Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Mind and Enlightenment
Some people try to reach enlightenment through reading and study alone. In yoga philosophy there is a branch called "jnana" yoga, suitable to these disciples. Yet though mental perception will do a great deal to build a strong foundation for later awakening, mind alone cannot take you there. At a certain point, after you have studied and considered, pondered and tested, you come up against a brick wall.
To get through the wall, you must allow the mind to dissolve completely. You must surrender all your attachments to concepts, notions, ideas. You must arrive naked at the source, and thus you must strip away all your mental armor, which now becomes a hindrance, not an aid, in your forward progress. As Bhagwan Shree Rashneesh said, "The mind must drop before enlightenment can occur."
Let us suppose that you have never heard a bird sing but you long to do so. You will not get your wish by reading books about birds, or cataloguing all the known species of fowl. Only if you set aside your books and go out into nature and sit still and listen will you hear the music you are seeking. But of course, to do this, you must go where the birds are--and you must have ears able to hear.
But even if you do give up mental seeking for Oneness, there is no guarantee that you will find it. For this, an act of grace is required. You can only wait and pray, prepare yourself in whatever way you can for the supreme moment, which may or may not come.
Therefore, it is best to continue on your path from wherever you are--incorporating not only text but practice, allowing sweet energies to flow when they come, encouraging your own psyche to unite with the beauty about you, and, above all, feeling and giving love to others who enter your life, even from a distance. Remember compassionate action. Find ways to better the world. Seek out fellow travelers who will encourage you on your journey. Learn from teachers but never fully surrender your power to external authority. Your "inner guru" will lead you to whatever level is best suited for you at this stage of your life.
(Image from google--girlscientist.blogspot.com)
