On the spiritual journey, doubt can either cripple us or it can free us. When doubt it is expressed as a negative emotion, it causes us to stall out in practice by creating fearful responses and blocking change. Or it can be a powerful tool for awakening when it’s used as an invitation to challenge what you think you know.
New spiritual breakthroughs need to be integrated into your being to become permanent shifts in consciousness. One of the ways that awakening deepens and becomes more embodied is through spiritual tests. This is the way to gain insight into the depth of your realizations and to further your journey into expanded and bright fields of awareness.
The practice of non-violence is usually understood as doing no harm physically. But from a spiritual perspective, non-violence includes refraining from both physical and energetic harm. In Buddhism and Hinduism, the practice is called ahimsa, which Mahatma Gandhi defined as non-violence in thought, word, and deed.
On the advanced spiritual path, intuition is your powerful inner guide. Intuition tells you what next step to take even (and especially) if you can’t see the path in front of you. It is very common not to have a clear view of the way forward. On the advanced path, it’s your intention to wake up that is clear, not necessarily the path itself.
There is no universal roadmap on the advanced path. However, intuition is the compass that helps you find your way. Intuition is available through seeing, feeling and knowing. When in doubt, trust your gut.
There is no set amount of years of arduous practice required or an initiation that is needed to shift to the advanced path. However, there are two foundational skills that make the advanced path possible. Without these two skills, there is too much distraction and disharmony for the advanced path to take root.
