I was recently asked this question, which made me think
quite deeply.
Firstly, I should probably to mention semantics … Trap is a
negative term, and I would prefer to call them challenges and stepping stones. Even if we look at a stepping stone, if the stone
is taller than half the length of one’s leg, it already becomes a challenge. If it is taller than oneself, the trial is
even greater.
Something else worth mentioning, is that there are degrees
of spirituality. Not everybody needs to
be a monk!
The degree of spirituality we aim for depends on what is the
next step we want to take in our Eternal life once we move to the next plane of
existence. The higher the degree of
spirituality, the higher the next plane of existence (where higher is in
relation to the ethereality
of the world of our choice. It is by no
means a physical height as we interpret it in our human existence. To explain this concept in details would take
quite some time, and probably will be a better option to write another post on
the subject).
But technically, if we are able to be happy with life, enjoy
the gift of creation that was placed around us, and take the time to feed our
soul, that is a sufficient level of spirituality to move forward. For this basic level of spirituality all is
required is kindness, empathy, the belief in the Soul, and some contact with
it.
At the other extreme, there is Spirituality (with a capital
initial). In between, there are a myriad
of alternative levels equal to the abundance of astral planes available to us
on our next step back to the Source.
The higher the level of Spirituality we aim to achieve, the
greater the challenges. There are a few
posts on this blog that discuss some of the challenges here,
here,
here,
and here.
I am also confident that other related challenges will be discussed in future
articles.
The smaller challenges are the ego, kindness, altruism, etc.,
while the greater challenges are self-denial and solitude. (in my opinion, others may place these trials
on a completely different scale)
It would be impossible for me to make a detailed list of
these difficulties in one single post.
It would probably be impossible to list them all in an
encyclopaedia. Each person’s spiritual
journey is different, and the tribulations they encounter are the ones they have
chosen before they were born in this world.
Each of us makes clear and definite choices long before we are
born. Which also means that the level of
spirituality we aim to achieve on the next step of our journey is not something
we decide on this plane of existence. It
is a decision we made a long time ago, and which we are now living through.
It is a little like choosing a career. When we are asked by our parents “what do you
want to be when you grow up”, it’s the first step (for many of us) towards the
career, the education, the steps we will take from middle-schooling until
retirement age, and all that this choice implies.
One thing that should be stressed very emphatically,
however, is that our mind is NOT, and NEVER should be a challenge. The only challenge that the mind poses is to
quiet it for long enough to listen. I’m
sure all of us have been told “Listen to the question before you answer”, or
“You need to learn to listen”. We need
to be able to listen to the external energies (call it God, the Source, the
Soul, the Spirit Guides, the Guardian Angel, whatever, any term will be
perfectly acceptable).
Once we have listened, and received the message, however,
our mind is very important to understand it, to internalise it, and to help us
make decisions that are required, etc. etc.
Because, if we have to shut our mind, we don’t have
spirituality, nor Spirituality. If we
have to shut our mind, we have religion.
And, as many have asserted on many occasions, on many posts, articles,
answers, debates, and questions, religion is the nemesis of Spiritual
Development!
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