Can we wake up in an instant? Yes, possibly.. and engaging in the five stages of spiritual practice can make this more likely.
This process begins with healing, becoming whole and closely following this, finding ways to be positive – all in all, happy and healthy. This is followed by ‘death’ of fixed, limiting views and then an emergence into directly experiencing interconnectedness – and potentially, the universe as alive. Finally, spiritual emergence unfolds – a profound understanding and appreciation of live and its preciousness – and engagement in spontaneous compassionate activity.
Here is more detail on each of these stages:
Stage 1: Integration – In this stage, the key meditation practice is mindfulness – including the Mindfulness of Breathing and simply being present with what is arising in the our immediate, embodied experience.
This is itself, in a context of many distractions is a radical revolutionary act of independence, and self-efficacy. Sometimes, we may realise that we need support and this can include engagement in bodywork or healing sessions to address painful past experiences.
Part of mindfulness is also being aware of when we fall short of our aspirations and values. Ethics are a key part of mindfulness – being aware of the effects of our actions on other beings and being aware of our intentions and when unhelpful habitual patterns may be arising so we have an opportunity to do something different.
Stage 2: POSITIVE EMOTION – This phase is about the quality of our attention – cultivating kindness, compassion, joy and overall positivity. Authenticity in this is key – and practices for cultivating emotional positivity include recollection of gratitude, cultivating loving kindness (metta bhavana).
The process enables us to feel delight, bliss and even rapture though opening into embodied levels of deep ‘absorption’ (the dhyānas). This process can reveal areas where we feel less inclusive, towards parts of ourselves, or others, including other humans and non-human beings – so that we can transform this.
A teaching on loving kindness (the Kariniya Metta Sutta) goes, “Whatever living beings there may be, (moving, strong) animals or (still, weak) plant, without exception, whether they are very long or large or middling in size, or short, great or small, whether they are visible or unseen, whether living nearby or far away, whether they are born, or not yet come to be: may all living beings have happiness.” In other words, the aim is to cultivate well wishes towards all beings, regardless of species or material form.
Stage 3: SPIRITUAL DEATH – This process is a progression into wisdom (prajna) and vision, as in seeing the truth in terms of ‘ultimate reality’ with liberation from a ‘fixed self-image’ and habitual delusions that arise from greed, aversion and ignorance. Sometimes this is described as entering the ‘gateless gate’.
Practices for this include contemplation on the elements, on conditioned co-arising, death and impermanence – and thereby recognising truths such as that of impermanence, insubstantiality and the poignant beauty of ’emptiness’ (sunyata).
In the process of drum journeying, there may be a direct experience of letting go of a sense of separateness and individuality, and awakening into interconnected presence.
Stage 4: SPIRITUAL REBIRTH – This stage is about the emergence of insight, wisdom is blended with dhyana and the process is one of transformation inline with the insights that arise – as a result of connection to wisdom energies (dharma Niyama). The practices for this may include visualisation of transcendent beings, such as buddha and bodhisattva figures. This is a stage of emergence transformation through connection with the truth as a living reality.
Sangharakshita, the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order, in his book, Living with Awareness, explains, “…a universe conceived of as dead cannot be a universe in which one stands any chance of attaining Enlightenment.’ Indeed Buddhist is a practice of embracing animism.
Through the drum journeying we shift into alterate states of consciousness that enable connection with these experiences and furthermore to gain wisdom and insight into answers to the deeper questions that we may have about our lives – and a profound appreciation of life itself.
Stage 5: COMPASSIONATE ACTIVITY – This stage is one of receptivity, a kind of ‘non-practice’, such as ‘just sitting’ and spontaneous compassionate activity – an overflow of enlightened presence and effortless compassionate being – as though a supra-personal force is flowing through one – the awakened consciousness or ‘will to enlightenment’ (bodhicitta).
Sangharakshita provides a summary of this system of practice – an edited extract from a seminar Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland – “All the time, every day, one has got five things to practice, as best you can, simultaneously:
- One keeps up the effort to be mindful and aware and to be as integrated as possible.
- One remains in as positive a mental state as one possibly can.
- One does not lose sight of one’s ultimate goal at any time.
- Whatever you have realised/discovered/seen on the highest level of your being at any time, you try to apply this to practice at every level.
- You do what you can to help people. This is your spiritual life. All the other teachings on the Buddhist path are contained in this, in principle.”
In essence the key is to help all beings, human and non-human, awakened into awareness of a deeper essential interconnectedness.
I hope that this has been helpful.
Wishing you well, Guhyasakhi
Holistic Education 