Entering the Zone of Divine Grace

Sadhana (spiritual practice), when practiced with true devotion, has its own unique quality. It possesses a unique, subtle mechanism for guiding a student through his or her own spiritual journey. Realization cannot be rushed. It is like the blossoming of a flower or the ripening of a fruit that eventually falls spontaneously to the ground. When the ego falls to the ground, bowing down in endless adoration to the vastness of its own Source, it is then said to have achieved Self-realization.

Through following a spiritual path, the student comes into a deeper intensity, a fuller feeling of life. The transmitted energy of the spiritual practice, or of the spiritual master, guides the student from within his or her own intensified life energy to the completion of sadhana. However, during sadhana, the student may experience not only an intensification of life energy, but also a subsidence of energy, perhaps even an exhaustion. Thus, there are these two possible experiences: one, a heightening of life energy, culminating in an ascending force of awakening, and the other, a descending, a retiring, into a relaxed state of being. This second possibility, rather than intensifying the life energy, allows for the falling of the individual will into silence.

Whether the student is experiencing a quickening or a subsidence, there is a precious respite that happens in the atmosphere of a Realized Spiritual Master, one who has transcended the need for all spiritual practices. Sitting in the presence of a Realized Master is a time to forget all about what you are doing or not doing in your spiritual life. It is a time to enter into a Zone of Divine Grace, a place that is neither the outcome of your efforts nor the outcome of relaxation, although either one can be stimulated in such an atmosphere. The gift of full awakening is not something that can be earned or attained through any kind of spiritual practice. It is a spontaneous revelation within Consciousness itself as a result of ripeness, ripeness of your evolutionary process and ripeness within your desiring process. When a human being’s hunger becomes solely geared toward complete self-transcendence, then that Consciousness becomes the only possible outcome of his or her life and actions.

We come to this meditative atmosphere in a state of innocence and trust, to experience this flow of awakening power. Both heightening of energy and relaxation into silence happen spontaneously, without any effort. Once the connection with a genuine master has been awakened and the bond of love has been established, then the intensity goes on and on, forever. Once the life energy of the Awakened Master implants itself in the heart of the student, then, in a sense, the spiritual practices have already been fulfilled. One can feel, without any doubt, this movement of Energy and Silence. It is not necessary to do or to stop doing anything to experience this. There are many paths to the Divine and all of them can be nourished in this precious atmosphere of Radiant Pure Consciousness.

In this profound atmosphere of silence and openness you can allow even emotional irritations or deep wounds to come into awareness. You may notice that your being is gently probed by this subtle, communicative, and innocent energy; this energy that, naturally, wants to enter into every aspect of functioning. It wants to find out if it can go in one end of your being and come out the other without distortion. Then, finally, it can enjoy its own profound meditation on itself. Consciousness will then purely, spontaneously, and radiantly fill one from head to toe. This is the energy of the Supreme Reality that we are talking about, the Supreme Consciousness that is now full and active on every level of existence.

Author: David Spero

Source: www.davidspero.org