Let no one miss his daily appointment with God. The
mind may suggest the movies or some other distraction; but when the time comes
for God each day, keep that holy engagement. (Paramahansa Yogananda)
Are you experiencing a lag in your
spiritual life? Have you been practicing for a long time and consider yourself
a spiritual veteran, but are lacking in enthusiasm? Are you new to meditation,
but can’t seem to commit to a regular practice? The intention to have a daily
spiritual practice is a good first step, but it is not enough. Your intention
has to be combined with the will to
practice. And how do you cultivate will? If you want to succeed at something
but do not know how, then your intention is useless. Intention and will must
marry if you want to be successful in spiritual transformation.
Will is defined as the mental power
to control and direct your thoughts and actions, or a determination to do
something, despite the difficulties and opposition that may stand in the way; challenges,
obstacles, and distractions do not take you off course. Your time together with
God is a sacred commitment.
The part of you that calls you to
conscious practice is your soul. The soul asks you to enter into communion with
spirit. The soul provides the spark that ignites your spiritual will and
repeatedly calls you to spend time together with God. Knowing the difference
between investing in the self and investing in the soul is a key to spiritual
fulfillment.
Qualities
of the Self
At a gross
level, the self is very obvious or noticeable; it is a material being, and
it vibrates at lower frequencies.
The head
guides the self. It is rational and analytical; it draws conclusions and “makes
sense.”
The self is composed of personality, a combination of characteristics, actions, and
qualities that are presented to be perceived and received by others.
The self is resistant.
The personality/ego wants to have its own way, and if it does not get its way,
it rails against or is resistant to “what is.”
The self makes every effort to exert control over circumstances, using its
power to direct outcomes or manipulate authority.
The self is attached
to its personal expectations of how things should look or be.
Qualities
of the Soul
The soul exists at a subtle level. It is difficult to perceive or understand from
without. It lives in the world of spirit, and it vibrates at higher
frequencies.
The soul knows that the self is not the initiator,
and it surrenders to what is. It
yields or acquiesces to a higher authority.
The soul accepts
and consents to receive circumstances just as they are, without any
manipulation, resistance, or control.
The soul is characterized by radical faith and the willingness to risk. It is not attached to
how things should look or be, but has complete trust and confidence in the
guiding power of spirit.
The feeling
center is a vibrational organ in the etheric constitution which emanates
from the soul and informs the intuitive self, guiding and directing one’s action
and non-action in the world.
The initiate
is one who, by choice, abdicates personal fulfillment and submits to the
guidance of the soul in order to serve something greater than oneself.
Choosing to align with an aspect of
yourself that is already connected with spiritual will, or to the soul, is like
sailing on smooth waters. Spiritual momentum carries you on the current, and
there is effortless effort.
The small self is governed by ego. The ego is driven by patterns, programs, and behaviors that exist in our unconsciousness. To even contemplate the existence of the soul becomes very powerful because, as you self reflect, there is an opening to consciousness. This is how you begin the inner journey from darkness to light, from unconsciousness to consciousness.
As you nurture the qualities of the
soul, the spiritual will grows within you and you are no longer seduced by
distractions. Distractions are like water being poured onto fire. Embody the
qualities of the soul: intuition, surrender, faith, acceptance, and
non-attachment. Each one is like a seasoned piece of wood that feeds the fire.
The fire burns up all resistance. Without resistance, you live in the flow of
light. All you have to do is let the light in.
By stopping regularly to look within
and become aware, you stay connected to the source of your actions and thoughts
and can therefore guide them with intention. This nurtures the spiritual will, a
steadily burning fire within you that provides light, warmth, and
transformation. Something extraordinary begins to happen as you kindle and feed
the fire of will through your intention. Your spiritual will brings you ever
closer to the divine current. As you
experience the divine current, you merge with divine will. Divine will is
experienced as effortless effort, as love loving through us. It is here, in the
merging of your individual spiritual will with
divine will, that true transformation happens.
As you realize the divine current,
your soul understands what “Thy will be done, not mine,” really means. You
experience the ecstatic flow of love and support that holds you all the time.
You understand that it has always been, is, and always will be there. In the
past, when you did not feel it, it was because you left it; it did not leave
you. Now, because you have tended the fire of spiritual will and created the
experience of union, you will be sustained at all times, in all places, and
under all circumstances. Blessed Be.