Enlightenment is simply a change in perspective. We are responsible for our own happiness, and the source of happiness comes from within. We find happiness from within not through sensory deprivation but through abandoning the belief that sensory gratification is the source of permanent validation that will ultimately lead to our peace of mind.
“Don
Juan assured me that in order to accomplish the feat of making myself miserable
I had to work in a most intense fashion, and that it was absurd. I had now
realized I could work just the same in making myself complete and strong.
"The trick is in what one emphasizes," he said. "We either make
ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the
same."”
-From Journey To IxtIan (4)
A
metaphysical explanation of Tantra is simply that we always get what we want,
and whether or not we actually get what we need is a matter of awareness and
intention. In other words, we create our own realities by the power of free
will to choose our own destiny, and the outcome is a product of our awareness.
When we
choose to create our lives from an understanding that we are already whole,
complete, and eternal, we are living a life of abundance without limitations.
When we live our lives believing that the answers are all “out there” and that
the next person, place or thing is the key to our happiness, then we are
committed to a course in suffering and emptiness.
Tantra
is a path of knowing simply that whatever you desire already exists within you.
To manifest your desire all you need to do is find the source from within, and
the magic of Tanta is that once you have discovered the source of your desire
from within, it will manifest in the material world for your enjoyment and
fulfillment without the suffering of attachment.
If you
desire love, Tantra is a path that will show you that you are love.
If you
desire the special love of another, Tantra is a path that will show you that
there is no other and all are one.
The
eight Christian beatitudes as outlined by St. Augustine of Hippo express the
concept of experiencing fruition of desire from within beautifully. (5)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.” Poverty of spirit is the spark of desire for enlightenment. To seek
enlightenment from within is the yellow brick road to paradise.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Grief ignites the desire for closure and healing. To seek solace from loss from
within is to find heaven from within and to discover that there is no duality,
no loss, and no separation. We are all one.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth.” If
we perceive meekness as humility, and if we understand humility to be the path
of finding heaven from within, from the perspective of heaven where all are
one, the Earth and the universe itself are a great reflection of all that we
are from within. We inherit the Earth without owning it. We are one with the
Earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.” If you seek an understanding of justice from
within, it becomes obvious that all return to love and all roads lead to love.
From the perspective of eternity, there is no need for crime or punishment. We
are all one, and the sum total of our experience only adds to a greater
understanding of love. Those who are looking for justice from within will
discover forgiveness, and through forgiveness, they will experience grace.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
Once we have discovered the heart of forgiveness and grace, our hearts will
evolve to the frequency of compassion.
“Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.”
Once our hearts have evolved to hold the frequency of compassion, we will
understand the essence of unconditional love, which is the essence of Christ,
Krishna, the Buddha, and the true Self within.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the
children of God.” Once we have awakened to the true Self within, we are
peacemakers as a manifestation of the peace we have found from within. We are
all children of God, but the enlightened seekers will be gifted with the
ability to show others the way to peace and happiness.
“Blessed are the persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The awakened spirit knows that it is
eternal and that no harm can come to us. Nothing can change the truth of who we
are. Love is eternal. We are love and we are in love. From that perspective
there is nothing to fear, and once we have surrendered fear, heaven and Earth
are one.
From a
Tantric perspective, the beatitudes represent the journey through the Chakras.
There are eight beatitudes and eight major Chakras running up the base of the
spine to the point above of the crown of the head. The spiritual lesson of each
chakra corresponds to the progression of lessons in the beatitudes.
Kundalini,
the primal force of life, is the source of desire that we can choose to direct
internally to rise up through the Chakras, or it can be externally driven by
the ego’s will into the material world. It is a matter of free will whether we
direct our life force in a direction that is inquisitive or acquisitive.
Kundalini
contains the essence of the unconscious mind that is connected to the
collective unconsciousness of the universe. If we direct our kundalini up
through the progression of the beatitudes through the Chakras, we will
experience a merging of the conscious and unconscious mind, manifesting
enlightenment, or super consciousness.
Enlightenment
is our natural state of being. It is built into the design of our bodies
through the Chakras. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made”. But the choice to
experience enlightenment is a matter of free will. It is ours to choose.
We are free.
Free will is essential to unconditional love, because
without it, love could only be conditional.
Love is all there is to know.
Looking through the eyes of eternity, there is nothing to
fear in free will.
All return to love.