Wake-Up Call (Part 2)

BY CHIM LI YEN

Waking up is the most important thing we can do in our life. We need to wake up for our own sake – to be free of the illusion of separation and of the psychological jumble inside our minds.

We instinctively feel that ordinary consciousness is limited and we seek different means to expand it by following spiritual disciplines like yoga, praying, chanting, meditation and others. Evolution is urging us to intensify our life-energy until we attain absolute wakefulness when we become pure light and merge with the source.

It is time we move forward to a new state of being which has the conceptual knowledge of the ego and the intuitive quality of spirit. To live in harmony, we must transcend our sense of separation from nature and see that it is alive and sacred. Our life-energy is an influx of the essential energy of the universe.

Here are several ways that will help you achieve a wakeful state if you incorporate it into your lifestyle.

Meditate regularly

Meditation tames the ego and makes its chattering thoughts quieter. It weakens the ego’s structure so it no longer has a powerful presence in our being and no longer monopolises our psychic energy. The energy then becomes freely available for us to dedicate to being aware in the present moment.

Meditating on a daily basis helps shift the centre of our identity from the ego to the self. We learn to stand back and observe the thoughts whirling in our mind. We learn to watch these passing thoughts without being affected by them. After a while, the thoughts have no control over us and we are free from the emotional roller-coaster that accompanies them.

People who meditate for a long time will experience permanent changes in the structure and function of the psyche. Even ten minutes of meditation everyday will bring profound changes in your life. Try it today!

Balance

We can conserve and still our life-energy by controlling our instinctive being, the ‘agitated mind’ which craves material comforts, food, sex, drugs, alcohol, success, power and sensory stimulation. Don’t get me wrong. There is absolutely nothing wrong with some degree of sensory stimulation or material comforts as long as it doesn’t take away your power. Addictions are a way we lose our power to our desires because we think we cannot survive without something.

Instead of succumbing to your desires, take a moment to explore and discover the origin of that desire. Most desires arise to cover up a negative emotion. For example, some people smoke to hide their insecurity, some eat to feel love and others drink to drown their sorrows.

Living a life of balance and moderation ensures alignment with the soul and makes it easier for us to live in a state of wakefulness. Instead of starving yourself or eating extravagantly rich food, eat enough to keep yourself healthy. Instead of living in poverty or in a luxurious mansion, live in a simple house with enough space and possessions to keep you comfortable. Instead of being completely celibate or promiscuous, regular sex with a partner brings out your creativity and opens up your heart.

Detachment

Awakening experiences occur when psychological attachments are destroyed – be it attachment to beliefs, a socially constructed identity, other people, wealth and status, ambitions or even to drugs. Spiritual seekers like monks and nuns make a conscious effort to generate wakefulness by living lives of detachment with no possessions, no worldly ambitions, no family responsibilities and so forth.

It is not necessary for us to follow their footsteps unless there is an inner calling. We can live with our families, career, possessions and ambitions so long as we don’t look to them for fulfilment and expect them to sustain our well-being. Inner contentment comes from being indifferent to these external things surrounding us.

The Power of Silence

Silence is often seen as an enemy in today’s society because our senses are accustomed to being stimulated all day long. Silence can make us feel uncomfortable and inactivity leads to boredom and frustration. We use activity to distract us from our psychological discord so being silent forces us to confront it. Once we are able to come to terms with the anxiety and unease in our minds, we will begin to enjoy silence. It gives us a space to be still and purify our life-energy. Spend some time in silence daily to generate a wakeful state.

Service

Being of service to others teaches us to be less concerned with our own desires and to be more compassionate towards others. It softens the boundaries of the ego and intensifies our connection with the universe. Any effort which includes an element of service is beneficial – whether it is working for charity, community work, taking care of elderly relatives or bringing up children. Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Let us wake up from our slumber and remember who we truly are.