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#2759 -
Nondual Highlights
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David Spero speaks some
common sense about living a life of surrender or self-inquiry in
the company of one who functions as a guru.
Question and answer with David Spero (http://www.davidspero.org)
Questioner:
Various sources recommend rolling the eyes upward during
meditation, to look toward the third eye. But you have never
mentioned it, and I find it uncomfortable. Do you have any
opinion on the topic of rolling the eyes upward?
David Spero:
I suggest not cultivating this experience through any form of
deliberate effort. Anything attained in the field
of meditation through effort only strengthens the
feeling of separateness. Rolling the eyes up into the head
is neither a precondition, nor the result of, full
awakening. It may or may not happen. Enlightenment is a
Gift, not an attainment.
Questioner:
There seems to be a tension between the ideas of natural,
peaceful, spontaneous awakening, versus something that requires
intense and prolonged effort, deep desire, worthiness and grace.
Which is it?
David Spero:
"Intense and prolonged effort" and "deep
desire" and "worthiness" and "grace" are
distinctly different ideas. Deep desire for awakening is
what invites it to manifest, but that does not
imply that one must also use intense or prolonged effort.
When Ramana Maharishi left home as a young boy to pursue a life
of meditation he was filled with a deep desire to
experience the Self. This desire did not interfere with
his Realization. On the contrary, it helped to accomplish It.
The sense of worthiness
arises as one discards conditioned notions of
unworthiness, which were put in place by outside sources. One is
inherently worthy of Realization by virtue of his or her human
birth.
Grace is the very life of
the Spiritual Master and His Grace is given to all
without distinction or qualification.
Questioner: Are there any burdens or
responsibilities involved? Any do's and don'ts? Mostly you
suggest that folks just continue down their paths....
David Spero: No
burden is too big for Grace to remove and no responsibilities
come with realization of the Self. How could responsibilities
come from an unearned Gift? The Self, which is
the essence of everything, cannot expect or demand anything
from anyone. Grace is the Sun of the Self and it shines
everywhere. Everyone, everything, blossoms under Its
radiance.
Regarding morality,
just use common sense. Do what you know to be right and
don't do what you know to be wrong. Follow your natural, inborn
intelligence. There are "holy books" that advocate
murder, bigotry, slavery, misogyny and
violent (human) dominion over the natural world in the name
of God, so the best place to look for moral guidance is
within, from the Self directly.
Questioner: Can you
say something about your spiritual efforts that
required decades of hard work, faith, and sacrifice, whereas it's
happening very easily for all of us? Can we regard our progress
(such as it is) as the outcome of your manifesting power?
David Spero:
I never "sacrificed" or performed "decades of hard
work, faith and sacrifice" during my extended sadhana.
Something gripped my whole being to realize God
and I explored that impulse sincerely through
meditation and other spiritual practices. My
sadhana was performed instinctually and passionately, like an
animal in the wild.
Your spiritual progress
may be attributed to the Grace of the Spiritual Master or to
the Self. One chooses the interpretation that feels best.
Devotional aspirants will want to offer all credit to the
embodied Master and those drawn to discrimination pay
homage to the Self. The Self and the Spiritual Master are
one. The point is to offer all credit to That which you adore
with every fiber of your being or to That which transcends
the mind. It's your "choice." Just do what comes
naturally.