Because It's the Truth
I’ve noticed that there are three types of motivations for being on a path of spiritual awakening, and that the motivation determines how easy the path is for the student. You may have more than one motivation, and over time your motivation may change. In fact, the third motivation below is the one you have to have to let go of ego and the world, and to fully remember that only God is Real.
The first motivation is the avoidance of pain. This is a negative motivation because you are not pulled toward something that attracts you, but you are pushed by something you wish to avoid. This is the least successful of the motivations because the ego interprets a path of spiritual awakening as one of sacrifice. So if you are already in pain it seems at first as though you are simply choosing another form of pain. You can get through this if you understand that you are not being asked to sacrifice but to give up all pain. But it’s much easier when you have a positive goal as well.
The second motivation is the desire for lasting peace. This one would seem to be the same as the first one, but it’s subtly different. A goal that pulls you toward it is a much more effective motivator than one that is about avoidance. Peace is a reward in itself.
The third motivation is the most effective, and the most essential. It is the desire for Truth because It is the Truth. It is hard, if not impossible, to give up what is real to you. It is much easier to let go of what you recognize is an illusion. When you realize that only God is Real it is natural that you will detach from what is not real - the ego and the world. Of course, there is a transition phase where you feel that you have two realities – ego and God. But the awareness that God is Real, even if you have not fully accepted that only God is Real, gives you some place to go when you let go of ego.
Of course you want to avoid pain and you want peace. You may be tempted for a long time to try to reconcile God and the ego/world by using your relationship with God to improve your ego experience in the world. But this must give way to the awareness that there can only be one Truth, and that is God. The more open you are to God, the more time you spend with God, the more you will realize that only God is Real. You will want the Truth because It’s the Truth. And then your path will become much easier.
The first motivation is the avoidance of pain. This is a negative motivation because you are not pulled toward something that attracts you, but you are pushed by something you wish to avoid. This is the least successful of the motivations because the ego interprets a path of spiritual awakening as one of sacrifice. So if you are already in pain it seems at first as though you are simply choosing another form of pain. You can get through this if you understand that you are not being asked to sacrifice but to give up all pain. But it’s much easier when you have a positive goal as well.
The second motivation is the desire for lasting peace. This one would seem to be the same as the first one, but it’s subtly different. A goal that pulls you toward it is a much more effective motivator than one that is about avoidance. Peace is a reward in itself.
The third motivation is the most effective, and the most essential. It is the desire for Truth because It is the Truth. It is hard, if not impossible, to give up what is real to you. It is much easier to let go of what you recognize is an illusion. When you realize that only God is Real it is natural that you will detach from what is not real - the ego and the world. Of course, there is a transition phase where you feel that you have two realities – ego and God. But the awareness that God is Real, even if you have not fully accepted that only God is Real, gives you some place to go when you let go of ego.
Of course you want to avoid pain and you want peace. You may be tempted for a long time to try to reconcile God and the ego/world by using your relationship with God to improve your ego experience in the world. But this must give way to the awareness that there can only be one Truth, and that is God. The more open you are to God, the more time you spend with God, the more you will realize that only God is Real. You will want the Truth because It’s the Truth. And then your path will become much easier.
Comments