Asking every cell to change is huge.
Such a huge event that if undertaken precipitously, I do believe you can be killed or at least rendered so nonfunctional that I do not want to risk it.
Somewhere in the late ‘70’s I was in bed for a month. My sister-in-law finally carried me out of my apartment so I could take up residence in the basement laundry room of my brother’s house.
I couldn’t drive. I couldn’t cook for myself. I could hardly walk.
I did, however, pee on their lawn under the full moon by way of protesting their holding me hostage.… yes, I was crazy too.
“Been there, done that.”
Or, I could say, Excuse #2: "Major changes take time and must be done carefully."
I can quote Adya himself for support of this belief.
Here he is describing his first awakening:
I literally said, “Screw it, I give up.” And as soon as I said, “I give up,” there was this I guess what they would call it now, was some sort of kundalini experience. But it was this incredible rush of energy… just overwhelming, overwhelming to such an extent that my heart started to race and my breathing was like I was running the hundred yard dash… I knew what maximum heart rate was; I knew my heart maxed at about 210 beats a minute and I knew what that felt like and I knew I was way beyond that. The whole body was completely out of control… I was quite certain, absolutely sure that I wouldn’t survive it, because I knew what my body could take, and it couldn’t take it very long. At that moment, I knew I was going to die….And all I said was… “If this is what it takes to be free, okay.” So as soon as I said that, it was like something just let loose… everything became (snaps fingers) like that, absolutely pristinely quiet…
from Adyashanti’s contribution to “When I Awoke”- see the 50 page article.
I rest my case.
The barrier to enlightenment is physical and crashing through can kill you.
But, then look closely.
In Adya’s description of his awakening the physical crisis is both precipitated by a thought (“I give up.”) and resolved by yet a second thought (“…okay.”).
In each case that thought is essentially, “OK – You win.”
Or in one word simply, “Yes.”
Yes to what he can no longer control.
Yes, to what the Universe presents.
The barriers do seem to be conceptual.
The torment arose from resisting.
Once the concept changes, the body settles down and offers it support.
Oh yeah! They call it: Mind-Body.
We can give it lip service to the concept, but usually we each have our preference. Either we have a tendency to favor the idea that mind controls body, or body controls mind.
I think the truth is a much more subtle play.
The shuttle cock is batted back and forth in something of a blur.
Still, I do hold the belief that Enlightenment is a state of consciousness (again Adya disagrees) and that states of consciousness are supported by a physiology.
I believe the body supports and maintains our mind, and the body has to change if it is not to be a barrier to enlightenment …. a barrier, or excuse, my mind may be quite content to live with.
(but that leads to yet another excuse which I will save for another time).
No, let me just mention one more thing...
2 comments:
East and West will get you nowhere, except an endless circle of false understanding and confusion. Like all human beings, we're born into a deceptive and blinding trap: The chemical needs of our body are controlling our minds. The body is designed to be a following machine, where thoughts, emotions, will, intellect and so on guide the body and fulfil its needs in due course.
The truth is: We're fallen. This means not only is the body a following machine of the thoughts and emotions, but is also in control. The cycle is:
Chemical Need -> Mind -> Thoughts/Emotions -> Chemical Response -> Chemical Need Fulfilled.
Look for Dr. David Maurice of the Presbyterian Columbia School of Medicine. Dr. Maurice did a study on the relationship between the corneal cells, dreaming and REM sleep and how they work.
This is a living example of how the body controls the mind to produce the chemicals it craves, wants and needs. We think we're free, when the deep reality is: We're not.
The Bible calls this being a slave to flesh, slave to lusts and a slave to sin. See Romans 7:23, where Paul outlines the very mechanism I have just described to you above.
You want enlightenment? You want a light on the inside to show you the truth of HOW YOU WORK, to understand the source of your (and all our) pains and ills?
Examine this relationship of how the body, it's lusts (cravings, appetites, needs, desires, etc) are what is controlling the mind.
Also, look into "Hypoism" and the "Hypoic" and you'll start to get some flavor of it (although the good doctor who has the main web site I am aware of is decidely NOT a Christian).
Understand the truth: Jesus Christ died and rose for two reasons:
A) To forgive you and I of our losing the battle to flesh, living in slavery to our lusts, living in darkness and so on. Forgiveness for our ENTIRE lives (birth to death).
B) To give us what we lost in this war with flesh: A mind freed from subserviance to lusts of the flesh.
We are not changed 100% in THIS life, but in measure-to-measure, glory-to-glory by the Spirit of God changing (regenerating - born again) our mind (see John 3, 2 Corinthians and Romans 6, 7 and 8).
The core theme of the New Testament (and the Old, but you really have to look to see it) is the battle between A) Living Enslaved to Flesh, Lusts and Sin (our mind being the thing enslaved) and B) Living with a NEW MIND by way of the Spirit (mind, vital principle (law of life), mental disposition) of God, Mind of Christ (birthed in us by the Spirit of God).
This is the GROWING and enlightenment that is TRULY powerful and meaningful. God delivers to you His Mind birthed in you by His Spirit as you delight in How and What He Thinks rather than what you're used to thinking from YOUR MIND, which is enslaved (demonstratably) to the lusts of your flesh.
We are ALL the same. We are ALL born into slavery of our mind to our flesh, lust and sin in it. We are ALL in need of a saviour (someone to pay our debt of living as a slave to flesh for a lifetime) and someone to give us what we cannot get for ourselves: Freedom of a NEW MIND from God Himself to us to start taking the place of the enslaved mind.
As we are seeking Him (His Mind by His Spirit in us) and as we DELIGHT in His Ways, His Thoughts and His purposes, THEN He provides more and MORE of His Mind to us, changing us inwardly to be free.
I invite you to seek Jesus Christ in this light (true enlightenment). Oh yes -- just so you know -- I am convinced that MOST Christians are CLUELESS about what I have just written to you. If they were not, they would live lives FAR different than what they do.
The flesh will allow you to have "religion" and "believe" whatever you like, as long as the mechanism of your (our, my) enslavement can stay well hidden from your direct knowledge. Thus, the flesh actually encourages ALL sorts of "beliefs" and "religions" because it could care less. Moreover, it FEEDS off of different people believing different things because it loves the chemical releases coming from the divisions, contentions, strifes and jealousies created (see Galatians 5 for a list of Flesh works (mechanics and results) -Vs- Spirit of God).
Again -- I invite you to investigate what I have written to you as TRUE enlightenment and understanding, which is NOT of me, or man -- but of God, Himself delivered to man (you and I).
You present quite a mirror. Thanks for writing.
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