Why do some of us seek for higher truths? Why is it that certain individuals are driven blindly, madly, and passionately to transcend their own limitations? Why do we, at times, feel compelled to improve ourselves, not only for our own sake but for the sake of a higher cause that we can sense yet barely see? Why is it that in those precious moments, when we are most conscious and most awake, we seem to intuit a deeper sense of purpose that is infinitely bigger than our personal worlds can contain? What is that soft vibration that tugs at our hearts and beckons us to courageously leap beyond the small confines of the separate self so that we can participate in the life-process in a much deeper and more authentic way?
That vibration is none other than the spiritual impulse, the impulse to evolve at the level of consciousness. It's not just a feeling that you or I might have. This impulse is something much bigger. In fact, I believe it is that very same impulse that caused something to come from nothing 14 billion years ago, that compelled an entire material universe to miraculously emerge from complete emptiness. To me, at least, there is no doubt that a great and mysterious energy and intelligence with enormous power is driving this entire evolutionary process forward in every moment. And our own direct personal experience of spiritual inspiration is the most tangible expression of that very same drive.
Since that inspiration first awoke in me, more than three decades ago, it has taken me on an extraordinary journey. And during this time, I have discovered something very important that few people seem to know: This spiritual impulse moves in two directions simultaneously. If we follow one direction, it will carry us far into the distant future, and if we follow the other, it will take us back to before the beginning of time. The path that most mystics in the enlightenment tradition have taken is not the future-oriented one; it is the perennial meditative path that countless seekers have followed for millennia in pursuit of spiritual illumination. And this traditional approach is not future-oriented -- it is not time-oriented at all. Traditional enlightenment points us beyond the world, beyond time and space, toward what has been the perennial source, at least until now, of spiritual freedom and mystical liberation: the Ground of Being. But I believe that those of us in the 21st century at the leading edge of consciousness and culture urgently need a mystical spirituality and a source of soul liberation that points us not beyond time but toward the future that we need to create. I believe the spiritual impulse today is calling us not away from the world but toward that big next step we need to take in our world. That next step will not emerge by itself -- it must be consciously created by human beings who have awakened to the same impulse that is driving the process. Awakening to that energy and intelligence is what this book is all about, because that is the source of the new enlightenment.
This blog is an excerpt from Andrew Cohen's new book, 'Evolutionary Enlightenment: A New Path to Spiritual Awakening.'
Follow Andrew Z. Cohen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AndrewZCohen
Evolutionary Enlightenment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Evolutionary Enlightenment - Andrew Cohen
As a non-Chinese person, culturally I'm always something of an outsider to that practice. But that doesn't mean I can't allow myself to be influenced by it.
Gandhi was not a Taoist, but the following quote also resonates with me: "Be the change you would like to see in the world." I see that quote reflected in your excerpt.
That nothing feels like nothing because it is pure awareness and it is the ground or essence of our being.
Awareness is primary consciousness is secondary. We do not evolve to have more consciousness; we evolve to greater and greater awareness.
This reality makes awareness primary. There is no such thing as nothingness. Better to state emptiness but even emptiness is misleading to the western mind.
You are correct on the vibration idea. The greater the awareness the faster the vibration.
The greater the awareness the higher dimension that souls resides in these other worlds. there are exceptions to this of course. Some with a very high vibration meaning level of awareness come to earth to teach greater truths.
I'm very cognizant of the great need for a story of how the flow of Great Nature or Mystery operates -- in the World-at-large, individually and collectively. In the KYBALION, the Hermetic Philosophy from ancient Egypt and Greece which is the source for the overall Perennial Philosophy (the evolving distillate of mystical knowledge so far), there are two principles of special note: "As Above, So Below; As Below, So Above"...and "The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental." These have been guiding principles for me on my journey.
yang is the flow of thoughts of consciousness.
the way you use yang and yin as creation and evolution is very interesting.
I will look for your book.
it appears that I use yin and yang opposite of what you do. will reflect on your statements as first appearances can be so deceiving.
your next to last sentence is very well stated.
Another important element I've seen in my own life is there seems to be tremendous allowance for mistakes.
"That next step will not emerge by itself -- it must be consciously created by human beings who have awakened to the same impulse that is driving the process." This point is something I've been thinking about a lot. Having been in many social situations where some supposed authority figure silenced me, I realize at some point in my life I'm probably going to have to move beyond reluctance to speak.
Spiritual enlightenment is not about merging back into that which was before time or seeing the oneness of all.
Spiritual enlightenment is coming to realize not just know but realize that we are expressions of the Infinite. This is the start of the journey of the soul into a creative process and vitality power that we can only imagine at this time.
And even more amazing and divine; as each soul is unique then each and every soul’s creative process will be unique.
As an expression of the Infinite we evolve to become as gods. Mystics do not have the creative intelligence or creative power of a “god”. They have awakened to the spirit within and see the oneness of all. This is one of the many baby steps on the soul’s journey but a necessary one.
The materialists study the evolution of the physical. This is the appearance and the effect of an infinite source of all that is that cannot be defined. We cannot define infinite as it has no boundaries and words denote boundaries.
To put it simply the materialists and most religions judge by appearances something a great spiritual teacher warned us not to do. Maybe even worst the materialists confuse an effect for a cause.
The spirit within gives us a longing for perfection in awareness creating a progression that is on going and heavenly.