Spiritual evolution

[alpine9]

What does it take to evolve yourself spiritually?

[Kenneth]

He-he ... I think, that there are as many different answers in here, as there are people ....

Some things are "agreed" upon by most though.

You find your answers within yourself, and not outside yourself ...

Get to know yourself!!! .... All of you ... Your Thoughts, your emotions, your energy, your body, your imagination, when you judge and categorize, when you laugh etc. etc..... In short - be your own Latest project ...

Meditation is ussualy a good thing ...

You are a part of Nature - don't fight what is your Nature - (But on the other hand, don't nessecarily follow your nature either! ... Sometimes it is better to just observe your self, rather than to follow what your nature dictates).

Learn from others here on this forum - but don't "loose" yourself too much in the process ....


I am sure, that there are many other idéas and thoughts, but this will have to do for now ...

[alpine9]

Thanks for that reply.

But I'm looking for something like the chakras and their evolution and enlightenment, or the level of enlightenment the Buddha attained through meditation.

  I've heard that enlightenment is attained through the opening of the crown chakra with kundalini, but I've also heard that enlightenment is attained through meditation alone(like the Buddha) and has nothing to do with the chakras or kundalini.

[gdo]

The terms 'chakra' and 'kundalini' are for sure from the eastern schools of spiritual awakening.  The western schools use terms that are inherent in 'The Great Work' and Alchemy.  Though the terms are different the results are the same and there is no contradictions from one school to another.   Some people are more suited to one or another 'school'.  

What is it that you want to attain?  And Why?  

Meditation is indeed a place to start.    It is a good idea to start with what you already know and use whatever relgious backround that you already have as a springboard.

[Existential Essence]

It would take many years to develop and fully open your higher chakras, # 9- 10-11- 12- 13 # And it is a process of developing in numerical order, but these are the gateways to you evolution and higher understandings........

Try this for size pal.......

http://home.xtra.co.nz/hosts/Wingmakers/Contents.html


Then go to chakra history and information...One of
the most comprehensive info sources for chakras..

Although some may have some dispute with the WM thing....

[Kenneth]

hello Alpine,

Sorry that I didn't explain my self clearer - please let me correct that ...

About 6 years ago, I seriously started my "search" for the meaning with it all, etc. etc.
I quickly found out, that there was something called "enlightenment", and that it was the "Holy Grail" of this "search".

So I started reading (and buying) books, reading forums (came across Astralpulse.com early in the process), and even attained a seminar on a technique called Journeyworks.

This was all very good, inspiring, I learned a lot, and even had a few occasional "successes" if you want to call them that. (Lucid dreaming, deep meditation and feeling of floating etc. etc.) In short, I gained a LOT of knowledge and techniques, became better at silencing my "inner voice", that normally kept talking and talking and talking (The one also known as the "Monkey on the shoulder"). Among those experiences were also a lot of really frightening ones as well - working with your Shakras without growing as a human as well, is like trying to drive a tank or flying a helicopter at the age of 10. It can be done, but .....  

But (the important question) - did I come any closer to "Enlightenment" ? ... To the best of my knowledge, unfortunately not.

What about now then ? ... To the best of my experience, I am getting closer and closer to MY SELF. (And I have the growing suspicion, that I also get closer and closer to "Enlightenment" at the same time ...)

What changed for me then? ... Well, I discovered, that you can not "have" enlightenment. It is not something that you "get" - it is something that you ARE. Enlightenment is not something that you can switch "on and of", it is an integral part of you!

Actually, to be more precise - it IS YOU AS YOU ARE NOW, THIS VERY MOMENT - WITH ALL YOUR EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE RESOLVED !!! ...

What do I mean by this? .... Well, Look into your self, and try to find 3 situations from your life, that even today gives you Pain when you think about them. Should not be too hard, or ?? .... So why do I want you to think about something, that gives you Pain?

Because ALL of these situations are part of you, that you "block" within yourself. They give you pain - therefore you do not want them. You try to "Fight" them inside yourself, to "put them to rest", to "Block" them etc. etc.

These "pains" are also your best doorway to "enlightenment", in that they contain a lot of "stored" energy (Or more precisely - YOU use energy to keep them at bay inside your self).

Resolving those situations - freeing that energy - Healing yourself, is (IMHO) the most direct way to enlightenment.

So HOW do I do that would be my next question? ... Well, the best technique I have found yet is something called EFT. (explained a little better in this post: http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20468 ).

I now use the fact, that my everyday life is DESIGNED to show me the cracks, diseases, weaknesses etc. INSIDE my self - and then I use EFT to Resolve those issues ONE BY ONE.....

I have done this for about 9 months now, and the result?

I do not feel any different. I am still ME. No fireworks, no glittering experiences. But there are MORE of me inside of my self now. I have changed in the way I experience my self in different situations. A bigger percentage of my everyday is spent without resistance, and with an inner peace that were not present before. I am getting better at identifying "Illusions" within my self. I am getting better at finding emotions and blocks within my self, and resolving those. And the inner peace just grows slowly and steady.

I talked to my girlfriend yesterday about some of this, and perhaps you can gain something from this as well:

"If you are in a situation that causes you pain, it is NOT the SITUATION that actually causes you pain, but YOUR REACTION to this situation, that causes you pain. Normally we try to "correct" the situation in order to reduce the pain, but I have come to see this "reaction" as looking at yourself in a mirror, seeing that something is wrong, and trying to change the mirror-image instead of changing the Source of the image(!)." Once you change yourself, the Image in the mirror will reflect that change INSTANTLY!!

A child looking at itself in a mirror can NOT distinguish, that the Mirror is only showing an Image of the child, and that it is not another child - but as we grow older, we learn - and it is the same with our inner self's. Slowly we learn, that we are NOT our emotions, we are NOT our bodies, we are NOT our thoughts. They are only tools, to enable us to grow as Beings.

Okay - enough rambling on my part *LOL* .... If I may suggest, then find one or two situations from your life, that still causes you pain, download the EFT manual, learn the technique by using these two situations as "cases", and then experience the Peace and Emptiness inside after they are resolved. (It feels the same as after a good cry, or a lengthy, very emotional talk, with somebody). Experience, how you go from "PAIN" to "PEACE" with those situations - and how you also shifts cognitively (Your "view" on those situations change!). THIS is (IMHO) true enlightenment - moving from Pain and despair, to understanding and peace - within yourself!.

One emotion at a time, one situation at a time .....

To me it has become second nature now. I do not think about "problems" as problems anymore. I have slowly shifted, so I now see them more as "Possibilities". The greater the pain they contain, the greater the gain once it is resolved  

I STILL get sad, angry, bored etc. etc. - but there is MUCH more time between each occurrence, and they last a shorter time each time. And each time something like that comes out, it gets "EFT'd" instantly  

Okay - THIS is what I mean by writing, that it can pay off bit time to look at what you all-ready got inside of yourself ....

All the best on your journey ...

[CaCoDeMoN]

Excellent post, Kenneth. I agree with your definition of spiritual evolution entirely, and altough I use somewhat different techniques my goal is nearly the same.
For me enlightement is achieving true happiness and enjoyment in
every moment of life.

[alpine9]

I understand what you mean about healing yourself, and bringing yourself to wholeness one step at a time. But I want to take this a step further because I know there's more to spiritual evolution.

 Maybe I should be a little more clear about the angle I'm looking at which is transformation.


So is it through reaching different stages in meditation that we evolve or through the qualitive states of our chakras.

[Existential Essence]

One leads to the other...

[Kenneth]

Hello CaCoDeMon and Alpine9,

Thanks CaCoDeMon, I am glad, that you like my post - do you have any special techniques that you use, or ? ...

Alpine9 - I think I see where you are looking, and I can understand your desire to Transform and Evolve. One question though - Transformation is (IMHO), to actually "change" something, and to truly evolve, you have to evolve from Something, or ? .... And since it is YOU that you want to transform - well, you have to work with what you got, or?

My guess as to your questions is, that it is through the qualitative states of our chakras. And our chakras is (IMHO) our "ports" to other people - it is through these, that you experience other beings. The qualitative states of your Auras are (in them selves) perfect at all time(!) .... it is how MUCH of the different energies you can "touch" and can handle, that determines their REAL state when it comes to you.

Cleaning your Auras in order to Perceive and experience the world around you better, is actually YOU creating peace with all the energy, that Pains you in some way.

Different frequencies of energy, that you do not like, is felt as "bad feelings". Energies that you do like is felt as "Good feelings".

In order to BE the perfect human and reach One-ness, you should be able to find the harmony in EACH AND EVERY TYPE OF ENERGY OUT THERE ....

In other words - You can use your Reactions to your feelings to find, where YOU as a human being can grow, instead of you being led aimlessly by your feelings ...

You can also keep meditating, but in my humble opinion, it will always come back to your inner balance and inner peace, how high you can reach ....

As I read posts in here, it is normally a persons "reaction" to something, that keeps that person from breaking trough, achieving this or that, or .... And as YOU are reacting to something inside of you, it would be wise to nullify that inside of you, that you are reacting to - instead of trying to change every situation every time, to fit what you can handle inside ....

[Stevo]

If you want my oppinion, spiritual enlightenment is not a "Hey, I suddenly know everything" experience, or anything of the like.

If you want to have spiritual enlightenment, there's a question you have to ask: Why. Ask it everywhere, anywhere, whenever you can. Take nothing for granted. Leave no stone unturned. Although it's not about how much you know, as what you do with it.

Another question you can ask is, "Why does it have to be this way?" I don't mean just negative, but anything. Why can't something be different for the sake of change?

Many people say, look inside yourself to find spiritual enlightenment. This is true. Although in order to question yourself, it helps to be able to compare. Look at how other people treat themselves, how they treat others. It's sort of psychology style. Find out what makes people unhappy, and happy. Then reflect on that with yourself.

It really is a difficult thing to explain, which is why spiritual enlightenment is a personal journey. One thing I can tell you is that it WILL NOT come WITHOUT hard work. All good things come with understanding.

[Stookie]

Personally, I think that "enlightenment" is a term used to describe the ever-present Now. Time and Space is an illusion, and all that really exists is NOW. So that means it always exist, and if your trying to make it an end goal, it's going to be futile. It's a realization made outside of space/time. Once that realization is made, your perception of the world around you can change, as you can begin to see through the illusion of what reality/life is, and what is important to get out of it (and put into it). I think that enlightenment is one step in a much larger process than we can comprehend.

I don't think one becomes "enlightened", and that's that, boom, you're a spiritual master.

[CaCoDeMoN]

Thanks CaCoDeMon, I am glad, that you like my post - do you have any special techniques that you use, or ? ...

No. Mostly Vipassana meditation(of course ignoring some parts of Buddhist philosophy) and trance meditation. Vipassana meditation is a good tool to learn how the mind works, and to notice and control the thoughts. Some of the negative and repeating thought patterns can do much damage, an learning to stop them fixes nearly instantly problems like depression, etc.

[alpine9]

The other day something just came to my mind about enlightenment.

What I thought enlightenment was is what the Buddha attained under the boddi tree. That enlightenment could be called the full connection with your higher-self, but not God. The higher-self is like a soul, but much larger and wiser than the one in the body, and is made of higher vibrational light.

Now when you read about kundalini and how it makes you enlighten you wounder how can that be. I thought you didn't need kundalini for enlightenment. Your right you don't need kundalini for enlightenment, but you do if you want to be connected to GOD.

How does this work?

 Well I'm not exactly sure because I haven't experience this yet, but I can tell you what I think from what I've read.

 You could say that God exists within you as your crown chakra and has many names; the Universal mind, Supreme being, Shiva etc. With the development of kundalini and through the grace of God then you can merge with and become one with the creator of all that IS.

[Lente]

What does it take to evolve yourself spiritually?

Nothing, spiritual evolution does not exist. Its just something people like to believe in.

[Sin Buddhata]

Kenneth,

A person can work to increase their vital energies til the point where they pack the raw energy of a sun, but they will still suffer from the same psychological adjuncts that breed unhappiness. And when such a person dies all that work on the vital body will be for naught.

Assuming that past pains caused energy blockages and you were able to release these energetic blockages; what are you going to do to stop new blockages from occurring? All those psychological states that result in suffering are still there manipulating your energies, your motions, your thoughts, etc. What are you going to do about those psychological adjuncts?

Are they even synonymous with your very consciousness?

[MisterJingo]

Personally, I think that "enlightenment" is a term used to describe the ever-present Now. Time and Space is an illusion, and all that really exists is NOW. So that means it always exist, and if your trying to make it an end goal, it's going to be futile. It's a realization made outside of space/time. Once that realization is made, your perception of the world around you can change, as you can begin to see through the illusion of what reality/life is, and what is important to get out of it (and put into it). I think that enlightenment is one step in a much larger process than we can comprehend.

I don't think one becomes "enlightened", and that's that, boom, you're a spiritual master.

Only just saw this thread - but I agree with the above. A great quote embodies it:

"Before enlightenment chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water". -Wu Li

[Kenneth]

Kenneth,

A person can work to increase their vital energies til the point where they pack the raw energy of a sun, but they will still suffer from the same psychological adjuncts that breed unhappiness. And when such a person dies all that work on the vital body will be for naught.

Assuming that past pains caused energy blockages and you were able to release these energetic blockages; what are you going to do to stop new blockages from occurring? All those psychological states that result in suffering are still there manipulating your energies, your motions, your thoughts, etc. What are you going to do about those psychological adjuncts?

Are they even synonymous with your very consciousness?

Hello Sin Buddhata,

I would totally agree with you, if it was only the energy-blockages that were "removed". That is like getting a lung transplant, and continue smoking after wards! (to put it in perspective).

One of my starting points were Robert Bruces "Astral Dynamics", and his NEW technique, that (IMO) focuses totally on the body and the body's energy. What I experienced from that, was a little bit of what you talked about - the more "energized" and Body-aware I became, the more i felt my body's pain and suffering. Either it be blockages, muscle aches, head aches, sore joints, pain in the chest etc. etc. It became more clear to me, and more in my everyday focus - but it didn't remove them.

What I found with EFT (and what I meant in my earlier posts), is a different kind of energy-work.

When I use EFT, I actively use my thoughts and my ability to think and recognize conflicts within myself - and clear away those "blockages" while I am thinking (or sensing) those conflicts within me (Sort of like "keeping the situation in the crosshairs of my EFT-gun, and preventing my self from drifting away, because it is not comfortable being there).

You get resolution and acceptance of that particular conflict (or situation), and begin to find other perspectives on the situation or conflict as well.

It is like having a really deep and sincere talk about a sore subject, where you at the end sort of "sinks through" that situation - and can peacefully leave it behind you, but in much less time, and with only a fraction of the Pain normally associated with clearing traumas, conflicts and bad situations ...

I find, that I get the meaning as to why I had to be in that situation in the first place, and I get to accept it, and (more importantly), I get to accept my self completely, even though (that situation).

To me, that is evolvement - to actually find peace and understanding of yourself within yourself, where there used to be pain, confusion and conflict.

It's not a one minute wonder - it takes time to "get through" the different emotions, and the different combinations of emotions, layers etc. and situations from your earlier life, that you get a (small or big) bodily reaction to, when you think about it.

It's like cutting down trees - if you aim at all the trees at once, you do not feel the impact, but if you take one situation, and brings it through a couple of rounds of EFT, you DO feel the difference!

I find, that what used to bring me pain (the boss having a bad day, the girlfriend having her period, or my kid being a pain in the a***), now is easier to handle. It does not have the same "impact" on me any more - I can still retain my inner "balance" in most situations now, and those that I can't, are now more a pointer to an area or an emotion (or conflict) within my self, that I have not resolved yet! (And it does not need to be BIG conflicts - even me being bored one day got resolved - or me being shy, or ....)

The little monkey on the shoulder, that used to talk and talk and talk ... (the inner dialog), has also diminished very much - and I find, that the thoughts that do show up also sort of "points" to something in my self, that needs resolution - that I need to "clear" with my self.

But - do not take my word for granted, or dismiss it before it has been given a fair chance .... I would suggest, that you read some of the case-stories on the EFT site (there are about 6-800 different cases for all types of pains and conflicts, diseases etc.), and then try it on a specific situation in your own life, that brings you pain when you think about it .... That is actually the only true way that I know of to actually show you what I am babbling about here *LOL*  

The address is: www.emofree.com

Looking forward to your comments and reactions!! ....

Cheers from Denmark,

[Jazket]

Why do you bother looking for an answer to this in here? Why do you think these people has the answer of this? Why don't you stop to think and reason soundly for a second?

Your question is selfish, and not worth the effort of answering it... Though I tell you that nobody, not even the first one of us here, can tell you what do you need to evolve spiritually... You my friend, you have to question this to YOURSELF, and no one else...

Have you ever seen yourself with the eyes of the real Observer?. If you search, you will find... It's all within you, as it is within the rest of us...

Each one to work with its own evolution which should only matter to itself... Pray and ask your Guide to give you the answers you need....

[Kenneth]

Why do you bother looking for an answer to this in here? Why do you think these people has the answer of this? Why don't you stop to think and reason soundly for a second?

Some of "us" find, that there are advantages to keep looking - some of "us" find, that other persons experiences sometimes can lead to a breaktrough in an otherwise stuck situation within our selfes.

Your question is selfish, and not worth the effort of answering it... Though I tell you that nobody, not even the first one of us here, can tell you what do you need to evolve spiritually... You my friend, you have to question this to YOURSELF, and no one else...

Ofcourse the question is selfish - but NOT worth the effort of answering? ... I would recpectfully disagree with you!

Each one to work with its own evolution which should only matter to itself... Pray and ask your Guide to give you the answers you need....

Well - some of us find, that WE ourselfes can make a difference by actively seeking our truth, instead of playing the "waiting" game of divine intervention. There is an old saying that goes something like this: "Pray to the lord, and please pass the bullets!" ... (Or something like that ... )

Cheers from Denmark,

Kenneth

[Jazket]

There is no Divine Intervention if you are "pretending" to be what you are not my friend

The Human Being is good known by lying to himself and lying to others at the same time. Please be honest, not with the ones next to you, cause that does not stop them from being what they are or getting what they want. But be honest with yourself, as it only makes you better, not me or anyone else.

My thoughts are not meant to hurt anyone, either disappoint them; But whoever has ears to hear, hear; and whoever has eyes to see, see... do not listen to me, listen to yourself. we might find out how wrong we are at times... and then we will ask for "Divine Intervention" and to our surprise or called some other way, "ego", we will not get that "Divine Intervention" we so much desire for.....