The paradox of spiritual realization
In life’s journey, the quest for spiritual realization often emerges as the ultimate enigma, a riddle wrapped in paradox and mystery. As seekers on the spiritual path, we oscillate between the poles of effort and grace, practice and spontaneity, all in a quest to unlock the treasure chest of our true nature. Yet, the key to this chest is as elusive as the concept of spiritual realization itself, inviting us to ponder: Can we ever truly ‘achieve’ realization, or is it a divine gift, a spontaneous arising from the depths of our being? This article delves into the intricate tapestry of spiritual realization, exploring the dynamic interplay between human endeavor and cosmic grace.
We seek reality, we long for the Beloved, we meditate, we pray – we do this and much more in attempts to find the truth, to get real, to return to our true nature and, yet, we are left with this – we can’t accomplish realization and enlightenment.
Realization, awakening, and enlightenment are not within cause and effect. Coming to the truth of this is difficult.
Here’s the rub…
There are occurrences of spontaneous awakening, but for the most part, we have to make the effort (spiritual practice) toward awakening, but our efforts will not result in awakening. Bummer, dude, the mind loves the possibility of the magic bullet of enlightenment.
We are continuing to engage and clarify the paradox of realization—the dynamic interplay between the view of practice and the view of grace. How do we reconcile the fact that we are responsible for our realization with the fact that realization happens on its own? We have been exploring different aspects of this question, this riddle. On one hand, we need to practice with commitment and to engage the work earnestly. On the other hand, realization is a spontaneous arising, a gift from the unseen world, a blessing. A. H. Almaas, Runaway Realization: Living a Life of Ceaseless Discovery, ch. 10
Every which way but loose
Every spiritual teaching and path addresses the issue of surrender, of letting go – of what? Everything.
But try as we might, our attempts and efforts at surrendering and letting go leave us in a state of – every which way, but loose. Once again, we’re in the riddle – we can’t surrender, we can’t let go, certainly not in the way we think this happens.
Our efforts of letting go are a “doing,” an activity of the ego, and the ego is what needs to go – our identification with ego as self needs to dissolve.
We can’t let go when we insist on being around for the experience of what happens after letting go!
Bottom line?
The situation is hopeless. All efforts are in vain, but we need to move our pile of rocks – again and again, and again before the ego can face the reality of its situation – doing doesn’t lead to being, and being can’t be done.
It seems clear that we should do our utmost to gain the necessary knowledge for living our lives—to have what we want, to do what is actually good, to live a happy life, to really find out the meaning of life, to actually solve the riddle. To accomplish these things we clearly need the correct knowledge. Otherwise we do things believing them to be what they are not, such as marrying someone believing we love them, when we really married them because they reminded us of our mother. – A. H. Almaas, Diamond Heart Book Three: Being and the Meaning of Life, ch. 10
The Interplay of Grace and Effort on a Nondual Path
The Power of Trust and Surrender
- The perspective of mercy or love and compassion, viewing everything in our spiritual work as a gift, can help us appreciate the abundance, freedom, and release that comes from our practice, even when we must work hard and be impeccable.
- The speaker describes a profound trust and faith in the universe, where everything is okay and will be cared for, even in difficult times.
- The speaker had a near-death experience where they felt a sense of complete freedom, peace, and ease in the darkness.
- The presence of blessings and trust in the spiritual dimension can contribute to faster healing and a sense of being taken care of, leading to better outcomes than expected when we relax and do our best.
- The experience of oneness and divinity can be a gift that cannot be obtained through personal effort or accomplishment.
- Recognizing the soul’s emptiness allows the heart to become a transparent window, revealing a radiant and dazzling darkness instantly recognized as the source of all blessings, grace, and knowledge.
Perspectives on Spiritual Progress and Transformation
- The experience of intense love and joy can be a powerful force that motivates us to willingly embrace pain and suffering to engage with life on earth fully.
- The speaker shares a personal experience of having polio as a child and sees it as a blessing rather than a trauma, highlighting the transformative power of perspective.
- The speaker emphasizes recognizing a higher power or consciousness responsible for personal growth and transformation rather than relying solely on individual effort.
- “I was recognizing compassion and things like that, so I’ll talk to my teacher, and he kept saying no, that’s not it. You’re wasting your time, and I always believed my teachers see.” – The speaker highlights the controversial idea that even when recognizing positive qualities like compassion, their teacher dismissed it, suggesting that there may be differing perspectives on what constitutes spiritual progress.
- The greatest gift is not recognizing our nature as absolute but being able to live in the world and act from the perspective of that absolute, experiencing true intimacy and sensitivity with others.