In this post, I’ll write the 21 conditions for awakening my master and teachers taught me back when I was in India.
21 CONDITIONS FOR AWAKENING
Awakening is to be free of the mind. These 21 points are like ropes holding up the mind. As you become aware of each point, the ropes are being cut, making the “self” dissolve quickly. For all these points there are 3 ways to help you grow.
- Practice externally these conditions in your daily life whenever possible.
- Become aware that you do not have these qualities. Only then is there a possibility of getting this.
- Pray and ask your personal Divine to give you these qualities. Prayer would be answered only when you have a bond with your personal Divine
1 Lack of Passion
Difference between passion and desire: A desire can be dropped but passion cannot. Desire can turn into passion if you know the gravity and need for it. To have a passion for awakening, you must first understand that you are suffering.
The three types of suffering are:
- Physical Suffering: when the needs of the body are not met, you will have physical suffering
- Psychological Suffering: as long as you have the mind, you will have psychological suffering. When any of the 6 needs of the mind are denied you will have suffering.
The six needs are:
1 Certainty 2 Variety 3 Significance 4 Need to be loved, to love
5 Growth 6 Contribution
• Spiritual Suffering: to exist is suffering. Suffering without any reason- The sense of separation is this suffering. All suffering is only coming from spiritual suffering. Its an alienation between man and man, man and God.
The equation for suffering is:
Spiritual + psychological + physical = constant.
The constant is not a constant and is dependent on the amount of separation one experiences in their life at any given time. The constant must come down to zero that is when suffering comes to zero. The constant depends on the alienation one is having with people or the Divine. As you become closer to God the constant reduces. Become aware of how you lack passion
What you should know is that the physical pain would be there, but somehow it would not hurt you.
2 Lack of Forgiveness:
To see how you are unable to forgive others who have caused you hurt. Forgiveness is a very important quality you should develop. By being hurt you are torturing yourself. Holding hurt is torture. See how it is a torture to yourself. Become aware of the lack of forgiveness. You should be asking your divine (God)/(Formless Intelligence)to help you to forgive.
3 Lack of Seeking Forgiveness:
You are not seeking forgiveness from others.
Many occasions you have hurt others some time unaware even when aware you explain and not ask for forgiveness. You are trying to justify your point. Become aware of how you lack seeking forgiveness.
4 Sensitivity
Because of the chatter of the mind, the senses are not able to experience anything. We are all the time thinking about ourselves and we are not sensitive to other people’s feelings and their priorities in life. Become aware of your insensitivity.
5 Relationships
Whenever you relate to people, things, and subjects, It is life as long as it is pleasant. Whenever things become unpleasant you would shut down that relationship. Slowly becoming dead to relationships. This can be called non-relationship. Become aware of your lack of having strong relationships or lack of relationship.
6 Inner Integrity
To learn to be honest with ourselves. Lying to others is not such a big deal, but the moment we lie outside, we try to lie to ourselves inside. One lies outside is a thousand lies to one’s self. The lies you have spoken to yourself have moved you away from your real you. I call it your essence. Become aware of your lack of inner integrity.
7 Life Review
Start seeing how you hurt others. If a person cannot see their faults in life, and how they affected others, it is very difficult for them to grow & expand. So review your life.
8 Confronting Fear
There are two kinds of fear
- Biological fear – this is an inbuilt mechanism of the body to protect you and you don’t need to do anything about it.
- Psychological fear – I’ll mention four but there are more.
- fear of failure
- Fear of rejection
- Fear of the future
- Fear of the unknown
You should confront all of your fears.
9 Acceptance
The ability to accept oneself. We always find somebody responsible for our suffering. Turn inward and see who you are and accept that. Then you will be at peace with everything. To accept your role in society or the system. However small it could be, however insignificant it could be.
10 Craving for significance
One of the greatest obstacles to spiritual growth is the craving for significance. It is the nature of the self to crave for importance in all things. Become aware of the craving for significance
11 Humility
To become aware of the lack of humility you have in your life. To realize that in life you are a part of the whole and are very insignificant would help you to grow. Most people feel as though they understand everything. Humility is necessary for awakening. Awakening is something you receive; not achieve. Become aware of the lack of humility.
12 Sacredness:
Modern civilization thinks it can understand and explain everything. Which makes life loses its mystery which is joy, awe, and sacredness. Humanity’s explanation of every phenomenon killed the mystery and sacredness of life. The “All that is” can never be understood. God is unknowable. When you are able to realize this, you start feeling sacred towards the Divine and all of life. The greatest knowledge is that you truly can never know anything. Become aware of the lack of sacredness
13 Divine Hand in Life
Become aware of how there is a Divine hand in your life.
14 Bond with your Divine
To establish a personal bond with (or your personal Divine). To get in touch with the Divine Phenomenon of awakening that this formless intelligence is bringing into this planet, one would have to feel connected to the Divine. The stronger the Bond the more the Divine Grace you experience. When you have bond things will happen faster. Do you have a strong bond? Become aware of the lack of bond.
15 Lack of Faith
To become aware of the lack of faith you have towards the process of awakening and your Divine(Formless Intelligence). To see how the mind tells various stories of how awakening cannot, or will not happen to you. To realize that it is happening all around the planet to thousands of people, and will happen to you. To become aware of the lack of faith.
16 Surrender
To see the condition of the mind and become helpless. To know you cannot do anything to get there, and you need the Divine to help you. Surrender is to realize that there is nothing more you can do about it. When you are helpless the Divine will help you. If you are desperate you are lost. Become aware of the lack of surrender.
17 Lack of Gratitude (quality)
We take life for granted and give it a frame as responsibility and duty. Gratitude adjusts and atones you. Become aware of the lack of gratitude.
18 Seva
Seva is a Sanskrit word meaning selfless service. It is serving others with no expectation of outcome. It is looking and seeking for oneness. Seva is one who has gone and found oneness within them. You can spend time helping others. The greatest Seva is helping others awaken. Become aware of how you don’t make use of opportunities to do Seva.
19 Compassion
To see how you lack compassion. When you are focused to achieve something without distraction for yourself, that is passion. If you have the same passion to fulfill others desires then that is compassion.
20 Praising
Praising the Divine. Every scripture speaks about praising the Divine, When we praise the Divine you will receive an abundance of Grace.
21 Formal Gratitude to the Divine
We many times say “lord you have done so much for me how can I express my gratitude”, saying this we escape. It is true at a deeper level you cannot do anything, but in the physical plane you are living with the “Divine”/”The Formless Intelligence”, so express
Your gratitude formally by doing this you are binding me and I am compelled to do a favor for you. Your personal relationship grows.
Keep these 21 conditions for awakening somewhere around you. Save it to your device or frame it. Ask your Divine to grant you awakening and you shall be.
I hope you enjoyed this post. I look forward to hearing your comments, suggestions, and questions.