Where is Spiritual Evolution taking us?

If you and twenty other people got in a tour bus in St. Augustine, Florida and then headed north to Atlanta, Georgia, and then further north to Cary, North Carolina, and then on to Philadelphia, and then New York City, and finally on to Boston, what part of the trip would be most important? Would you put Boston on a pedestal because it was the last stop?

Would you conclude that Boston was more important than Atlanta because it was the furthest part of the tour?

When we talk about being "more evolved" or further along our "spiritual path" that does not make us "better" than people who are not where we are. The object isn't to rush ourselves as quickly as possible back into the absolute embrace of oneness. We're material beings because we chose to be. We're at the place we're at because we chose to be.

Just as the point of life isn't to rush to eighty-years-old (or a hundred, or two-hundred), the point of spiritual development isn't to "get farther" or "go higher" or become "better than".

Relativity, Discernment & Judgment

Relativity does exist in our material plane, because it has to. So there are people who are better suited to certain kinds of work. There are things that would be better to do in St. Augustine and things that would be better to do in Boston. If you're looking for sunshine in February, go to St. Augustine. If you're looking for ice skating, go to Boston.

The moment you judge anything at all, you're experiencing relativity. Discernment – language itself – is all about separating one thing from another. Oneness is a great truth; we're here to explore every single facet of what "not oneness" is. Achieving oneness with our consciousness is a great achievement – it feels good. Yet it is no more exalted to achieve oneness in consciousness than it is to experience hatred – from the perspective of oneness. Because within oneness is all. All includes hatred.

It is hard to wrap our heads around it because our heads are designed to discern, separate, and judge. To experience oneness, we have to get out of heads. We have to go out of our minds. We even have to get out our hearts for full oneness, because our hearts shy away from pain and go toward what feels good. The master of oneness consciousness does not even shy away from things that hurt or feel painful.

We exalt our masters of oneness, but we do a poor job of living by their teachings – our own teachings. Our ego wants to find ways to become better than everyone and everything else around us, even if we have to be the best at being humble to do so. If you really didn't believe your way was a better way, you would change.

That's okay. Everybody's way is okay. Including the ways of violence and abuse – from the perspective of oneness.

Your Head, Heart & Body

But remember – your head and heart are not oneness. Your consciousness is oneness, but your body is not. And doesn't it make sense to protect and honor your head, heart and body? Why mistreat them or disregard them? When your heart speaks out against something – do listen! Do not rationalize it away as "unimportant in the absolute sense." That sort of rationalization is just fear talking – fear of taking action clothed in spiritual truth.

If there is any sort of blasphemy, it is clothing our absolute truths around fear and using them as an excuse to not take action in our own defense. Radical acceptance isn't about taking life sitting down. Learning to embrace your neighbor isn't about condoning things that feel wrong to you. Speak your truth and let others speak theirs. And if theirs doesn't agree with yours . . . Then you have to seek your highest calling in that moment to guide you. The only single rule I can give you for how to guide your actions is Presence.

Be Present

Be present with your thoughts. Observe them. Be present with your heart. Feel your emotions. Let them flow. Notice every part of your body and be alert for the tiniest changes in your perceptions. Use all five of your senses and then use even more of your senses. Be present with your aspirations and inspirations. Be present with your dreams when you awaken in the morning. Be present with those you cherish most. Be present with your values. Be present with your actions. Be present with your breathing.

When you are present with all of these things that I have listed (and more), you become a master of discernment. You begin to read body language effortlessly. Subtle hints in tone of voice are unveiled. The mysteries of nature begin to weave their way into your intuitive understandings. You begin to trust your intuition because it becomes stronger and more reliable. When you are fully present the things that you really want become clear. The things that need to be eliminated from your life become clear.

From my discernment, from my material-plane understanding, from my highest calling of head, heart and body – I believe presence is our highest spiritual practice. Presence is the practice of embracing life fully, as a material being with a head, heart and body. And I judge that beautiful. Amen.

So what are the next steps?

• Learning tools to become more present.
• Putting forward new cultural norms that serve the highest calling of our material and spiritual values.

For these two steps, I'd like to present to you two further articles: Learning deeply about oneself through consciousness alchemy.
Generating a living culture and leaving behind the cultural norms that are currently hurting us.

~ Raederle

The Consciousness Alchemist