The Spiritual Seekers

Tags

exploration, spiritual path, transformation

As I parked the car in a clearing on the parkway to begin my lunch hour walk on Friday, to coincide with the second upcoming meeting with some #spiritchat folks on Zoom, a question crossed my mind. What is it about the people who make the choice to (regularly) associate with others who are on the spiritual path – either in person, online, or through other mediums?

The first part of the answer started to emerge a few minutes later, as I joined the video meeting hosted by Christy (@IntuitiveHeal) and led by Lucille (@sageandsavvy) on the topic of “The book(s) that most influenced our lives”. Every person who chose to be present, shared their favorite book(s), why they were impactful to them, and how they influenced their life’s journey so far. The diversity of backgrounds, of experiences, of journeys was apparent from the diversity of books and authors that were shared by about a dozen folks.

The second part of the answer emerged later in the evening, as I attended a lecture by a visiting monk from the Vedanta center of Toronto. I observed as the room slowly filled up with people from all walks of life to listen to the topic of “Transformation of Personality”. Sitting in the front row on the floor, the spiritual force of the lecture, the energy of the speaker, seemed to wash over me again and again. There were revelations through the stories told by him, and even some tears.

After the event, while serving food, I struck up many short conversations with the some of the new faces at the event. I was particularly intrigued by a new person who said – “I want to know more about the volunteering opportunities that you mentioned during your emceeing at the podium”. I immediately thought to myself – here is a “seeker”. I talked to him at length, and found that we have families in the same town in India. New to this side of town, he came to the lecture because he saw a flyer at one of the Indian grocery stores. Random chance favors the seekers of the universe.

T

he events of a single Friday, one online and the other in person, had a common thread. Both events were energized by the willingness and the determination of the “seeker” who was seeking change. Both events were made possible by each individual seeker who acted upon their inner desire for change. And perhaps, that is what defines a “seeker” in all fields of life – they are the ones who are willing to open up to change, take action, and stay determined to stop not until the goal is achieved. The “seeker” is perhaps like the fish in the ocean who eats, breathes and sleeps the water of their spiritual journey.

Are you a seeker? If so, what are you seeking? What actions are you taking today to move closer to that which you are seeking? Who is guiding you, inspiring you, influencing you, keeping you company on your seeking journey?

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. Join us Sunday, May 5th at 9am ET / 630pm India as we continue our seeker’s journey in our weekly #spiritchat conversation on twitter. I look forward to wandering, exploring and seeking with all of you. Namaste – Kumud.

The Seeker’s Playground…

On Evoking Transformation

Tags

change, reboot, satori, transformation, vaisakhi, vesak

When I left for the southern hemisphere in the middle of March, I left behind a nascent spring and flew into a nascent autumn. It did not take long – less than twenty four hours – to go from one state of change (spring) to yet another, equally transformative state of change (autumn). In addition to the change in physical environment, the change in food and drink and the change in language brought about a sense of external transformation that seeped slowly from the outside to the interior over the duration of the trip…

Every new journey has the possibility, the potential, the energy, to transform us. I posit that we have all experienced such transformation(s) in our lifetime. Transformation is more than mere incremental change. If incremental change is like floating on the surface of the ocean, transformation is a deep dive where we encounter truth. Incremental change is easier to roll back, to reverse. Transformation is like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Once transformation affects us deeply, seeps beneath the surface, its effects are of a more permanent nature.

In Buddhism, this kind of deep transformation which brings enlightenment is celebrated as vesak –

…the most important Buddhist festival, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, and celebrated at the full moon in the Indian month of Vaishaka (April–May).
Sinhalese vesak, via Pali from Sanskrit vaiśākha, denoting the month April–May.

An intermediate step that can be encountered on the way to complete transformation is referred to as satori. It is, as Osho refers to it, a gaining of a new perspective, a “flash of lightning upon the consciousness”. An experience that transports us instantaneously into a state where we get the sense beyond senses of not being “of this world”. A state where we need not be searching under every tree of the forest with our lamp any more – because the lightning has illuminated the entire forest for us in a flash…

This is not to say that we ought to abandon our established spiritual practices, our search, and wait for “lightning to strike”. In fact, Buddha is known to have said that contrary to popular belief, his enlightenment was anything but “sudden”. It took him much disciplined practice to get to the state where his enlightenment, his transformation, appeared to be instantaneous.

For me, the message of Buddha’s journey is that if I encounter satori on the path, so be it. I shall welcome it, be grateful for it. But it certainly does not mean that I am going to stop waking and walking, evoking and inviting transformation, on a daily basis…

Namaste,

Kumud

P.S. Join us for our weekly twitter chat – Sunday, April 15th at 9amET/6:30pmIST. We will explore the topic of “Evoking Transformation”, and I invite you to share some of your “out of this world” satori moments with us… Namaste.

P.P.S. I would be remiss if I were not to mention that today, April 14th, is the annual festival of vaisakhi – a harvest celebration marking the New Year in many Indian communities, including the Punjabi community that I am part of, and culturally identify with in food, language, song and dance… time to celebrate with some Bhangra!

On Spiritual Transformation

Tags

change, spiritual practice, spirtuality, transformation

Transformation is a BIG word. It seems to create a vision of a big mountain that we may need to climb. And we may wonder if we have the energy to do so. Particularly when we are already exhausted by the various demands of life. In addition, we have a natural inner resistance to change, particularly if it requires work for which we do not seem to have time, space and energy.

And yet, in some ways, inner transformation can be easier than change. For the work of transformation need not be work in the traditional sense of the world. It may require us to simply be in the in the field of love of someone who is doing the transforming, in the space of those who are being transformed before our own very eyes.

If it is raining outside, and we see the flowers and the grasses and the leaves on the trees getting wet, dancing in the rain, we have a choice. We can shut the window, pull the curtains, and remain dry and safe within the home. Or, we can open the window, let the wind blow some rain in, and wet us a little bit as we cup our hands around a warm beverage. Or, we can decide to experience loving power of the rain for ourselves.

We fling open the patio door, and go stand in the middle of the field and let it rain love upon us. And as the rain and the tears intermingle, and we feel pure joy surge through us, we now know the reason for the silence of those who were being transformed before our very own eyes. Now, we too are transformed by experiencing some of the surrender to love that we were only witnesses to until that point where we ourselves decided to surrender.

We did not get changed. We got transformed by the power love. It is like the story about the seeker who is seeking the trasure in the dark forest with a small oil lamp under a cloudy sky. They are earnestly working, seeking and doing what they know is best, looking under one tree at a time. And then, a flash of lightning illuminates the entire forest, transforming the landscape so that they can see and experience the entire forest at once. Such is the power of transformation.

And I hope you have experienced it, or get to experience it in the company of one like Amma, in whose rain of love I was fortunate to stand for nine straight hours on Friday. The transformation that I saw in the people at the Unity Center, whom she individually blessed with her energy in all those hours – one by one, listening, hugging, responding, wiping their tears, and bidding adieu with hershey’s kisses – was an experience that my heart will rarely forget.

On one occasion, her words to me were, simple, direct and transformative: “I love you, Kumudson”.

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. Join us Sunday, June 11th at 9amET/1pmUTC and share some of your experiences of change, of transformation, of love, and of surrender. I will bring tea, cookies and some questions with love. You bring some answers. Namaste 🙂

On Spiritual Transformation

Tags

change, spirituality, transformation

One of the final questions that we had considered in our #SpiritChat conversation two weeks ago, in the chat titled “Risk and Reason” was ~ “Are we in the Age of Reason, the Age of Risk, or….?”. There were several answers, including “Age of Awareness”, “Age of Awakening” and “Age of Triumph” – all brilliant answers. As autumn has descended upon us in the Northern hemisphere, for those of us fortunate enough to observe the changes that it brings, I am inclined to propose that we are in the “Age of Transformation”.

Let us examine the what, the how, the why, the when and the where of transformation, as it relates to spirituality. What is transformation and what does it imply or entail? For me, it denotes more than mere change, for transformation has a quality of immediacy to it. It is like an on/off switch which acts on our inner core, and moves us seemingly instantaneously from one state to another. By contrast, change is more gradual – like a ‘dimmer’ switch on our heart plate which we can move up and down to vary the amount of light that shines within. Change and transformation are of course connected, but the light that shines as a result of inner transformation, creates an unmistakable sense of awakening, awareness, and perhaps even triumph!

How does this seemingly ‘step-change’ of inner transformation occur? Some say that it is the outcome of dedication and devotion over many years of spiritual practice(s), that results in a seemingly ‘instant’ transformation. Others, notably the proponents of ‘Zen’, say that transformation can occur in the instant that we make a decision to awaken. One analogy of zen-like transformation is that of making a decision to give-up a habit which may be negatively impacting our quality of life e.g. smoking, compulsive eating/drinking, shopping, or the like. This is often referred to as the ‘cold-turkey’ form of transformation – make a decision to transform, to leap, and stick to the decision you make. It may take a tremendous investment of accumulated will-power to effect such a transformation, but the returns are proportionately high too!

Why does transformation happen for, or to, some people, while it seemingly escapes others inspite of their best efforts? Everybody who is making an effort towards inner change and transformation has his or her own ‘why’. For some, the ‘why’ is tangible, and can be described as a path, leading towards a goal. For others, the ‘why’ is more intangible – it is that voice within which has grown louder over time, which pulls us towards higher ground, a higher state of being. The famous quote by Anais Nin goes – “…and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” There it is again. Risk. Driving our ‘why’ towards transformation.

This brings us to the fourth dimension of transformation – when? The question of ‘when’ implies a sequence of time, of the right timing, for transformation to occur. When change does not seem to happen in our lives at the pace we would like it to happen, we often comfort ourselves with the reminder to ‘be unattached to the fruits of our actions’ – we sow the (action) seeds, the divine power grows them to bear fruit in its time. This is a simple way to look at the question of ‘when’ – we deftly side-step it by focusing on our work in the moment, and let the leaves fall where they may… but somehow, in some way, the caterpillar seems to know when to begin its transformation – for there is a narrow window of time which creates a sense of urgency, to begin the flow of blood into its wings, or the butterfly may not see the light of spring!

The final aspect of transformation is – where? For me, the last three months of walking the local forest reservation have brought about many transformative moments, and some locations are more distinctly etched in my heart and mind than others. I have uncovered that the infinite variation of nature’s beauty and bounty is here, there and everywhere – or wherever I happen to be. And that nature has the power to transform us in ways far beyond what we see, hear, and feel in her embrace. Can you recall the exact location where you were sitting or standing or simply being when you had your most recent moment(s) of transformation? What was the confluence of events that brought you to that transformative location? Were you alone or were you among friends and family?

For those of you who have read this far, I express my gratitude. I extend an invitation to you, to reflect on your personal (spiritual) transformation in the context of the five W’s that I discussed above. I invite you to write a blog post, share in the comments below, and join in our weekly conversation on twitter on Sunday, October 25th at 9amET/1pmUTC in the #SpiritChat channel.

Till we meet again, I hope that your transformations are kind to you,

Namaste,

Kumud @AjmaniK