Brian D. Stephens's Blog, page 4

The Importance of a Spiritually Advanced Teacher

It is of upmost importance that you chose the right spiritual teacher. The right teacher can remove obstacles and teach you how to align with the deeper reality. The wrong teacher can delay your spiritual progress. Unfortunately, may people choose poorly and fail to reach their spiritual potential.

Dissolving the Ego

The ego, formed by your accumulated karma, is the impediment to perceiving the divine and attaining liberation. The ego creates the illusion that you exist only within the confines of the physical body. And it keeps you distracted from the deeper reality through incessant thinking.

In our countless prior incarnations we each accumulate vast amounts of karma. Only after we begin the spiritual journey does our karma gradually dissolve, allowing us to progress to higher spiritual states.

In his books God Speaks, Discourses, and Infinite Intelligence Meher Baba describes the soul’s journey through creation. Once a person begins the spiritual journey he progresses along seven spiritual levels. The first four levels are referred to as the lower planes. The fifth and sixth are the advanced spiritual planes. And once a yogi reaches to the seventh spiritual level the illusion of separateness falls away, and they attain liberation.

The Two Types of Spiritual Teachers

There are two basic types of spiritual teachers—those that are enlightened and those that are not. An awakened soul is one with the infinite. They no longer have karma to impede the divine light as it passes through their form and into creation. And anyone who comes into contact with such an enlightened being is exposed to this pristine divine light.

The unenlightened person who plays the role of a spiritual teacher is still burdened by an ego. And they are still trapped in the illusion of separateness.

Learning Through the Energetic Body

The spiritual journey takes place beyond the limitations of the ego-controlled mind. You learn to perceive the divine by coming into contact with those who are already able to do so. The learning takes place more through the energetic body than it does through the mind.

When your attention is placed on a teacher who is not spiritually advanced, then you do not come into contact with the divine light. And you miss what is most important in making true spiritual progress.

An advanced yogi can consciously attune to the divine. And then while in their presence you can learn to do what they are doing.  And this can be a tremendous benefit to someone who has always perceived the world through filter of the ego-controlled mind.

In some religions, such as Buddhism, it is understood that a spiritual teacher does not need to be enlightened to be of benefit to their students.  A yogi who has advanced far along the spiritual path is capable of helping those at a lower level of spiritual development. For many years, I was helped by such a person. Yet according to Meher Baba an advanced yogi can only bring another up to their level and no further.

Without question you will receive the most benefit by developing an internal connection with an enlightened master. Being exposed to their enlightened presence will teach you how to consciously perceive the deeper reality. Their grace can remove spiritual obstacles and help you to progress more rapidly along the path.

The Rarity of a Spiritually Advanced Teacher

There are very few spiritual advanced seekers alive on the planet at any one time. In God Speaks Meher Baba describes what he calls the spiritual hierarchy. According to him there are only fifty-six enlightened souls alive on the planet at any one time, and most of them are not spiritual teachers. And the number of souls on the fifth and sixth spiritual planes number in the hundreds.

Take care in deciding who you rely upon for spiritual guidance. It is easy to make a mistake.

In another post I describe how to tell if someone is enlightened. But unfortunately it is a skill that most people don’t possess. If you are interested, I created a list of enlightened teachers in my first book Into the Formless.

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Being the Observer

Most people most of the time are under the ego’s influence and always thinking. Once you begin the spiritual journey you can employ a spiritual practice to free yourself from the ego-controlled mind and align with the deeper reality.

My favorite spiritual practices are to focus on the Paramatman light or an enlightened teacher such as Meher Baba, Mother Meera, or Jesus. For the last few years, I have focused more on Meher Baba. During this week before Easter my attention turns to Jesus. By looking at his image or thinking about him a strong internal connection is created. His grace and love flow unimpeded. The heart opens and all my thoughts and concerns fall away.

Of late, I am using another spiritual practice, which seems to have arisen spontaneously. Instead of focusing on the light or an enlightened teacher, I step back and observe myself interacting with the world.

As the observer the way I perceive the world changes. I am freed from the ego’s influence and the mind stills. The external world loses its sense of reality. It is more like a play. Yet I am no longer an unwitting character caught up in his role. Instead, I am an actor who is suddenly aware that he is playing a part. I am simultaneously watching the play and participating in it.

In this state, I watch the physical body as it carries out the duties of daily life. It as if the body has been given certain tasks to accomplish. And it carries them out without the need for any decisions on my part.

This practice of being the observer has two levels. On the initial level, I am watching the world in a state of detachment. Yet there is still a sense that I exist within the confines of the body and apart from everything else. The deeper level reveals itself while Meera is giving darshan, or while I’m reading an enlightened teaching or walking on the ocean. And then the sense of separateness falls away.

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The Most Important Thing

Since Mother Meera began diving darshan in India last Wednesday, the energy in my external environment is much better. Tonight I worked late at the office and arrived at the ocean around 7 pm. The sun had already set, but the sky was well lit. The sun sets later now with daylight savings time.

Normally I jog along the beach and then walk back to the car on the sidewalk next to the ocean. The energy from the ocean and setting sun pulls my attention inward after about fifteen minutes. And the journey back to the car becomes a walking meditation. The physical body is strong today. So I ran on the beach further than I have for a long time.

For several months, I have made the habit of focusing on Meher Baba during the walking meditations, as well as the Paramatman light. Today I can connect with him more easily and I can feel the heart opening.

Meher Baba and the Paramatman light are both doorways into the deeper reality. Connecting with Meher Baba opens the heart. Aligning with the light releases the tension in the physical body that is caused by working at a desk and focusing on maya all day.

The light also provides a means of helping the people I encounter on the sidewalk. The connection to the deeper reality is stronger at the ocean and the light seems to radiate outward through my form.

While walking along the ocean, I focus on the ocean and the changing colors of the setting sun. And I watch the people I pass along the sidewalk. When I look into someone’s eyes it is apparent that they are being exposed to the light.

Occasionally, I feel drawn to direct the light into someone through the top of their head. After a few seconds, I can feel their energy body respond to the light. It becomes bright and happy. And the person is not even consciously aware of what has happened.

Tonight I am more cognizant of how much of the day is spent focused on unimportant things. The mind moves from one meaningless thought to the next. And only when I stop to read an enlightened teaching is my attention fully focused on the divine. I must do a better job of attuning to the deeper reality throughout the day. I will try to establish the habit of reading a teaching by Meher Baba or Ramana Maharshi for three times a day. After five to ten minutes of reading their grace pulls my awareness inward and stills the mind.

Reading Meher Baba’s book Infinite Intelligence enhanced my understanding of the four yoga paths. Yet now I am unsure of how to classify my own spiritual path. In all likelihood, I am a bhakti yogi. It is the path of love, devotion, and surrender to an enlightened teacher. The Dalai Lama, Paramahansa Yogananda, and Ramana Maharshi have all helped me progress spiritually in this life. But I have a stronger connection with Mother Meera, Meher Baba, and Jesus.

Perhaps I am more than just a bhakti yogi. I often meditate by focusing on the Paramatman light. Is this a raja yoga spiritual practice?

When a negative thought arises in the mind, such as anger or lust, I try to avoid acting upon it. Sometimes I am not successful, and the thought influences my emotions and actions. But usually I avoid acting upon the thought. This is what Meher Baba describes as dnyan yoga.

While carrying out the duties of daily life I am usually detached. This is what Meher Baba describes as karma yoga.

I guess it doesn’t matter what my path is called. What matters is that I do a better job of focusing on the divine and not getting caught up in negative states during the day.

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Drops of Light

While working at the office today, the Paramatman light is much more noticeable. Is usually appears as a fine mist that is always falling where I am indoors or outdoors. Today it much larger, the size of rain drops.

I often forget to focus on the light while at the office. The mind is active and engaged in extracting money from the matrix.

Mother Meera projects the Paramatman light more strongly before giving darshan in a new city. India is twelve and a half hours ahead of the time here in San Diego. So for her it is Wednesday morning. And this evening she will begin giving darshan in Mandanapalle, India. There will be one darshan each night for seven days. Perhaps this will be a good week.

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The Active Nature of Maya

While growing up, I often attended Sunday service at the First Baptist Church. The service was composed of singing songs from a hymnal and listening to the pastor read passages from the Bible. Then the pastor would provide his interpretation of the passage and explain the lesson it contains for our lives.

During the sermons the subject of evil would occasionally come up. Most Christians recognize that evil exists in the world and it tries to influence the choices we make.

Once a seeker steps beyond the confines of the institutionalized, man-made religion of Christianity they find another explanation for why things happen—karma. For followers of eastern religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, everything that happens to you is a result of the karma you created in the past.

Many enlightened teachers describe the influence of karma and how it keeps each of us trapped in an endless cycle of rebirths. They also talk about maya, the force that creates the illusion of separateness. While a person under the influence of maya they see only separate objects and are unable to perceive the deeper reality that sustains all of creation.

Yet most enlightened teachings do not discuss evil, the active nature of Maya that consciously impedes a person’s personal happiness and ability to progress spiritually. Two exceptions that I’m aware of are Yogananda Paramahanasa’s book The Second Coming of Christ and Sri Aurobindo’s book The Integral Yoga. According to them not everything that happens to you is a result of the karma you created through your past thoughts, feelings and actions. There is a malevolent force within creation that tries to affect you.

Evil is an unpleasant subject that many new-age spiritual types either ignore or dismiss entirely. Perhaps they just want to focus on the positive aspects of life. That is always a good idea. Yet you should at least understand of how evil works in the world. That way you can more easily avoid its influence.

The active nature of maya manifests in countless different ways to draw you attention from the spiritual path. It will attempt to influence your thoughts and emotions to keep you out of balance and not focused on the divine.

You will encounter people who are completely controlled by the darker aspects of maya. They are not always easy to spot. But by learning to recognize these people, you can avoid being influenced by them.

When you find yourself impacted by negative situations and people turn your attention to the divine. God’s grace and mercy will empower you to deal with any situation in the best possible way. The darkness would have you believe that a situation is untenable. Yet with God all things are possible.

While on the spiritual path monitor your thoughts, feelings, and actions in each moment to avoid creating more karma. Find a spiritual practice to help keep your attention focused within, on the deeper reality, in order to dissolve your past karma. Seek out the grace of an enlightened teacher that will help to dissolve your accumulated karma and lead you on the path to Self-realization.

 

 

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Drawing Your Awareness Within

I have found that reading an enlightened teaching three times a day, for five to ten minutes each time, changes my internal reality and changes the way I interact with the world. The grace of an enlightened teacher draws my awareness within, toward the Self and away from the illusion of separate objects.

For some reason, the teachings of Meher Baba and Ramana Maharshi are the most helpful in drawing my intention deeply within. And of all their enlightened teachings, three in particular are the most powerful. Guru Vachaka Kovai is a book about the teachings of Ramana Maharshi that was written by one of his awakened devotee, Muruganar. The other two books are written by Meher Baba: God Speaks and In God’s Hand.

Reading Guru Vachaka Kovai a few years ago provided a spiritual breakthrough. My awareness was drawn so deeply inward that the mind stilled and I was unable to speak for a day. After that the experience returns, to varying degrees, while reading any of the mentioned books.

Karen and I often speak about her health and her spiritual journey. Recently I recommended that she read from God Speaks three times a day. And she has found the practice to be very helpful in keeping her energetic system balanced and her mind more still.

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Dreaming of India

India is a place like no other. There the veil between the physical plane and the deeper reality is very thin. And in the more holy places, it is much easier to touch the formless unity that permeates and sustains all of creation.

I often envision leaving my current life behind and starting anew in India. Writing the remaining books would be much easier while immersed in formless.

It may not be my fate to live in India. We’ll have to see. In the meantime I’ll stay in San Diego. It’s nice living close to the ocean.

Today India is on my mind more than usual. I remembered a scene from the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. In it the main character has written a letter to his daughter. As she reads the letter you see clips of his life in India. In one of the clips he is riding in a boat on the Ganges River in Varanasai. And in another he is washing his clothes in the river. In the background, I saw a building that was similar to the one I stayed in many years ago.

Here is what the main character wrote to his daughter:

For what it’s worth, it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be.

There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want.

You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing.

We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you’ll make the best of it.

And I hope you see things that startle you.

I hope you feel things you have never felt before.

I hope you meet people with a different point of view.

I hope that you live a life that you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.

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Church Christmas Service

Wayne and I attended the Christmas Eve service at a local Methodist church.

My long-time friend is a Methodist preacher in Missouri. He has an open attitude toward different perspectives on Jesus and God. So I thought it would be worthwhile to try attending this local Methodist church.

The service was more like a school play then a church service. The choir sang many Christmas songs. Children walked up to the front of the church dressed as characters from the story of Jesus’ birth. And passages from the Bible were read that pertained to Jesus’ birth.

Everyone was in a good mood. And it was nice to be in a room full of Christians. Yet something important was missing.

People were focused on the external ceremony—the Christmas play that was being performed. There was little, if any, emphasis on each person’s internal connection with Jesus and the divine.

Three people spoke during the service—the pastor and his two assistants. They seemed to be reciting rehearsed lines instead of speaking from the heart. They read passages from the Bible. But they used a modern translation that did not contain the powerful and inspiring language found in the King James Version. They spoke about Jesus mostly in the past, as some figure that was born and is now long gone. They made no reference to the eternal, ever present Jesus that each one of us can connect with now, in this moment. And that’s okay. A pastor can only teach others what they know.

Throughout the service the congregation was asked to periodically stand and sing a song or recite some passages from the Bible. In my youth, I never thought much about this constant sitting and standing that takes place during church services. Now I see that it is designed to keep people awake. Even if the service is boring it is difficult to fall asleep if you have to keep standing up every ten minutes.

I have not been to this church before. So I don’ know if each service is like this one—focused more on the external ritual than the internal reality.

What truly matters in the spiritual path is our connection to the divine that occurs beyond the limitations of thought. The words we use to describe God, and out beliefs about it, are only useful if they lead to a direct experience of the divine.

Throughout the service, I focused on my connection with Jesus. Of late it is my spiritual practice, since Jesus seems more easily accessible this time of year.

I will probably attend another church next Christmas. It may prove fruitless to continue searching for a brick and mortar church that’s helps me draw closer to the divine. Perhaps the only church I need is nature. And my church service is watching the sunset on the ocean.

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Unplugging from the Matrix

I have spent far too much of my life immersed in the illusion of maya. The ego loves to keep the mind active and focused on anything other than the divine.

There are different levels of maya. At the most base level maya is the illusion of separateness from the divine. Almost everyone on the planet perceives only separate objects in the external world while feeling that they exist apart from everything else.

In our modern society another level of maya has been created in which we lose ourselves in an artificial electronic world.  We are constantly staring at our smart phones or immersed in some form of entertainment on the television or computer. The ego-controlled mind enjoys the stimulation and soon becomes addicted to it.

Of late I have become more and more wary of the internet. I gave away the television a few years ago. Yet each night, after working all day, my attention is still drawn to all the entertainment options provided by the computer. While immersed in a movie on Amazon or a comedy special on Youtube I fall into a hypnotic trance. When the movie ends I temporarily snap out of it.

The only real solution for me is to recondition my mind. I will have to create a new habit in which I avoid watching anything on the internet at night. It is time to unplug from the matrix.

Joseph Dispenza teaches about the connection between the mind and the body. Mental patterns are difficult to change. We become accustomed to the chemicals that the body releases when we feel a certain way, or think about a familiar topic, or become entranced by some meaningless form of entertainment.

My chemical addiction to entertainment began in childhood. It will not be an easy habit to break, but it will be done. I will ask the Divine Mother and my guardian angels for assistance.

When consciously creating my reality, I often return to two questions: In ten years what will I wish I had done? What will I wish I had not done? And then the way becomes clear.

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A Vision of the Trees

For the last three days, I’ve been entering receipts into the accounting software and preparing the business and personal tax returns. As a chance of pace, I have been working at the kitchen table. It is right next to the window, and just outside are two trees planted near the apartment building. They are frequently visited by the various species of birds that live in this apartment complex. Over the years, I have hooked the trees up to the Paramatman light.

Working next to the window allows me to unplug somewhat from the matrix (maya) and tap into the deeper reality. The mind is more still during the day and work is more pleasant. I also found myself turning away from the computer and immersing myself in the stillness of nature.

During my midday nap today, I had a vision of foliage that was just outside a window. I was able to stay in alignment during the vision and not get pulled back into the ego. And as a result it was longer than most, about twenty seconds.

I believe that the vision was created by my guardian angels. They were telling me to continue focusing on the trees outside the apartment as a spiritual practice.

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