"Be conscious of what is around you - it all wants to speak to you."
"The spiritual practitioner is striving to see things as they really are, not as they seem."
Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche
Sacred Teachings
Spiritual Path
What is the Spiritual Path?
The spiritual path is a journey of love, service and inner reflection. It strengthens your connection to Source and helps you discover your True Self. It is a journey toward enlightenment.
When the spiritual path arrives, it has often followed a sense of dissatisfaction with your current life, a realization that material trinkets or romantic adventures don't provide the lasting happiness you may have sought. There is often a sense of emptiness before the higher path arrives, a yearning for something more meaningful, a vague or sometimes pronounced feeling that there has to be something "more" out there, something with deeper meaning, satisfaction and joy - something beyond yourself and your own personal needs and desires. As the spiritual yearning grows, your own needs and desires tend to seem increasingly petty and unimportant. A new desire emerges, a higher desire to help others, to be of service beyond your personal needs, to help make the world a healthier, happier place.
Some people want to be seen while walking a spiritual path. They may yearn for attention or acknowledgment of their achievements, generosity or spiritual abilities. The true spiritual path, however, is marked by humility and selfless service. There is no sense of "work" on the path, as everything is done in service to a Higher Source. There is no show, no play for attention, no games or drama. The true spiritual path is a relationship between you and Source. Ultimately, there is no one else.
Floating through life in an ungrounded fog of imagined bliss is not effective. The spiritual path requires disciplined and grounded application of the Higher Teachings. In living the Higher Teachings as consistently as possible, eventually and with Grace, the higher consciousness of these teachings can become your true nature. These Higher Teachings can be found in all genuine spiritual lineages, and include wisdom such as, Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray; Exercise compassionate detachment; Understand that nothing is permanent; Perform acts of selfless service; Release all expectations and judgments; Do not reach for the fruits of your actions or give with strings attached; Give away that which you need most; Release all desires; Speak and act only with love; All perception is projection, so see everything you experience as a mirror of yourself and do not project onto others; Forgiveness is good, forgetting is better.
Traveling the spiritual path is an ongoing process. There are many levels of consciousness and signposts along the way. It is the journey, not the destination, that brings the most valuable treasures. The spiritual journey is demanding, but it is the highest path and an honor to traverse.
