La Vía de la Liberación es una guía simple y práctica hacia la liberación espiritual; lo que a veces llamamos el despertar, la iluminación, la autorrealización, o simplemente la percepción de la Verdad absoluta. Resulta imposible entender el significado de términos como liberación, o iluminación, a no ser que los hayas experimentado por ti mismo/a. Por eso no sirve de nada que especulemos acerca del concepto de iluminación; de hecho, especular sobre ello es el principal impedimento para que lleguemos a experimentarla. Como principio básico, ir descubriendo de manera progresiva aquello que NO es la Verdad absoluta resulta muchísimo más valioso que especular sobre lo que sí lo es.
Mucha gente piensa que las enseñanzas espirituales tienen por función ofrecer respuesta a las mayores incógnitas de la vida, pero en verdad resulta ser todo lo contrario. La principal tarea de cualquier enseñanza espiritual que se precie no es dar respuesta a tus preguntas, sino cuestionar tus respuestas. Pues son tus suposiciones o creencias, ya sean estas conscientes o inconscientes, las que distorsionan tu percepción y originan que adviertas separación y división donde en realidad solo existe el uno y el todo.
La Verdad última a la cual estas enseñanzas apuntan, ni es secreta, ni se encuentra oculta, ni está lejos. No es posible ni ganársela, ni merecerla, ni descifrarla. La Verdad de todo lo que es se encuentra en este mismo momento a plena vista. De hecho lo único que puedes ver, oír, oler, degustar o tocar es la Verdad, o Dios si lo prefieres. Donde quiera que vayas, la totalidad de lo que existe te rodea. De modo que no hay razón alguna para que nos molestemos en buscarla, aunque nosotros los humanos llevamos mucho tiempo enredándonos por nuestra cuenta en ese laberinto de confusión y caos. Y esto nos limita hasta el punto que raramente siquiera apreciamos - y mucho menos experimentamos por nosotros mismos – la divinidad que mora tanto a nuestro alrededor como en nuestro interior.
En La Vía de la Liberación hay una llamada a la acción; algo que tienes que hacer. Ese hacer será lo que te libere totalmente. Si no tomas las lecciones, ni las estudias y aplicas sin miedo lo aprendido, no habrá transformación posible. La Vía de la Liberación no es un sistema de creencias; se trata más bien de una enseñanza para que apliques a tu vida. En ese sentido es totalmente práctica.
Acercarse a este libro como un mero espectador equivaldría a desperdiciar su mensaje. Adoptar el papel de espectador es quedarse en lo fácil y lo seguro; intervenir de manera activa en tu propio despertar a la Verdad en cambio ni es fácil ni es seguro. Avanzar por ese camino precisa de un compromiso total. Y además de ofrecer sorpresas, lograrlo no está garantizado. ¿De verdad creíste que podía ser de otra manera?
--Adyashanti, extraído de la introducción a La Vía de la Liberación
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you avoid reading the book as a spectator and be an active participant instead in your own awakening? Can you share a personal story where being an active participant has neither been easy nor safe, but has been the only way for you to awaken? What answers of yours have you questioned deeply?
That question of commitment is a tough nut to crack for someone as reluctant as I am to commit myself and yet haunted by the absolute necessity of a commitment. The tension between these two opposites has been present throughout my entire existence. Reading (or listening) 's merit is to point to the difficulties one will unavoidably encounter, help one identify the enemy. But by itself will not effect a deep change other than intellectual. However it may also help one realize what is really at stake. Commitment to truth is in no way abstract as I once experienced. It does demand that one exposes oneself to one's psychological fears and limitations if one is to grow out of them while having no certainty about the outcome..
I have found through hard work on my own mind, in talking with myself, that I have been able to see I am not in control of anything except how I react, feel, and accept the reality. In learning this, I have been able to let go of trying to control the reality nor have it control me. I am able to accept it. What is exciting about this is that I have no idea what is going to happen next and I do not look at that fact in dread. Whatever it is could be extremely positive or negative but I cannot control which, I can only control my acceptance. I continue to work on this daily as I slip back into my attempt to make everything work the way I think it should. By working on this, I have been there when my parents have died and felt that it was very much a part of their and my life. I am at peace with it in a way I never was before. While I continue to have fear and anxiety, I work to let them go when I become aware that they are in my reality and I am able to do so. I did not think I wo... [View Full Comment]
I have found through hard work on my own mind, in talking with myself, that I have been able to see I am not in control of anything except how I react, feel, and accept the reality. In learning this, I have been able to let go of trying to control the reality nor have it control me. I am able to accept it. What is exciting about this is that I have no idea what is going to happen next and I do not look at that fact in dread. Whatever it is could be extremely positive or negative but I cannot control which, I can only control my acceptance. I continue to work on this daily as I slip back into my attempt to make everything work the way I think it should. By working on this, I have been there when my parents have died and felt that it was very much a part of their and my life. I am at peace with it in a way I never was before. While I continue to have fear and anxiety, I work to let them go when I become aware that they are in my reality and I am able to do so. I did not think I would ever become this peaceful inside. It reminds me of when I was a child and sat and looked at the sky and time and the beauty were everlasting and fed me life.
I agree with this call to action except I'd like to challenge the statement in the final paragraph."..being an active participant in your own awakening to Truth is neither easy nor safe". I would like to say that it may not be easy but it is safe. In fact, it is the only safe reliable anchor, your inner voice that you can rely on. Even though it may not seem to be easy in the moment, just trust the Truth and step forward to take the leap of faith for you will land safely eventually - in your own Truth and one with the Universal Truth. If you let fear get in the way, you will live a lie and live to regret it someday. It was painful for me to acknowledge that my marriage was dead, but staying in a dead marriage would have been to kill myself as the authentic person. It was very hard but it was the right thing to do to move away from the soul destroying experience. And it took a long time to find my bearings and new friends, but I am there now. I am safe for having walked away from the s... [View Full Comment]
I agree with this call to action except I'd like to challenge the statement in the final paragraph."..being an active participant in your own awakening to Truth is neither easy nor safe". I would like to say that it may not be easy but it is safe. In fact, it is the only safe reliable anchor, your inner voice that you can rely on. Even though it may not seem to be easy in the moment, just trust the Truth and step forward to take the leap of faith for you will land safely eventually - in your own Truth and one with the Universal Truth. If you let fear get in the way, you will live a lie and live to regret it someday. It was painful for me to acknowledge that my marriage was dead, but staying in a dead marriage would have been to kill myself as the authentic person. It was very hard but it was the right thing to do to move away from the soul destroying experience. And it took a long time to find my bearings and new friends, but I am there now. I am safe for having walked away from the sham to discover my own place in the world.
Good piece. I like the statement that a good spiritual teaching is not to answer your questions but to question your answers. The way I avoid being a spectator and become an active participant in my awakening is by paying attention to what's happening to and within me as I read the book. That is, what the author is saying stirs and triggers reactions within me as I am reading, and I am an active participant by listening to and valuing the reactions within me which include my thoughts, feelings, associations, fantasies, and insights. My inner experience is at least as important as what the author is saying. What the author writes is his awakening, and what happens in me is my awakening. Being an active participant has not been easy or safe when I was in any so called teaching situation that told me what I should get and should learn from what I was reading, which got in the way of my noticing what was awakening in me. I don't think it is the on... [View Full Comment]
Good piece. I like the statement that a good spiritual teaching is not to answer your questions but to question your answers. The way I avoid being a spectator and become an active participant in my awakening is by paying attention to what's happening to and within me as I read the book. That is, what the author is saying stirs and triggers reactions within me as I am reading, and I am an active participant by listening to and valuing the reactions within me which include my thoughts, feelings, associations, fantasies, and insights. My inner experience is at least as important as what the author is saying. What the author writes is his awakening, and what happens in me is my awakening. Being an active participant has not been easy or safe when I was in any so called teaching situation that told me what I should get and should learn from what I was reading, which got in the way of my noticing what was awakening in me. I don't think it is the only way, but an important way for me to awaken is to pay attention to my experience, my truth. I have questioned answers I got from organized religion. Someone said religion has come to be accepting someone else's experience or truth, and spirituality is finding and accepting my own experience or truth. Finding and accepting my experience or truth is actively participating in my awakening.
The answer I have questioned somewhat deeply is: "I am me." I have come to notice that I am what I think; and all that exists arises with my thoughts, and that with my thoughts I make the world. When I have no thoughts I am nothing. When I am nothing I am not me but rather I am everyone and everything. As Gandhi said: "My life is my message. The purity of the means determines the purity of the end. A "no" merely uttered from the deepest conviction is better and greater than YES merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble. You must be the change you want to see in the world." I still have a long way to go to achieve what I have said above I am moving in that direction. I have come to realize that nothing is absolutely true or absolutely false. I have also come to know that I do not know. These are words. Words are often preached. As Gandhi said: an ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching. I have come to believe that when I am kind I am libera... [View Full Comment]
The answer I have questioned somewhat deeply is: "I am me." I have come to notice that I am what I think; and all that exists arises with my thoughts, and that with my thoughts I make the world. When I have no thoughts I am nothing. When I am nothing I am not me but rather I am everyone and everything. As Gandhi said: "My life is my message. The purity of the means determines the purity of the end. A "no" merely uttered from the deepest conviction is better and greater than YES merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble. You must be the change you want to see in the world." I still have a long way to go to achieve what I have said above I am moving in that direction. I have come to realize that nothing is absolutely true or absolutely false. I have also come to know that I do not know. These are words. Words are often preached. As Gandhi said: an ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching. I have come to believe that when I am kind I am liberated, Warm and kind regards to everyone.