Phase Seven
If you have been earnestly walking this path, putting one foot in front of the other, you have had a spiritual awakening. That is what this part of the journey says, “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps...” For some this comes as a burning bush. For some this comes as a gradual awakening, eyes opening more with each step taken.
For me it was more the latter, although there are major revelations along the way. I can tell you that in practicing this program “as a way of life” my spiritual awakening deepens beyond anything I could have imagined when I started, to the point of finding the Self that never was asleep. This process is a shedding, not an adding to.
So lets look at this phase. Let me begin by saying that if you are reading this you are already looking at it. One of the principles of this program is that I try to share what I have found with others.
“Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”
The ego must be sufficiently displaced in order to allow for the re-assimilation into the conscious mind of the levels that have lain dormant. But that is what this program is designed to do. A surrender to the process and willingness to see it through are required, and surrender and willingness are the mechanisms that give the ego its proper function.
Practicing the principles of this program in all our affairs takes a commitment. It takes a desire to move to something more. To evolve. We are collectively hitting rock bottom. How far down we have to go depends on each of us to clean up our own shit and be a light to others. Let's light the collective darkness.
Let us adopt this design for living as our connected Self and manifest God's will on this planet. It is a daunting task to save the world, but when we bring it down to the level of these twelve steps, ultimately the only thing needed is surrender and willingness. To all my brothers and sisters on the path I say "espavo", which in ancient tongue means "thank you for taking your power."
from Lachlen Paul French translation of The Gospel According to Thomas, passage 19
Then he said: “Honor the Divine Life within you,
which was unified before you became two weakened halves.
Because if you follow my example and hear my words,
truth will spontaneously rise up within you, serving your Awareness, to make you Whole again.
This spontaneous and beneficial interior Assistance will bless and surprise you to no end. You will feel like a favorite child, and you will smile incessantly.”
There are 5 TREES –– WAYS [5 yogas (unifications) or life systems] on the spiritual path for one to practice everyday. They are: Loving service–– Faithfulness in word and deed –– Knowledge gathering ––Discipline for breathing, mental cleanliness and action for conscious evolution and finally, Worshipping [going joyfully within to silently listen and commune with your divine Soul-Mind].
Practicing these five activities raises your desires above self-centeredness and leads you away from sleep-inducing ego habits. They place your focus onto truly living and onto your inner beingness, as opposed to habitual patterns and the beliefs of the outer world.
And in neither the ‘summer or winter’ of your life
will these activities lose their fruit of transformational effectiveness.
For the person who practices all of them, a special nourishment shall be bestowed.
They will feel self-sustaining Divine Life moving within them each moment,
and they shall not TASTE death[make life-transition unconsciously].
And they will avoid assigning to themselves another life of confusion [in non-awareness] in which struggling to Awaken to our true Identity, occurs all over again.