Basic Spiritual Principles, Boiled Down

 Basic Spiritual Principles, Boiled Down

1. BE

2. Be Aware

3. Be Aware of Awareness

4. Be Aware of your Origin

5. Be Kind

6. If you find yourself incapable of, or incomplete in Being any of the above, work at Becoming it.

7. In the spirit of the great spiritual masters of all times and places, everything else is commentary and guidance. Study. Especially study yourself to locate, become and BE the Self you already are, but may not be aware of in all of its paradoxical Fullness and Emptiness.

This will result in increasingly inspired and meaningful living.

And now for the elaborations:

1. BE. We all Are, so this is a gimme.

2. Be Aware. The Bill Clinton strategists had the political slogan, "It's the economy, stupid". Well, in the dimension of spiritual growth, paraphrasing Forest Gump's mama, "Awareness is as Awareness does." I is all about Awareness and expanding it, becoming fully aware. We all are partly aware - it comes with Being. It is not, or should not, be complicated, but we make it so, individually and collectively, as attested to by psychotherapists, philosophers, theologians, and others.

3. Be Aware of Awareness. Ditto.

4. Be Aware of your Origin. This is just anothother way of stating what the likes of Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj advocate: enquire with great determination and persistence into the source and substance of "I". This also relates to the first fundamental prong upon which most religions are based: What is Divinity and one's relationship with the Divine, one's place in the Cosmic Scheme.

5. Be Kind. This relates fundamental prong upon which most religions are based: How one should relate with everything and all beings that appear to exist separate from oneself. Kindness is a simple, yet comprehensive guiding principle. It encompasses all positive values and virtues, including the Golden Rule, mindfulness, compassion, non-violence, etc.

6. If you find yourself incapable of, or incomplete in Being any of the above, work at Becoming it. This is the nature and essence of spiritual work and practice.

7. In the spirit of the great spiritual masters of all times and places, everything else is commentary and guidance. Study. Especially study yourself to locate, become and BE the Self you already are, but may not be aware of in all of its paradoxical Fullness and Emptiness. Discover/develp/expand a capacity of being able to embrace Paradox and Mystery, and reognize/get comfortable with the reality that you are not really in control.

Conclusion: "Find your inspiration and follow it" is another pet phrase to sum it up.