(Traslated from the original spanish version of 25 july)
As I wrote a few days ago, many years ago I decided to try to follow a spiritual path, but in my early days I could not get anything and therefore constantly started and abandoned.
- One day I thought I could not follow any spiritual path, for my many defects, then I made a list of those so many, because...
- I easily get angry when things got tough ...
- I had learned to be competitive and I focused more on beating others on the way, than really look for beating myself.
- I Appreciated too my belongings even think to let go of the need for them.
- I could not see all those around me as brothers of my way, because always to soon I had my finger pointing to errors or other defects.
- I could not reach out selflessly...
- I could not forgive those who had hurt me ...
- I could not even think without thinking 10 seconds on an unstoppable carousel of ideas and memories ...
- Also because I was not able to do my spiritual task every day, then I had to force myself to do so, was it my way?
- Also, I would never will be pure enough to conduct this way ...
- That long list could go on writing ... however, in spite of everything written ... Returned exactly why, why I insisted on following a spiritual path ?
However, there was something true... that I did not try to give a sanctified image of myself to others ... never in my life I care very much on what people thought about me ... And then, if so flawed why then had attracted me so much to try, even for wrong ways? ...
Was I afraid of me? ... I did not care to think of me, but if I judged myself very hard. And so the relentless inner judge criticized me for my flaws and prevented me from moving forward... there wasn't fault of others...
And then when my appeal to that court was ... but well, I look because it makes me feel better ... because when I try it gives me peace and sometimes in that silence I can understand mistakes and correct, not always on time but at least correct my path each day.
We are human and therefore we make mistakes, mistakes always teach, of course sometimes with pain, but at least you learn, and if not then the error is repeated until learned ...
And well over many years and many mistakes and setbacks, I can not say how much I progressed in my spiritual path, but yes, I can remember my personal past, I can tell to the terrible judge that there is in my mind and I can show, that I'm better, and that by constant work, perhaps not every day in all these years, but at least many days on...
Even today I struggle with myself for getting better, and this must be in my opinion my first and great spiritual attainment, be better, and as much as enough to make a simple comparison with myself that 10 years ago or however long it is and see me sincerely ... more ... yes! , Thank God ... better!.
And so when I realized this truth, I stopped worrying about goals that others once talked to me and seemed so unattainable that ... were precisely those which held the terrible judge on who I was so scared ...
When my goal became to be better than myself, then, from there my spiritual path became less arid, began to be a really way up, free of judges, free of comparisons, free of unreachable goals.
Paradoxically, when the road is humble, and also continuous over time, without being harassed by one day fail, then other goals as well be overcome without complexes, without needs.
Dear readers I hope this words helps especially for not to think that nobody is denied to follow a spiritual path and that the best reward you surelly achieve is to feel in peace with yourself.
A hug for everyone, Paul Barbé
From the original spanish article of 21 july
A few years ago, I was in fought with the world, convinced that in need of my succeed I should beat others ... but I started to realize that every achievement had little flavor, something was wrong because there was always a bitter taste of resentment and a constant annoyance that I could't find for me, reason. Until the day came to realize that I was sick...
I lost my tenderness ... The anxiety squeezed my throat so that I could not see my way. Everything that was wrong in my conflict with the world had an odd reflection in my body, as if I was sick of my bones and joints and could not walk next to my brothers, and I could not give a fraternal embrace because I become hardened. I Was getting really bad in my view, therefore, could not see beyond the negative things about my neighbor. When I thought I was going deaf what happened was I had stopped listening to those who were by my side every day.
In order to heal, I should learn to look up me in the mirror, and after that the decision to take daily treatment ... thanks to awake in my home, during the work day, every hour to remind patience, humility, friendship, integrity and responsibility. And before going to bed, be consistent in making a series of spiritual exercises. In no time I thought it would be easy, but surely that medicine would heal me.
I lost many times and many things in my life. But it took me many years to realize what was really to lost; to allow me to understand what was really to win.
I understood that if I suffered or lost much ... at the same time I have learned, when I clung in resentment and at the end to let go of, I realized the enormous value of forgiveness is freedom; when I cried a lot... cleanse my soul and then to remove the veil I saw the light of the way out, the times I felt alone, I ended up accepting it had closed my door to others, and sometimes I thought I had lost everything, and it was not a single time ... then when time pased, showed me that was the end of an era and the beginning of a new period of growth to my top step.
Finally I made an extraordinary discovery, I'm not alone, many people around me waiting for my smile and to be able to approach me, and waiting for my helping hand ...
So many times I felt tired and lying in my bed looking for a shelter in my own pity, then my tears showed me that it is always possible and necessary to restart. Restart is given a new opportunity is renewed hope in life and most importantly, believe in myself.
If a young person decides to do nothing for an entire year seems so outrageous waste of time and youth, but if you are over 60 and decide the same, is it not also a regrettable loss? Any person gets older. That does not take talent or ability.
We're not tired for being older, we are tired for fighting with ourselves ... We do not stop loving because we are old, we grow old because we stop loving.
Because it is always possible to fight for what we love, and because there is always time to start over.
Every day you have to find the healthy humor and laughter. It is imperative to have a dream. When dreams are lost, one begins to die. There are so many people walking around who are dead and not know that!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing. To keep growing need to get rid of old rags, ties, seek teachings without tripping, do not get distracted looking at the side of the road keep an eye on your progress. The idea is to grow always finding the opportunity to change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually do not regret what we did, but of those things that did not do. Understand that it is never too late to be all that we can probably be.
I propose a challenge: to study poetry, read daily many reflections that abound on the Internet, read writings of poets, but also not shy to write lines for yourself, after a while when you check your writings you will see your own spiritual progress.
Recommence
Perhaps now is an excellent time to start a new life project. Where you getting at? Look high, dream high, longs to the best of the best, long for all good, because life brings us what we want if we fight for it.
Is it not a good time for a mental cleansing?. Throw everything that chained you to past and hurts. Also let you go of material achievements because most likely the day that you get achievements no longer enjoy you. Clean your heart, make ready for a new life, purpose to love more those around you, without trying to change them, but by learning to accept them. Get away from your life everything that makes you feel bad and take great care not to hurt others. Your own happiness depends on what you can achieve in harmony with the world and conquer your peace, inner harmony and love for all, because we are the manifestation of love.
If you realize you need a change, do not get distracted now with walks..., accepts walk the path of the new adventure that you sense yourself, a major challenge, a new journey that will take to your inside. Aim for this day, to yourself that you will do everything you can to achieve your goals. I trust life, trust in you.
"It's not because things are difficult that we dare not, it is because we not dare that they are difficult" Seneca
A hug to all my followers, Paul Barbe
In my life I had different stages and cycles concerning on religion, the family of my mother was Christian, my father who suffered in his life the two world wars and his family was decimated by war or by tuberculosis, became deeply atheist .
I kept my Christian belief to my youth, but when my father fell sick to my 20 years and saw him suffer so much, after 4 years of endless suffering, I also became an atheist, but as is the old saying goes "nothing is forever in this life, never say never, ever or forever..."
When everything seemed to fall, came to me books of Lobsang Rampa, with them I became very interested in Tibetan culture and religion, however I could never fully accept his philosophy of life, although I incorporate a large part of their religion in my new believing. I started a new cycle in my life, trying to unite Christianity with Buddhism ...
Years went by and everything changes, came to me over time the interest in reading about the philosophy and religion about hinduism , but also about Inca and Maya people...
So I began to notice commonalities in world religions. The spiritual level as I understand it unifies the belief of mankind ...
My life has had many changes, may be it's the destiny of this life that I had ... fight for things, lose interest and change direction, try and try to move on...so many times.
Whenever I noticed the conflict in myself and also in others, the competition between material and social goals, and its clear antagonism with inner peace. Every time I devoted my best efforts to worldly progress was when despite my accomplishments my inside felt more miserable. And other times I spent my effort in spiritual way...things become complicated for me in social aspects... so it appeared to be a matter of choice one or the other but not both.
Maybe the big inside break was generated in the process that led me to my initiation into Reiki, and then my unwavering determination to achieve mastery. From the beginning I heard that if completely devoted my life to Reiki I can reach that goal, but only so...
Then came a moment that a rebellion was born in me and I decided to follow my own way. Without realizing that this decision would change my life as much as it did, because it pushed me to modify a lot in my inner self. Even so I managed to reach my master degree while continuing to "hooked" to my traditional economic support, like one more worker. I found a way to continue so, but of course with their costs ...
What I want to share all this, is that there is no single way to reach a goal, what matters is the will to stick to a decision, and sustain the effort every day to achieve it.
To grow spiritually is not necessary to be religious, neither to follow a dogma, you don't need to bow to rules dictated by others ...
I'm not saying that to marked a unique path is easy to follow, but strongly argue that...I only achieve to feel good when I stay in the attempt to overcome my own, when every day I do my spiritual work, I not worry to follow a rigid routine that if I don´t perform makes me feel bad, but worry to hold some daily job, not step backwards ...
If I'm working on an improvement of transforming a defect into the path of its opposite, a virtue, not let me back ... Try in the working day, take care of my concepts without allowing contaminated by the events of daily life.
And back to the alternative religion or spirituality, for me, one thing does not remove the other, but at the same time if you hold, being religious does not mean that it is spiritual.
I remember an interview that was done to the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people:
What is the best religion?
"The best religion is the one you get closer to God, to infinity. Is one that makes you better"
What makes me better?
"Those that makes you more compassionate, more sensitive, more detached, more loving, more caring, more responsible, more ethical ... religion that you get to do that is the best religion"
In this way, I encourage my readers, that do not bind to the concepts established by others, if they feel comfortable with a religion, hold it. Still, thank God you can make thousands of ways. Whether it's through a traditional prayer, or that same sentence but just memorize wrong don't worry repeat, because at least we do, and yet it's okay if we do our own personal prayer.
The fact of thank God for everything brings a significant return as a reward ... we feel better. It is important to pray, it is not good to ask. It is important to pray but to maintain an attitude more in line with what we pray. It makes no senso to trap yourself, something very simple there is no worse judge than yourself.
To finish this article, sing your mantras, pray as you feel better, learn to smile at yourself in the mirror, try your best path to follow and you will live more in peace, and so it will be easier your way and those who share your life and those who cross you each day.
A hug for everyone, Paul Barbe
A while ago I heard a native dance of the Caribou Indian people, and thought that these songs are simple and good to use as mantras intonation for meditation in search of inner peace ...
There is no better gift to yourself that after a busy day, bring to your soul with a song like this, you could not like the style, but is good to try, many indigenous songs have enormous spiritual power, his lyrics are simple and easy to memorize and then sing to yourself. I recommend it, it's worth.
Another time I wrote that the first step in daily meditation or spiritual work is to reconcile the best possible the inner harmony.
You can not meditate, being nervous, stressed, anxious or worried.
Remember the principles of Reiki Mikao Usui that other day I wrote ... "Just for today do not worry" says one.
It is important to devote some part of the day, a sacred moment for intimacy with oneself, to dialogue with the heart and soul. In that sacred moment should be free from any relationship with the outside world, that time is for you.
In this intimacy... sung to yourself a mantra, is a big step toward harmony, the more we get into a state of harmony, the higher the internal energy and is easier to reach levels of understanding that would not otherwise can be achieved.
It's useful to put a background music that fulfills a role of external noise curtain, as long as that music does not come in conflict with your state of peace and inner harmony.
But beware that this state of harmony is not lost, because we see driven to solve mundane problems of daily living.
The sacred moment should be used for our inner health, is to heal our ailments of the body, our sentimental or emotional ailments, but above all to enter a state of gratitude and peace.
Let's start with a full breath slowly and to increase the internal vibrations. When seated in a comfortable position, while retaining a very relaxed breathing, deep, making entering a lot of air and releasing very gently, after a while try to visualize (imagine) colors in our front, or try to view special items such as a door, a window that goes into a nice beautiful light or air.
There is a very important exercise is good practice all you can, so:
Imagine that comes from heaven a light color that is most pleasant or proper, suppose gold, silver, white, purple or color you want or need ...
Imagine that light bathing your whole body, imagine that the light goes into your mind, gives you peace and comfort, breathe, imagine that light after it invades every part of your body giving relief and comfort, breathe deeply, when you enter the air, also does the light, when the air slowly goes out also moves the impure energy out, so your body gets cleaned ...
Imagine now that the relief and cleanup moves through your body, head, shoulders and throat. Then his heart is filled with light and you feel better with each breath, your peace increases your lungs are filled with air and light ... Now the light reaches your belly. Continue illuminating your whole body and feel the slow circulation of air in your lungs has been purified your body .
Once you have done this for a long time, if you have a nice quiet place to do light exercise stand, then incorporate, and with very gentle body movements of his hands, arms and legs as they feel them yourself if you do not know what to do make circles with one hand, then another, then one follows the other, invent, imagine dancing slowly and gently that God is watching and enjoying your devotion and gratitude ... follow, always gently.
Finally, stop, raise his hands to heaven and sit back down. So does nothing, just breathe deeply for a while, and finally put your hands over your heart and be thankful. No doubt you will feel much better.
Hugs to my dear readers, Paul Barbe
Like all our work we do always expecting to get a return, who works carrying bags waiting at the end of the month to receive his salary. Those who study expected to pass their exam, those who strive to advance their spiritual path they hope to reach "above", "closer to the light," feel better about yourself, see the light of his brothers near ...
Each period of different work I have undertaken in this path takes promising leads and other stages where comes the question, ¿did I move?.
Never got the answer, then the way I've found to support my effort is this: if I don't my daily spiritual work, at the end of the day I feel "it's a lost day."
It is very strange as our planes of existence are related ... the body seeks its own satisfaction or need and struggle to stay away from vices ... the mind seeks to learn, entertain, also has his struggle against the ego and against of what away from good habits, values ??and virtues, and on the other hand, the soul seeks to evolve, vibrate higher, closer to the light of God.
It is not easy to reconcile all this.
But I realized one day that the body manages to accept the plans of the mind, then if I keep my mind on a good path the body makes its way regardless of the effort is to perform. But also when I can put the mind to serve the soul, and managed to maintain my daily work on my spiritual path, my mind rests
in peace and this is their grand prize.
When my restless mind is placed in conflict with everything, when I lose my connection to my soul, things go wrong.
There is no action performed only on the desires of the mind that lead to peace, to be well beyond a short time. A very concrete example I've seen and experienced in relationship with others, and especially with my partners in this life, when the mind and body guide the relationship, that relationship is doomed to failure, when the relationship is guided by the soul relationship grows, gets stronger and is an infinite pleasure.
Each spiritual work that I achieve, always left me the gift to feeling better.
So ... What matter how much progress towards my goal? the mere fact of feeling good and more peaceful is enough. And precisely to feel good is the basic requirement to continue to make further spiritual work.
You can not make any spiritual work if you do not feel in harmony doing so, I can not recite a mantra, say a prayer if I'm thinking of something else that get me away from that meditative state.
Those days when energy is low, that anything seems a huge effort is a sign that my soul is warning me that I have not done anything to raise my level of vibration, it is because I lack the energy that I feel this way .. .
Hence there is the reason to work daily on a spiritual journey, no goals, first of all work on me and those days when I managed to do a good job ... then I think about goals.
Today my attempt is to raise my energy by thanking to life for all I could understand that I need to be grateful, I trying to honor God as best I can.
I give great importance to care all relations with everybody, without judging, or at least I try.
Daily I struggle to accept that there is a time to every process of life and ther is not my anxiety who's going to accelerate or even more for my spiritual evolution.
I do my best to remember to honor the living energy of all that surrounds us, if I can not understand or accept another human being, if I succeed I give my blessing and let him aside ...
I try to be generous in sharing with others, stay away from the attitude of "doing business" and to get more of others than how many I give...
Finally I work to offer these items at all, although it is not easy to maintain a high level, although not receive a response, although not receive anything in return, what matters and that comforts me is to deliver the best of me, generously and that makes me feel good.
A hug to those who read me, Paul Barbé
Over many years I realized that my life's path is unpredictable, I have lived worried about things that never happened, I lived thinking about achieving goals, situations, goals, targets, in fact spending my time and even today they never be performed... months or years later, in a quiet moment, I realized that in fact most of what was not met ... they agreed to the wishes of my mind, who's living constantly jumping, resembled what he wanted in my heart, but superficially. But the times that I managed my inner peace I agreed that those desires were not according to my soul. So I asked myself many times ... Why is it so difficult to be clear that is what my soul desires, so as not to waste neither my time nor my energy?
The mystery of my way has always been a relatively undefined, impossible to catch, because the tough times ... they are still sought, then after a time I realized that the mistakes that led to those trips they were because I refused to accept those mistakes, and from there ended up being the result expected.
But ¿what I should do to clear where to walk if I could not understand? understand myself, ¿how can I not feel lost? ...
I remember me praying for weeks to God for guidance to be clear about the way ... and not getting aid ... so, ¿What to do? At least, for that problem if I found the answer, ¿do I know myself what I wanted?, ¿Should I stay well clear where I wanted to get and why?
So, over the time I learned to monitor my moods, and a useful way I found is this: if I'm going through a stage in my life when I'm unhappy but looking around me everything seems fine ... If I only plan on finding an easier path ... Or put another way, if I can not thank for everything I have and I have accomplished... then where is the problem? ... lack of inner harmony. The famous triangle: mind, feelings and soul, are in conflict.
I know, I have always been difficult to understand well what is the path that my soul desires to continue, well then ..., how to solve this problem is to be attentive to this state of inexplicable discomfort ...
If the horizon toward which I walk does not make me feel good, it's time to stop, and strive to find whatever it is, tp get peace in my mind to understand why I am upset. Because it's easier to understand what is wrong and then correct the course to disengage from that discomfort. And if the way to unhook from this discomfort leads to a course that clearly deviates from that goal I wanted to achieve, then it is time to seek not a moment, but consider a few days of reflection since the goal was wrong.
Ie I have the patience to find out where I want to go at any time.
People say: "if you know where to go, you will arrive sooner or later." But the point is not that, ¿Does it make sense to strive to reach a beach... if you do not want to put my feet in the water?,
¿Have perhaps sense to make an big effort to climb a mountain if I feel uncomfortable with the wind? I have seen many people who know their way, but both give up the effort to follow, that it seems to have forgotten, or have convinced themselves that are invalid in the spiritual plane. It reminds me of
many nightmares I've had in which want to walk and my legs weighed tons.
I wonder ... ¿why lose hope to get there, why so scared?, ¿Why so many fears, so many ties? If my present don't feel right, why stick with it?, Fear of losing what?, what you not accept... and live whishing something else?
The self-compliance and false convictions are a very heavy burden to carry on your back for the rest of life ... Is of no use to lie to yourself, say "I know nothing, an rather I don't want to know anything ... because it's easier" . If there is something rather absurd is playing solitaire and become trap.
If I am unhappy with my life from yesterday and today, it is clear that I will arrive tomorrow, if I know what I'm getting, is a powerful torture to myself tie my feet and very vain implore God to untie me.
Now if the reason for discouragement is because I want my results tomorrow, then things go wrong in the head ... once I wrote, "everything is easy to reach at the end not worth it, or rather it's worth not reached "
I always try to remember phrases, parables and famous stories. In this case, I can compare the spiritual walk of life, to that old story of the race of the hare and the tortoise ... Not by a long run is reached first, the speed does not matter if you do not know the course.
So when nothing is clear to me, I try to control my anxiety not to despair for not moving, then moving may aimlessly, ending up back at the same place where I am now standing.
When I look without looking ... only to find, I depend on what I find and therefore only by fortune, that almost never be conducive to spiritual growth but rather a new learning experience, I'll be somewhere and I may have to go back.
My first steps to learn on my spiritual path was a path to my basic self, to give meaning to my search. Learn how to improve my routes that take me to meetings with other walkers and try to understand at every moment the whole environment of the situations, people present, trying to see where they go and how it relates to my own way. Never too late to return to find oneself.
I tasted most of my life long walks, and for quite that as an excuse to use my mind wander while she is distracted by the scenery, I can chat with my soul, with my heart and always on the end has become somewhat clearer in my heart, my feelings are more exposed and therefore I see a light on the way to go...
It's so important to know where to go that it's worth every effort to clarify, to achieve inner harmony that tells us clearly, Yes I want that ... my heart and mind feels happy accepts ... When the goal is clear a felling comes with unmistakable enthusiasm, comes our inner energy that propels us forward.
When we are able to focus internal energy to an object or a horizon, the energy is revalued, rebuilds and gives us more encouragement to continue. If later the energy vanishes, if it appears that there were no reasons for such courage will be attentive to what is opposing us to diminish what displayed.
Is this objection valid?
A hug to my followers, Paul Barbé
Today (10 jul),I tried to add an attachment with a long list of strengths, weaknesses, good and bad qualities, in order to serve as a reference for the same and with a more advanced reading allowing people to mark me which ones are most important when loocking forward to change, I see interesting to know a general opinion on that topic, but then gave up for lack of advanced knowledge in managing a blog or web page design.
So instead the goal today, I will comment on good qualities important to a spiritual path, and the others that people must work to leave.
First of all I write here from the spiritual point of view, which largely runs counter to the good qualities in the material world.
An example, be generous, trusting, faithful, humble, sacrificial, and so on. It is not advantageous in the material world, but in the spiritual. So from now on everything I write below is referring to values and morals that are important for spiritual progress.
Basically you have to improve: kindness, authenticity, emotional stability, flexibility, generosity, gratitude, honesty, humility, order, patience, perseverance, respect, tolerance ... and secondly we must fight to eradicate: competitiveness, selfishness, falsehood, nonconformity, infidelity, prejudice, arrogance, violence.
Both lists can be much longer, are just a reference.
Some of them, there are such important things that you can not think of making an honest spiritual journey if you do not change what is necessary.
To be clear, I will not become confusing for you with many virtues to get and it because it should be discouraging... The spiritual path, is easy to understand, if we look as a path of progressive improvement.
We all have much to improve ... today there are people who have many good, perhaps more than others, but they can not walk at this time in a path of spiritual progress and instead someone with less spiritual conditions have decided to progress toward spiritual enlightenment.
This does not mean you should abandon today, or right now all your wrong habits, or bads, it means that it has begun working to improve yourself, and so is your goal in a period of time that he himself fixed achieve better than it was a while ago.
There is no way a competition over who has more virtues and good qualities, but rather the constant effort we can do every day, not allowing himself to take any steps back.
Sometimes everything seems to show that you can not move forward, but if there is a sincere attitude to fight to improve, undoubtedly achieved.
I have a suggestion ... when the road becomes very hard to improve on a certain goal, sometimes it's good not to stop worrying about it and try to move towards progress in another. I give this example, suppose someone tries to be more kind to people and has reached a point where no further improvement, incorporating the habit of being grateful is a great support to the previous achievement. If that person gets to thank all the good that you learn to acknowledge how good it receives from others and therefore will be easier to be nice.
Otherwise, when you can not advance a goal, try other ... all have much to improve, no?
I repeat here the 5 principles of Reiki, Mikao Usui taught by, for nearly a century.
"Just for today, do not worry"
"Just for today, do not be angry"
"Show respect to your parents, teachers and elders"
"Earn your living honestly"
"Be grateful for everything that is alive"
I suggest that they are incorporated as a personal prayer, not to be recited, but to repeat and incorporate them into daily life.
On the other hand as can be seen on these principles, mentioned good qualities animate yourself to create other principles for yourself.
A big hug for all, Paul Barbe
