With regular spiritual exercises and heightened sense of concentration and awareness, my powers of wit and humour have been enhanced along with other benefits. But I seem to be using those abilities indiscriminately by enthralling or entertaining others losing in the process the sense of discrimination between right and wrong and squandering away my energies. Whenever I am in a relaxed and spiritual state, random and useless but highly powerful thoughts make way and destroy that peace. Help.
—Ashu, India
Dear Ashu,
Your spiritual work is giving you lots of energy — which is good — but right now that energy is staying at the mental level. During your spiritual practices offer all energy, all thoughts, all sense of joy, love, beauty etc., upward to the spiritual eye and offer them to God. When you act in this world increasingly be aware of God’s presence flowing through you in all you do. Even when you feel to entertain others, be aware it is God in His joyous aspect that flows through you. He is there in those you share with: God sharing with God.
Another point to remember is that trying to suppress thoughts or feelings because we think they are bad does not work. The energy in these suppressed thoughts and feelings will just pop up again in another form. Energy is, in and of itself, not bad. The problem is the attachments we place on the energy which limit it and direct it an outward or downward direction. Making progress on the spiritual path takes lots of energy; it is not a passive process. We use the energy that flows through us to deepen our meditation practice and to serve as God’s instruments in the world. The sense of heightened concentration and awareness your mention are essential tools to direct this energy.
Do not be identified with the ups and downs of life, with your roles and your experiences. We are given experiences for us to grow in awareness of who we truly are: children of God seeking to be one with Him.
Many Blessings,
Nayaswami Mukti
