nurturetruth
06-10-2008, 12:25 PM
One of the Most Powerful Spiritual
Experiences You Can Know
Every sincere spiritual student will one day come to a significant crossroad that is both a test and an invitation. It often happens like this: after a period of progress and growing self-awareness, suddenly, out of the blue, we're filled with self-doubt. We feel abandoned by the Truth. It seems as though everything we hoped would be the source of our deliverance has turned into the source of our dissatisfaction. Such moments make us feel so alone…
The mystic St. John of the Cross called these times of trial the Dark Night of the Soul.
But he was not the first to know it. Every great spiritual figure down through the ages reports a similar experience. Here are just a few examples…
* Buddha devoted his life to the search for enlightenment. After years of ceaseless meditation brought him to near starvation, he collapsed by the side of a river. And then, it happened… he discovered the path of the middle-way.
* The Hindu prince Arjuna faced a moral crisis: a battle against his own kinsmen. Why would the Gods urge him to such evil? At the moment of deepest crisis… Krishna answered all his questions through the poignant revelations in the Bhagavad Gita.
* After baptism, Jesus wandered through the desert for 40 days and nights, fasting and facing numerous trials, including the temptations of the devil… until the angels brought him nourishment, and his life of teaching began.
* The angel Gabriel began to communicate with Muhammad through verses. Muhammad was so disturbed, he almost cast himself off a mountain. Communications ceased… but then, after three years of prayer, his celestial communion resumed, more powerful than ever.
All these stories, passed down over the centuries, present one extremely important lesson: the onset of interior darkness is not what we think it is. Entering the spiritual "winter" is actually the invitation for spring to arrive. In each case, the seeker's necessary surrender to a state of unknowing is the very thing that allows the light of understanding to enter.
And the same Spirit that illumined these great souls can awaken within you once you understand the true meaning and purpose of your own times of doubt.
The Herald of a Greater Enlightenment
Countless stories in every religious tradition tell us that the dark night of the soul need not result in the end of happiness. On the contrary, it actually heralds the beginning of an entirely new level of being -- but only if we stay on the right side of the crisis.
We misunderstand the true significance of these times because our fear of the "dark" leads our mind to project its own scary pictures into the emptiness. But the dark itself does not hold anything to fear.
As you discover the true meaning and message in this important stage of spiritual growth:
* You will never again fear the unknown in the same way
* You will understand the beauty contained in every moment of your life -- even the so-called "bad" times
* Your longing to have a direct relationship with the wisdom and Light of the Divine Life will be fulfilled
How to Use Your Darkest Moments
Instead of Being Used by Them
When you turn on a light in a dark room, every corner is filled with radiance. You can clearly see all that it holds, and there are no shadows to fear.
No matter how dark our situation may seem, we can learn to turn on an inner light that transforms even our darkest moments so that the shadows disappear and the hidden Power is revealed.
And there is great Power hidden within us: confidence, clarity, wisdom, compassion, and fearlessness… more than words can say. These higher states of consciousness live within us; but to realize them, we must be willing to illumine the unknown parts of ourselves, much as miners of old carried torches into caves to uncover the gold that awaited them there. This is the adventure we are made for!
* Discover the secret treasure of your higher Self
* Transform every doubt into the certainty of a loving intelligence that is always working for your success
* Elevate your experience, your relationships, and your life level
You will be amazed when you realize that even your darkest moments hold the seed of an inspired new life. You will finally understand that everything that happens to you is for your benefit -- given to you to help fulfill the purpose for which you were put on earth.
Don't let the greatest opportunity for achieving inner transformation pass you by. Learn how to use it to its fullest. :thumbsup:
:heart:
Experiences You Can Know
Every sincere spiritual student will one day come to a significant crossroad that is both a test and an invitation. It often happens like this: after a period of progress and growing self-awareness, suddenly, out of the blue, we're filled with self-doubt. We feel abandoned by the Truth. It seems as though everything we hoped would be the source of our deliverance has turned into the source of our dissatisfaction. Such moments make us feel so alone…
The mystic St. John of the Cross called these times of trial the Dark Night of the Soul.
But he was not the first to know it. Every great spiritual figure down through the ages reports a similar experience. Here are just a few examples…
* Buddha devoted his life to the search for enlightenment. After years of ceaseless meditation brought him to near starvation, he collapsed by the side of a river. And then, it happened… he discovered the path of the middle-way.
* The Hindu prince Arjuna faced a moral crisis: a battle against his own kinsmen. Why would the Gods urge him to such evil? At the moment of deepest crisis… Krishna answered all his questions through the poignant revelations in the Bhagavad Gita.
* After baptism, Jesus wandered through the desert for 40 days and nights, fasting and facing numerous trials, including the temptations of the devil… until the angels brought him nourishment, and his life of teaching began.
* The angel Gabriel began to communicate with Muhammad through verses. Muhammad was so disturbed, he almost cast himself off a mountain. Communications ceased… but then, after three years of prayer, his celestial communion resumed, more powerful than ever.
All these stories, passed down over the centuries, present one extremely important lesson: the onset of interior darkness is not what we think it is. Entering the spiritual "winter" is actually the invitation for spring to arrive. In each case, the seeker's necessary surrender to a state of unknowing is the very thing that allows the light of understanding to enter.
And the same Spirit that illumined these great souls can awaken within you once you understand the true meaning and purpose of your own times of doubt.
The Herald of a Greater Enlightenment
Countless stories in every religious tradition tell us that the dark night of the soul need not result in the end of happiness. On the contrary, it actually heralds the beginning of an entirely new level of being -- but only if we stay on the right side of the crisis.
We misunderstand the true significance of these times because our fear of the "dark" leads our mind to project its own scary pictures into the emptiness. But the dark itself does not hold anything to fear.
As you discover the true meaning and message in this important stage of spiritual growth:
* You will never again fear the unknown in the same way
* You will understand the beauty contained in every moment of your life -- even the so-called "bad" times
* Your longing to have a direct relationship with the wisdom and Light of the Divine Life will be fulfilled
How to Use Your Darkest Moments
Instead of Being Used by Them
When you turn on a light in a dark room, every corner is filled with radiance. You can clearly see all that it holds, and there are no shadows to fear.
No matter how dark our situation may seem, we can learn to turn on an inner light that transforms even our darkest moments so that the shadows disappear and the hidden Power is revealed.
And there is great Power hidden within us: confidence, clarity, wisdom, compassion, and fearlessness… more than words can say. These higher states of consciousness live within us; but to realize them, we must be willing to illumine the unknown parts of ourselves, much as miners of old carried torches into caves to uncover the gold that awaited them there. This is the adventure we are made for!
* Discover the secret treasure of your higher Self
* Transform every doubt into the certainty of a loving intelligence that is always working for your success
* Elevate your experience, your relationships, and your life level
You will be amazed when you realize that even your darkest moments hold the seed of an inspired new life. You will finally understand that everything that happens to you is for your benefit -- given to you to help fulfill the purpose for which you were put on earth.
Don't let the greatest opportunity for achieving inner transformation pass you by. Learn how to use it to its fullest. :thumbsup:
:heart: