truthMy teachings, when first experienced, are for some difficult to understand.  Once understood, my teachings can take time to accept, more time to embrace, and even more time to find as truth from deep within yourself.

A belief system, even an inaccurate one, you have held for many years is not easy to move beyond.  It feels like home.  It offers a sense of security, righteousness, and comfort.  Yet the world is not as you have been lead to believe.  My teachings are for you.  They will assist you in finding truth.

The path of evolution is, as Adi Shankara said, the path of discernment.  Even that may be something you would prefer to not believe.   Beware: you may think that evolution is a path of emotional indulgence (not to be confused with true Bhakti) or the path of finding someone who shares your current beliefs about what the scriptures say and is even more well versed in those beliefs than you are.

Projection is problematic here.  Usually, those beliefs are so strongly projected on to the world that you may be convinced they apply even when they do not.  I have seen this many times as it applies to a person standing by their spouse, even when that spouse is clearly acting improperly.  In such instances, you may refuse to acknowledge what is actually true out of allegiance to your spouse.

Self honesty is perhaps the most difficult part of discernment.  Fear, on the other hand, may outrank self honesty, including not only fear of what you may have to face if you were truly honest with yourself, but also fear of the unfamiliar, fear of change, fear of the unknown, etc.  Fear comes in many applicable forms.

So I do understand why the spiritual path is avoided by many or substituted with a version of spirituality that more suits ones current beliefs.  Yet like education, spiritual growth means moving beyond what you currently know, not clinging to it.

To see truth, you need only open your eyes.  But that is the most challenging thing you will ever do. Everyone longs for truth.  It is the most fundamental of all passions.  Though you may not think of it in these terms, you look for it everywhere.  We look for it in our children, our loved ones, our belief systems, and in fact all of our pursuits.

The following Einstein quote is beautiful.  Yet the challenges you will encounter in employing it are many.  Only a few of those obstacles have been mentioned here.

“Ethical axioms are found and tested not very differently from the axioms of science. Truth is what stands the test of experience.”  – Einstein

© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.