One’s attitude towards daily life, understanding of the self, freedom to express inner qualities, clarity in spiritual realization, and differentiation from psychotherapy play significant roles in human maturity and liberation.
The Diamond Approach is a wisdom path leading to human maturity and liberation. It is a unique blend of spiritual and psychological work that does not separate these aspects from physical everyday life and scientific investigation. The approach is based on the essential nature of Reality, encompassing the essence of three disciplines that developed from it.
Attitude in Self-Realization and Spiritual Work
- Integration of Everyday Life: The Diamond Approach emphasizes the integration of everyday life into true nature. It supports living a personal life in relationships and engaging in human activities besides spiritual practice. The attitude towards daily life is seen as a part of spiritual realization, where daily life can become a spiritual realization. This approach recognizes the importance of down-to-earth, practical, and personal forms relevant to everyday life.
- Ego and Soul Understanding: The Diamond Approach explores the relationship between the ego, soul, and true nature. The ego is seen as a historical, mostly mental structuring of the soul, while the soul is considered the bridge between the ego and true nature. The attitude towards understanding the self, including the ego and soul, is vital in this approach, as it leads to a deeper connection with true nature.
- Freedom to Express Inner Qualities: The approach emphasizes bringing realization, presence, compassion, clarity, and understanding into interaction with others. The attitude of freedom to express inner qualities such as love, joy, kindness, strength, intelligence, and sensitivity is seen as a sign of true inner freedom and enlightenment. This freedom is not abstract but is related to how individuals interact with others.
- Spiritual Realization and Self-Realization: In the Diamond Approach, spiritual states require disidentification from psychic structures, and self-realization means the absence of these structures. Full self-realization or enlightenment requires the complete dissolution of all psychic structures. The attitude towards understanding the nature of spiritual realization and protecting its purity is emphasized, and the approach recognizes that teachers of various degrees of competence and maturity can guide individuals in their spiritual quest.
- Differentiation from Psychotherapy: The Diamond Approach differentiates itself from psychotherapy, emphasizing that it is not for treating mental disorders. While it acknowledges that spiritual work may have psychotherapeutic elements, the attitude toward understanding the difference between psychotherapy and spirituality is crucial. The Diamond Approach is clear that it is not a therapy but a spiritual path.
You can develop a different attitude towards your experience. You can listen to it, and learn what it’s like to come from a different perspective. You can experience the melting sweetness of love, for instance, and also listen to what else is happening along with that experience. “My girlfriend seems to be mad at me but I still feel I love her. That’s strange. Usually when she’s mad at me I can’t stand it, but today she’s mad at me and I’m not upset at all. In fact, I love her more. I can see and understand why she’s angry. She’s obviously hurt.” You start thinking about a friend who was gossiping about you. You were mad at him. You wonder what happened to your anger. “When I think about him I just feel sweet. Isn’t that something? Strange, I’m supposed to hate him but I just feel sweet. But wait a minute! It’s not just him, it’s everybody! I feel this love toward everybody. Usually I like somebody only if they’re nice to me. But now it doesn’t seem to matter if some people are nice to me or not. It’s all the same thing. I feel the same toward all of them. That’s pretty strange, isn’t it?” – Diamond Heart Book Two: The Freedom to Be, ch. 3