Quote of the Week: Spirit In Action Is Freedom & Creativity
by Andrew Cohen | October 18, 2010 at 5:30am | 39 comments
Unmanifest Spirit is freedom. Manifest Spirit is creativity. And when we realize that the process of life is Spirit in action, then ideally we would aspire for our lives to become an unceasing manifestation of its multidimensional nature. We would expect our actions to embody its most significant qualities. That means we would be expressing freedom and creativity in and through the way that we live the gift of life. And this would occur both as the spontaneous expression of a liberated heart and mind and as the practice of evolutionarily enlightened living.
Filed Under: Consciousness • EnlightenNext Editors’ Blog • Evolutionary Enlightenment • Evolutionary Spirituality • Quote of the Week • Spirituality
Well, yes, but the question is, what is a spontaneous expression of a liberated heart, and the practice of evolutionary enlightened living?
…”A spontaneous expression of a liberated heart” is an ever-evolving understanding of what supports soul-centric consciousness vs what supports ego-centric consciousness, which is the “practice of evolutionary enlightened living”: The clarity, creativity and infinite wisdom of Spirit vs ego’s nonstop inner babbling.
I believe one interpretation is to live every moment consciously, then each moment is a new experience, spontaneous expression can be realized or be made aware of
because you are not reliving or relying on past memories from the mind, which may limit your awareness of the immediate moment. Living moment to moment with full awareness will naturally lead one to evolve, thus Cohen’s statement of the practice of evolutionary enlightened living. Hope this clarifies… Cheers!
Hello, John!
Unquestionably, spiritually liberated people are individuals or their liberation would amount to little.
What is a necessary common denominator of them all I would submit is at least the adherance, understanding and practice of the tenets of Perennial Wisdom. This goes for those with religious faith or those who are spiritual without religious alliance.
Aloha, Frank Luke
Of course. But you are merely pushing Andrew’s assertion back a step, the question still remains as to what are the tenets of Perennial Wisdom. The point of my question, which was a rhetorical one, was that I am not satisfied with the tenets, the views, either East or West, of Perennial Wisdom presented on this website, by this organization. So from my perspective, the question still stands. Merely asserting that the we are an expression of an evolutionary force, merely presenting or acknowledging the contemporary views of a diverse assortment of Eastern and Western philosophers, teachers and spiritual guides cannot lead us to a larger view, a larger understanding of evolution and man’s role in it, an understanding which must exceed them, integrate them in a different way, and which I believe is necessary for us to be able to continue to participate in that evolution.
Hi John, re: “the question still remains as to what are the tenets of Perennial Wisdom.”
Would you really need to ask since those tenets are so well defined and throughout the ages. You can also reference it online.
In my boiled down view I would submit that the main point of Perennial Wisdom is that to embrace the mandate of spirituality to commit to the betterment of life on earth for all its inhabitants or at least to maintain its beauty and sustainability is a big part of it.
Unmanifest spirit is purely unexpressible, but manifest spirt comes through as sluggish, intense, and Oh yeah! (classically known as tamas, rajas, and sattva) all the way up to unexpressible.
Thank you John, that’s my question to you Andrew too. The reality of our spirituality, our social justice and our environmental care right now comes to expression in the marketplace. How are you helping outside of words? This is such a elitist gang of people… it is time to come down and get involved…
My position is that the reality of spirituality is not social justice or environmental care, although that is the view of many spiritual people. Nor is it escape, withdrawal and detachment from the world in some peaceful indifference. Rather it is the capacity to move out of the limited human consciousness into a higher one, one capable of responding to a higher Guidance, a guidance far beyond the limited view of humanity, one capable of expressing that Guidance in our actions whatever they may be. Sometimes those may be social justice and environmental care, sometimes they may be the opposite. The human mind cannot lay down any rules for it.
Hi John, The Reality(The Real)of Spirit can only be revealed from within. Capacity to engage with Spirit,really engage!and transform,is what the Soul is;your Spirit-given capacity as a *stage* of your evolution,already there, waiting for you to recognize it’s light gracing the darkness of your unconscious.All the answers to your questions can only be truly answered by your own transformation. *Actual* development(not just great translations that make you “feel more spiritual”)enfolding the ego/rational mind structure will always affirm that Spirit IS Humanity, yet also,an Ineffable Mystery. Mind can’t realize this first.Conscious awareness is always *hindsight,*integration of Spirit’s unfolding thru Soul to Mind to Body…Grace (though sometimes over-used, like all spiritual terms)is it’s name, evolution is its game.We greet it by our agreement, our choice. Adequate capacity for grace, unfortunately, is not a given within every soul.That’s why development/evolution is so important; The Soul remembers,and anywhere you think you can go, Spirit is there before you!It’s your purpose to become conscious of this “before-ness.”
I think if you look again at the comment you left Daniel, you’ll see(I did!)that you kinda mirrored what A.C. said above, just differently felt from your perspective.But,here’s the difference; A Spiritualized/Enlightened Mind *can* hope to guide individuals with some “ground rules” because Spirit has given this mind a purpose,IT’S PURPOSE!!and it is the joyous burden of that enlightened mind to serve humanity, Spirit demands it! and the ONLY way to understand this is to evolve to that level of awareness. So all your doubt can only be turned to faith by developing, which is evolving. The structures are all there, waiting within.
LOL
Of course I mirrored what Andrew said. So would many others, often with divergent and conflicting views reflecting radically different levels of consciousness. That was my point. His statement is so vague that it’s useless. It reflects an ignorance which needs to be overcome. The movement of the human consciousness into the highest dynamic play of the Divine is not merely an improvement of human endeavors, it is not merely doing the same things we are doing now but with the awareness of a higher meaning of evolution. Nor is it blind, capricious, or without path or method, even though none of that knowledge exists except as a limited, preparatory form in spiritual traditions as they are understood today. In that regard this movement is no different from the many yogas of the past. Each has had its requirements, its discipline necessary to accomplish its goal. The goal now is different, and so too is the method to accomplish it.
And as with the yogas of the past, the path, the methods of individual development must be understood within the context of a larger structure, a larger knowledge of the nature and functioning of the universe in which this development functions, and a knowledge of man’s role in it. Andrew’s organization until now has understood neither. It has argued the existence of a larger evolution, but with no understanding of its dynamics, its real goal, or how to accomplish it. It has presented a wide variety of limited views, attempts at the expansion Western science through the incorporation of a limited spiritual knowledge, the application of some of the approaches of the old yogas to life, a smorgasbord of knowledge unable to grasp that larger understanding.
For that it will have to turn back to India, not physically, but conceptually. It must decipher the knowledge that has come out of India in the 20th century, a knowledge not understood and given only token recognition by India herself, a knowledge which re-captures the larger understanding, the larger meaning of the ancient Indian traditions which has been lost in modern times, and places them in the context of an evolution larger than the human mind has known. It must understand the path, the methods needed to truly become conscious participants in this evolution, and what that means insofar as the human mind can grasp it.
If it can do that, if it has the capacity to let go of its present understanding, to let go of its illusions of social and cultural change, of creating some sort of widespread movement towards a modern human Utopia, it’s illusions of creating some larger understanding by merely throwing together a collection of ignorance, and to understand and present a far more radical view, one even less accessible to most, it can give those who are capable of receiving it the knowledge necessary to move beyond the limitations of human existence on earth, to begin to participate in an evolution of which ordinary humanity is incapable, but towards which it too, must move.
Hi John, That is quite the response. It appears you have put great effort into thinking where evolution should go. But what do you imagine is a “higher meaning of evolution?” And I linked together your speaking of a “goal” and “moving beyond the limitations of human existence on earth.” What precisely does that look like to you? If I were to conjecture based on that last statement, it seems you believe evolution should be focusing on the biological changes necessary to inhabit other planets with the corresponding “level” of consciousness to deal with the challenges of that radical change. That type of language sounds science fiction, for sure, but I know that physicist Stephen Hawking said humans should start preparing to exit planet earth.
Perhaps you could give us a clearer definition of “higher meaning” from your perspective.
Thanks
Hi John, re: “My position is that the reality of spirituality is not social justice or environmental care”
It seems you haven’t gotten the message of Integral Spirituality (IS) to recognize that the personal and the planetary are connected. Traditional sprituality eschewed mundane involvement and can be seen to be more involved in self-involved salvation but IS seems to be more integrated with the challenges and needs of the 21st century.
Agree, disagree?
Hi Daniel, To evolve is to be involved. Evolution only happens through *action.* Andrew Cohen is an activist of Spirit’s unfolding. His unique expression/translation is an activity of serving the Greatest Good, the evolution of consciousness – no easy feat with so much selfish resistance. This forum is only one miniscule way he is active in the world, as we could only hope all who contribute here are active “in” the world, using our gifts to create consciousness and serve.
Don’t you agree that the term “elitist” is a bit over-used and goes too far? Usually when someone points and claims elitism, it only means they want you to see their point as “better” which is indeed “elitism.” Perspective is valid from the place in development that you are, and enlightened consciousness can only be revealed with the greatest of humility and service, a complete surrender, in fact,to Spirit.Nothing elitist about it…
Service to consciousness happens *within* all activities performed by the individual. Is your Within one of looking out and seeing the world as not doing enough for the world? I suggest if we all do our part with the right *posture within,* what needs to be accomplished will be done.
In humble service to the Self.
I completely agree with this statement. But I fear that its succinct simplicity belies the depth of consciousness that needs to be awakened and aligned in order to achieve this goal. I believe that this statement is much like Einstein’s famous equation: E=mc2. Deceptively simple and universal, but a vast and deep understanding of the nature of Reality is required to derive and comprehend it. The real question in my mind is then, what would the Full Experience of this Freedom be like, how is it different than ordinary experience, and how do we get from here to there?
Why “would we aspire for our lives to become an unceasing manifestation of spirit’s multidimensional nature” when we ARE IT ALREADY? And what does Being has in common with the aspirations of the mind for becoming something else from what the Being is already? Being is Freedom and Creativity already, because how can Creativity exist without Freedom! But how can anybody appreciate this “gift of Life”, the Being, if he/she always hankers for Becoming something else, somebody evolutionary?!
Hi Aliya, re: Why “would we aspire for our lives to become an unceasing manifestation of spirit’s multidimensional nature” when we ARE IT ALREADY?”
Is your comment saying that change is not occurring, not part of reality? Though reality is transitory, do you dis materialism entirely? I submit it’s a component of human reality as much as spiritual reality, both components of the human psyche. To dimiss either is to me erroneous.
Dear Frank,
The Ultimate Reality is not transitory, otherwise it wouldn’t be the Ultimate. Existence is like the ocean – what you see like changing is only its surface – the waves coming and disappearing. However, those waves are not separate from the ocean depths and their serenity and peace.
Likewise, we, human beings, have within our center the same unchangeable nature of the Ultimate, of the Divine. If through meditation you connect yourself to your inner center of Peace, Love, Bliss, you can always find there your source of Life Energy renewed. If you remain attached to the ever changing surface of the ocean, you can be easily thrown away by heavy storms and huge waves. The choice is yours.
Aliya, at every turn you contradict yourself, which means only that you are speaking from what you think you know and not from the direct experience that comes with genuine humility and suffering. Good translations are good, but they are merely the words the ego takes on to buttress itself up against what it lacks, which is authenticity, compassion and the wisdom that comes with sustained contact with the Transcendent and the transformation that unfolds by the efforts of the individual, and most importantly, the Grace of God.
Example;”If through meditation you connect yourself to your inner center of…you can always find there your source of Life Energy renewed.” You’ve stated vehemently at many times in this blog, that there is nothing to do, that we ARE ALREADY IT. But clearly, by this statement you proclaim that someting must be done, a “connection” must be made, and in doing so, one finds themselves “renewed.” Why would anyone need to do anything, to be renewed, if it is as you proclaim, we are perfect the way we are,”marigolds” and “roses” dwelling in our own inherent perfection? And if, as you say “the choice is yours,” how does one make that choice for the “depths of the ocean?” Again, something must be *done* in order to choose. If Aliya is, as you say, already the peace and bliss of the depths, then you would be in the realm of the Choice of Choicelessness, and a humble servant of the Godhead. But I don’t expect you truly know of what I speak, since you shun development, but yet contradict yourself and proclaim activity, and meditation is an activity, then say we don’t need to do anything. Think about it.
In humble service to the Self,
LOL
I wonder for the reason which hides behind the fact that every question you ask contents a denying preface first. If you first deliberately attack and reject the person you want to ask, will you ever listen to his/her answers? That is how mind prejudices act. They do not allow you to be open for what comes your way. Then “the humble service” you claim about is really to the prejudiced “Self” but not to Existence, to Truth.
I can clearly see your confusion with understanding what the connection to your inner center means. For you, as for every mind identified human being, it means “someting must be done”. You completely fail to understand the first part of my statement – “through meditation” one connects to one’s inner center.
And here the point is – meditation is not about doing at all. Meditation is, in fact, undoing. Undoing your entire mind prejudices, illusions, past conditioning and inhibitions. Meditation is awareness and that awareness cannot be done, that awareness is your natural state of being. You are it already; you only have to see it. For this to happen you have to stop making efforts to constantly hang to your own made imprisonment of mind illusions. Just drop all your mind identification and here you are, in the kingdom of God.
You say: “meditation is an activity”. Meditation is not an activity – meditation is witnessing, watchfulness, awareness, being still, Here and Now, in the present moment. Being witness is what your essence is, it is what you are. You can peel off yourself the name, the titles, the personality, the character, but you can never take away your witnessing. It is the deepest and most existential point in you and in Existence itself.
So being witness, being you is what meditation is. It does not need doing to be you, does it?
Aliya, You are incorrect again. The Witness is the last stronghold of separation and duality. The Witness, too, must dissolve *before* one IS. As long as someone is meditating and witnessing, there is duality. “Undoing” is still “doing,” there is still *somebody* undoing, which is duality. Meditation and Witnessing are very important, but not Absolute Realization, because there still is somebody “being aware, watchful and witnessing.” Witnessing is not “the deepest and most esential point in you and in Existence itself.” If there is a “point” in “Existence itself,” then that too is an object, and therefore dual. Self or Not-self are not it; that, too, is duality. Only absolute nondual realization will bring the Just This awareness that Self and Not-self do not “exist” independently,like suffering and freedom are not-two, consciousness and matter are not-two, etc.
I am not attacking you, Aliya. I am trying to help you see the duality in the translation you share, which continues to proclaim to know fundamental laws of Existence, and is nihilistically denying validity to the conversations that occur on this sight. If everyone is perfect as they are, as you proclaim, then you wouldn’t even be bothering to respond, you would just accept all that is said, because you would see that all perspectives are valid and perfect. But you continue to deny that you provide “value judgements” every time you communicate, then using words like “uggly”(your typo), which is very obviously a value judgement and points to the duality you deny to be.
Nonduality is being stark-raving-mad IN LOVE with Paradox, Duality, because that IS WHAT WE ARE! and that is the expression/translation I offer. So, I’m going to leave you alone for awhile…try not to miss me.
LOL
Dear Nada,
As far as we have been discussing meditation, there is nothing incorrect in my statement that meditation is witnessing, awareness. But you are so eager to accuse me incorrect, that you constantly project on my words. Be aware that the tactics you try to use have been the really incorrect one. First you distort my words and then you contradict your own made distortions. It seems to be the only way for you to oppose me:)
As for the state of Tathata or Nonduality, which you try to conceptualize here about, it comes out of witnessing provided you are a totally surrendered and accepting witness of what is. This state requires a total transcendence of the mind interpretations, projections and desires. Including of your mind interpretations of what witnessing is. I understand that for you witnessing can only be from the mind. And of course, where the mind is, duality is. No-duality is No-mind. Tathata, suchness, is the ultimate flowering of religion, it is the supreme achievement. It is total acceptance or choiceless awareness. Whatsoever happens, one is open and agreeable to it. Only such an individual can become totally silent, because even a little bit of resentment can prolong the restlessness. One’s restlessness and tension will continue to remain if he carries even a small degree of complaint. Even the slightest idea, “It didn’t happen the way it should have,” and the tension will continue to persist.
The experience of supreme silence, the experience of the greatest freedom from tension, and that of the ultimate liberation is possible only in the state of tathata. However, only a man going deeper into witnessing can bring him to the state of tathata. One who has not yet known what being a witness means can never know what total acceptance is.
Referring to your statement, Nada, that “If everyone is perfect as they are, as you proclaim”, it shows you miss the essential point of my words.
I have always insisted on the existential fact that each and every human being is a master piece of God, utterly unique and authentic. (I never use the word perfect as far as being is concerned. Only dead things are perfect.) However, as you are right now, identified with your own mind prejudices and past conditioning, you are not connected to your innermost core being. You are nothing else but mind inhibitions and it has been your own choice to neglect your own being and to identify yourself with your mind and its product the ego.
A simple understanding of this fact through witnessing/meditation will help you to slip out of your false illusions and to fall back into your true nature. This is not what you call the doing, the ego determined will for achievement, but a simple act of understanding.
Aliya, re: “If you first deliberately attack and reject the person you want to ask, will you ever listen to his/her answers?”
I wonder if you are aware that this is exactly what you often seem to be doing and your comments seem to be promulgating your firm beliefs w/o considering what your interlocutor(s) say?
Aliya, I go along with some of what you say re: inner peace but would say that we certainly should not be attached to the reality of change but need to be involved to attempt to better life on earth or at least to maintain the conditions that enable sustainability and the beauty we find.
Would you agree that the personal and the planetary are connected or not?
Dear Frank,
The “personal” is connected to nothing else but to the ego. Personality is what has been given to you by your mind conditioning, by the others in you. The personal is what hankers for achievements, desires, ambitions, endlessly attempting for this and that. The individual vice versa is your own flowering of being. The individual is connected to planetary and also to whole the Universe and Existence itself.
Individual is what knows that to change the world you have to change yourself first. Only by changing yourself will all the rest change, too.
Aliya re: “I wonder for the reason which hides behind the fact that every question you ask contents a denying preface first. If you first deliberately attack and reject the person you want to ask, will you ever listen to his/her answers?”
If we note a majority of your comments this seems a characterization of what you yourself are practing. Self-examine, you’ll maybe see the truth of this if you aren’t so defensive as is your usual practice.
Re: “The “personal” is connected to nothing else but to the ego.”
I wonder if you can recognize that a Spiritual Awakening which lays aside the personal ego and assumes a more comprehending and comprehensive Ego is possible or if that’s not something you can endorse and/or can understand? What can you offer re: Enlightened Beings who attain this level of consciousness and behavior?
It is very wonderfully said. I agree fully with enlightened Andrew.
This quote of the week is spot on. Interesting that creativity, so valued in the West, is utterly discounted in India. The god of creativity, Bhrama, has only a handful of temples in India while his equals in the trinity, Vishnu and Siva, gods of preservation and dissolution respectively, have tens of thousands of temples. I asked Swami Krishnananda about this (a friend of Andrew’s) and he said that is because creativity is world making activity and Indian philosophy while recognizing it as valid, does not encouraged creativity, because we humans, in their view, are about transcending worldliness. This is the root cause of why East and West do not particularly support each other. The classical eastern thinks the west is wasting its time and the classical westerner thinks the east is stagnating.
The new vision that EE is endorsing, as I see it, is that creativity and dissolution have equal roles in the evolutionary process.
Hi Don, re: “Interesting that creativity, so valued in the West, is utterly discounted in India.’
If we think of the West as essentially involved in betterment and improvement of living conditions, India seems much less so, IMO.
This manifests in India mired in tradition and the past, influenced by a strong transcendental mindset that accepts what God has wrought and most Indians resolved to accept fate.
The Western world finds that unacceptable and rails against fate, even what God has wrought in many cases.
Thank you for shining the light on our own creativity. It is this power we all have within us that is going to manifest the “shift in consciousness” of which so many speak. We need to shed the more common “I’m not creative” to understand that creativity is what makes us human and connects us to the divine, to spirit. The reason so many don’t identify with creativity is that it has been limited to Western thought, product oriented and money driven–”If you could not sell it, why make it.” That mentality ignores the depth of the “iceberg” under the surface that is what will liberate our spirits and create a more compassionate, passion-driven, spirit-led world. My website and my books serve to help people “workout” their creative mental muscle, to balance the dominant left-brain thinking of our modern world, so they can take back control of exactly what they want to create in their lives. Thank you for all you do! Peace & Creativity. Whitney
All right! — Spontaneous expression of a liberated heart and enlightened living!!! — but wait, the dishes are dirty gotta wash em, and the floor is ankle deep in dust balls, and yikes the bills, and the sequoia outside needs water, and those weeds are crawling all over. Yeah, I need to invent something, do a startup: a new paradigm of self study, a true zero footprint house that floats, or find the source of consciousness, or the root of narcistic behavior, or… Oops, late for work.
Hi Bob,
You don’t express being frustrated but I wonder if your post has an undercurrent of how many caught in life’s nitty-gritty may become frustrated, feeling they are thwarted from accomplishing their life’s potential fully?
If a purpose or objective becomes clearly established, that potential can be more easily accomplished. To be side-tracked seems to be a self-inflicted predicament where priorities are obstructing or delaying pursuing the objective. Simplifying your life and/or making the choice to put the objective in the forefront of your attn is what’s going to diminish frustration by clearing the path to your goat.
Of course, establishing that goal and purpose is what’s really necessary.
I so appreciate Ken Wilber’s metaphor of a plant which is blocked in its reaching toward light as the model for human development, practically and spiritually.
Creativity can’t be denied or it will become a negative force. Witness kids with all their energy but with no worthy plan of action, turning to mischief and worse.
To align with the objective of bettering the world is to assume spirituality’s mandate. To not take on that voluntary task is to thwart the human impulse to do the right thing.
You need to decide: which side are you on?
Does the statement:
“as the spontaneous expression of a liberated heart and mind and as the practice of evolutionarily enlightened living.” ?
A: Make you confused
B: Liberate you because you know this exists to help you remember you were less confused to begin with
Who waits for an action and thought to occur? They all happen freely. Even when you stumble, it’s spontaneous. Our expressions are already liberated from the definitions and purposes we try to give them. Evolution happens but we’re only stalling it when try to activate it – it’s kind of like turning on the ignition when you’re already driving
(CRRRRRRRR) – one hideous sound!
I take your comments to endorse the idea of personal development but it is a touch and go matter. I think it really depends on personal objectives and a matter of wanting to get to a higher level of consciousness by asking good questions and trying to obtain helpful info which abounds on the internet and everywhere, if you are attuned to spiritual counsel that answers existential questions that are your concern.
Best wishes in developing!
Perhaps the idea of creating numerous distinctions between higher levels, lower levels, personal and universal is all part of this confusion we’re dabbling in here?
Surely Frank you know that there’s no universal report card that marks us from A to Z? That’s wonderful, I’m sure if you’ve convinced yourself you sit somewhere closer to the A’s but the universal in us all – imagined as a cranky primary school teacher waiting with a cane in her right hand is rather funny.
It’s sure to be that way if we choose to see it in those terms.
The “wanting” that you mentioned also shares it’s existence with the shadow of despising. You want something else because you despise what you are… that’s not always the fastest way to get where you really want to go. It’s more like a long vacation from yourself, which is not a bad thing at all.
It’s just one of our many impressions through experience, which ultimately is closest to what all this dabbling is about to begin with.
As all in all Frank, you are more me as I you than us not. You see?
Aliya, re: “The “personal” is connected to nothing else but to the ego.”
I wonder if you can recognize that a Spiritual Awakening which lays aside the personal ego and assumes a more comprehending and comprehensive Ego is possible or if that’s not something you can endorse and/or can understand? What can you offer re: Enlightened Beings who attain this level of consciousness and behavior?
Dear Frank,
You must be a man of imagination – “comprehending” ego, “comprehensive” Ego.
Let me tell you a joke:
”What’s the idea,” asked the boss of his new employee, Mulla Nasrudin, ”of telling me you had five years’ experience, when now I find you never had a job before?”
”Well,” said Nasrudin, ”didn’t you advertise for a man with imagination?”
As far as I know Enlihtennext never advertised for imagination:)