11 Reasons Why My Spiritual Progress Is Fast

I get many emails from readers expressing their amazement at how quickly my spiritual unfoldment is happening.

Yesterday, whilst I was meditating, I got an impulse to write about the reasons why this is the case. Thus I wrote this post in one sitting. I hope it will shed some light on what might be slowing down your own spiritual progress, or will serve to inform or inspire you on your spiritual journey.

So here are the eleven reasons why my spiritual progress is happening fast.

1. I’m watching myself as much as I can, even during falling asleep and waking up. 

This means that I watch myself when emotions arise, for example. Now emotions arise rarely, but sometimes they still do. This awareness of arisen emotions gives me a chance to stay detached from them. Because I don’t identify with them, they have no energy to feed on and soon evaporate. Observing this made me understand the empty nature of things like thoughts and emotions.

This also means that I watch how I react to events. Thus, I’m able to see the dark aspects of me which start dissolving because of my awareness. This awareness, for example, recently showed me that I still experience The Displeased Face Disease, about which I’ve written in this post.

2. I don’t have strong worldly ties.

I’m celibate, I live alone, I own no home and no expensive things. Therefore, my mind is not preoccupied with worldly stuff. Because of this, it naturally dwells on things higher – God. I cannot describe what bliss it is to have no worldly ties and allow the mind to dwell where it naturally would, if it wouldn’t be burdened by the ties of the world.

3. I sincerely want to know the truth.

I want to know the truth for the sake of truth, and not because of the desire for power, fame or something similar. What’s more, I want to know the truth because I see that people in this world are blind, and there are almost no one showing the way. Thus, if I can get liberated, I can be that Light which shows the way to many, and therefore save many from suffering. This is my genuine wish.

Don’t be fooled about the reason why you seek liberation. The ego can be really sly on this one, and hide the real reason from you. Even if you think you want liberation so that you could show the way to others, this could actually hide the wish for worldly fame and power.

Only if you are honest with yourself will you progress. So don’t be afraid to face the deep reasons for your aspirations. Because even if you find that the ego has fooled you, at least now you are aware of it, and this awareness will gradually dissolve this impurity. But if you choose to not examine such desires… well, this might pause your way to God.

Many, many people want liberation or to know the truth because they are slaves of the world. It’s unbelievable how few genuine spiritual seekers there are. Many lie to themselves that they want liberation for the sake of liberation, but they actually want to achieve this state because they are slaves to…

*pleasure (thus they perceive they’ll always be in a state of bliss)

*worldly fame (thus they think that upon liberation they’ll be worshiped)

*money (thus they think that since they’ll be masters of the world they’ll be able to acquire vast riches)

…and so on.

Unfortunately for them, these worldly desires, even if they aren’t acknowledged, will prevent one from gaining the ultimate liberation as they will keep one bound to the Earth’s sphere.

4. All my life is dedicated to realize the Self.

I don’t cheat God. I don’t have any other alternatives but liberation. When you leave yourself no alternatives, you eventually achieve what you desire.

I don’t settle for something of the world like a good-looking man or a large amount of money that would steal my attention (that’s why it’s said “Don’t have any other gods but Me”). God is always first and The Only One in my life. Jesus’ words “First ye seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness” constantly ring in my ears. They always keep me on the right road, because they outline the priorities perfectly.

Most people have their priorities wrong. They first seek things of the world, delaying their search for God; and then they get old and diseased because of continuous running after sense-pleasures. Eventually, strength leaves them, and they have no energy to reach the Ultimate; only then some understand their mistake, but then it’s too late.

5. I don’t lie to myself.

I analyze all my actions and intentions to find all the dark corners of my personality which prevents the Light of Truth from being realized within. This honesty allows the awareness to shine on the impurities and dissolve them. But if such traits aren’t even acknowledged, there’s no way for the light of awareness to reach them.

6. I don’t identify with the content of my consciousness.

I’m aware, yet not identified with the shows that the thinking mind creates in the form of desires, thoughts, emotions, imaginations, memories and so forth. They happen to me, but they are not me. Because I’m detached from these processes of the thinking mind, it keeps me centered. Being centered is an absolute requirement to realize the Self.

The mind must be kept in its Seat, so to speak. If you don’t watch, it will quickly identify with any passing thought or imagination. This keeps it outwardly-oriented, unable to perceive the Self.

7. I meditate and do yoga to still my mind and body.

Interestingly, shortly after the post about eating habits in which I told that I no longer did yoga, I had to resume this practice since I realized the importance of it. A still body helps to still the mind. After several months of no yoga my body’s muscles started to loosen and thus I wasn’t able to sit in meditation postures for as long as I used to. This made me realize the importance of keeping the body firm, as it helps to keep the mind still.

When the body is healthy and firm, it’s much easier to control the mind. The mind becomes naturally calmer, when the body can keep still for long periods of time.

8. I read genuine spiritual texts to inspire me and keep me on the right path.

Since I maintain the purity of thoughts and actions, I’m able to perceive which spiritual texts tell the truth and which don’t. I know some of my readers have this ability too. I mention these spiritual books in this post.

9. At the back of my mind there’s always a goal to realize the Divine.

Like a woman who recently gave birth to a child has a child in her mind no matter what she does, so is the thought of the Divine always with me. This serves like the best guide by keeping me on the right path.

Whatever desire is at the back of your mind, so your life will be shaped by it. Most people don’t consciously know this desire, but it’s easily seen by observing their actions. Thus look at your actions, and judge for yourself what’s the desire that drives them.

10. I don’t let world’s demands and events to influence me.

I don’t let world’s events to bully me into fear and submission. Knowing that the world is nothing but a dream of my Self, my actions happen not as a response to external events but flow from the impulse of the Self. This keeps me aligned with my true nature, effortlessly taking me to the Source of all.

11. I’ve found the right road to liberation.

After years of unconsciously and then consciously searching for the right road, I’ve found it. This only came as a result of wanting to know the truth for the sake of it.

If my wish wouldn’t be pure, I would fall for false gurus and false doctrines – because life is fair. And more – if my wish wouldn’t be pure, even if someone would tell me exactly how to reach liberation, the mind, darkened by selfishness, would wrongly interpret it. And thus it’s said that the truth is everywhere, yet only the worthy ones see it.

Here are some important concepts of the way which I’m following:

1. You are not a body living in this world. This world, including your body, is in You. The world is but a projection of your Mind. Not of the judging and the concept-forming mind (that’s ego), but of the Greater Mind which could also be called the Self, the Creator. The ego only appears when the Creator becomes identified with its creation.
2. Don’t get attached to anything you can perceive, as the perceiver cannot be the perceived. Thus, by getting attached to the perceived, you lose sight of who you really are.
3. Don’t identify with the happenings in your mind; they belong to the content of the dream that you are dreaming and are not You.
4. Be totally self-aware as much as possible, which also means living in the present moment.
5. Always be centered in your Self. Whatever happens, take your attention back into your Self. This will assure that you will only take right actions in response to situations, and eventually this will open your eyes to who you really are.
6. Keep at the back of your mind the wish to know God, or to know the truth, at all times. This will provide the best guidance and will save you from making mistakes. But if naturally the thirst for liberation isn’t yet there, worldly desires will reside at the back of your mind instead.

I’ve also written about this way to liberation in this post; it’s the way that was followed by the self-realized ones such as Buddha, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, Sri Adi Shankaracharya and Sri Ramana Maharshi; it’s the way written about in ACIM and followed by Saint Germain; it’s the way of Zen and Advaita Vedanta. Though all these sources talk about this way in different terminologies, they’re all telling the same thing.

Here’s another important thing…

If you wish only for your own salvation, you are truly on your own. Thus, there won’t be any Divine intervention, like to save you from some trouble. Buddha mentioned this too in Lankavatara Sutra. He also said that those who wish only for their own liberation cannot reach the highest stage of illumination.

However, if you honestly want to get liberated not for any selfish reason but for the benefit of all, many spiritual beings, like buddhas and saints, will help you and protect you. You may see them, you may feel them, you may feel greatly supported not knowing the reason why you have such a feeling, or other people may tell you that you are not alone on your journey. The entire world strives to help the selfless one.

Resource:/simonarich.com