“Spirituality is the awareness of the oneness that underlies duality and difference, as each outward action reveals the interconnected presence of the holy. It is neither partial nor selective, filling each and all. A person may be more or less conscious of the sacred in every day; she or he may even deny or reject it. But spirituality is the primordial stuff of existence and therefore is always present. A feeling of oneness with life, deep empathy and compassion, genuine selfless love, and an abiding trust in the unfolding of reality are marks of a spiritually aware temperament.”
— Beverly Lanzetta, Radical Wisdom: A Feminist Mystical Theology
I feel deeply captivated by the similarities between Advaita Vedanta (in the Hindu tradition) and mystical Christianity – basically the teachings of non-dualism in these two great religious traditions (which also exist in other religions and spiritualities). For example, Yoga means union with Divinity. The practices and ultimate goal of both Yoga and Christianity is union with God.
This morning as I was praying the Office of Readings in the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours for today, I encountered a beautiful reading from a homily by St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – 394). Here is an excerpt:
“.. . [F]rom the Lord’s saying: Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God, we are to learn that blessedness does not lie in knowing something about God, but rather in possessing God within oneself.
“I do not think these words mean that God will be seen face to face by the man who purifies the eye of his soul. Their sublime import is brought out more clearly perhaps in that other saying of the Lord’s: The kingdom of God is within you. This teaches us that the man who cleanses his heart of every created thing and every evil desire will see the image of the divine nature in the beauty of his own soul. I believe the lesson summed up by the Word in that short sentence was this: You have within you a desire to behold the supreme good. Now when you are told that the majesty of God is exalted above the heavens, that his glory is inexpressible, his beauty indescribable, and his nature transcendent, do not despair because you cannot behold the object of your desire. If by a diligent life of virtue you wash away the film of dirt that covers your heart, then the divine beauty will shine forth in you.
“Take a piece of iron as an illustration. Although it might have been black before, once the rust has been scraped off with a whetstone, it will begin to shine brilliantly and to reflect the rays of the sun. So it is with the interior man, which is what the Lord means by ‘the heart.’ Once a man removes from his soul the coating of filth that has formed on it through his sinful neglect, he will regain his likeness to his Archetype, and be good. For what resembles the supreme Good is itself good. If he then looks into himself, he will see the vision he has longed for. This is the blessedness of the pure in heart: in seeing their own purity they see the divine Archetype mirrored in themselves.
“Those who look at the sun in a mirror, even if they do not look directly at the sky, see its radiance in the reflection just as truly as do those who look directly at the sun’s orb. It is the same, says the Lord, with you. Even though you are unable to contemplate and see the inaccessible light, you will find what you seek within yourself, provided you return to the beauty and grace of that image which was originally placed in you. For God is purity; . . . . Once purified, you see things that others cannot see. When the mists of sin no longer cloud the eye of your soul, you see that blessed vision clearly in the peace and purity of your own heart. That vision is nothing else than the holiness, the purity, the simplicity and all the other glorious reflections of God’s nature, through which God himself is seen.”
Christians sometimes argue whether the ultimate goal of union with God is attained through human effort or through the grace of God. The answer, as Advaita Vedanta also agrees, is BOTH. Union doesn’t happen by magic. Our various spiritual practices and disciplines are necessary to predispose us to the work of God’s grace within us. May we all attain the goal of life in this world, and share our peace and joy with the world!
Looking through old journals today, I came across this entry from May 17, 2011:
There is no point to life other than to achieve union with God — which requires many lifetimes to free ourselves from the delusions of this world. We don’t remember our past lives because, for the most part, we make the same mistakes over and over again in each life just as we tend to repeat mistakes in this life. The average person would become very discouraged if he/she knew about this.
Everything in this world, including organized religion, is a delusion. Some delusions, such as our work or our family relationships can actually move us closer to union with God if we can participate in them without attachment. Highly advanced (spiritually) souls are able to see all of this (including their past lives) without becoming discouraged, and without falling into sadness, depression, or despair.
I received this profound insight (as stated above) when I awakened this morning [5/17/11]. Perhaps I was in a superconscious state very briefly when transitioning from sleep to the waking state. For a moment, I understood everything about this life, everything about karma, rebirth, delusion, and the goal of union with God. I understood it all without words, so it’s hard to explain it in words. I felt very calm and peaceful in seeing this. There was no sense of fear or confusion. It was just a deep knowing of reality as it is.
I believe our souls retain this kind of knowledge and carry it from lifetime to lifetime even though our conscious minds may not remember. This is what allows the soul to continue making progress toward union with God.
It amazes me how fine the line is between this profound, peaceful “knowing” of reality and a severe existential crisis. Perhaps people who are prone to severe depression and existential crises are actually blessed because they are so close to being able to encounter true reality.
I love Richard Rohr’s explanation of the Universal Christ. “No one comes to the Father except through Christ” (not the mere person of Jesus). The Christ is the universal unitive consciousness that is available to everyone. Some people have realized this universal consciousness, but most people have not. Many people who have realized it do not identify as Christians. And they are saved.
This passage is referring to the anointing of David as King of Israel. David’s eldest brother, Eliab, is NOT the chosen one. We are reminded not to be persuaded by external appearances or preconceived notions – because God is the One who sees into the heart of the one who is placed in charge of others. This reminds me of a certain false “king” in our own time….
“As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel: ‘Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.’”
Holistic Yoga & Spiritual Guidance 