The Meaningful Trails (2)

Since the era of Newton in particular, the meaning of reality in human life is being limited only to the things that visible and tangible. However, since Albert Einstein came up with his quantum mechanics theory, the meaning of reality evolves and involves the invisible and the untouchable, in which energy is named as one of those. Ever since, the journey of human discovery became more intense, far beyond any human sights. Mythology is one of the options that available in serving this purpose. The ancient myths that aged much older than any religions.

Warrior of Light

The kind of people who are praised as a heroes in a certain age will determine where human civilization will grow later. In the very old caves in the Southern France and Northern Spain there are long paintings of heroes complete with the animals that they conquered. It is understandable, because in those days the so-called heroes are brave people who can defeat the beasts.

In the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the earth was long frightened by the cold war between the two super powers. At that time, the people who mastered the atomic bomb technology were much-needed heroes. In this day and age the story is much different. The most feared people are no longer people with nuclear weapons, but terrorist bombers. Not only the ordinary people who are afraid of terrorist bombs, even superpowers must close their countries in order to be free from terrorist attacks. As a result, there are no signs that terrorist violence is going down.

The Meaningful Trails (1)

Like finding the balance in riding a bike, not every achievement could be shared. Similar to most spiritual accomplishments, which are very implicit and hard to tell. And even easily misunderstood by others once told. An old legacy found in the depth of the jungle in Peru would be very useful at this very point. In an old lake in the middle of the jungle that located precisely in the opposite part of the world where the island of Bali is located, an ancient teaching named as the Celestine manuscript was once found. There are many insights written in this manuscript.

The most prominent insight presented in the m

The Hidden Teachers

A spiritual friend who has read thousands of books, having a post graduate degree from the UK, meeting a number of world wide spiritual teachers shared his stories, there are times in your soul journey when reading, listening to lectures, talking to the others are no longer adequate. At the same time there is a deep longing to learn deeply within.

To put it more precisely, deeply learning from the teacher inside. Quoting one of the beautiful messages of the Upanishads: "to learn the unteachable". A kind of learning process which is unimaginable to the common people. It is even more difficult for those who always run away from trouble and problems.

On the contrary, for the deep souls this approach of learning is unavoidable. It is the only way available to the spiritual seekers who want to grow deep. To repeat an old phrase: "once the student is ready, the teacher will come". The spiritual notes then, the Gurus can appear in many forms. From calming into threatening.

The Lantern of Soul

In the middle of dark tunnel, what human beings mostly need is light. In the middle of the dark age, what human beings mostly need is soul lanterns. Without this type of lantern, wherever the foot steps, the soul will remain restless and sleepless. When people have money, they are worried of losing it. When human beings have no money, they are worried of poverty.

The spiritual message then, turning on the electric light is easy, but turning on the soul lantern, not too many people can do that. However, there's good news. In some parts, the old science of psychology gives us useful signs to contemplate. The journey of the soul will be even more deeper if psychology is combined with the old heritage of spirituality.

The Great Soul

Around 2,500 years ago, a touching prince was born in North India. As soon as he was born, his mother passed away. It delivered a message, any human womb will be too small to accommodate this great soul. As soon as the baby arrived at the palace,  the old spiritual adviser of the palace wept. Especially after seeing the spiritual signs in the body of the baby.

This beautiful Light, that was the prediction of the old spiritual adviser,  will illuminate the world. But as soon as the Light shined, the old spiritual adviser died. And later on the last prediction came true, the prince who was later named Prince Siddharta, not only became a Buddha (a perfectly enlightened great soul), but also recognized by the Hindu holy book as the 9th Avatar (reincarnation of God).

While the birth of his physical body was characterized by the death of his mother, the birth of his great soul brought other signs and other lessons. When he was ready to attain enlightenment,  which was marked by the honour of mother earth with a small earthquake, and the bowing Light in the eastern direction, Siddhartha was attacked by 21,000 troops of devils. From the very fierce one till the very subtle . From a very threatening weapon until a very loving temptation.

But the demons were not attacked back. Rather they were hugged like a mother who hugs her own son. In the language of meditation, Prince Siddharta deeply meditated loving-kindness and compassion. To make it concrete, the demons were seen as a collection of mothers who had given birth to him in previous lives. And these mothers came not to attack, but to perfect his loving-kindness and compassion.

Even if the demons tried to eat the body of Prince Siddhartha, he will be willing to donate his phisical body. Just like giving healthy food to hungry mothers. The end of the story has been recorded by the world. He has not only survived, but also giving birth to the Great Soul. Even 2,500 years after his death, his beautiful light is still shining brightly.

A prominent professor from the University of Oxford summed up these moments of enlightenment with a graceful language: "In the moment when Prince Siddharta accepted satan Mara as part of himself, from that time he was no longer Prince Siddharta, but he was a Buddha". In short, never under estimate the healing and the liberating power of total acceptance.

What made the realms of gods tremble, when the last Great Soul firstly shared the Light, his first teaching was dukkha. Sadness, suffering, misfortune which are thrown away by almost all creatures in this samsaric realm, in the hands of Lord Buddha are transformed into the path to Light. Dukkha, as he taught, does not always make the soul enter the abyss. As long as one is able to transform it in the depth of meditation, suffering can help the soul fly.

Realizing that everything is flowing, that's the first step. Flowers flow into garbage, garbage evolves into flowers. The opponent in this day can be a friend on another day. Once a person perfectly flows, by then he comes out of a small cocoon called ego. Then he was born into a butterfly of greatness.

With beautiful wings of greatness, then all places and times become beautiful gardens of peace. In this kind of spiritual garden, the soul will be naturally full of love and compassion. It is as natural as water which is wet, as natural as flower which are beautiful. And the compassionate expressions of the enlightened beings can be in any form.

A question that is often asked by many people, is whether the Great Soul will be reborn after death or not? For the followers of Hinayana (small vehicle), the answer is no. But for the students on the path of Mahayana (great vehicle), the absolute body of the Great Soul is beyond birth and death. But the relative body will remain here. For that reason, when the Dalai Lama was asked whether he will be reborn or not, he directly replied: "no doubt". The last answer is closely connected to the relative body.

Acharya Shantideva even prayed in this way: "as long as there is space, as long as there are beings, let me be continually reborn again and again to share the beautiful Light." In Hinduism, such sacred souls are called Vyuthana. In Buddhism, such beautiful souls are named Bodhisattvas.

Author : Guruji Gede Prama

Proof : Kirsty Spence

Thieves of Peace

 In the academic world, every effort to put human souls into boxes are recommended to be avoided. Especially because human souls are far more complicated than any simple boxes. To quote a philosopher's opinion, the human soul is multi-dimensional or beyond any categories. However, for the practical purposes, simplification is very important.

 It is easier to heal the soul wounds if one understands the unique characteristics of oneself inside. As materials of reflection on the long journey to peace, there are two types of deep-seated peace thieves. These two thieves have stolen the deep peace of many spiritual seekers.

 Due to a series of past events that caused a lot of mental injuries, some friends tend to be too sensitive and easily injured. It is not only when they are attacked, even when someone is asked sensitive questions, they can be wounded. These kind of spiritual seekers like to create a wounded self concept inside. They call themselves the victim of life.

 It is this kind of self concept that keeps talking inside. From asking for protection until asking to be listened to. Once the wounded memory appears, this injured self asks for protection. Once the bad and the sad memory appear, this wounded self asks to be heard. As a result, the mind never take a rest.

 From time to time this kind of mind is busy between building self-protection within, or treating the wounded self to be constantly listened to. When this crying self asks for protection, he resembles a crying baby who asks to be hugged. When this wounded self asks to be heard, he is like a young son who keeps talking. The end result is predictable, they steal the quality of peace inside.

 The second thief of peace often comes to the opposite person, the one who is too confidence. They have no sensitivity at all. In the field of psychology, this kind of person is called a cow in the middle of glassware. They talk around here and there. And they do not know if the listeners are deeply hurt or not.

 While the sensitive seekers construct a wounded self concept inside, the cow will be followed by the guilty feelings wherever they go. It is this kind of guilt that also builds a false self concept inside. If the guilty feelings do not appear at young age, they will appear in old age. Sadly, if it does not appear both at a young age and in old age, this guilty feelings will catch up later after death. This is even more frightening.

 As the wounded self keep talking inside, this guilty self is also busy talking inside. From asking to be justified till the tendency to always blame the others. When bad memory comes from the past, it will accumulate arguments of justification. When the sad memory of the hated person appears, they will keep blaming others.

 The end result is the same, the mind is always noisy inside. As a matter of time, the soul will be exhausted. Again they steal the deep peace of soul. Any spiritual friends who have spent years in the depth of solitude will understand, these are the two types of peace thieves that follow spiritual seekers everywhere they go.

 On the path of deep meditation, once the last thieves of peace come, they are immediately hugged with a pair of hands of wholeness or completeness. As nature embraces night and day, learn to embrace both sorrow and joy, sad and glad inside.  As materials of contemplation, not only the beginners even the glowing souls are still wounded and hurt.

 As a result, slowly but surely the frequency of inner conversation will decrease. The self as a victim - for the easily injured soul, begins to shrink. At the same time one learns to be a master in their life. Guilty feelings which keep following are also similar. As one keeps hugging the guilty feelings using a couple hands of wholeness, slow but sure they will no longer steal the deep peace within.

Author : Guruji Gede Prama

Proof : Kirsty Spence

Photo : TeamCompassion