PITFALLS ON THE PATH-PART I

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PITFALLS ON THE PATH-Part I

 

Pilgrims on the spiritual path rarely have an easy or uninterrupted

passage. Problems arise at almost every step, and there are numerous

cul-de-sacs or branches to tempt the unwary. Bhagavan's standard

advice to anyone who had recognized a spiritual problem was "Find

out who has the problem." Thus, anyone who encountered unpleasant

mental states such as fear, uneasiness or hallucinations would be

asked to switch their attention from the experience to the

experiencer; that is, from the mental and emotional states to the

feeling of "I" which perceived them. Bhagavan prescribed this

solution as a panacea for all perceived spiritual problems with

remarkable success, but it can only be utilized if the problem is

recognized to be a problem. Unfortunately, many obstacles to

progress are not perceived as such. The subtlety with which the

imagined self defends its territory and the wrong attitudes and

practices which result are frequently overlooked by the spiritual

seeker, so in many cases the opportunity never arises to face the

problem and to solve it in the classical prescribed manner.

 

The imaginary individual self is quite capable of converting

everything, even spiritual practice to its own use in an effort to

prolong its apparent existence. As an example of this, meditation

often produces pleasurable side effects such as feelings of bliss,

stillness and serenity, but without the clarity of purpose which

brings about detachment, the states end up in becoming experiences

of the imagined self which are pursued and prolonged as pleasure in

their own right. By indulging in, and becoming attached to

pleasurable states of meditation, the individual self is not only

prolonging its own existence, it is strengthening it. By clinging to

such states, a feeling of pride and achievement is generated which

confirms the reality of the individual self enjoying them: "I have

achieved this; I am making progress; I am a spiritual person." It

must be remembered that all these experiences are only mental

states, and however pleasurable and ennobling they may appear to be,

they should be treated in the same manner as all mental phenomena;

attention should be switched from the experience to the experiencer,

that is, to the feeling of "I" that is within us. The same holds

true for the more spectacular side effects of meditation such as

visions and psychic powers. These are in no way indications of

spiritual progress, they are merely manifestations of latent

tendencies in the mind. However, any attachment to these phenomena

is such a great potential source of self-identity, that they should

be considered liabilities rather than gains.

 

THE MOUNTAIN PATH EDITORIAL, APRIL 1981