Becoming spiritually independent/sovereign

[bluebird21]

Thank you for all your thoughtful replies!

[bluebird21]

Originally Posted by iamthat

Bluebird21 raises a very valid question. If we have a profound awakening which is apparently triggered by someone else then we naturally tend to credit that person with some responsibility for our awakening, even though our awakening is entirely our own realisation.

Spiritual literature is filled with examples of a teacher applying some kind of shaktipat which triggers an experience within the disciple. Obvious examples include Yogananda and his teacher Sri Yukteswar, or Poonjaji and Ramana Maharshi. In such cases the experience does seem to be very dependent on the power of the teacher. But for others, awakening experiences do seem to come out of nowhere.

Many years ago I followed a particular teacher, and after three years I was told to take time off work and do an eight day meditate. I did this, and had a very profound and permanent expansion of consciousness, which I naturally attributed to the power of the teacher. At that stage I firmly believed that the teacher was necessary for any such expansions of consciousness.

Eight years after I joined this group the teacher was found to have been misbehaving with certain young ladies in the group, and the group dissolved. I continued with the meditation practices, but I let go of the belief that the teacher was necessary, and a few months later during a period of intense meditation I had an even more profound awakening which has been present ever since.

I then had to learn to trust my own experiences and realisations, because no-one else could confirm what I had realised. Many of us look to some kind of spiritual authority to confirm our spiritual status, but in the absence of any such authority I had to trust myself. That itself was another learning process. But I simply had to gaze around me and see myself everywhere, limitless and unchanging, and I could not deny the reality of my realisations.

Is this a lonely place? Not really, even though there is only me, because there is no separation. Loneliness is separation. Awakening is coming home.

Peace.

Iamthat, I especially appreciate your reply. Thank you.

[bluebird21]

Originally Posted by Bohdiyana

Well a lot of assertions hidden in this post. A flower blooms when it blooms. The how and why part not so necessary. A flower is perfect before it blooms and after. I would say it was a person, a teacher, that led down the road. But then you jumped to this idea of giving power away. If I wanna go watch a video by Tolle or Mooji or whoever (or just listen to a song I love on youtube and veg out,) how is this giving my power away? I am them and they are me. We are all a part of the same reality and source. The divine is in all and everything. It's all as empty or as full as we make it. There is no power to give away or to keep, those are all just ideas.

Now the remembering who I am....it comes and goes. Like I am not whatever or whoever would be telling me I gave power away or needed to be sovereign. I don't need to do or be anything at all except awake to what I am and what now is. Your post reminded me of who I am. You were a great teacher to me. I don't want to be someone with power or sovereign or anything at all except awake. Not listening to my mind makes me connect not separate. I think feeling alone means one is listening to their mind too much, too identified with whatever is in our heads at the moment, making it important or real.

Bohdiyana, I was not making assertions... I was sharing my personal experience so far. As I am sure MANY students who receive shaktipat or transmission from their teacher, or experience very accelerated expansion of consciousness in a teacher's presence go through, it's easy to give some of your power away and believe the teacher somehow made "it" happen... of course intellectually I know a flower blooms, just like the mind/heart, when it is ready and no sooner. There is a difference between our intellect and our genuine felt experience ;)

[bluebird21]

As for being able to take all the teachings with you, it's my experience that as you grow, concepts fall away more and more, and "the teachings" become your breath... a tree... this very simple moment.

It is my personal experience that awakening is more about letting go of knowing and being in the unknown than acquiring teachings. In surrender, you must let go of everything. There is that saying, if you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him. This is what I mean by not being able to "take any of the teachings with you."

[Shivani Devi]

By realising that nothing matters because everything is impermanent and constantly changing and then detaching from emotion.

I play a game of 'tug-of-love' with my spiritual sovereignty.

When I get bogged down, it's usually because I have forgotten what I am, or if not forgotten, conveniently pushed aside for social acceptability.

All my life, I have had to play by 'social rules' which were so totally unrealistic and idealistic, they did nothing but isolate me from society.

My parents were the old school "what will the neighbours think?" types...of course our neighbours hated us all anyway so what they already thought was irrelevant, but my parents never allowed me to express any individuality or creativity whatsoever because whatever I wanted to do was 'stupid' and 'ridiculous' because it wasn't what they would do.

Yeah, the other day...sitting naked, covered in ash chanting Sri Rudram and doing fire sacrifice...mum walks in on me goes "what the hell? how bloody stupid you look doing that" and I simply growled at her and told her to 'eff off'...straight out.

She backed off quicker than a magnet at reverse polarity.

Most of the time, I hide it...and I suffer terribly whenever I do, but often I get signs reminding me of my heritage and lineage and I dare not ignore them.

Yes, find yourself so you can BE yourself (as Lorelyen said) and if you find yourself as Kalabhairava....enough said.

[bluebird21]

Thanks Necro.

I disagree with what you said that nothing matters because everything is impermanent. It's just the ego that can fall into that trap of thinking...

Impermanence is just the nature of reality. Something doesn't have to last forever for it to matter. Many things matter, like being kind to our mothers who gave birth to us, despite all their flaws. ;)

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by bluebird21

Thanks Necro.

I disagree with what you said that nothing matters because everything is impermanent. It's just the ego that can fall into that trap of thinking...

Impermanence is just the nature of reality. Something doesn't have to last forever for it to matter. Many things matter, like being kind to our mothers who gave birth to us, despite all their flaws. ;)

Until they use that kindness as reinforcement to continue with all their judgmental attitudes and behaviours.

For me and in my path (Aghori), being spiritually sovereign means following my path and what I am, being true to myself despite myself. If that means I have to be unkind as a result of unwanted intrusion into my private practice, so be it. I do not bat an eyelid.

Thing is, people say 'be yourself' now, what if others don't like who you are, but you do and you are very happy and comfortable being that way, what of that?

Do you become who you are not to please others and allow yourself to get caught up in the web of samsara, or do you realise the illusion and impermanence for what it is and act accordingly?

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by bluebird21

Something doesn't have to last forever for it to matter.

Yet, humans act as if it does. If they approached every situation with "how's this going to be in a month's time?...a years time? five years from now?" they would see how farcical reacting to things they believe will 'last forever' is.

How many times have we built up scenarios in our minds, thinking something is going to be a certain way and react to what we have thought about it, only to realise that the 'worst case scenario' is no where near our own ideation of it, and in the end, bears little or no direct consequence or result to it?

It may not even happen like we think it will, but here we are, fully believing that the sky is gonna fall and exhibiting all the signs of anxiety and worrying like chicken little with it's head cut off thinking that it will. We have simply not allowed to let things just be, as they are - "reality" or "no reality".

Full spiritual sovereignty means to let go...fully let go. Let go of all concepts of 'mother' and 'daughter'. All concepts of 'politeness' and 'impoliteness' of 'god' and 'devotee' and just acting straight from the core.

As the Buddha said, become like an Island unto yourself, have yourself be your only refuge.

[ernie89]

Originally Posted by bluebird21

Hi all,

I'm on a roll here with my posts recently I have a question about becoming spiritually sovereign and would love some replys from those of you who have been on the genuine path of awakening for a while.

For very few of us is there one sudden and massive awakening that comes out of nowhere and is permanent... (Think Byron Katie, Eckhart Tolle, Ramana Maharshi). For most of us, it is a gradual process of remembering, helped along by friends and teachers and teachings and experiences which touch our hearts.

Both my awakening experiences have been "triggered" you could say by another person, one a lover, and another a teacher. Yes I did all the work, it was totally my process, but some how these people who inspired great True Love in me helped me remember who I am as both connections were deep and profound, as if meeting very very old friends.

I'm sure many of us have this experience of an awakening being triggered by a spiritual teacher or another person or even a teaching or practice.

How have you let go of believing in was that person, or that practice, which woke you up, stopped giving your power away, and realized YOU are the only one who can wake you up? As the Buddha said, become like an Island unto yourself, have yourself be your only refuge.

I am now working on becoming sovereign and not giving my power away. Realizing WHO I AM is what always wakes me up and I am my greatest teacher and guide. How have you/do you do this? What has helped you learn to deeply trust yourself? And why is it so lonely at a certain point on the path when you are becoming more independent and realizing you can't take anybody or even your favorite teachings with you? I feel deep loneliness right now, the opposite of what you'd hope ha!

Thank you for all replies.

Hi, I posted about the connection with the Inner Self on truthful way, the name of topic is:
"To connect with your superior intelligence and to obtain certain truths and guide"
This is a process you have to accept by yourself, being alone may not be easy because there are energetic connections with another people, and the society improves you to make these connections through your growing in life, the looking for inner happiness is an inverse process where the connection tends toward inside, so is hard because you have not the habit of find the joy inside, the real process of awakening to who you are inside may be painful for awhile, you need to let go the ego in the way he need external connections to feel good, ego need to get something from another people to feel better, he need to be considered, when that ego die, the Spirit inside you begins to manifest in your conscience, the process may be very slow, but if you really want it you have to be persistent and it doesn't mean you can't be related with another people, just cut dependence and be free from inside, if you haven't read the post I've posted, I recommend to you read it, there are methods to feel secure in the connection with who you are inside.