70 Daily Reflections For Your Spiritual Awakening
Adrian Tanase
ISBN: 978-3-96508-600-5
© 2019 Adrian Tanase
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Author: Adrian Tanase Cover : Adrian Tanase
Publisher : Crystal Gate Publishing
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www.crystalgatepublishing.com
Foreword
In this book, I am presenting 70 reflections or meditations on different spiritual topics, such as the Ego and the Higher Self, presence and mindfulness, compassion, happiness, karma, letting go, Enlightenment, solitude, unconditional love, forgiveness, meekness, truth, positive affirmations, change, non-attachment, Buddha-nature and also other dynamics that usually appear and manifest on the path of our spiritual practice. You may find these reflections useful especially if you are new on your spiritual path and are asking yourself a lot of questions. These reflections are really helpful for anyone who is looking to find his or her inner self, that deeper spiritual dimension of ourselves, where love and compassion manifest abundantly.
Each of these meditations is spanning one, two or even three pages, but the information contained is rather condensed. You can choose to read a few chapters a day or just jump in and read the chapter that you feel drawn to, as many times as you need. You can also take the time and choose a particular chapter and meditate on its meaning or even meditate on single phrases contained in that chapter. These reflections contain a lot of knowledge and are also pointers to the actual practice that we need to have, so we can advance on our spiritual path.
The message of these reflections is seen from both the ancient Christian perspective as well as from the Buddhist one and it is in itself motivational and also inspiring. I have come to understand that Christianity is mirroring perfectly into Buddhism as they rely on the same fundamental virtues that one needs to cultivate while practicing on his spiritual path. Although at the current time, people still see them as two different things that might have almost nothing in common, through reading both Christian and Buddhist texts, I have come to the conclusion that using them both as a reference, while practicing, one can advance much faster and can also start to see that all the different faiths or belief systems that exist lead to the exact same place.
If you want a real and lasting transformation, you need to read slowly and with focused attention each chapter many times and take time to meditate on particular phrases that you find of interest. In this way, you can start to see the seeds of awakening planted in this book blooming in your soul's garden and also healing you as well through the wisdom that is to be found inside each of them. I personally had to read the whole book about 40 times from the first page to the last, when I was editing it and getting it ready for publishing. The results of putting up so much work into it were outstanding. When I saw how my own spiritual path and practice were transformed, by reading each and every chapter so many times, I was amazed. My mindfulness increased tenfold, my practice improved radically and my whole world changed. I was able to truly and deeply understand what I was teaching others and this made a total shift of perception in my life.
For this book to manifest or appear in its current form, I have to give many thanks from the bottom of my heart to all the spiritual teachers of today that inspired me through their presence and their wisdom, especially to Eckhart Tolle, a man who has changed my life, through his wisdom, understanding and through his simple, unique and transformative book that is "The Power of Now", which I read for the first time back in 2002.
May all these reflections, that I wrote with much carefulness and consideration, help you in your daily life and walk along with you on the path of your spiritual Awakening.
Namaste
1. Presence
As you venture through the doors of perception, you will find another dimension that exists and dwells in our reality. Its qualities are peacefulness, alert stillness and a deep sense of being at home. The stillness that you will find inside yourself will reflect in the outside world and you will find that everything around you exists also, in stillness. Even the events that once disturbed you are now purely existing as everything else does; they just are. You begin to notice more and more your surroundings, while being still but alert. Your mind settles gradually and you start to experience a calmer, deeper state of being. Soon, everything starts to have a new dimension added to itself. Paintings are starting to speak to you through their vivid colors. Each person you meet has a certain uniqueness and vibration, you can feel they reflect a certain unseen warmth. Each city street has its unique characteristic and story. Everything is all of the sudden alive and each thing is telling you its story. The stillness inside you witnesses the world around. You will find a new stunning world unveiling in front of you. You cannot get back to your old life because you know this new better world. You feel that the beginning of a new life dawns. You cannot waste a moment in this new life that you have found and as you lay down to sleep, at night, you faithfully await for the next sunrise, with unspoken gratitude for everything that exists around you.
2. Silence
Into a mountain’s cave, a fire is lit. There is only a bed carved in stone with a few thick blankets on it. The old man feels the warmth of the fire in the silence that is occasionally disturbed only by little drops of water dripping from the ceiling. In his retreat, he opens a book and immerses in reading. The moon has risen and crickets fill the air with their tranquil sounds. In the old man’s mind there is much silence. The cave has no door and one can see myriad little stars lighting up the sky. Somewhere else, far away, a window is lit with a candle.
3. Being aware
Everything starts with awareness. Being aware makes you gradually jump into a different dimension, which exists intertwined with our mundane reality. The quality and quantity of the information that you receive by being aware, by paying attention to what you do, where you are and how you do it is totally different than the mundane quality of your everyday life. Awareness brings with it, gradually, presence. You can say that one hour of continuous awareness, in the present moment, brings a gram of presence. Presence is like gold. It is always valuable. You need presence in hard times, to make sure you act from your best of interest. Presence is like a good companion that always shows you the best way you should take or the best decision that is to be made, at a certain point. Presence helps you in any life situation and it also brings with it inner peace, that is very hard to obtain in our days, where everything is moving on fast forward or even in hectic ways, sometimes.
So everything starts with awareness. Being aware of your surroundings is a good start. You completely forget about future or past events, you are completely immersed in the Here and Now, in the present moment, and you are paying attention to everything around you, including yourself, in a relaxed but sharp manner. Presence will gradually bring you everything your heart has ever desired, if practiced daily. Be present. That’s all you need to do in order to easily fulfill your life purpose and your deepest wishes and desires. Presence is like a lamp that illuminates your Destiny, so you can see where you need to go, every day.
4. Happiness
Never look for happiness outside of yourself. Temporary happiness might exist in so many places, indeed, and it can be bought with currency, but it is still a temporary thing. That means that you will have to jump from “temporary happiness” to “temporary happiness” your whole life. So you might look for your whole life high and low, just to realize that your true treasure is to be found inside. Your soul might be hidden or not visible all the time, but all your actions spring from it. We need to understand that which we actually need is not temporary happiness