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SPIRITUAL LIFE
Nathan Gill writes about the subject of Clarity.Spiritual life has no relevance to clarity. Spiritual life appears as part of the play of life along with the material, mental, emotional and any other parts of the play. Spiritual life often becomes confused as a pre-requisite to clarity because of what appears in the play as an evolution through progressively 'higher' or finer stages of life, with the individual character's attention appearing to be focused in one or more of the areas of life, and then maybe ascending to the next.
The ordinary character, occupied with all the usual affairs of human life, perhaps becomes interested in religion or 'self-improvement'. There could be a movement into 'spiritual ' life and maybe an interest in the non-duality of Advaita.
This progression is not necessary for clarity to appear. It could appear at any time in any character in the play. None of the various parts or apparent stages in the play of life has any ability to produce clarity.
Clarity arises spontaneously of it's own accord. Consciousness suddenly knows itself. Suddenly becomes aware of itself in and as the play of life. Advaitic knowledge has no more special ability to create a condition for clarity to appear than any other part of the play of life.
Spiritual life sees the individual as separate from God or Consciousness, and has as it's goal re-union.
As a means to achieve this spiritual goal of re-union with the divine an array of exotic techniques and methods have been formulated to 'purify' the individual, to get rid of the ego, to calm the mind and emotions etc.
The fundamental point being missed at every stage of the individual's spiritual quest is that the individual - being played by you, who are Consciousness - is already That. Nothing will make the seeker any more what he or she already is.
The search and all the methods and techniques employed are there for no more reason than any other part of the play. They arise for their own sake as part of the play.
Clarity can occur in anyone at any time with no spiritual 'qualifications'. Consciousness in the form of a person sitting in a lotus posture, visualising a purple light in their genitals, breathing the universe into the solar plexus, chanting 'Om' and ascending up the spine into the thousand petalled lotus, has no more chance of God union than the drug-addict in the ghetto. Consciousness, God, is already perfectly present in either case.
Spiritual Life imposes many conditions on the 'impure' and 'separate' individual. Special meditations, appropriate behaviour, ceremonies, diets, sexual conduct, the destruction of the ego, stopping thinking, finding the stillness, to name a few.
Consciousness, already being Consciousness in whatever form it appears, has no need of a vegetarian diet, celibacy, tantric sexuality, meditation or Gurus. Consciousness already is all of these things. If you like chanting, meditation and eating vegetarian food, or practising tantric sex then that's all fine. It won't help you realise God, which is what you already are.
The individual's attention could move to exotic planes and realms, see the continual creation and dissolution of the universe at the atomic level and experience the eternal ecstatic cosmic union of Siva and Shakti. But, when you get back, don't forget to go to work on Monday, pay the electricity bill and clean the toilet.
You-Consciousness also appear in your play as individuals playing the roles of teachers, masters, or gurus. Often the individual may have had a transcendental event or a still occurring one, which the individual believes is his or her 'enlightenment'. If the individual was already following a guru of their own or a certain teaching, it is likely that the beliefs and methods that appeared to lead up to the transcendental event, his or her 'enlightenment' - will now be passed on to the individual's followers as 'the truth'.
Some of these 'masters' are very charismatic and some may have various siddhis or yogic powers, including the ability to induce blissful experiences in the disciple or devotee via shaktipat. All this of course, is a very strong attraction to the devotee. There is nothing wrong with any of this. All of it is the perfection of the play. Carry on with it. Have fun. None of it leads to clarity.
NATHAN GILL
"I know who I am. I am no longer looking for myself. The only 'benefit' that can be ascribed to clarity in the life of the individual is that the struggle of the 'spiritual' search is finally over."
NATHAN GILL
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