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Mudrashram Institute of Spiritual Studies |
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The
Workman
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Getting Stuck on the Path |
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By George A. Boyd ©2004 Much of humanity does not know about or know how to use transformational methods that unfold the ensouling entity. As a result, their spiritual evolutionary engine unfolds via the methodical working through of karma. Karmic driven unfoldment, in an otherwise virtuous life, may unfold the ensouling entity between five and twelve nodal points in their lifetime. Augmenting techniques such as process meditation, depth work with the unconscious through psychotherapy and hypnosis, or prayer coupled with repentance and character reformation may allow some individuals to work through karma more expeditiously. This may add between 10 and 30 nodal points to that granted by karmic dispensation for those who are assiduous and dedicated to their regimen of inner work and self-examination. Individuals who have access to transformational methods and/or the Light Immersion ministry of an Initiate may make progress at a greatly accelerated rate above karmic dispensation and that afforded by augmenting techniques. Those who practice these methods may amazingly traverse up to thousands of nodal points in their lifetime. Some individuals, in spite of their access to a transformational method or a Grace-Bestowing Initiate, do not move forward on their path. Reasons for cessation of their onward progress include the following:
The Workman Must Rightly Use His ToolsIf a transformational technique is not used properly, the energy of the Spirit does not descend to burn away karma from the tracks of the vehicles, the active nuclei of identity and the ensouling entity. There is no effect from using the technique and there is no activation of the spiritual evolutionary engine. If a transformational technique is learned and practiced correctly, but infrequently, there is little net effect of using the technique. Here only a small enhancement of spiritual evolution beyond karmic dispensation can be discerned. The Question of Saving FaithMany individuals assume that because they believe in and pray to the Master and Savior of their religious faith that they will automatically transformed by the Grace of the Divine. They believe they will be "saved", "raptured", or "translated" with little effort on their part other than singing hymns, reading scriptures, chanting mantras or slokas, doing good works and charity, and doing ritual worship ceremonies. We point out that not all Initiates perform a ministry that effects Grace-Bestowing transformation. [See the article on this web site, The Impact of Spiritual Ministry on Karma. Specifically, this article points out that only First Ray and Fourth Ray ministry actively works to effect spiritual transformation; Sixth Ray if the Initiate works at a Transcendental band of the Great Continuum of Consciousness. Also see the section below, Grace at Other Octaves]. Honoring Mission or VowWhen individuals do not fulfill their mission or spiritual vows, at some point they may be mired in their tracks, unable to move forward until they fulfill the commitment that they made. Here are some examples of missions and vows, which if abrogated, may stop forward progress. A service project on behalf of a religion or spiritual group. This may involve founding an institution or managing it. It may take the form of supervision, teaching or counseling members of the group. It may express as formulation of sacred or guidance writings, e.g., scriptures or commentaries, or metaphysical treatises. It may mean presenting or promoting these teachings to the world, or bringing others to the faith. It may appear as administrative, fundraising, advocacy, or consulting activities on behalf of the organization. [This type of abrogation occurs when this service project is a mission given to your Soul, and you do not carry it out. It does not apply, for example, when you voluntarily join a Church, take a job there, or go there with your parents growing uphere your affiliation with the organization is completely within your liberty. There is no mandate for you to be there when you act under your liberty: you come and go as you please.] A spiritual vow to practice certain moral vows given with initiation (diksha) or upon the bestowal of renunciant status (sannyas, holy orders). Here you are called to observe these ethical restraints at all times with an aim to obtain purity, holiness, and ultimately the perfection of saintly virtues. [Failure to abide by these vows can lead to a "spiritual fall." It may also yield pointed karmic lessons aimed to correct the wayward behaviorand if reformation is still not forthcominga karmic destiny where you are forced to confront the broken vow as part of your Pralabdha Karma, every day of your life]. A spiritual vow to return to serve humanity utilizing powers you have gained on your upward spiritual journey. [Failure to honor your "bodhisattva vow" typically results in freezing of your forward progress on the path until you honor your sacred pledge]. A promise to carry out specific work for a spiritual teacher that aims to promote these teachings or preserve this spiritual legacy for the world. [Failure to honor a vow to a spiritual Master may result in freezing of forward progress. This may also lead to karmic retribution. In this type of karmic retribution, you experience inexplicable failure to achieve your goals or aspirations despite your best efforts, and may endure much suffering as a result.] A mission to become an initiating and ministering teacher in a spiritual tradition. [If you are given a Divine destiny (Kalam), a directive by the Divine (Hukum) or your supervising Initiate (Agya) to assume this role, and you fail to carry this out, you may become stuck on the path until you fulfill it. If the act results in a serious disruption of the Divine Plan by your failure to cooperate, this may result in a "spiritual fall", while another individual will be chosen, prepared and empowered to take your place.] A mission to adopt a throne of Mastery within a lineage and carry on its teachings to a new generation. [If a Guru or Sat Guru selects you to be a successor in their lineage, and you do not accept, like a refusal to become an initiating teacher, you may become stuck on the path until you fulfill it. If the act results in a serious disruption of the Divine Plan by your failure to cooperate, this may also result in a "spiritual fall", while another individual will be chosen, prepared and empowered to take your place.] A mission to become a channel, mouthpiece or prophet for a new spiritual dispensation. [In this event, if you don't bring forward the new revelation of Divine Truth or bring forth your Divinely appointed teaching for humanity at its proper time, the impact on humanity in the current time and succeeding generations may be considerable. Consider what the world would be like if Jesus has refused to do His ministry, if Mohamed had spurned the Angel Gabriel, or Buddha gave up on his quest for Enlightenment. If you are adamant about refusing a Divine Election to act as a Prophet, you may look forward to a spiritual fall, being frozen on the Path, and having another chosen to replace you. Often, if the dispensation you refuse to carry out was meant to have wide-ranging effects, your heinous sin may qualify you for sufficient karmic obscuration to merit rebirth outside the realm of human birth (transmigration).] If a mission is karmicly ordained (Kalam), given as a commandment by your supervising Initiate (Agya) or under the Divine Will (Hukum), the responsibility for this mission cannot be refused or abandoned without eventual accountability. Breaking a vow, moreover, may create karmic repercussions that may follow the individual through several lives until the virtue is re-established through personal suffering, repentance, and self-reformation. Sowing Dragon's TeethSpirituality cannot be lived only one day a week while in Church, Synagogue, Mosque, or Temple, and then abandoned the rest of the week for a libertine life dedicated to sensual enjoyments, criminal activities, or wantonly harming other living beings. Such activity creates as much or more negative karma than transformational practice can erase. The net effect is similar to trying to dig out from a mudslide when more mud continues to pour in to replace the mud that has just been taken out. Heinous crimes can produce sufficient negative karma to eclipse years, if not lifetimes of patient and dedicated spiritual labor. They result in a spiritual fall. If sufficient karmic obscuration is accrued from the deed, it can lead to rebirth in lower species (transmigration). Examples of these heinous crimes include:
Grace at Other OctavesWhile many spiritual teachers may offer a Grace-Bestowing ministry, the opportunity to use transformational techniques, or both, these may produce their effects at octaves other than your cutting edge. In this scenario, the net effect on spiritual evolution at your cutting edge may be absent or negligible, while effects on other tracks of karma at other foci of spirituality may be dramatic. Here, though you make little or no progress at your cutting edge, you may experience many ecstatic visionary experiences, undergo character reformation, develop virtues and spiritual powers, and gain great knowledge and wisdom. If you proceed in this path to its culmination, you may even gain the ability to guide, teach, minister and initiate at this octave. This work at inappropriate octaves of Being does have drawbacks, however. Serious imbalances, personality disorders, and even psychosis have been precipitated in those individuals who open tracks into these other skies. Those who ignore the mandate of Alaya often do so at their peril. Getting Honest with YourselfIf you find you are not making measurable forward progress on your spiritual path, it is important to dispassionately examine yourself to see if you might be sabotaging your inner work through the ways we have discussed above. In this self-examination, you must be completely honest with your self. You may wish to ask yourself questions like these suggested below to look at these potential causes of lack of spiritual progress. What is the priority of spiritual growth and development in my life? Do I sincerely want to make genuine spiritual progress in this life? What do I need to do to achieve this? What is my genuine cutting edge of spirituality? Might I be doing work at other octaves of Being that have contributed to imbalance or disruption of my personality functioning? Have I compromised my self-direction and authentic ownership of my life through involvement in a cult? What is the effect of the spiritual practices I am doing? Are these practices producing forward movement on the path, or am I just running in place? Do my practices I am using produce Initiationtransformation at the level of my ensouling entityor do they yield something else? If they are genuinely transformational in nature, am I practicing them correctly so I am gaining optimal benefits from their use? Am I breaking any sacred vows? Am I not fulfilling my Divinely ordained mission? What might be the consequences of making this choice? Am I engaging in any activity that may be causing great harm to myself? To my family? To friends and others known to me? To any social groups, institutions or organizations? To any nations? To any international collective groups (religions, ethnic or racial groups)? Am I willing to stop doing this activity? Can I make amends for the harm I have done to others or myself? Is my spiritual Mater or Savior genuinely moving my essence forward on the path, or am I simply hoping this will happen if I believe and follow the dictates of my faith? Could I be deceiving myself? Does my Master or Savior even practice a transformational ministry? If yes, how might I prepare myself to receive this attunement? If you will persist in this truth-seeking inquiry, you may succeed in breaking through your own protective defense mechanisms that keep you from seeing your spiritual life as it is. In this ensuing understanding, you may not only find the truth about your self, but more: you may discover in this process your true path, your Soul's mission and purpose, and the perfect harmony that is your own Dharma. May you be guided in your quest to find your true Soul purpose and mission. May you change what you can and must. May you find the Grace to accept what you cannot change.
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