It is hard to imagine —let alone perceive— what the Universe looks like when you are bound by the physical senses that make you see everything as solid and separated. It is as if in physical life we were each living at the bottom of a well, from which we may look up at the sunlight in the world above. As a matter of fact, the spiritual path has to do with climbing out of the well of the personality or the ego in order to reach the top, where the light finally shines everywhere.
It is not an easy task. The environment is not very conducive since society just want you to conform to the customs and rules imposed by others. It wants you to believe in the general system as a way to maintain its power. It has great interest in keeping you on automatic pilot so you remain a buyer, in every sense. Being different, daring to follow your heart will not be rewarded by most people. On the contrary, you will be criticized and ostracized. Following your heart has never been popular. Unless it is directed to a certain achievement that society particularly appreciates. That is, related to fame, money or power. Sadly (or not) the spiritual path has never been interested on those gains. The spiritual path tends to be the one of more resistance, the one with more bumps, the one less travelled. However, it is the only path towards liberation.
As long as we continue to gratify the ego and feed the personality, we keep enchained to samsara. As long as we continue to just care for ourselves and our things, we are trapped in the collective illusion. As long as we imitate the superficial role models shown to us by publicity, TV and magazines, there will be no path out it. As long as we keep feeding an aggressive and egotistical mind, there is no hope.
The spiritual path tends to be a lonely road, off the beaten track. However, it is the only one to true joy, inner peace and fulfillment. It takes a lot of courage to work continuously on purifying your own thoughts and emotions, and root yourself in the present moment with mindfulness. It takes great effort to lead an ethical life at all times, even when others are not looking. It takes commitment to offer yourself to benefit others. Yet, it is the only way to the highest reward of all: waking up to the reality of Universal Consciousness, what in the East is called Enlightenment. Don’t you think is totally worth the effort????
