After Enlightenment, Then What?

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AFTER ENLIGHTENMENT, THEN WHAT?

 

This is part of an article by Sant Rajinder Singh titled, "Ecstasy

Through Meditation -- Meister Eckhart: German Christian Mystic," published

in Sat Sandesh magazine, volume 31, # 8, from the last part of the article

addressing the issue of the purpose of the human form for those who have

discovered Ultimate Reality.

 

In the Light and Sound, Naamaste,'

 

JAMES

Sant Mat Fellowship: santmatfellowship

Spiritual Awakening: spiritualawakening

(Hotmail is working again so I've switched back to my hotmail address again:

spiritualawakeningatonelist Communications between Hotmail and

the eGroups domain were down for a couple of days this week.)

 

 

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Sant Rajinder Singh: Anyone who has ever tasted love, knows that it is

beyond words. It is an experience that we have in the depths of our being.

The soul experiences this love when it reunites with God. Why? God is

love. God and love are synonymous terms. All Saints and Mystics have been

trying to tell us that. As Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj used to quote, "God

is love, the soul is love, and the way back to God is also through love."

When this love reunites the soul with God, the soul has found its Source.

The soul discovers the unnamed Being. There is no need for names. There is

no need for talk. There is no need for language. There is only an

experience of love.

 

All this rapture and love awaits us by following the advice of Meister

Eckhart and all Masters of all ages. Sit in the silence, be receptive, and

receive the love. Do not think of the world, do not think of knowledge, sit

in ignorance and unawareness of the world. Be still, and experience the

inner rapture of love.

 

While Meister Eckhart explored the inner Reality and devoted his life to

sharing his spiritual practices with others, he did not turn his back on the

world. I would like to conclude with another quote of his that I find

particularly meaningful for our lives today. He says: "Were one in rapture

like that of Saint Paul, and a sick man needed help, it were better to come

out of the rapture and show love by serving him who had need."

 

Here we have a law that is higher than experiencing the rapture. After

telling us to forget the world, to sit in silence, and experience God,

Meister Eckhart will now impose a higher law. Even if we are lost in

rapture, even if we are sitting in meditation, if someone is in need of our

help, it is better to come out of meditation and rapture, and show love by

serving that person. This is the teaching of positive mysticism. This is

true spirituality. This means attending to the needs of our fellow brothers

and sisters. It means that love of God is important, but it is not only

being in rapture; it is loving God's creation. This bears out the concept

that we have heard repeatedly about why God created human beings. It is

said that if God wanted devotion the angels were already there; but God made

human beings to share in the sorrows of others.

 

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So while meditation is important, service is also important. Sant

Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj told us this time and time again: "The position of

seva [service to others] is no less than that of doing bhajan [meditation

upon the inner Sound of God]." Service to our fellow beings is noble. So

even though we must sit in meditation daily, if someone calls to us in need,

if someone is injured or sick, if someone is hungry or without clothes, if

someone is thirsty or dying, we should go to that person and help him or

her. This is the path of positive mysticism. This is the path of coupling

meditation with service and love for others.

 

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