Spiritual evolution for us all

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 6 people | Log in to rate

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A table of contents for my future work on our evolution

I like to think at least everyone (although I have met people who make me seriously doubt this assumption) has at least once become conscious of some flaws or characteristics that he wanted to change about himself, or has gone into a situation in which he wondered if a certain way of thinking or interpreting might have made the situation less *censored* (to be interpreted as bad), or has simply wondered wether there's something more to life.

Since all us Squidoo-ers believe we have something useful to say, I think it would be good to share experiences, thoughts and what-have-you.

What this lens will revolve around 

There is that thing in this world in which everyone believes unconditionally (This changes around every couple years or so, within certain limits).

Personally, I have (almost) always believed in a higher intelligence, higher power, higher wisdom that governs this 'infinite' universe with it's absolute precision and uncountable 'coincidences' that make you think at least twice a week that someone is playing at least a little private joke on you.

So far (and I am 100% sure this will not change) I have had only confirmations that that higher presence exists, manifests itself quite often, and yes, it has a very 'interesting' sense of humor.

As such, I will be using this page as a Lensography that will link to all the lenses I have (and will have) prepared dealing with particular topics.

These topics may and will include: yoga, meditation, prayer, body-development, energy conservation, tantra, sexual continence, development of will etc.

The only thing I would ask of all of you would be to (in case you are interested) read my work with an open mind. If you believe anything of what I will write is incorrect (or even better, if you have a good argument for it) please notify me, and I will do my best to rectify any mistakes.

I do, however, assure you that nothing I will be writing here will be something I have not already had some familiarization with. All the things I will discuss have at the minimum a solid basis in experience, either direct or by very close people who have shared with me in trying to help out.

My religious or spiritual background 

child prayer adorable

As a kid up to the age of 6 i 'sort-of' believed in God. You know, the way you're not sure he's up there but you don't want to risk it and anyway it's nice to think he is.

I was born a christian, have been sent to catholic classes, etc. etc.

It was all atrociously dogmatic and boring, and quite frankly, by the time I reached the age of 11, I styled myself an atheist. That lasted all the way up until the age of 17, when a series of events (a combination between a seeking for more in life and a certain inner and outer turmoil I experienced then... very hush-hush) has made me realize there IS something (God) out there (and inside us), that he's taking care of us and making sure we learn our lessons, and also that he's a little bit of a carrot-and-stick kinda fellow.

Seriously. Sometimes he'll challenge us hardcore. Like he's doing to me right now, since I was a hopelessly naive idiot and had some conceptions of current society that really aren't healthy. It's going for the better though, since I realized where some of my flaws lay and I'm doing my best to correct them.

One of the works the most changed my life for the better 

The man who wrote this book was a Indian Yogi who lived in the early 20th century. He has helped thousands of people directly through his teachings and millions through his books and courses.

This is the one I most recommend to you with all my heart.

Autobiography of a Yogi : Includes Bonus CD

Amazon Price: $9.00 (as of 12/02/2009) Buy Now

How my lenses will be structured 

For the moment, I am thinking of a segmented development.

In the beginning I will probably write about some ways to purify your body's most important functions while maintaining a balance in mentality.

After, I will combine these with elements of proper nutrition, development of willpower, development of self-consciousness, ways to strengthen your energies, sexuality and whatever I believe will work best during the circumstances.

I will try to make it so that everyone will easily be able to choose a subject of his own interest to head to while also maintaining the entirety of subjects informative and useful.

Category I: Body development, harmonization, purification, proper nutrition 

The following lens will deal with purification and evolution from the viewpoint of the physical body.

Hatha Yoga Body Training

These would be the best areas to start with for people who are either skeptical of the 'hype' that is around all over the world relating to mystical avenues, or are at least a little confused and want to have a well polished cornerstone to their future evolution.

1 - My lens on basic concepts of body purification through nutrition and physical exercises

On body-purification and self-care: Ayurveda 

Ayurveda is a science (yes, science) of medicine, that has been around for about 1500 years BEFORE Christ. It is a science that takes into account everything, from the body's energetic origins, its structure as a divine vehicle that houses a consciousness designed to search for and achieve divinity.

It is the true science of caring for one's health, designed to be used not only when sick, but also preemptively by those with the forethought to have identified their problems before they manifest at the level of their physical bodies.

It is best to be used in parallel with the techniques of body-strengthening and purification I will present above. If you are already healthy you will become more harmonious, stronger. If you are sickly, these will aid your recovery, especially in tandem with the above-mentioned techniques.

Yoga & Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/02/2009) Buy Now

Ayurveda and Marma Therapy: Energy Points in Yogic Healing

Amazon Price: $14.93 (as of 12/02/2009) Buy Now

Ayurveda: A Practical Guide: The Science of Self Healing

Amazon Price: $7.88 (as of 12/02/2009) Buy Now

Category II: Emotional control, development, purification. How and why our emotions could make us or break us 

Happy Sad
I probably don't need to insist on how important emotions are for us humans. Psychology has, for the past couple of centuries, been intimately tied with emotional analysis of either positive emotions or negative (especially from trauma).

However, mystical schools (although calling them mystical is pretty hypocritical, since just about all of them are very open minded and far better documented than modern science) have, for thousands of years, possessed great information and experience in analyzing and dealing with all aspects of human behavior and this knowledge is still available today to those who actively search for it.

I will do my best to present such information here.

Intermission: wanting to improve, awareness of God, open-mindedness 

These, combined with methods of emotional control, have marked my entrance into the world of spirituality.

At the time of my paradigm shift (the period of emotional turmoil around the age of 17) I was a sad, angry, timid, frustrated teenager, with somewhat above-average intelligence (reported IQ of 169... theoretically it's gotten much lower since then; I can't tell because, frankly, looking back, my years as a teenager sure were pathetic), a heck of a lot of laziness, but with a desperate need for a change in my life.

At that time was the first when I seriously, directly asked for God's assistance, I asked him to give me a sign that he exists, because if he didn't and he wouldn't guide me I would take life into my own hands, do only whatever I felt like and stop caring about consequences.

Next thing I know, my computer restarts (suddenly), boots into a weird pale-blue screen I haven't ever seen before or after that (nor heard of, and I'm a little bit of a computer nerd) and refuses to reset, shut down, or anything at all. The only thing I could to to it was to unplug and re-plug it to the power grid, when it went on to do the same thing again.



I am very careful with computers, and quite knowledgeable, so that was something definitely out of the norm. Even though I had come to that resolution, I first didn't believe it. I tried anything I could to tell myself it was a fluke, and my computer would restore itself. Nothing worked.

In the end, I told God: "Lord, I think I understand you do not want me to give up on you. Please guide me from now on. And please get my computer running again, thank you". I restarted the computer and went to the kitchen before it booted up. I poured myself a glass of water and came back.

The computer had nicely booted into its OS and didn't have a problem in the world. (And yes, I had restarted it plenty of times before and tried all sorts of things).

After that, I was tempted to believe it was just a coincidence, but I also kept my eyes and my mind open. Then I started to become a witness to the beautiful (and also tragic) play of God, the synchronicities he made manifest around me and everyone else (although many of them didn't notice and never will) and I realized there was no point in being worried or suffering anymore, because if God existed, then life suddenly made very real sense, and I knew he was watching over me and making sure I learned his lessons.

Category III: Mental development, self-awareness, attention, focus, giving up Ego 

Or how are minds could be one of our greatest strengths but are instead our greatest liabilities

One of the things ordinary humans don't realize (and think it's all a load of dung - although that seems to have been changing in recent decades) is that the mind is an instrument that has gone totally out of our control, and that is a great weakness.

Let's face it. Wouldn't we all like to pretend that whatever we set our minds to, we could accomplish? But we can't. And it's not that it isn't physically possible. Most of the time, we've established a resolve to do something, but somewhere along the way that resolve shrinks and vanishes. We become less mindful of our resolve and let ourselves get distracted.

small big hamburger

For example, we want to obey a diet... and maybe we do for a little while, but that restaurant we just had by has a monster hamburger deal, and mmm, it sure looks juicy, just one time couldn't hurt...

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we should always, in the beginning, until our willpower and harmony increases, do our utmost best to always be aware, and if we cannot stop something that might not be good for us (because we're gluttonous or otherwise), at least ask god to forgive us this one thing and then set a firm resolve to not do it again for an established period of time.

The lenses I will include here will discuss this theme more in-depth.

The greatest self-awareness and mental development masters I have ever studied 

Two great famous minds, George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, and Pyotr Demianovich Ouspensky

I will tell you this. If you can not, in the beginning, motivate yourself to practice any of the first 2 categories (emotional control or physical development) due to whatever lack of resolve or laziness or whatever, at least try and insist as much as possible on the exercises I will present in the third category, or, even better, go to the source and read Ouspensky's and Gurdjieff's books (start with Ouspensky, he's easier to digest).

Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson (All and Everything/First)

Gurdjieff's most important work, and also the hardest to understand at its true value. I recommend this be the last of your reads from these great men.

Amazon Price: $43.87 (as of 12/02/2009) Buy Now

Life Is Real Only Then, When I Am (Compass)

The final installment in the All and Everything Series. I hope you may understand the true depth of this book.

Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 12/02/2009) Buy Now

In Search of the Miraculous (Harvest Book)

Also a very very good book. You could take it as a precursor to The Fourth Way.

Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 12/02/2009) Buy Now

The Fourth Way

Probably one of the best condensed forms of both these men's teachings. A wonderful read, that I recommend from the bottom of my heart.

Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 12/02/2009) Buy Now

Your feedback, critique and advice 

If you have something on your mind, please share.

This is my first time lens, but I have a well-established plan to go through with this.
I plan to update quite regularly, and if you are interested in making comments or giving productive critique I encourage you to do so. Also, if there is something you believe I am not correct in saying or that is not true, please provide a good argument.

I am of course, only human, and the sharing of valuable experience between interested people is what I'm going for with this.

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1 on 1 internet counselling and advice 

Virtual office consultations, counselling and advice.

If any of you are interested in talking to me directly, for advice or help with any of the themes discussed in my lens, feel free to contact me via my virtual office at Liveperson.com
My liveperson virtual office
This is a link to my Liveperson virtual office, where you can either engage in chat with me when available or send me an e-mail with your personal requests.

And if you totally like this lens... 

... please vote for it (but only if you like it) :)

by sangemaru

I'm a simple somewhat lazy guy trying to help himself and others grow spiritually in this world that seems to get more conflicted.
I'm from Romania, a... (more)

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