Self-Reflection must be the starting point
Embarking on a spiritual journey, cultivating self-awareness, and seeking wisdom all begin with introspection and self-reflection—it’s the basic starting point.
Regularly observe your mind, delving into the intricacies of your thought patterns and frames. Recognize the prideful self that tends to assert, compete, compare, or avoid responsibility and pain. To foster spiritual growth, honesty with oneself is paramount—no more lying or rationalizing.
Meditation and the meaning of repentance
Meditation stands out as an unparalleled tool for introspection. It involves becoming acutely aware of our minds and allowing release—a form of repentance. Various religious scriptures, including the Bible, emphasize the concepts of sin and repentance. Despite its sometimes uncomfortable implications, acknowledging our faults is the key.
That a person has ‘sin’ means that they are not living a life in harmony with the universe but rather being trapped inside their self-centered mind world, where ‘I,’ the self, is the center point rather than the world or the universe itself. Repentance involves recognizing this and surrendering the self-centered mind to the universe, thereby dissolving the self and becoming one with the universe itself.
Finding the Treasure within
Living a life of repentance, achieved by eliminating your mind through meditation, charts the course toward spiritual and mental growth, steering us toward becoming grounded and wise. In a sense, it’s that straightforward.
Always reflect on yourself, acknowledging that your mind isn’t inherently one with the universe. It’s self-centered, revolving around petty ideas about the world. Recognize the narrow-mindedness within yourself and release whatever your mind holds.
The more we liberate our minds from clutter, the more our true and wise selves emerge from within. The source is within us—it’s just a matter of uncovering it, a treasure within.
Simple 4-step plan
- Seek guidance from a center that teaches mind-emptying techniques (refer to the video below).
- Practice with a personal tutor who can guide you in self-reflection and shedding the mental baggage blocking your inner source.
- Stay committed.
- Cultivate gratitude and savor the journey. Countless enlightenments—both profound and subtle—await you. I can guarantee that. After some time of continuous practice, you’ll marvel at the tremendous progress you’ve made.
A few words about my own journey
I’m on this journey myself. It’s been hard as nails sometimes, and to be honest, I never fathomed the extent of baggage within me, the depth of my self-centeredness. I find myself at the bottom of the pit, but I persist because I recognize the benefits of my endeavors.
I’ve had many enlightenments, thousands of them. I see the light, the wisdom, the love, and acceptance shining through my mind thanks to the meditation. The source of the world is forever-present, and it is calling me home.
Michael
