Copied from “Foundations for the Spiritually Inclined“
In case you haven’t come across my first book, “Fuel for the Mind and Soul”, I collated seventy of my own original quotes and phrases from over a twenty-five year period. They all came about in their own unique way, but I couldn’t help but write the inspiration behind this one in particular…
Serve others needs as though they are your own
It was India, 1993.
On a cool mid-morning in the Ganeshpuri ashram, two hours from Mumbai, the ashram sprawled across what must have once been an empty expanse, now immaculately tendered, full of lush greenery and beautiful flora within its boundaries.
With open marble temples, meditation caves, statues of saints of every religion winding up beautiful pathways, vast food halls, sacred locations with the previous guru’s remains entombed and cared for with the greatest love and devotion, and the list goes on. Truly beautiful, a sacred place for so many, and for me as well. My eyes were opened to something special, and I knew I was fortunate to be there.
I sat in the marble floored courtyard with perhaps a hundred others, watching intently as the guru sat in her chair. Everyone’s eyes were transfixed, absorbed with an awareness and reverence that came naturally for each person there, each in their own way.
I had no intention of going up to the guru to be blessed with her peacock feathers, a tradition that went back generations, back to her own guru, Baba, and perhaps even to his guru as well, Bhagawan, and even earlier. I had already been “bopped” a day or two before.
This passing down of knowledge and power from the enlightened teacher to a reverent, devoted, and humble student is one example of a sacred and beautiful spiritual relationship that goes toward creating a “spiritual lineage”, but with the new and powerful spiritual time we are in now, this concept of a spiritual lineage has had its day, and has been made redundant.
From what I am aware, eastern spiritual teachings were foreign to most western appreciations, at least up until the early twentieth century when the great master Yogananda travelled to America, the first to bridge that continental divide, and B.K.S. Iyengar also brought his teachings to the west, and there are others too.
Mahatma Gandhi, a revered and highly respected spiritual (and political) figure, was tutored by Yogananda in spiritual ways as well. Forgive me for continuing on about such things! I find it all so fascinating!
Beautiful communities sometimes sprang up around these genuinely enlightened people, those devoted to them supported them and took care of their needs, buildings and ashrams were built for them, and students might have stayed so they could absorb the teachings, and follow the spiritual discipline that was prescribed.
People recognised and felt what these “spiritual masters” had to offer, something beyond the ordinary, something tangible that they could feel within themselves, without there being any doubt, where a positive change would then be the result. These spiritual teachers, masters of energy who were genuine in their intent, were treated as living treasures, and had other’s spiritual wellbeing as their highest priority.
So yes, in such cases, like with my guru then, it’s more than just an illusion, or someone taking advantage, or fraud. I had found myself guided to someone genuine.
It’s easy to be duped these days, and vigilance and having a healthy sense of scepticism are important qualities to have when starting off on any spiritual path.
There are so many spiritual figures, spiritual teachers, and spiritual leaders out there. It’s not all about how many followers they have, or how well their books have sold.
If the spiritual teacher or similar hasn’t healed themselves spiritually or ascended completely then their teachings are likely, if not certain to be off-the-mark, and acquiring a following may mean they create spiritual debts for themselves, and have lessons to learn as well, to the degree of how many they may have misled, and to what extent.
It has been my experience that it is much better being the tortoise rather than the hare, waiting until God guides, unmistakably, that it is the right time to “step out”, and from there, sharing any teachings that are needed.
I love the quote…
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear
It certainly happened with me, although these days, that has become redundant, as it is a case of each and every one of us teaching and healing each other.
With all the negativity in the world, as there is as I write this now, it’s a blessing when we are guided to the right people at the right time, who might take us to our next step towards and beyond enlightenment, to a life of true happiness, and more.
With that, even though we might not know we needed it when we did, or be able to see its merits at the time, being open to mysterious and synchronistic moments and reflecting on these when they happen will often, if not always, move us forward.
What is spirituality anyway? Love, fun, laughter, healing, empathy, inspiration, compassion, contemplation, insight, seeing the positive in everything, helping others, and trying to do the right thing, to name a few.
Back to the ashram’s courtyard…
Attentive in her presence, like I say, I was aware that I had already had that moment of being blessed by the peacock feathers. How much had those feathers seen? How many people had they graced? I don’t know, perhaps it’s a bit silly even wondering, the thought and question has only just crossed my mind as I write this now.
As I sat, it was time for me to take in and enjoy seeing other people’s blessings taking place, to take in the spontaneity, joy, and nervousness of it all, to be part of everything that was happening from just a short distance away, aware intuitively it would be something I would never experience or ever witness in person again.
Yet, I waited for something, perhaps a non-material spiritual gift for myself, perhaps I would have a spiritual experience that I could call my own, yet maybe just being there was enough, that there was no need to expect that I would receive any more, and that wish for something divine soon drifted away.
Instead, immersed and enjoying it all, I quietly and respectfully took in the scene, reliving the feeling of meeting the guru by seeing others experience it for themselves.
From what I recall photos were not allowed, and smartphones didn’t exist in the early 90’s, thank goodness!
Actually, with the non-existence of social media back then, I feel the benefits of that can’t be overstated, it was a much simpler and less instantly connected world. Wonderfully so. Saying that, I am also aware of the incredible usefulness and importance of technology in this day and age, when used for the right reasons, of course. But yes, a simpler world can be a better and more positive world, in many ways.
I was absorbed in the comings and goings, people entering to sit down, to be brought forward and introduced to the guru by one of the monks, and after having gained fulfilment as they needed it, moving to the side so the next person could receive their blessing. It was all so fascinating and spontaneous.
It’s strange yet wonderful to me how an “empty space” in the mind can give room for something truly divine to enter. When there is no expectation, something beyond inspiration can take place…
After perhaps half-an-hour of being lost in everything around me, what with the guru, the visitors, the blessings, the whole scene, within my mind in just one moment I received these words, with absolute clarity…
Serve others needs as though they are your own.
It was monumental for me, unmistakable, surely one of the most important reasons that I travelled 12,000 kilometres to India, not just to “hear” those nine words, but also to open me to new spiritual possibilities, and I knew that amongst all the beautiful experiences I was having while at the ashram, amongst all the blessings I had been receiving daily, I had been given a gift.
I will never forget that whole process, and I am taken back to that moment as I write this, as I was there and then, a recollection of that day, some simple words heard within the mind, nothing material, nothing I could hold in my hands or look at, but something I felt was far more valuable. It was tangible, something I could take wherever I went, something that would never leave me.
I held on to this phrase, knowing it mustn’t be forgotten, knowing that it could be forgotten, repeating it in my mind for however many minutes it was, and as soon as the guru had left and the time for blessings was over I rushed to find a pen and paper so those words would never leave me.
I asked myself where exactly did those words come from? Were they from God? Were they from the guru? When I contemplated that question, I recognised that those nine words were from the highest spiritual part of myself, my innermost Spirit, the ultimate aspect of divinity that we all have, that is always with us.
It was something to try and live up to, and people at the ashram actually commented on just how much I was changing, which surprised me. That’s what true spirituality and living with positive intentions does though. And often we’re not even aware that we’ve changed until someone lets us know.
I had feedback of the same kind while working at my computer job as well… “I don’t know what you’re doing, but keep doing it” a co-worker said to me. That was so wonderful – both surprising and unexpected, and those are the sorts of things that stay with you for a lifetime.
I can see why people say they gain the most profound inspiration and insight from seemingly nowhere. Albert Einstein and the singer Bono of the Irish rock band U2 made the same observation, where they spoke of where in one profound moment we can be mysteriously illuminated with knowledge of some kind, “What you don’t know you can feel it somehow”, as Bono sang, and “When an answer comes from nowhere when you least expect it”, as Albert Einstein remarked.
We all have those, of course, sacred and insightful moments, even though we might not see them as being spiritual in any way at the time, and perhaps some aren’t, but who is to say or know? The deepest part of ourselves knows, so I feel it’s all about tapping into that and getting some of our most meaningful answers that way, as well as receiving the answers that come to us when we don’t even try, like I say.
Focusing on other people, being aware of their needs and feelings as much as my own, as those words were guiding me to do, I know for many it’s second nature, but I often struggled with it, especially so back in my twenties, in fact I don’t think I could do it at all! But in recent times, dare I say, it’s been a little bit easier.
I have more faults than I care to consider, and as far as the world goes, well, I haven’t had a job in twenty years, my cooking and housekeeping skills are less than rudimentary, friendships are rare, and girlfriends and dating never really happened. Spending too much time seeking the truth, my truth, where divine inspiration moved me as it needed to. I’ll put it down to that.
Even if there were people who were enlightened “golden dewdrops” out there somewhere in the world, there shouldn’t be any need for them to claim that they were, or to allow themselves to be idolised. Wearing flowing robes and sitting on golden chairs is so outdated, as is not having the humility to accept that we might not know much, if anything of value spiritually, at all. There is so much ego, pride, and control.
It’s a much more positive thought, for me at least, that people can feel someone’s spiritual energy, and it comes across powerfully, which sparks some curiosity and interest naturally, without any effort or self-promotion, then God can work His magic from there.
With this, to be a monk, nun, priest, guru, swami, Imam, pope, or whatever the religious title in life might be, where a person sets themselves up as higher and more divine than others and that everyone else is below them, that their way is the only way, spiritual lessons and karmic debts are often, if not always the result. It’s a slippery slope. We are all equal in God’s eyes, and this is what needs to be taught.
I will always be grateful to my then guru, she introduced me to new spiritual concepts, and I had many wonderful spiritual experiences as well. There was so much mystery though – we all thought she was completely beyond fault, divine in every possible way, and all-powerful. An illusion that was encouraged. We were all duped in that respect, and I have seen it elsewhere too.
Falling for the “bow to the guru” trap, as I did then, God barely got a mention, and when He was mentioned, it was all very awkward.
A person new to spirituality who is made to feel that they are a lesser being when following someone who claims they are a spokesperson for the divine, where in fact this so-called teacher is someone who allows themselves to be promoted as enlightened, ascended, gifted, or whatever, purely for ego’s sake when they are nothing of the sort, the person new to spirituality might find nothing truly spiritual or positive with what they have come across, where the might become confused and lose their inner direction, or even worse, they might end up being controlled.
When the curtain was finally pulled from my eyes it was the revelation of my life, and I cried healing tears for minutes as years of subservience and illusion was dissolved.
Thank God the opportunity for me to become a monk went nowhere – I had a job to go back to, after all, and it was never in my destiny anyway, so it was never going to happen.
But yes, why be stuck living in an ashram, monastery, or convent? Or find yourself reciting prayers and meditating forever? What do you get from that anyway? I couldn’t think of anything worse, to be honest. Better to roam around free from constraints, if possible, enjoying all the good things the world has to offer, even just the simple things, letting your divinity shine through just by being yourself – and finding the inspiration, confidence, and trust to be where you need to be at just the right time, and above all to have fun!
Everyday locations like a café, shopping centre, or market as examples can reveal the mysteries of the Universe, the profundity of the heart and mind, and provide stillness, serenity, and guidance as well – all in the busiest of places.
Being calm amongst “chaos” is an example of spiritual attainment, even though it might not seem spiritual in any way at all.
God works within us, and all around us in mysterious, synchronistic, and serendipitous ways, even though we may have no idea or appreciation of what is going on at the time. But then we have our intuition and inner direction to guide us and give us the understanding and insight that we might need, just when we need it most.
Thoughts come from emotions, not emotions coming from thoughts. From what I understand, that’s not the commonly accepted theory, it might even be blasphemy to some! As emotions settle and heal, with the emotions being a significant driving force and influence over everything about us, even in the most imperceptible way, the mind settles as well.
Thinking that calming the mind will calm emotions is a bit like pushing a tennis ball into water. The strength of the water, the emotions, will always be stronger than the ball, and will soon push the ball, the mind, to where it was before.
As long as there are unresolved issues, i.e. emotions that need healing, there will always be a clouded and unsettled mind. That is why trying to force the mind to be still during meditation will only have a temporary effect, and you’ll be back to where you were before you started.
On this note, it seems that with most meditation methods and instructions that I have come across (acknowledging my limited knowledge of what is actually available in the world), stilling or quietening the mind is one of the first things a person is instructed to do, and frustration can be the result, discouraging someone who is new to meditation, putting them off until their next brave attempt. It’s not how I teach meditation myself, for what it’s worth, and I know I’m not alone in this.
Just as we all have experiences that we remember and cherish, the perfect memories for the moment are waiting to be recalled when they are needed, out of the blue, which is often a mysterious and spontaneous process in itself.
For that month in India, I gained a collection of memories and spiritual highlights that I will always treasure, and I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to travel there.
Just as I received those nine words in that holy courtyard, inspirational thoughts that surface at just the right time will become commonplace for all of us as we travel on our healing journey to enlightenment and beyond, and we will become more aware that we are being supported spiritually by a benevolent and unconditionally loving Creator as well.
Treasured memories can stay with us for life, and if you subscribe to such ideas, beyond this lifetime as well.
This was my first quote, my first contemplation.
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