Theos-Talk Archives (October 1997 Message tt00148)

Peter Tryde's 'cry from the heart' regarding the apparently
irreconcilable demands of everyday living in the real world and
the stringent requirements of the spiritual path is one that I
have listened to in many parts of the world during my travels as
a TS lecturer.  In my book,'The Spiritual Path to Complete
Fulfillment' I attempt to bring the disciplines of Raja Yoga
within reach of 'ordinary people'.  Although the book offers both
theory and practice (some fifty exercises), I can give here an
indication of what people like Peter can do to enhance their
'accessibility' to spiritual sources.

It is a fact that many 'front ranked' spiritual path teachers
have given hints about the central requirement, but unless one is
very much on the alert those hints may be completely overlooked!
Here are a few found buried like jewels in much verbiage.

Mohammed said, 'Man is everywhere asleep, must he die before he
wakes?' Krishnamurti: Choiceless awareness is the key.  True
awareness is not aware that it is aware.  (paraphrased from 'The
Urgency of Change'.)

Tarthang Tulku, 'The purpose of visualization is to develop our
awareness so that whatever we do or wherever we go, we become
very mindful, and alert, like a deer's ear.'

The purpose of living is to achieve meaningful change of our
quality of consciousness.  Such change cannot be gained by short
cuts, but by prolonged effort.  It is not possible to hammer out
a horseshoe on a feather bed- a hard anvil is needed! It matters
little whether the effort is carried out by the old or the young
person; male or female; black brown, yellow or white; in an
ashram or hammer mill.  If our everyday habit of living is that
of virtual automation or conditioned patterns and responses, then
the impetus for change is scant, but true awarenss is true
alertness and every incident, every action comes under a focussed
spotlight of dispassionate attention- then the slow but
inevitable positive change in the whole self can take place.

Try this simple attention exercise if you wish.  Take a card and
write 5 on it.  Place it where you can see it throughout the day;
each time the occasion offers and you see the card try to
practice complete awareness to 5 minutes.  When you are sure that
you can do that well, turn the card over and write 10- repeat the
exercise, but now for 10 minutes.  Gradually increase the length
of time until you can manage one hour (without deluding
yourself).  From there on you can dispense with the cards and
simply try to life in all-day awarenss.  This ought to be done
against a background of a knowledge of high ethics- ethics which
are based on the simple dictum 'ahimsa' or 'harmless living'.  If
you have the opportunity, read the detailed requirements of the
first 'limbs' of Raja Yoga which are called 'yama' and 'niyama'.

That is as much as seems appropriate to an open forum like this
one.  I hope it is helpful.