Personal Growth/Spirituality
Spiritual Awakening In The 21st Century
āYou find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.ā Eckhart Tolle
There is a greater awareness of our spirituality in this century, simply because a lot of us need and are seeking answers to lifeās most crucial questions. What people crave for like wealth, power and earthly enjoyment no longer satisfy the longing of the soul. There are too many whys that ordinarily we could not answer. And to add to the anxiety, the pandemic brought its own devastating indices, killing more than one million people worldwide, and some are still suffering from the effect of what is termed as āāLong Covid.āā
Spiritual Awakening, although can be spontaneous for some, but it is usually triggered by major life changes, like the death of a close person, or other lifeās tragedy.
What Is Spiritual Awakening?
Spiritual Awakening is generally not a straightforward definition. Those who claim to have spiritual awakening do not sometimes know how to explain it. And each experience differs and is as unique as each one of us. However, an Urban Dictionary defined it as,
āspiritually aware of the universe and [its] direct metaphysical connection to oneās own being and the connection it has to all life forces.ā
I want to emphasise āāthe direct metaphysical connection to oneās own beingāā here. It is a state of consciousness when you realise the interconnection of the physical, on one hand, the inner core of man, the spirit, and nature (as the universe) and all that reside in it, on the other hand. In other words, you are not seeing everything in a rose coloured glass, but on a deeper conscious level.
Being connected to the whole is crucial for a spiritually awakened person. All beings in Nature are there for a purpose, and that purpose is good, and you respect their right to exist with you in harmony.
Being Awakened Does Not Signify Perfection
Although most awakened people are persons of faith, it does not signify that they are perfect. Rather, awakened individuals are focused on the greater good of man and the universe. They are conscious of their every action and inaction to ensure they live in the present moment. That is they donāt just live life on auto-pilot, but on what I call conscious and examined lifestyle.
Completely Detached From The Materialistic Part Of Life
We define ourselves by what we are attached to in the material sense. Those things we relish in and believe are part of our life, or what we believe gives us pleasure. What we donāt realise is that we are unhappy if these things are taken away from us, we feel a sense of deep loss. The loss can sometimes lead to depression and or anxiety in some.
I am not saying having some luxury is bad in itself, no. What is bad is thinking that those things are what make us happy and fulfilled in life. We should know that happiness is not in things. It is in us. The same goes for any significant other. As much as we appreciate that significant other in our life, we ought to know that his/her life is unique too, and can be taken away from us at any time.
The same thinking should be applied to everything we hold dear, members of our family, our children, our profession, our jobs, our mums/dads, friends, colleagues etc. These people have their own life path, and it could be that we are only connected for a limited time before they move on. That is why each connection we have with others are significant and precious, and we should be ready to learn the lesson each brings into our life. We must not stupidly believe that the connection is for a long haul.
We are not to define ourselves by any attachment. We are unique and independent, yet connected to the whole.
Living a life of detachment gives us that inner peace that ordinarily cannot rob off easily. And this means even if things do not go as we expect, we keep our peace, and we will not be on an emotional roller coaster of anger, frustration and despair. We remain positive nevertheless. This gives us a realistic and balanced view of life which positively affect our mental and physical well-being.
Living a life of detachment does not mean not being responsible and not showing compassion when required. Rather, it increases our readiness to help and be present when needed. You follow and listen to your intuition as it guides and directs you towards the right path.
Fear is Banished
Fear, we know is a magnet that attracts what we fear. It was Barry Kaufman who said all fear is fear of death. However, to the awakened ones, most fears disappear because of non-attachment. He is aware that death is an inevitable part of life, and knows that the soul journeys on. Death is NOT the end.
He is more of himself/herself than trying to fit into the mould of society. He is aware that whatever others think is not really a reflection of who he is, but rather who that other person is. He is therefore simple and authentic. And so everything bad or evil repels you.
Have you ever noticed how some people you meet for the first time repel you? And you later find out they are not really your cup of tea. For spiritually awakened persons, the aura that envelopes you is bright radiant light, to which evil cannot penetrate. Some react and just hate you for no reason. Your own intuition is heightened which prevents you from aligning with anything bad or evil.
The Takeaway
A spiritually awakened life is a life of bliss that positively enhance both our physical and mental state.
When it comes to us, we should embrace it as it will map out a new direction, and we will see most things differently.
A spiritually awakened person recognises the interconnectivity in creation, and we are willing to positively contribute our share.
āāBecause the awakened one puts himself behind, he steps ahead.
Because he gives away, he gains.
Because he is selfless, he fulfils himself.
The still is the lord of the restless.āā Lao Tse
