We Suffer from Gnostalgia

We are to learn from every event—so there is no such thing as a mistake. But yogis especially must learn constantly from the Inner Source, as well as from karma, dreams, physical symptoms, synchronicities, books and digital media—we must learn to stay accurately in line with the Dao, with the will of God, with the call of the Heart. At this moment, negative events are happening for everyone nearly all the time. Dark forces are dominant (even in our own egos), but even the shadow powers are feeling the effects of the law of karma. They, too, exist to motivate us to return to God-consciousness. We must graciously accept our karma with detachment and faith, and keep aligned with divine love and forgiveness. All is perfect.

The transfer of karma from one life to another can be neutralized by the transmission of Dharma from parents to children. But if parents are ignorant or hypocritical, the ego of the child will harden. The current educational system completes the process of the stunting of our psychospiritual development.

Do you live by the laws of the divine? Shunyamurti explains Dharma, divine law, which, when applied to the ego, reveals the relationship to the soul and a love for intelligence that brings one to the higher states of crazy wisdom and divine love that lead to miracles–and you become an instrument of infinite consciousness.

Question:

How does a spiritual teacher or leaders of monasteries/ashrams balance honoring both individual sovereignty while also honoring the roles of the whole community in the 21st century? Some teachers say there of course that there is no individual so just serve in order to (sometimes depending on the teacher) get away with violating the other in some way. While in fact there is no individual, there can’t be said to be a community either as far as the Absolute. So must both individual and community be honored yet balanced, as far as the world of relativity goes, this day in age?

Shunyamurti’s Reply:

To answer your question, let us first separate spiritual communities that are sui generis from those religious communities such as Christian and Buddhist monasteries and Hindu ashrams that are units of larger religious hierarchies, and which therefore do not have independence from either their denominational politics or the fixed social expectations and demands.

In a truly independent spiritual community, such as the Sat Yoga Ashram, there is no such problem as the one you pose, because we admit into the community only those people who are aligned with the vision, the goals, the policies, the people, and the environment, and whose individual intentions are therefore in accord with those of the teacher, the teachings, and the way of life we offer. People spend a lot of time here as visitors before they are admitted as trial members of the order. Then they have another significant period to decide if they really want to commit to being lifetime members. During this period, all the members get to know them, and they get to know everyone else, and it becomes clear if there is a good rapport, acceptance of the Dharma, and trust in the procedures and the wisdom and integrity of the executive officers and supervisors of departments.

Once full membership has been granted, there continues to be regular contact, individual meetings to work out glitches, negative projections, and other challenges. In addition to processing and counseling sessions, there are council meetings and department team meetings in which everyone has a voice and opportunities to offer new ideas, special meetings to discuss problems and heal ruptures between members if they arise, and ongoing classes in which the ego illusion is unmasked, and the superorganismic reality of the communal consciousness is further developed and deepened.

The leadership of the community must be able to read the signs of any disturbances accurately and explain why certain actions were inaccurate, if and when such events occur. The Dharma must be executed with wisdom, compassion, and love, and discipline must be inculcated willingly. The community must sustain its esprit d’corps from the mature desire for everyone for the spiritual family to thrive and develop. The Dharma must not be rule-based or rigid, but able to accommodate the needs of each member to test limits and explore whatever passions arise, keeping in mind always the overarching aim of liberation from ego and from suffering, as well as the goal of healing our world and our fellow beings. Sometimes, people leave. If they feel the need for experiences that are not available in our community, and want to return to the world of work outside the community, we always try to make the separation as friendly and open-ended as possible. We keep the door open for those who have left to return. We live as non-judgmentally as possible. Everyone who lives in the community has the possibility of becoming a leader. We are grooming healers, teachers, scholars, artisans and artists of every kind. We are all working together to bring about a planetary renaissance. This vision overrides yet supports all individual differences. All come here because they want to serve God, humanity, and Nature; to grow psychologically and spiritually, and to attain Self-realization. All are honored and loved. The law is applied fairly and minimally, when necessary. Forgiveness is forever. We all recognize how much of a privilege it is to live in this community and to be out of the rat race, and to be preparing for the radical changes imminent on our planet. All appreciate the beauty and the goodness we have co-created. We are surrendered to the Ordainer, to the Dao, and to our Buddha Nature.

I hope that answers your question.

Namaste,
Shunyamurti.

Question:

Where should the line be drawn regarding following the rules of authority? How much can I say no to or reject what is being mandated? What is the determiner of what is just and what is unjust?

Shunyamurti’s Reply:

Dear Seeker,

It is impossible to give a general answer, since every situation is unique. There are times when one has a moral duty to obey, other times when one has a duty to disobey. And there are many situations that can be decided on the basis of prudence. Why take a chance on getting into unnecessary trouble if it can be avoided? But one may decide, on a utilitarian basis, that it is worth the gamble. What should be avoided, however, is to act from egoic motives of rebellion for the sake of proving one is special. We should always strive to be role models that others can follow, because one has acted wisely and in accord with the Dharma.

Namaste,
Shunyamurti