Unifying Path
When we strip away the differences that have divided the world's major religions, we are left with a common path that has been practiced by all of the great spiritual teachers and that transcends religion. This path has the power to create peace, sustainability and balance in our lives, and also to unify the world. Its wisdom is so basic that anyone can adhere to it, regardless of their background or beliefs. Here are the elements of this path
There is a pure Essence that dwells in us and that connects us to everything. This Essence goes by many names: God, Nature, Brahman, Dharmadatu, and Great Spirit. It exists everywhere, radiating like the sun. There are places where the clouds of unconsciousness may hide its radiance, but you can cut through these cloudsbyawakening to your Essence.
Make the commitment to awakenfrom unconsciousnessin this lifetime. At this moment, you have the opportunity to awaken from unconsciousness and to rediscoveryour connection withEssence. This awakeningleads to peace, sustainability, and balance. The path of awakening is a choice that takes courage, passion and determination. Some individuals are so committed to awakening that they will live in a cave or take a vow of silence. What are you willing to do? How strong is your commitment? The knock on your door has arrived, and you are being summoned to participate in a great undertaking. Are you ready to answer that call?
Immerse yourself in Essence. There are many ways to do this: meditation, contemplation,prayer, chanting, rhythm, dance, ritual. The main thing is to get out of your head and into your heart, letting your boundaries melt away. Draw back all of the energy that youdissipatein the form of unproductive thoughts, judgments, expectations, and emotions, includingfear, anger, jealousy, pride and worry. Let go of your attachments and aversions, calling back the energy that was invested into these preoccupations and drawing it back into your core. By doing so, you can redirect the energy to the creation of peace, sustainability, and balance.
Act as if you are already awakened. Even if you feel that you are not yet awakened, act as if you are: "Fake it 'til you make it." What starts off as meresimulation becomesgenuine over time.The most important thing is to have an understanding of howan awakened individual would act. When you Take The Pledge, you give yourself a daily reminder of the behavior to which you aspire. This behavior is based on the following ideals, which are known as theSeven Keys:
1. Detachment. If there is anything you value so much that you cannot live without it, that thing will become an obstacle on your path. Your aim is to let go of such attachments. This does not mean that you have to jettison everything and everyone you love. To be detached is to love without expectation or dependence. That is when you transcend the role of lover and become love itself. In doing so, you transform yourself into the most potent creativeforce imaginable.
2. Compassion. If you want to alleviate the suffering of others, it helps to be able to feel it in your own heart. Your happiness derives from the awareness that you are connected to all things. There is no way to have that awareness without feeling the suffering of other beings. As long as you do not hold onto the suffering of other beings, you can transform it into something very pure.
3. Serenity.Unproductive emotions such as fear, anger, andworry can interfere with your power to create peace, sustainability, and balance. These emotions arise from a lack of detachment. To be serene, it helps to accept whatever comes into your life gratefully, knowing that everything that happens is an opportunity to learn, grow, and serve. Gratitude is the key to serenity. You can choose to be happy with whatever life brings you, with no investment in a particular outcome.
4. Unconditional Love.The transformation we seek to create requires us to be able to love everyone without judging anyone. The only way to eliminate the tendency to judge is a little bit at a time. Try taking a “judgment fast,” going a day—or perhaps even a week—without allowing negative judgments to enter your mind. Any time that you start to label or criticize someone or that your mind becomes preoccupied with complaints and negativity, you can just focus on something inspiring instead. For instance, you can use a sound like OM or AH to help block out the judgment.
5. Humility. Everything that we have and experience in this life is a gift. The origin of all things is mysterious and ultimately outside of our control. Even when we consider ourselves to be active participants in creating change, we are nothing more than an instrument through which that change occurs. By emptying ourseves,we can become a conduit for the flow of love and joy. But we cannot impose our will on the direction or extent of theflow. It is not for us to say who benefits or in what way. We are just a link in the chain of events through which transformation may happen.
6. Forgiveness. It is helpful to try rewriting your story. This means finding the true significance of all that has transpired in your life—even the suffering that has resulted from the words and actions of others. Everything happens for a reason and is a gift. Even someone who hurts you is a teacher; that individual creates the opportunity for you to learn and grow. By forgiving even those who have committed the worst transgressions, you create a new pattern of interaction that fosters love, kindness, respect, and compassion.
7. Selfless Service. One of the most important ideals to which you can aspire is to give your life in service to others. As it is, your life is not yours to keep. At best, it is a “loaner.” So, it makes sense to devote it to something of value. And if you are committed to creating peace, sustainability and balance inthe world, there is nothing more valuable you can do than to give your time and energy to others, even if it means sacrificing yourself.
Sweep the temple in preparation for awakening. A temple is where awakening occurs and where the awakened ones reslide. It exists on many levels, including our bodies and minds, our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities, and our world. We can sweep the temple at every level by: taking care of our bodies through proper exercise and nutrition; keeping our minds peaceful and free of attachments; caring for our homes and families; offering our services to our neighborhoods; reaching out to community members in need; and joining with others to create peace, sustainability, and balance in our world.
Honor the wisdom of your teachers and guides. Each of us is guided on our individual path by our intuition, which carries the wisdom of awakened teachers, elders ancestors, and nature. This wisdom can be a powerful guiding force in our life if we seek its direction, tune into it carefully, and trust that it will lead us where we need to go.
Devote yourself to the benefit of all beings. You can combine selfless service and compassion in powerful ways by devoting eveything in your life to the benefit of others. This gives every moment meaning and purpose. Your moments of joy are to be shared with others, and your moments of pain or challenge are an opportunity to take on someone else's suffering so that their burden can be alleviated.
Focus on love and joy. The great Hindu saint, Swami Sivananda, wrote, "There is only one religion, the religion of love." He also identified "the one nameless, formless Essence" as the source of all our joy. It is love that dissolves the boundaries separating you from others. When those boundaries disappear, you experience true awakening through your direct connection to Essence. At these moments, joy arises spontaneusly. This feeling, which can be called bliss, rapture, ecstasy, or delight, is the source of your creative power. As it radiates out from you, it gives rise to new possibilities and lets you share your peace, sustainability and balance with others.