Even in lay spirituality, a guide is necessary
Spiritual research, without an instructor pointing the way, presents itself as a titanic enterprise, almost impossible. It is as if an explorer who has to cross the jungle had the choice: either to have an expert guide to accompany him on the journey and, on the way, learn the dangers that infest the jungle, or try to know in advance any danger that nestles in the jungle, with the purpose then to avoid it. Certainly the second hypothesis is much more uncertain and almost destined to failure, and only if the explorer has an innate and strong intuition, beyond a strong will, then he can hope for an happy success.
From this it emerges the extreme importance of the Guru who acts as a guide along the path of self-knowledge. And the first step must be taken trying to understand the function of the mind.
The conscious process of individualize oneself is the very function of the mind. The mind is the reflective capacity of the conscience that takes on itself the task of objectification and therefore of the creation of the so-called world of names and forms. Outsourcing is its tendency.
And here we return to the "Guru". the inner Guru is the ability to learn through daily life, in spiritual terms it is the intrinsic ability to recognize the "truth" about our intrinsic nature in all that we manifest or that manifests to us.The Guru in this sense is not a person, therefore, or at least not only a person as he can in any case manifest itself in every form, but the enlightened intelligence that frees us from mental superstructures and religious or moral fictions.
Here I set a concrete example: The love story of the nun Ryonen.
Once upon a time in Japan there lived a beautiful nun named Ryonen, famous for the depth of her intellect and her discriminating attention. A monk who was staying in the same monastery fell madly in love with her and one night he stole into his room. Ryonen was not upset at all and willingly agreed to lie with him. But the next day when the lover came back, she said that at that moment it was not possible... The following day a great ceremony took place in the temple to commemorate the illumination of the Buddha in the presence of a large crowd and several monks who came from afar. Ryonen entered without delay into the full hall and with total naturalness stood before the monk who said he loved her, he completely naked and said: "Here I am, I am ready, if you want to love me you can do it here, now ...".
The monk fled to avoid coming back while Ryonen had cut off the roots of every illusion with that gesture. The story of Ryonen and his total adamant adherence to the truth continues. And who is that inner witness that pushes the seeker to a clean truth, starting from the things of the world: "Master is the one who leads you to be your own Master!"
Ramana Maharshi said: "Know your mind, not to be cheated by the mind" See how many images appear in a dream, how many characters who seek and escape, who love and hate each other? But the dreamer is only one...
To awaken to yourself from any point or identity you recognize yourself in the dream, accept that, stop at that and from there observe and discover the observer. Do not wait to deceive yourself that you can wake up if you're dreaming of being someone else, a more prepared or nicer character...
Whatever the character of the dream in which you find yourself, accept it.
Osho said: "Accepting for what we are is the basis for spiritual awakening". In fact, accepting does not mean renouncing one's own growth, on the contrary it means that we accept to grow starting from what we are. In this way growth will not be a choice but a spontaneous movement.It is the flowering of the intrinsic perfection that finds an expressive form, without effort, without anger or frustration, without sacrifice, without the use of memory, without expiation, without hope...
Can you then tell me where is the suffering, that self-control, that has accompanied your research so far? Where is the projective utility of the self seeking itself? How many are the "I" in you? Where is that one who seeks and the other who is sought? Where are the lives spent trudging towards perfection and where are those future lives to complete it? What does it mean "I am young, I am old, I am male, I am a female"? Are you not present here and now, pure consciousness, beyond any external distinction?
And you will always be!
Listen, you are always, absolutely, and anyone that in your dream says something sensible, you say it. Recognize that message as yours, look at the moon and leave your finger, discover the essence and do not be deceived by the reflection.
And finally remember: "The Guru belongs to you completely but do you belong completely to the Guru?" (Swami Muktananda)
Paolo D'Arpini
From this it emerges the extreme importance of the Guru who acts as a guide along the path of self-knowledge. And the first step must be taken trying to understand the function of the mind.
The conscious process of individualize oneself is the very function of the mind. The mind is the reflective capacity of the conscience that takes on itself the task of objectification and therefore of the creation of the so-called world of names and forms. Outsourcing is its tendency.
And here we return to the "Guru". the inner Guru is the ability to learn through daily life, in spiritual terms it is the intrinsic ability to recognize the "truth" about our intrinsic nature in all that we manifest or that manifests to us.The Guru in this sense is not a person, therefore, or at least not only a person as he can in any case manifest itself in every form, but the enlightened intelligence that frees us from mental superstructures and religious or moral fictions.
Here I set a concrete example: The love story of the nun Ryonen.
Once upon a time in Japan there lived a beautiful nun named Ryonen, famous for the depth of her intellect and her discriminating attention. A monk who was staying in the same monastery fell madly in love with her and one night he stole into his room. Ryonen was not upset at all and willingly agreed to lie with him. But the next day when the lover came back, she said that at that moment it was not possible... The following day a great ceremony took place in the temple to commemorate the illumination of the Buddha in the presence of a large crowd and several monks who came from afar. Ryonen entered without delay into the full hall and with total naturalness stood before the monk who said he loved her, he completely naked and said: "Here I am, I am ready, if you want to love me you can do it here, now ...".
The monk fled to avoid coming back while Ryonen had cut off the roots of every illusion with that gesture. The story of Ryonen and his total adamant adherence to the truth continues. And who is that inner witness that pushes the seeker to a clean truth, starting from the things of the world: "Master is the one who leads you to be your own Master!"
Ramana Maharshi said: "Know your mind, not to be cheated by the mind" See how many images appear in a dream, how many characters who seek and escape, who love and hate each other? But the dreamer is only one...
To awaken to yourself from any point or identity you recognize yourself in the dream, accept that, stop at that and from there observe and discover the observer. Do not wait to deceive yourself that you can wake up if you're dreaming of being someone else, a more prepared or nicer character...
Whatever the character of the dream in which you find yourself, accept it.
Osho said: "Accepting for what we are is the basis for spiritual awakening". In fact, accepting does not mean renouncing one's own growth, on the contrary it means that we accept to grow starting from what we are. In this way growth will not be a choice but a spontaneous movement.It is the flowering of the intrinsic perfection that finds an expressive form, without effort, without anger or frustration, without sacrifice, without the use of memory, without expiation, without hope...
Can you then tell me where is the suffering, that self-control, that has accompanied your research so far? Where is the projective utility of the self seeking itself? How many are the "I" in you? Where is that one who seeks and the other who is sought? Where are the lives spent trudging towards perfection and where are those future lives to complete it? What does it mean "I am young, I am old, I am male, I am a female"? Are you not present here and now, pure consciousness, beyond any external distinction?
And you will always be!
Listen, you are always, absolutely, and anyone that in your dream says something sensible, you say it. Recognize that message as yours, look at the moon and leave your finger, discover the essence and do not be deceived by the reflection.
And finally remember: "The Guru belongs to you completely but do you belong completely to the Guru?" (Swami Muktananda)
Paolo D'Arpini