Day Twenty: Steady Resolve

Paramahansa Yogananda advised devotees on the path of Self- and God-realization to have devotion for God (intention to realize the truth) like a wood fire that burns long and slow and not like a straw fire that blazes bright with intensity but quickly burns out. Steady resolve to realize the truth is supported by our focused intent, even-mindedness, and disciplined lifestyle.

Spiritual awakening is the unfolding of the innate knowledge of our essential nature as pure existence-being and the actualization of divine capacities that occurs over a period of time as the mental field is purified and erroneous beliefs are dispelled. Prior to understanding how spiritual realization unfolds from within it is not uncommon for people to assume that spiritual knowledge is something to be acquired. This mistaken belief that enlightenment is something to be gained through external means is the basis for the “straw fires” of excitement that arise in the wake of discovering some new method, workshop, book, or teacher who appears on the scene. While what is shared may be a valid, it is important to know two things:  (1) that truth will never be “new” since spiritual truth concerns itself with that which is eternal and unchanging and (2) in order for realization to occur, what is heard must be directly experienced. We must put in to practice what we are taught and verify the teachings in our own experience.

Once the pathway of spiritual awakening is intellectually discerned, then every person must set about arranging conditions so that deeper knowledge, or realization through direct experience, can unfold from within. Since we already are that single divine reality which we seek to know, this is the only way. Once we see that, it becomes obvious that running after one new system or another will only prove a distraction to our goal. For attainment of the goal of Self- and God-realization, a clear, focused intent to know the truth is necessary. The story of the Buddha’s enlightenment is instructional in this regard. He made a vow to remain unmoving until his awareness was completely clarified and full realization of his true nature was revealed. This example of firm resolve is supportive of breakthroughs in meditation and it points to the necessity of having a clear intent for spiritual practice.

Think About It: The clarity, focus, and stress-reduction benefits of meditation and other spiritual practices enhance all areas of life—our relationships, creativity, and work. A paper on the role of meditation and other spiritual practices in American life and work reported that “In the corporate sector, businesses were initially attracted to the idea of meditation in the workplace as a way to increase productivity and efficiency. One of the earliest companies to try out meditation was the Montgomery Company, a Detroit-based chemical manufacturing firm. R.W. Montgomery introduced Transcendental Meditation for stress management throughout the company in 1983. Within three years, 52 of the 70 workers were meditating for 20 minutes before they came to work and 20 minutes in the afternoon, on company time. According to Montgomery, absenteeism fell by 85%, injuries declined by 70% and productivity rose 120% during that period of time (Stevens 1996).”   http://www.contemplativemind.org/

Be Inspired: The follower of this path has one thought, and this is the end of his determination. But many branched and endless are the thoughts of the man who lacks determination. –Bhagavad Gita 2. 41