RS on Podcast #5: THE BENEFITS OF ENLIGHTENED LIVING
By: RS
I found this last session invigorating sharing the benefits that our efforts to achieve enlightened living brings to the each of us and our daily living. “The more I practice, the luckier I get” was a phrase coined by the Pro Golfer Gary Player when asked about his “lucky” shots on the golf course. I translate that sports note to enlightened living.
“The more I practice, the luckier I get”, works for me on a daily basis. Living every day trying to see things the way they are, free from programed or biased reactions from the essence of an illusory world, in some Hindu scriptures referred to as Prakriti or Maya. The latter veiling reality and the former, the stuff of the primordial nature of reality.
Our perception of reality around us is formed from our life’s experiences using the sensory apparatus learned from birth, fed by a growing Ego molded by instinct, emotion, education and fears. The “practice” to overcome this limitation is by our living everyday life guided by harmlessness, compassion, kindness and love through the vehicle of Non-Attachment. We make that choice to live “AS IF” life was that way. We learn to separate from the illusions and demands of the Ego and the world around us so that we are not preprogrammed to respond in any set manner.
Bias, resulting from instinct, emotion, education or fears, channel a patterned response. Instead, living in the present moment, aware of all around us, we become detached from all distraction and decide from that point, at that point, how shall we respond so that our actions are with harmlessness, compassion, kindness and love.
Living an Enlightened Life is simple but takes loads of time and dedication (practice again). First is recognition that what has happened in the world outside of us already has happened. We can work to change those things from happening again setting goals to do so but we have to learn to accept what has and is happening as done. Once accepted, we decide, of our own free will, detached from demands of the Ego, our histories and absence of any bias, how do we want to respond to that event or stimulus in the outside world. This is enlightened living to me, as I practice it.
Such living is open to everyone. The living experiences will be different for everyone and not limited or restricted by one’s economic, social, religious or national histories; just different. Practicing enlightened living allows each of us to stand back, detached as THE OBSERVER, free from the influences (biases) of our Egos and history. All of us follow different methods and paths to this end; I’ve described mine.
What this path takes is patience and dedication to live our lives that way. It does not take away from our daily living, roles, obligations and responsibilities, but enhances them. Rudolf Steiner described this very well, “no student should spend more time and strength upon these exercises than they can spare with due regard to their station in life and to their duties; nor should they change anything for the time being, in the external conditions of their life through taking this path. Without patience, no genuine results can be attained” [16].
So, we are back to practice again. Practice takes patience and dedication, maybe even courage. Mr. Steiner continues his advice, “Courage and self-confidence are two beacons which must never be extinguished on the path to higher knowledge. No one will ever travel far who cannot bring themselves to repeat, over and over again, an exercise which has failed, apparently, for countless number of times”. [17]
Enlightened Living isn’t a gift or open to a limited population, it is a path we all can enter and move forward starting today, right now, right here. Live your life freeing yourselves from the Ego and chains of your past as a free thinking being that chooses how to respond and directs their lives from this point forward.
As this happens, we experience more joy in everyday things, reduce stress and conflict in our lives and feel the love and beauty in the world around us. Continue to practice AS IF LIVING every chance to do so and have no second thoughts how long it will take. Let patience guide our lives and it will happen little by little, every day.
