dharma, spiritual dimensions, ascended masters, etc.

Spirituality is not an intellectual endeavor (although it may start there.) It is completely experiential and every experience is different for different individuals, thereby; we may need to be honest with ourselves and acknowledge our own experiences only as another route to “get there,” which is different from someone else. It is in understanding this, how openness to diversity and variety could take us to experience Life in a different dimension, which will have a positive effect in our BEING.