The term “awakening” has been used as a metaphor since ancient times
to describe the evolution of human consciousness. The word Buddha comes
from the Sanskrit word Budh, which means “to be awake.” Buddha is not
the name of a person but rather a state of consciousness. This, of
course, implies that the normal “awakened state” of most humans is,
spiritually speaking, equivalent to an unawakened, sleeping, or dreaming
state of consciousness. Some spiritual teachings refer to this as a
“shared hallucination” to describe this normal state of human existence.
The spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, calls these individuals
“dream-walkers.”
Being spiritually awake is sometimes
misunderstood. The possession of supernatural abilities, such as
channeling, healing, clairvoyance, and other paranormal powers does not
necessarily qualify as an awakened state. The individual may or may not
be. So then, what actually determines a spiritual awakening? When you
stop identifying with your thoughts. A separation of consciousness
occurs within the core of your awareness and you realize that there is
something much more expansive than your thoughts, mind, and body.
The
mind controls the physiological state of the body. When thoughts of
fear are released by the mind, the fight-or-flight, sympathetic nervous
system responds by the release of adrenalin, cortisol, dopamine, and the
contraction of muscles. Stress is created because the body believes
what the mind is saying. Fifty thousand years ago, when we were evading
saber toothed tigers, this survival mechanism in the body was most
effective at keeping us alive. However, in modern humans, this primitive
response is largely unnecessary, unless you’re a soldier in a combat
zone.
When you don’t allow things to be as they are — the mind
forms judgments, opinions, and distortions about a situation or event
based on preconditioned, reactive patterns. When you so completely
identify with your own compulsive thoughts about what is happening
around you, your sense of survival becomes dependent upon how well you
can resolve your perceived problem. Subsequently, your entire sense of
self — your whole existence — is reduced to the level of your drama,
conflict, or personal problem. Your story becomes who and what you are,
what you perceive yourself to be. And when this happens, all sense of
inner peace and tranquility is replaced with panic, anxiety, and a fear
of impending doom.
The Buddha state of consciousness, on the
other hand, is when you do not identify the Self with what is happening
around you. This is the awakened or enlightened state of being.
Situations occur. They are acknowledged, accepted, and addressed, in
that order. They are not ignored, nor are they blown out of proportion.
There is no reaction, resistance, or emotional violence to our daily
challenges. As a result, they are not turned into problems. When you are
awake, the Self comes first. This means that no thing (nothing) that
happens to you is allowed to control, dictate, define, or reduce the
Self in any way, whatsoever. The awakened Self remains in a place of
peace, balance, and non-suffering.
Jason Lincoln Jeffers is a spiritual counselor and personal life coach. His online life coaching program incorporates pain-body counseling, wellness coaching, law of attraction coaching, relationship coaching, and astrology readings. As a result, his spiritual counseling sessions will enlighten, inspire, and empower you to realize your physical, mental, and spiritual potential.
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