WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF SELF-REALISATION?
The process of self-realisation takes place all the time, consciously or unconsciously. Many of us feel disappointed that we might not evolve, but that is untrue. Every breath we take and every experience we have in life is for evolution, and as I said in other lectures, this force propels us, and there is nothing we can do to stop that force. So, we are forever moving onward. But what happens is that in that movement onward, there might come a time when we are not proceeding vertically; there might be a time when we are just on the horizontal plane, and because of our actions, we are not moving to the next step.
Now, for example, to Self-realisation, if there are ten steps. Those steps all require some time to be on. You can remain in standard one for 1 year and stay in standard one for one month, and the teacher finds that this child is very brilliant and should be promoted to standard two. So, from standard one, you can go to standard two within one month or one year, or you might have to spend three years in standard one, but that does not mean re-progression.
EVOLUTION IS ALWAYS PROGRESSIVE
In evolution, there is always progression. In other words, we believe in progressive evolution. Fine, but what happens is that we might just run around in that stage with our thoughts and actions—thoughts, words, and deeds. That’s good, and those experiences are necessary, too.
It is necessary to pass over to the next stage. If the child fails standard one, then the next year in standard one, he will gain more experience and learn so that he can pass. But one thing is sure: once he has reached standard one, he is not going back to kindergarten.
So, evolution is always progressive. There are certain beliefs or religions, like the Hindu people; they believe that if you live a terrible life, you will be reincarnated as a dog or a cat or a mouse or whatever. I’m afraid I must disagree with a lower form in a lower species. Every experience in life—be it conducive to our environment and ourselves or not conducive or pleasant—is still an experience whereby certain things are gained.
UNFOLDMENT IS THE PATH TO SELF-REALISATION
Spiritually, we do not develop, but spiritually, we go through a process of unfoldment, which is the path to Self-realisation. Good, what is Self-realisation? Self-realisation is when a person’s mind, body, and spirit work in unison as an integrated entity and a totality; that is self-realisation. Now, when a person functions as a totality, you will find that the Spiritual Self will dominate more. It will dominate mostly because every action performed by the mind and the body will be enforced, stimulated or, empowered or engendered by the spiritual value within us. So, we reach that Divinity within us and what we do, we bring Divinity down, back to practical living.
Every man is a Divine entity within himself; therefore, in our movement, we do not call it “spiritual development.” The spirit does not require development; it is there. Every being is a realised being within himself because Divinity is there in its entirety.
… Gururaj Ananda Yogi: Satsang UK 1977 – 17.
