Staying Spiritually Awake - Scott Teeters

By K. Scott Teeters - Reiki Master

What’s going on in the world? What’s going on in my life? If you pull back, you can see that there is the "outer world" that we see played out in the news and through observation. Then there is the "inner world" that we experience through our own perception. The outer world can delight, amuse, frustrate, sadden, and anger us. Often the outer world seems out of our control. Our inner world often seems that way as well, but does it have to be that way? Are there ways of creating inner peace and serenity without selling everything we own, and moving to the mountaintop?

People have been asking these same basic questions for ages. Fortunately, the same answers have been coming through inspired writers and teachers for ages as well. They are so common that they have become platitudes to which we do not pay much attention. Expressions such as; "We become what we think about." – "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." – "We are all One." In the face of worldly and inner challenges, these words can seem like sayings in a Hallmark greeting card.

But these are inner spiritual perspectives that when understood, lead you to an "awakened" experience of life. While integrating these understandings is a challenging task, it is not impossible. Actually, it is completely do-able by everyone. How do we know this? It is a matter of understanding; that if someone else has done it, so can you!

You start to see a pattern. We are asleep, then we wake up, then we go back to sleep, and on and on. Once you have awakened and know that you have awakened, this seemingly nonstop going back to sleep can be maddening. Living an awakened life can be the most challenging, yet rewarding thing you will ever do. It is the effort of a lifetime – meaning that you will be doing this for the rest of your life.

That’s the bad news and the challenge. The good news is that there is plenty of help. As individuals most of us have marginal impact on the world stage. Outside political and natural forces can most definitely change our experience of life, and sometimes make us feel helpless. However, "we" are in complete control of our inner life. There’s a Zen saying that states, "If you think so... so. If you think not so... then not so." (those Zen dudes always have an out-of-the-box way of saying things.)

Never before has it been easier to find resources to awakening. Just stop and consider the fact that as little as 50 years ago, if you wanted to learn the secrets of life, you had to first find a metaphysical bookstore then hunt for the books you wanted. Or even more challenging, you would have to travel far and long to find your teacher on a solitary mountaintop or ashram. Now, all you have to do is visit your local mall and visit one of the national chain booksellers. All of them now have large "new age," "metaphysical," or "inspirational" book sections. And if you don’t like to read, many of the best selling conscious living/metaphysical books are now on tape or CD. It couldn’t be much easier.

There is a common misconception that once you have had a mystical experience, that’s it! "TA-DA! I have arrived! I got my mantra, my beads, my charged crystals, and I wear lots of purple. But my boss is a jerk, my kid won’t listen or clean his room, and my car is a junker!" As Ram Dass used to love to say, "How do you stay conscious when the stuff hits the fan? Because it will and you can." It’s called, "normal life" and for a newly awakening individual, it can slam you right back into snooze-land.

Ah, but there is a bright side to all of this. Once the process of awakening begins, there is no going permanently going back to sleep. "Catnaps" will happen from time to time, but completely going back to sleep is out of the question. Fortunately, when it comes to awakening tools, there’s something for everyone.

What Is Awakening?

What is this elusive state of "awakening?" Being "awake" is always a "right now" thing. It’s is being in the present moment with as much awareness as possible. Reflecting on the past and planning for the future are important, but your "experience" of life is always right here, right now. This understanding came to me in the early ‘80s and is something that I have shared with many people over the years. But an interesting thing often happens. I have observed that "rational, linear thinking," controls our society. Of course, in a technological society, linear thinking is critical. The Space Program is no place for ambiguity or vagueness. Computer software is right or it’s wrong. There are so many places in our culture where linear thinking has produced spectacular achievements that we tend to look toward those achievement as proof that linear thinking is the best.

However, life has many subtle aspects that are outside of rational, linear thought processes. To a linear thinker, talk of the "Eternal Moment of Now" can sound like nonsense. In discussing this with people, many have said to me, "You mean, live for today and the hell with tomorrow?" This is an excellent example of black and white; you’re with us or against us, polarized thinking. When we think in narrow compartmentalized ways, we are missing the shades of gray that are inherent in all things. This is different from the linear model of thinking. A very powerful way of "being" is to use BOTH ways of thinking. It is believed that people who use both the right and left sides of the brain are very balanced and extremely successful in life. Here is a more creative way of perceiving everyday reality.

You understand that you are in the Eternal Moment of Now, but that you also have previous experiences of what was once a "now" experience. You call this your past. You also have events that you have not yet experienced. You call this your future.

While in your current moment of Now, you reflect on your past...look at it... and examine what happened. Don’t judge, criticize, or condemn... just observe. Try to "see" it as clearly as you can. Notice what was right, what worked, what didn’t work, and what was the quality of the experience. This is "learning" from your past, please do not indulge in judging. Our culture is so habituated to judge, criticize, and condemn (because it "makes sense") that almost all of us do it unconsciously to others and especially ourselves. I would ask that you simply suspend, for the time being, such indulging.

The next step is to envision your future. Motivational speaker Brian Tracy likes to remind us that it is very important to think about your future because that is where you will be spending the rest of your life. But our culture has us habituated to thinking of the future in fearful ways. You only need to look at our fear-laced entertainment to clearly see how we tend to envision our future.

But despite what rational thinking people might claim, this fear is not a requirement. Always being prepared and having an open mind is a good mental habit. In the Middle East they have an expression, "Trust in Allah, but tie your camel." Or in western terms, you could say, "Trust in Jesus, but lock your Chevy." Be mindful of Our Oneness, but keep your eyes and senses open.

If you take the middle ground of neither fearing or anticipating your future, and simply look to see what is possible for your life, you will see more possibilities than you had previously realized. This is an excellent place to ask yourself as you start to stay awake for longer periods of time, "What would be my ideal experience? What would I most like to be?" Envisioning your ideal scene and what you want to "be" are powerful tools for manifesting. This is a relatively new wrinkle in goal setting technologies. Quiet your mind and envision what you would most like to be, and your Higher Self will reveal what you originally intended to do and be. All of the things we "do," we are doing so that we can have a "beingness" experience. You exercise so that you can "be healthy." You go to school, learn, do a good job, so that you can "be successful" and "be happy." You work extra and save your money so that you can "be secure." You groom yourself and develop your personality to attract a partner so that you can "be happy in a relationship." This is a pattern that maps over in all areas of our lives. We are always seeking a "beingness" experience.

When you start living an awakened life, you work with your past to see what worked and what didn’t and then project your most desired future into your mind’s eye. You become your ideal, no longer judging yourself. Learning from your past while using a projected possible future as a goal, gives you this positive goal to live your life into.

So, Now What?

What does an awakened life "look" like? From an external view, it may not look like anything unusual. Another Zen expression offers this wisdom, "Before Enlightenment, there is chopping wood and carrying water. After Enlightenment, there is chopping wood and carrying water." A person living an awakened life may still have all of the challenges, stresses, and troubles as before... but with a difference. She sees challenges as opportunities to show herself what she’s capable of achieving or experiencing. She sees stress as an indicator that she’s taking things too seriously and needs some perspective. She sees problems as opportunities for new learning or to remember solutions forgotten. After a time, it will seem as if there is a new person inside of an existing body. Serenity will have a transforming affect on your inner and outer world.

Have you ever been around someone who is supremely serene, peaceful, and calm? In "As A Man Thinketh" James Allen wrote, "Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are always sweet, serene, and calm. They are like shade giving trees in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm.”

If you have ever been around someone like that, you know that they are unmistakable. Ken Keyes Jr. was such a person. Many years ago, I had a chance meeting with Ken after one of his talks. At that time, I was not familiar with Ken’s landmark book, "Handbook for Higher Consciousness." Even though he was wheelchair-bound, Ken filled the room with his love and pure presence. Everyone was getting a contact high just from being close to him. Later I learned that Ken was a supremely peaceful and serene man, despite the fact that he was in a wheelchair and could barely move one of his arms.

Living an Awakened Life is simple, but not easy in the beginning. But like the old joke, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!", it does get easier the longer you are actively engaged in the process of awakening. So take heart, and remember that what others have achieved, you can as well.

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K. Scott Teeters is a Reiki Master and author of" It’s Time To Wake Up: Reiki & Other Essential Tools For Spiritual Awakening" published by Llumina Press. Scott’s website is a metaphysical candy shop loaded with essays, insights, awakening tools and tips, amazing images, and fun, conscious living gift items.

Scott lives in Medford, NJ with his wife and business partner Karen, Spudz their new beagle dog, Mittins the tuxedo cat and Twiggy the tabby cat. Their website address is: http://www.itstimetowakeup.com/

Scott & Karen also have a new website, the “Free Spirit Gift Shop.” Here’s the address: http://www.freespiritgiftshop.com

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