Spiritual Awareness
Spiritual awareness takes a person above the cloudy turbulence of basic survival in a non-congenial world. Without spiritual awareness, hardship is...
Spiritual awareness takes a person above the cloudy turbulence of basic survival in a non-congenial world. Without spiritual awareness, hardship is unbearable. Negative emotions, such as anger, hate, and depression, stem from a lack of spiritual awareness.
Question two: Why does a person need spiritual awareness?
Rebbe Nachman of Breslev teaches that anger stems from the lack of spiritual awareness. The more we attain spiritual awareness, the more we neutralize anger. As such, spiritual awareness is the map that directs us up the trail to tranquility.
Life is like climbing a mountain; we begin at the bottom, and gradually work our way up in the direction of the "peak", our goals and aspirations. Negative emotions are the pitfalls along the way, which hinder our progress. The various trails up different parts of the mountain resemble life's options – the daily choices a person must make that influence his or her entire future.
A hiker without a map, or with a map written in a foreign language that he or she doesn't understand, can't possibly reach a destination. By the same token, a person devoid of spiritual awareness lacks direction, suffers needlessly, and never knows which path to take in life. When you're lost, you can't possibly accomplish your goals.
Living in this world without spiritual awareness is like riding a trail bike down a narrow wooded trail on a pitch-black night without knowing that the bike has a headlight. Imagine crashing into a tree, wrecking the bike, incurring a serious injury, and then discovering the headlight switch. What a waste! If the biker would have known that the bike had a headlight – and how to turn it on – he or she could have safely navigated their way through the woods.
The material world is analogous to a dark forest. The course of our lives is a like narrow trail. The bike is symbolic of our body, and the headlight is our soul. The headlight switch is spiritual awareness, which activates the soul. As in the example of the trail bike on a dark night in the forest, if we attempt to get through life without the benefit of spiritual awareness and the divine power of our souls, we are bound to do severe damage to ourselves. Therefore, the key to living a physically and mentally healthful life, and to achieving inner peace, is spiritual awareness.
The more a person lacks spiritual awareness, the more he or she suffers in this world. Again, life devoid of spiritual awareness is like a tourist that can't read a map – a lost soul in every sense of the word. It's truly frightening to think about the number of people that lack direction in life, traveling down random roads and making major decisions in life by chance or instinct, because they've never acquired the skill of spiritual map reading.
When an airplane flies through thick storm clouds, it feels constant turbulence. Flying is both difficult and dangerous, and the passengers – belted in their seats, jolted to and fro, and nauseated from the falling sensation in their stomach – have difficulty performing the simplest of tasks. Suddenly, the plane rises above the clouds to the clear blue sky and the shining sun. The passengers gaze out of the window, and the gray mattress of cloudy turbulence is beneath them. The plane levels off at cruising speed and altitude, and the passengers feel calm and steady like they're sitting in their living room. They now reassume their normal mode of functioning.
Spiritual awareness takes a person above the cloudy turbulence of basic survival in a non-congenial world. Without spiritual awareness, hardship is unbearable. Negative emotions, such as anger, hate, and depression, stem from a lack of spiritual awareness. Let's see why:
Imagine that an Olympic boxing coach grabs a strong young man off the street and throws him in a boxing ring. The coach starts sparring with him, jabs him in the ribs, then in the face. The young man doesn't know what he's doing in the ring or why he's getting punched, and his anger intensifies with every blow.
If the young man were a member of the Olympic boxing team, and knew that the coach was giving him personal attention in preparation for the upcoming Olympics, he would appreciate every minute in the practice ring. He'd also accept each of the coach's jabs with love and understanding.
The identical punch in the face causes anger and hatred to a young man off the street who lacks understanding, but is received with appreciation and understanding by a team member. Why? The team member understands that getting punched is part of the path to becoming an Olympic champion. The goal is well worth the price.
Like the example of the boxer in training, once we attain spiritual awareness, we'll begin to regard our difficulties in life as valuable opportunities for personal growth. Our pain becomes gain, and our anger evaporates like dewdrops in the sunlight.
Question three: How do I attain spiritual awareness?
Entire volumes address this question, but we'll limit ourselves to seven main points, The Beginners "one-week plan" for opening the gates of spiritual awareness. Practice one point per day, and soon you'll be able to implement all seven together. By that time, you'll notice a substantial change in your life for the better.
The overall objective of the One-Week Plan is to open our clogged, materially oriented hearts and brains to spirituality. The plan encourages modes of behavior that are conducive to spirituality, while avoiding certain things that are detrimental to the soul.
Let's review our working definition of SA:
Spiritual awareness is the cognitive power one gains by activating one's divine soul.
The One-Week Plan has two specific functions: First, the plan activates your soul; second, it reduces the influence of bodily appetites on your decision-making process. As such, the plan puts you on the road to spiritual awareness. Let's get started on this important segment of our trail to tranquility:
The Beginners "One-week Plan Point one, Sunday: Don't act according to instinct! Stop, compose yourself, and think before you act or speak.
The two equal superpowers within us are the divine soul, which strives to do good, and the evil inclination, which sways us in the opposite direction. The evil inclination's main ploy is to drive us crazy and to keep us on the run, so we'll never have a chance to stop, collect our thoughts, and use our minds.
A person who lacks composure has difficulty in getting close to God. – Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
The human mind is the palace of the divine soul. According to Kabbalistic teachings, the evil inclination controls the left side of the heart, the liver, the gall bladder, and the spleen – the centers of animal urge. If we use our minds properly, we activate our divine souls, and the mind reigns over the body. Without using our minds, the body with its animal urges seizes control of our lives.
People are far from spiritual awareness, because they lack composure. In order to gain composure, one must stop for a moment, think, clarify thoughts, and then make an intelligent decision. A champion archer or marksman knows that shooting after taking careful aim, relaxing, and then breathing deeply will be far more accurate than an impulse shot from the hip.
Sunday is a good day to practice point one. Most people are at leisure, and it's easier to slow down and think. Imagine how the quality of our lives would improve if we thought before we spoke. If people would think before they press harder on the accelerator pedal, they'd save a lot of money on speeding tickets and make the roads considerably safer.
You'll quickly discover that the implementation of point one pays immediate dividends, both material and spiritual. To paraphrase an old song from our college days in the seventies, "Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy". Calm down, compose yourself, think matters over, and then act. You'll be amazed at your enhanced effectiveness and improved awareness. You can't fathom how composure will change your interpersonal relationships for the better.
Point two, Monday: Use your mind in an active mode, not a passive mode. If he's not driving you crazy, the evil inclination will use an opposite tactic: Have all the leisure time you want, just don't activate your mind.
That way, your divine soul never has a say in your life, and you lose all hope of attaining spiritual awareness. Monday is the beginning of a fresh and challenging week. Decide that you're going to use your mind to full potential. Stay away from external stimulants, such as television and video, which put your mind to sleep and make you lazy. The mind, like the body, needs a good daily workout to stay in top shape.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches that a baby's mind capacity develops exclusively from stimulation of the divine soul.
If a person never uses his divine soul – if his entire life is devoted to TV shows, spectator sports, and movies – his mind capacity never develops. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches that negative character traits attach themselves easily to an undeveloped mind. As such, a person can reach the age of eighty and remain a spiritual baby, self-indulgent, egocentric, and perpetually angry. Such a person has no control over his or her own life. He or she is an unfortunate slave to the television program guide.
Today, try to put your mind in an active mode. Think of passive entertainment as spiritual cholesterol, which clogs the thought paths of the mind and endangers spiritual health. Read as much as you can. Try to learn new skills. Observe your environment and pay attention to details you normally take for granted. Creative writing and correspondence with a friend are both healthy activities for the mind and soul. Write a poem for your spouse, and put in a place that he or she will find it. It's good exercise for the mind and does wonders for the atmosphere at home.
Most marital difficulties stem from petty anger and faulty communication. Passive entertainment is public enemy number one to communication in marriage. Many couples are so glued to the television that they never sit down to an intimate meal and a meaningful discussion. I've counseled couples that have been married for years, yet they don't know each other! Misunderstandings are commonplace between two strangers.
Many parents will refuse to answer their child's important question, if it interrupts the ball game or the seven o'clock news. One who prefers a soap opera or tag-team wrestling to the emotional welfare of a spouse or a child is light years away from spiritual awareness.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches that there cannot be peace in a place devoid of spiritual awareness. Therefore, in a home where the television takes priority to parental attention, dissension, anger, and tension pervade the atmosphere.
Point three, Tuesday: Decide that you'll be happy today, no matter what.
Happiness is the key to mental composure. By being happy, our thinking improves. Sadness puts the mind in exile. Sadness and anger are twin sisters.
You might ask, who doesn't want to be happy? Or, how can I be happy with all my problems?
If you spend an hour a day crying your heart out to God, you can be happy for the other twenty-three hours. – Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
Force yourself to smile. The first three smiles will be artificial, but the fourth will be real, for our Sages teach that a person's actions influence his thoughts: If we try our best to be happy, eventually we will be happy.
A simple spiritual rule of thumb teaches that happiness comes from holiness, while sadness comes from the evil inclination and the dark side of the spiritual world. A happy person virtually neutralizes his evil inclination, because he has composure and a clear mind. The evil inclination has a hard time defeating a clear mind.
Personal prayer, or talking to God in your own language, is a foolproof method of achieving happiness. We'll discuss that in "point seven" of the one-week plan.
After work or school, today's a good day to do something special that will make you happy, like driving to the mountains or to the beach to watch the sunset. If that's not possible, take a walk in your favorite park or meadow and breathe some fresh air. Focus on the positive aspects of your life. Take inventory of your good points. Think of the myriad of blessings in your life, such as your health, your livelihood, and your home.
An instant happiness ploy. Back in my army days, the intelligence corps received information of a planned terrorist infiltration into Israel by way of the Lebanese border. My platoon was picked to ambush the terrorists, and to prevent the infiltration.
We had to lie in mud from ten p.m. to four a.m. without moving a muscle. At midnight, it began to rain. It was February – Israel's coldest month – and 36F outside. I was soaked and chilled to the bone. I put a piece of flannel in my mouth to keep my teeth from clattering. My feet were freezing and my toes were numb. At that point, I would have given anything for a hot, sweet cup of coffee or a pair of clean, dry socks.
Whenever I feel something trying to pull me in the direction of unhappiness, I use my instant happiness ploy: I make myself a hot, sweet cup of coffee, and think back to that freezing ambush mission in the winter mud of the Lebanese border. I sip my coffee, feeling like the most fortunate human on earth, and wiggle my toes to remind myself of the clean, dry socks I'm now wearing. Instantly, I regain my composure and my happiness.
Design an instant happiness ploy for yourself, too. Think of an extreme hardship you once suffered, and now think how fortunate you are today, without that particular hardship in your life. See how you are instantaneously happier.
Tomorrow, we'll continue our positive mental momentum.
Point four, Wednesday: Observe the world around you, for each stimulus in our lives is a message from Heaven. Contemplate God to the best of your ability.
During work or school today, pay special attention. Don't take anything for granted. Maybe you've been working on a particular project or transaction for weeks, or you've been struggling to understand some difficult material in your studies. Before you begin your day's agenda, say a little silent prayer asking The Almighty to help you succeed. Now, keep your eyes open – you're about to see some amazing phenomena.
The minute you decide to open your spiritual eyes, The Almighty will help you see; to make life pleasant, He'll help you succeed. This is God's way of positive reinforcement for those who seek Him. Be careful to avoid attributing your successes to your own talents or to natural causes, because that's tantamount to closing the door to The Almighty.
Once observation becomes second nature, you'll begin to see how the difficulties in your life are also cherished gifts from God. Here are a few true examples from a long and exhaustive list (see Chapter five also):
* David, a submarine crewman in the Navy, applied for acceptance to the elite crew of a new submarine. He was accepted. The day before the submarine's maiden voyage, David came down with a severe case of the flu. The sub sailed without him. David was heartbroken. Three days later, the submarine sank, leaving no survivors.
* Lisa, an exchange student at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, had an important final exam at nine in the morning. She missed her 8:30 bus by a few seconds, and was so frustrated that she broke out in tears. The bus continued on its route, and two stops later, exploded into a ball of fire. A terrorist bomb killed half the passengers, and crippled the other half.
* Arnold, a recent Harvard MBA graduate in finance, was confidant that he'd be employed by a prestigious Manhattan brokerage firm. The company rejected his application. Arnold was devastated. Two weeks later, the company's offices went up in smoke with the rest of Twin Towers.
* Janet was certain that Edward would soon marry her. Mysteriously, Edward dropped her and shortly thereafter married a different woman. Three years later, Edward died of cancer, leaving a widow with twin toddlers.
The Almighty granted the above four people a wonderful opportunity for spiritual awareness. Imagine the tragic loss of ignoring the Divine intervention in our lives, and attributing the events around us to a random stroke of fortune!
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov says that a person should seek the innate wisdom implanted in every creation or event. Proper observation means asking the question, "What can I learn from this?" Since all wisdom stems from The Creator, when one connects himself to the wisdom of a creation, he becomes attached to The Creator. When we connect ourselves to God, we receive spiritual awareness.
Point five, Thursday: Try to perform good deeds.
Anger stems from a lack of spiritual awareness. Anger is also the opposite of compassion. The Talmud teaches that God has minimal compassion for angry people. Why? God instills in each person a precious gift of divine holiness – the human soul, created in His own image. Since an angry person – devoid of spiritual awareness – both ignores and starves his own soul, he abuses the divine gift.
Imagine that you purchased a rare crystal chandelier for someone you loved; rather than hanging the chandelier proudly in the middle of his or her living room, the recipient of your priceless gift hangs it in the cowshed, or even worse, throws it on the floor and it shatters in a million tiny pieces. Wouldn't you be upset too?
Conversely, God has unlimited compassion for a person who treats others with compassion.
A ploy for gaining spiritual awareness:
Try this ploy. Help a needy person, especially a widow or an orphan. Since you show compassion for the needy, The Almighty will show compassion for you. In order for God to treat you with more than minimal compassion, you must have spiritual awareness. Therefore, if you've performed a worthy deed, and you don't yet have spiritual awareness, God will open your eyes and grant you spiritual awareness in order to qualify you for the gift of increased divine compassion.
The above ploy won't be effective if your motivation is self-serving, such as giving charity for the sake of publicity or prestige. Therefore, try to perform as many good deeds in an altruistic fashion, solely in concern for your fellow human. Shortly thereafter, the waters of spiritual awareness will begin to flow from your soul; all you have to do is to open the dikes.
Giving is holiness. Therefore, when a person gives charity or does a favor for his or her fellow man, he or she connects immediately to God. A good connection with God always facilitates spiritual awareness.
Point six, Friday: Abstain from mind-influencing substances.
Back in my university days of the late 60's and early 70's, folks on campus used to have TGIF (Thank Goodness It's Friday) parties. People were in great spirits, and were looking forward to the upcoming weekend after a week of intensive studies.
Take advantage of your high spirits. Look forward to the joy of a Shabbat and weekend of relaxation. Take a day free of alcohol and of any other mind-influencing substances you may consume. This is important: Alcohol and drugs are two of the evil inclination's favorite traps. Once a person develops the slightest dependence on a mind-affecting substance, he becomes a slave to the evil inclination. A slave can't have two masters; therefore, if a person is a slave to the evil inclination, he can't be connected to God.
Why are alcohol and drugs called "mind-benders"? Try this simple experiment: Take a plastic pipe or rubber hose, and bend it. Notice that light can not pass through such a pipe. That's exactly what substances do to the mind – they bend it, so that divine light can no longer pass through it.
Substances and spiritual awareness never go together. Happiness and spiritual awareness never depart. Therefore, if a person consumes alcohol or uses drugs, he or she will never be happy. Why? Happiness comes from within, and is independent of outside substances and stimuli. Take away an alcoholic's bottle; he won't be happy for long. On the contrary, he'll probably erupt like a medium-size volcano.
Declare that today is a substance-free day. Our Sages teach that if a person opens his heart to God in the slightest, even a pinhole, God will reciprocate and open for that person a gate to spiritual awareness as wide as the Los Angeles freeway.
(The Trail to Tranquility is available in the Breslev Store.)
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