If you are a very logical person who excels at things like Maths then you may find it hard to find your spiritual side. How often do you see a Maths Genius who is also deeply spiritual? I am writing this article to help you help others find their spiritual side but many of you reading this may find something of use in it too. You use logical arguments which is the level they are on now and so they can relate to it. Those who are ready to awaken will do so.
Where are the answers?
Most logical people think that the answers are all in their mind. This is why you have to engage them with mind related arguments at first like …
Do you think you will find the answer to the meaning of life in your mind then why haven’t you yet, why should the meaning of life be so hard to find, it should be readily available right now. It’d be unfair that only those who are highly intelligent in terms of knowledge can have meaning in life.
Is their more information to digest and analyze before you find out your purpose and understand your nature? Do you honestly believe this will happen?
How could what we are be understood by a mind when even science understands that Humans have not always had minds when you look back at our far ancestry. We were something before mind arisen, weren’t we? How did we live with purpose then?There is something that gave us purpose and a process that ran the world before mind arisen so we can’t find it there.
Your minds natural purpose is resistance. Whenever you propose something to your mind it resists it by coming up with alternatives, it’s what it’s there for.
You say to yourself “Should I watch the Lost Season finale tonight?”
It says “No, that show had run its course by the end of season 2″
This is extremely useful as a tool.
Recognise this is what it is ALWAYS going to do. This is why you are finding this hard to digest.
Obviously these don’t all need to be used, and are only relevant points to bring up if the situation warrants it.
Here are some arguments and open questions to use to discuss with them before they commit to challenging themselves.
- Why are so many knowledgeable people so unhappy and what allows for people with no knowledge or possessions to find extreme happiness? Is it possible that happiness is not to be found in the mind and is beyond mind circumstances?
- Why do people who are highly knowledgeable about things struggle to take action when paradoxically they know more than 99% of others? Commonly known as ‘Paralysis Analysis’. They are stuck in their mind and an everlasting train of thought. They’ve imagined every possible way something could turn out but have put nothing into action.
- Give them some Zen Koans - These are statements that are designed to bypass your mind and give you a glimpse of enlightenment. One time, I read the Koan “When the foot touches the floor, it is the foot feeling the foot”. My mind went silent and I saw with complete clarity and I was astonished by this simple truth for about an hour.
- Bypass their mind – Many famous teachers of Zen realise that you cannot help someone to enlightenment by working with their mind. You have to help them see beyond it. If they ask too many questions, remind them the best you can without trying to provoke further questions inside their head that the words are only fingers pointing towards the truth. The reason I’ve decided it is a good idea to use logical arguments here is that when I came out of my Atheist daze, it was these logical arguments that started rocking my current beliefs and it’s been a total turnaround since then.
- I think it will work for others too. I’m sure I know that there’s loads of people in the position I was who are at about my age. They’ve got their time managed, their bonus satisfied and a comfortable little house in the suburbs but there is a deep yearning for more. Not on a physical of mental level but a jump to another plane entirely. Ask people if they feel this. They don’t even have to admit it verbally to you. It’s their change that matters.
- Ask them who their idols are – This is more for people who are on the lower levels of consciousness or children. If they idolize someone and want to be like them then try and relate how these people have a spiritual side. I’ve been into the personal development / self discovery thing for years now. I used to be a militant atheist and kept running into people who had reached an apex in personal development. A level where it took something huge to get up to the next one. They then introduced a spiritual side. I ignored it at the start but it kept on appearing. It couldn’t be a coincidence and I gradually allowed it into my life.
- Your Story – Explain to them the personal transformation in your life and try to relate without patronizing.
- Sizzle, not steak – Tell them the outer benefits of getting in touch with your spiritual side. The serene feeling of peace in all circumstances, the deep connection of love that goes far deeper than what we know of as love which is just surface level attachment. The feeling that everything is just as it should be.
- Explain the difference between religion and spirituality – Spirituality is connecting with source and is a personal experience whilst Religion tends to be a bunch of rules based on what humans have interpreted as correctly spiritual from religious texts. Sometimes religion and spirituality get tarred with the same brush and it’s unfair, some people have such bad experiences when they’re younger that they shut off any spiritual area in their life. Christianity is not something you should follow. You should follow Jesus Christs example. That’s a massively important distinction.
- Religion can be useful and is commonly a beginners tool for bringing spirituality into your life. Reaching spiritual maturity comes from taking it into your own hands and following what YOU know is right. Just look at how Buddha left the rich life to find truth and Jesus lost his life to be resurrected. You get taught loving your neighbour and compassion but the problem is these things come out of you naturally as a result of connection with source and should not be pursued on their own. you don’t love others because you THINK it’s right, You do it because you’ve been enlightened to the fact that it is truth.
After discussing with them say their beliefs will have took a little rocking so lay down the challenge to them. Say “OK, If you are so confident in your beliefs that all answers can be found in your mind then I invite you to be the big person and put aside those beliefs for just one month so that you may try out another set of beliefs. If you’re so sure, you can always come back to them. They’ll still be there. The only thing that could possibly hold you back is a fear of what you might find, I lay down a challenge to you … “.
The Challenge
“I commit for 30 days only to put aside my beliefs on spirituality and see what else is there. If I am not satisfied by the end of these 30 days, I will take up my old beliefs and carry on as if nothing has happened. I will go into this with an open mind, no prejudging. I will spend 1 hour each day consuming alternative material on spirituality that I’ve not considered before.”.
Remind then that their mind will say to them “don’t do this, this guy hasn’t got your best wishes at heart, he probably wants to sell you a church membership or something, bloody Mormons…” Invite them to sit back and watch their mind making noise impartially. It is fighting for its life as being in total control of your life and it’s pretty damn smart … it’s a mind! Do you really want your entire life ran by your mind? Common responses and replies you can use:
- I’ve not got the time *whine* - What about all that time you spend doing (enter hobby / type of book)? Wouldn’t that be put to good use reading something against what you currently believe in. How could you be so confident in what you believe if you’ve never even read and tried to apply anything by the alternative. It’s like saying I don’t exist just because your eyes are closed. You’re not scared are you? Didn’t Einstein say “Genius is the ability to hold two conflicting thoughts in your head without agreeing with either one?”. I dunno, it was someone brainy anyway!
- It’s not for me - Are you actually just going to give in? I thought we’d made some progress here? Are you honestly so happy in your life right now at this moment that you can afford to NOT give this a chance? Or is your mind just making you restless again. Be warned: This answer is likely to stir up some deep emotions and put the mind on super defense mode. Don’t do this unless you’re prepared to lose that friend.
[PS. This post was wrote for you 
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