How does one awaken spiritually and remain awake?

Just as we sleep and wake up from slumber physically, there is another type of sleep and awakening! These ones concern our spirit, the inner core of man.

In accordance with the Almighty’s ordinance, the human spirit should direct all of man’s activities while the body is to act as a tool to carry out the inner yearnings of the spirit. However, since olden times man rebelled against God, relying more on the tool, by working solely with his brain a part of his body which produces the intellect! Placing the intellect above the spirit is the great fall of man that gave birth to all the evils of this world from self indulgence to acquisitiveness, murders, gross sensuality and all manners of oppressive conduct. As slaves of the intellect man became blind and thinks that only material things are of value.

Working with the brain alone meant that the spirit is left to be inactive; it sleeps. This sleep drains all spiritual power and the afflicted one loses all sense of beauty and inner integrity. This state of spiritual slumber is however not easily noticeable because the slumbering spirit may be a brilliant scholar, a wealthy businessman or a very brainy beauty queen.

Nevertheless, as a help to awaken us spiritually, we are constantly inundated with sadness and joy. The tenderness experienced during the periods of deep sorrow or joy momentarily puts earthly trifles at bay. If we also recall the times of our childhood; our so called age of innocence, we cannot but feel some tenderness. We can seize on these tender moments which are actually the right soil for spiritual awakening.

Furthermore, we can positively bring about our spiritual awakening even here and now by making a firm resolution to henceforth do only that which is good, pure, true and noble. We should look around us and see how the Laws of God operate and learn thereby. We will notice that good seeds yield good fruits, like attracts like and what is heavy sinks and what is light floats! We can align with these Laws for example by sowing good seeds through our thoughts, words and deeds.

To remain spiritually awake, we need to learn how to use the power of silence, listen to our inner voice, and the voice of our helpers which includes our conscience. We need to continually strive to free ourselves from base feelings, in the recognition that the hour approaches when the period allotted for this will expire!

For a start, let us keep our thoughts pure. Our persistence in this will bring us nothing but inner peace and genuine happiness!