Self Discovery

Spiritual Wisdom belongs to the past - the present is about Self-Discovery.

In the “Hullo from Terry” thread, in response to my question about my “flying” experience and seeking my own path to that place.

I have reflected a lot on this comment because self-discovery was very much my path before I met my BK friend – and has continued to be my path, following what I call “my independent and questioning spirituality”.

At times I see my experience with my BK friend, and interest in outer layers of BK teachings, as a kind of “side-journey” on that path, and ask myself what I will ultimately find as the “purpose” of this “side-journey”, what I will learn and carry with me (the meaningful relationship with my BK friend, the many things I have learned from this website, partially listed in my “Thank-you-the many dimensions of this website” that became a classic post, and other things that are not the topic of this post.)

My reflection on paul’s comment has led to an insight, which I share, inviting comments and responses.

The thing that resonates most for me about the path of self-discovery is that it is a unique journey for each person. We each travel our own path toward our deepest inner truths (although and we may not always recognize that path or those truths at first.)

There are many roads on this path to self-discovery. There are many tools to assist on this journey – some developed by innovative and profound thinkers of contemporary and previous times, and some which we will each have to find and develop for ourselves.

The tools, or ideas, that attract me the most are those that offer a guide or facilitate traveling to our deepest interior, knowing our inner truth, and embodying that personal inner truth in our life on this earth – with no directed agenda as to what that truth will ultimately be. (ie. Those tools and ideas whose purpose is to facilitate and guide in the knowing, not to tell us what we “should” come to know as true.)

In contrast, are the many schools of thought that tell us what we must believe and how we must behave in order to reach heaven or achieve some other previously defined by others goal. Mainstream organized religions fit this definition and have never held much interest for me.

Many alternative spiritual movements also fit into this category, as do groups that meet the definition of “cult” – including Brahma Kumaris. There is something deeply troubling to me about being told to shape oneself into a proscribed way of being-thinking-doing in order reach heaven, enlightenment, be one of “God’s choosen”, or achieve happiness here on earth (and what parts of yourself are you cutting off or silencing to fit someone else’s definition).

It is even more disturbing when this re-shaping of self into someone else’s definition is for the material and ego enrichment of those who made the definition, at the material and spiritual expense of those who try to fit themselves into the pre-defined mold.

There are certainly valuable tools for self-discovery and ways of being in this world in the teachings and practices of many of these schools of thought. After all, they worked for somebody (or many bodys) at some time in human history. The art for each person is to know what teachings and practices can be a valuable tool for their unique personal journey, while not trying to squeeze themselves into a mold created by someone else, for someone else’s purposes or benefit.

So, to better understand my interest in the outer layers of BK thinking, I have been reading about non-BK Raja Yoga. (“The Severn Spiritual Laws of Yoga” by Deepak Chopra and “The Art and Science of Raja Yoga” by Swami Kriyananda). I can see how the BK takes many of these teachings and re-shapes them for their own ends. I can see that there are teachings and aspects of teachings that resonate for me at this time in my life – and there are other teachings and aspects of teachings that are not right for my personal journey. (Some of this may be a future post.)

Learning this art, how to sift and sort and feel what is right for you at a particular time, is an important part of that journey of self-discovery – and something I have learned more about from this website.

Hello Cypress,

Your perspective on the journey to self-discovery resonates very well with me, and it is from this perspective that I am interested in reflecting on my time as a BK, a time that seems to sit squarely at the other end of the spectrum - seeking spiritual wisdom rather than self-discovery. I am partly curious to see if these two are as mutually exclusive as they seem to be.

Certainly, today, I have a similar reaction to you about being required to "shape oneself into a proscribed way of being-thinking-doing in order reach heaven, enlightenment, be one of “God’s chosen”, or achieve happiness here on earth". I agree. Teachings that impose an identity seem to be more about self-evasion and self-denial than self-discovery.

However, I was a deeply dedicated BK for many years. Assuming the identity that was handed to me, and accepting the world view as fact, served me well for most of that time. When I read about extreme cults with disastrous consequences - Waco, Jonestown, etc. - my horror is always tempered with compassion and understanding. I know the appeal and satisfaction of the lifestyle on offer, and I know it could have been me. I also cannot deny the extent to which I benefited from my BK life. I am here to embrace the apparent contradiciton of this.

Many people here seem to feel that they were harmed, betrayed, or misled by the BKs. I appreicate hearing their concerns and considering their views even though I do not share the experience. I left my BK memories largely unexamined for many years. I am here to see what is revealed in the interaction, dialogue, and reflection. Thus far, it has been revealing!

"The Severn Spiritual Laws of Yoga” by Deepak Chopra and “The Art and Science of Raja Yoga” by Swami Kriyananda have both featured in my post-BK journey. In fact, I spent several months in Swami Kriyananda's retreat center studying that tome. One thing it taught me was how little I had learned about anything in the BKs, even though I thought I knew everything at the time! It is a beautiful place to retreat, and it was a time of great healing. It helped get me back on a sustaining path of spiritual practice. It never felt like "home" in the way the BKs did, but it was definitely a key in delivering me "home" to myself, which is where I find myself today.

"Learning this art, how to sift and sort and feel what is right for you at a particular time, is an important part of that journey of self-discovery." Yes, and it eventually reveals that what is wrong is also right because it is pointing you to an undiscovered part of yourself. Sometimes it feels as though this journey has been all about releasing my mind from the BK hypnosis, but then there are many other layers of hypnosis, and I look forward to being released from those too.

"We each travel our own path toward our deepest inner truths." Indeed we do, and if we resist the temptation to make something of those truths, then we are free to go ever deeper. It's a beautiful journey.

Dear Leela and Cypress

You both talk about “The Art and Science of Raja Yoga” by Swami Kriyananda. I have brought up this stuff on the topic "Hullo from Terry" in the last post - origins and development of Yoga ideas. It sounds like you both may have valuable contributions to make on the subject based on your studies. This is an invitation to share those if you think it relevant.

On the topic at hand "Spiritual wisdom" as distinct from "Self-Discovery" :

The more I learn the less I seem to know (as goes the refrain in "Rosie" by Fairport Convention) - and the more I read and discuss and realise, i see that another has been there before, or somewhere near by. I have been finding lots of Jung's ideas in primal Buddhism and Yoga thought, just different words used. The sages are mocked by the BKs for "Neti Neti", but as Leela said ""what is wrong is also right because it is pointing ...", i.e. to know what is NOT helps recognise what IS. Neti Neti is also to realise that ultimately words and stories and "knowledge" are inadequate. Our self discovery is of course in our own situations. Sometimes unique, mostly not. Wisdom is an approach. Discovery is an event.

Aside - had a look at Byron Katie stuff that Leela mentioned eslewhere, not a dissimilar approach. A process of elimination (the best way to detox, hey!).

Terry wrote: The more I learn the less I seem to know (as goes the refrain in "Rosie" by Fairport Convention) - and the more I read and discuss and realise, i see that another has been there before, or somewhere near by ...

Yes, and that I have been there before, too. The words that amazed me last year amaze me again today with a whole new depth. Must be the regular elimination with Byron Katie!