Becoming a Spiritual Being
by Wayne
Dyer
 Becoming a spiritual being is
synonymous with becoming a miracle worker and knowing the bliss of real magic.
The differences between people who are non-spiritual, or "physical only", and
those whom I call spiritual beings are dramatic.
I use the terms spiritual and
non-spiritual in the sense that a spiritual being has a conscious awareness of
both the physical and the invisible dimension, while the non-spiritual being is
only aware of the physical domain. Neither category, as I use them, implies
atheism or religious orientation in any way. The non-spiritual person is not
incorrect or bad because he or she experiences the world only in a physical
manner.
Below are 12 beliefs and practices for
you to cultivate as you develop your abilities to manifest miracles in your
life. Becoming a spiritual being as outlined here is an all-out necessity if
real magic is your objective in this lifetime.
1. The non-spiritual being lives
exclusively within the five senses, believing that if you cannot see, touch,
smell, hear, or taste something, then that something simply doesn't exist. The
spiritual being knows that beyond the five physical senses, there are other
senses we use to experience the world of form.
As you work toward becoming a
spiritual being as well as a physical being, you begin to live more and more
consciously within the invisible realm. You begin to know that there are senses
beyond this physical world. Even though you cannot perceive it through one of
the five senses, you know that you are a soul with a body, and that your soul is
beyond limits and defies birth and death. It is not governed by any of the rules
and regulations that govern the physical universe. To be a spiritual being means
that you allow yourself the option of being multi-sensory. Hence a whole new
world opens up. As Gary Zukav writes in "The
experiences of the multi-sensory human are less limited than the experiences of
the five-sensory human. They provide more opportunities for growth and
development and more opportunities to avoid unnecessary
difficulties." (The Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav)
2. The non-spiritual being believes we
are alone in the universe. The spiritual being knows he or she is never
alone.
A spiritual being is comfortable with
the idea of having teachers, observers, and divine guidance available at any
time. If we believe we are souls with bodies rather than bodies with souls, then
the invisible, eternal part of ourselves is always available to us for
assistance. Once this belief is firm and unshakable it can never be doubted,
regardless of the rational arguments of those who live exclusively in the
physical world. For some this is called intense prayer, for others it is
universal, omnipresent intelligence or force, and for others it is spiritual
guidance. It matters not what you call this higher self or how you spell it,
since it is beyond definitions, labels, and language itself.
For the non-spiritual being this is
all hogwash. We show up on Earth, we have one life to live and no one has any
ghosts around or within to help out. This is a physical-only universe to the
non-spiritual being and the goal is to manipulate and control the physical
world. The spiritual being sees the physical world as an arena for growth and
learning with the specific purpose of serving and evolving into higher levels of
love.
Non-spiritual beings accept the
existence of a supreme being or God, not as a universal force that is within us
but as a separate power that will someday hold us accountable. They do not see
themselves as having assistance or a higher self, unless they have the kind of
direct experience of divine presence recorded by St. Paul or St. Francis of
Assisi.
Spiritual beings simply know, through
their personal experience of having been in contact with their own divine
guidance, that they are not alone, and that they can use that guidance to become
miracle makers in their lives.
3. The non-spiritual being is focused
on external power. The spiritual being is focused on personal
empowerment.
External power is located in the
dominance of and control over the physical world. This is the power of war and
military might, the power of laws and organization, the power of business and
stock market games. This is the power of controlling all that is external to the
self. The non-spiritual being is focused on this external power.
By contrast, the spiritual being is
focused on empowering himself and others to higher and higher levels of
consciousness and achievement. The use of force over another is not a
possibility for the spiritual being. He or she is not interested in collecting
power, but rather in helping others to live in harmony and to experience real
magic. This is a power of love that does not judge others. There is no hostility
or anger in this kind of power. It is true empowerment to know that one can live
in the world with others who have differing points of view and have no need to
control or vanquish them as victims. A spiritual being knows the enormous power
that comes with the ability to manipulate the physical world with one's mind. A
mind at peace, a mind centered and not focused on harming others, is stronger
than any physical force in the universe. The entire philosophy of aikido and the
Oriental martial arts is based not on external power over the opponent, but on
becoming at one with that external energy to remove the threat. Empowerment is
the inner joy of knowing that external force is not necessary to be at harmony
with oneself.
To the non-spiritual being, no other
way is known. One must constantly be ready for war. Even though the spiritual
masters to whom they often pledge allegiance speak against such use of power,
the non-spiritual being simply cannot see other alternatives
4. The non-spiritual being feels
separated and distinct from all others, a being unto himself. The spiritual
being knows that he is connected to all others and lives his life as if each
person he meets shares being human with him.
When a person feels separate from all
others he becomes more self-centered and much less concerned about the problems
of others. He may feel some sympathy for people starving in another part of the
world, but that person's daily approach is, "It's not my problem." The
splintered personality, the non-spiritual being, is focused more on his own
problems, and often feels that other human beings are either in his way or
trying to get what he wants and so he must "do in" the other guy, before he gets
done in himself.
The spiritual being knows that we are
all connected, and he is able to see the fullness of God in each person with
whom he makes contact. This sense of connection eliminates much of the inner
conflict that the non-spiritual being experiences as he constantly judges
others, categorizes them according to physical appearances and behaviors, and
then proceeds to find ways to either ignore or take advantage of them for his
own benefit.
Being connected means that the need
for conflict and confrontation is eliminated. Knowing that the same invisible
force that flows through himself flows through all others allows the spiritual
being to truly live the golden rule. The spiritual being thinks, "How I am
treating others is essentially how I am treating myself, and vice versa." The
meaning of "love thy neighbor as thyself" is clear to the spiritual being, while
it is considered nonsense by the non-spiritual being. Negative judgment is not
possible when one feels connected to all others. The spiritual being knows that
he cannot define another by his judgments, that he only defines himself as a
judgmental person.
Research at the subatomic quantum
level reveals an invisible connection between all particles and all members of a
given species. This oneness is being demonstrated in remarkable scientific
discoveries. The findings show that physical distance, what we think of as empty
space, does no preclude a connection by invisible forces. Obviously there exist
invisible connections between our thoughts and our actions. We do not deny this,
even though the connection is impervious to our senses.
The non-spiritual being cannot make
such a leap, but the spiritual being knows that this invisible force connects
him to all others, and therefore treats all others as if they were a part of
himself. It is all a question of knowing. The non-spiritual being acts as if he
were an island, separate and distinct from others, unconnected. Plainly stated,
miracles and real magic are simply unavailable to those who believe themselves
to be islands in the sea of humanity.
5. The non-spiritual being believes
exclusively in a cause/effect interpretation of life. The spiritual being knows
that there is a higher power working in the universe beyond mere cause and
effect.
The non-spiritual being lives
exclusively in the physical world, where cause and effect rule. If one plants a
seed (cause), he will see the result (effect). If one is hungry, he will seek
food. If one is angry, he will vent that anger. This is indeed a rational and
logical way to think and behave, since the third law of motion for every action
there is an equal and opposite reaction is always operating in the physical
universe.
The spiritual being goes beyond
Newton's physics and lives in an entirely different realm. The spiritual being
knows that thoughts come out of nothingness, and that in our dream state
(one-third of our entire physical lives), where we are in pure thought, cause
and effect play no role whatsoever.
6. The non-spiritual being is
motivated by achievement, performance and acquisitions. The spiritual being is
motivated by ethics, serenity and quality of life.
For the non-spiritual person, the
focus is on learning for the purpose of high grades, getting ahead, and
acquiring possessions. The purpose of athletics is competition. Success is
measured in external labels such as position, rank, bank accounts, and awards.
These are all very much a part of our culture, and certainly not objects to be
scorned, they simply are not the focus of the spiritual being's
life.
For the spiritual being, success is
achieved by aligning oneself with one's purpose, which is not measured by
performance or acquisitions. The spiritual being knows that these external
things flow into one's life in sufficient amounts and that they arrive as a
result of living purposefully. The spiritual being knows that living
purposefully involves serving in a loving fashion. Mother Teresa, who spent
many years of her life caring for the most downtrodden among us in the slums of
Calcutta, defined purpose this way in "For the Love of God:"
"The fruit of love is service, which
is compassion in action. Religion has nothing to do with compassion. It is our
love for God that is the main thing, because we have all been created for the
sole purpose to love and be loved."
It is in ways such as this that the
spiritual being's inner and outer reality is experienced. It is not necessary to
become a saint ministering to the impoverished to become a spiritual being. One
simply must know that there is much more to life than achievement, performance
and acquisitions, and that the measure of a life is not in what is accumulated,
but rather in what is given to others. Living ethically, morally and serenely
while being aligned with a spiritual purpose is at the core of his being. Real
magic cannot be experienced when your focus is on getting more for yourself,
particularly if it is at the expense of others. When you experience a sense of
serenity and quality about your life, knowing your mind is what creates such a
state, you will also know that from such a state of mind flows miracle-making
magic.
7. The non-spiritual being has no
place within his awareness for the practice of meditation. The spiritual being
cannot imagine life without it.
For the non-spiritual being, the idea
of looking quietly within oneself and sitting alone for any period of time
repeating a mantra, emptying one's mind, and seeking answers by aligning oneself
with one's Higher Self borders on lunacy. For this person, answers are sought by
working hard, struggling, persevering, setting goals, reaching those goals and
setting new ones and competing in a dog-eat-dog world.
The spiritual being knows about the
enormous power of the practice of meditation. He knows meditation makes him more
alert and able to think more clearly. He knows the very special effect
meditation has in relieving stress and tension.
Spiritual people know, by virtue of
having been there and experienced it firsthand, that one can get divine guidance
by becoming peaceful and quiet, and asking for answers. They know they are
multidimensional and that the invisible mind can be tapped at higher and higher
levels through meditation, or whatever you want to call the practice of being
alone and emptying your mind of the frenetic thoughts that occupy so much of
daily life. They know that in deep meditation one can leave the body and enter a
sphere of magic that is as blissful a state as any drug could temporarily
provide.
For the non-spiritual being this is
perceived as an escape from reality, but for the spiritual being it is an
introduction to a whole new reality, a reality that includes an opening in life
that will lead to miracle making.
8. For the non-spiritual being, the
concept of intuition can be reduced to a hunch or a haphazard thought that
accidentally pops into one's head on occasion. For the spiritual being,
intuition is far more than a hunch. It is viewed as guidance or as God talking,
and this inner insight is never taken lightly or ignored.
You know from your own experience that
when you ignore your intuitive proddings, you end up regretting it or having to
"learn the hard way". To the non-spiritual person, intuition is completely
unpredictable and occurs in random happenstance. It is often ignored or shunned
in favor of behaving in habitual ways. The spiritual being strives to increase
consciousness concerning his intuition. He pays attention to invisible messages
and knows deep within that there is something working that is much more than a
coincidence.
Spiritual beings have an awareness of
the nonphysical world and are not stuck exclusively in a universe restricted to
the functioning of their five senses. Hence all thoughts, invisible though they
may be, are something to pay attention to. But intuition is much more than a
thought about something, it is almost as if one is receiving a gentle prod to
behave in a certain way or to avoid something that might be dangerous or
unhealthy. Although inexplicable, our intuition is truly a factor of our
lives.
For the non-spiritual person, this
seems to be merely a hunch and nothing to study or become more attuned to. The
non-spiritual person thinks, "It will pass. It is just my mind at work in its
disorderly way " For the spiritual person, these inner intuitive expressions are
almost like having a dialogue with God.
A Personal
Perspective
I view my intuition about everything
and anything as God talking to me. I pay attention when I "feel something"
strongly and I always go with that inner inclination. At one time in my life I
ignored it, but now I know better and these intuitive feelings always, and I
mean always, guide me in a direction of growth and purposefulness. Sometimes my
intuition tells me where to go to write, and I follow, and the writing is always
smooth and flowing. When I have ignored this intuition, I have struggled
tremendously and blamed "writer's block."
I have come to not only trust that
guidance in my writing, but to rely on it in virtually all areas of my life. I
have developed a private relationship with my intuition from what to eat and
what to write about, to how to relate to my wife and other family members. I
meditate on it, trust it, study it, and seek to become more aware of it. When I
do ignore it, I pay a price, and then remind myself of the lesson to trust that
inner voice the next time.
I figure if I can talk to God and call
it prayer, believing in such a universal divine presence, then there is nothing
loony about having God talk to me. All the spiritual people I've read about
share a similar feeling. Intuition is loving guidance and they know enough not
to ignore it.
9. The non-spiritual being is involved
in a lot of fighting, he is aligned with the tools of power in a war against
that which he believes to be evil. This person knows what he hates, and
experiences a great deal of inner turmoil over perceived wrongs. Much of his
energy, both mental and physical, is devoted to what he perceives to be bad or
evil.
Spiritual beings do not order their
lives to be against anything. They are not against starvation, they are for
feeding people and seeing that everyone in the world is nutritionally satisfied.
They work on what they are for, rather than fighting what they are against.
Fighting starvation only weakens the fighter and makes him angry and frustrated,
while working for a well-fed populace is empowering. Spiritual beings are not
against war, they are for peace and spend their energy on working for peace.
They do not join a war on drugs or poverty, because wars need warriors and
fighters, and this will not make the problems go away. Spiritual beings are for
a well-educated youth, who can be euphoric, giddy and high without the need for
external substances. They work toward this end, helping young people to know the
power of their own minds and bodies. They fight nothing.
When you fight evil by employing the
methods of hatred and violence, you are part of the hatred and violence of evil
itself. despite the rightness of your position in your own mind. If all the
people in the world who are against terrorism and war were to shift their
perspective to supporting and working for peace, terrorism and war would be
eliminated.
Somehow our priorities are turned
inside out. Spiritual beings do not get tied up with hatred. They are focused
thoughtfully on what they are for and they translate that into action. Spiritual
beings keep their thoughts on love and harmony, in the face of things they would
love to see changed. All that you fight weakens you. All that you are for
empowers you. In order to manifest miracles, you must be totally focused on what
you are for. Real magic occurs in your life when you have eliminated the hatred
that is in your life, even the hatred that you have against
hatred.
10. The non-spiritual person feels no
sense of responsibility to the universe, therefore he has not developed a
reverence for life. The spiritual being has a reverence for life that goes to
the essence of all beings.
The non-spiritual being believes, as
Gary Zukav has said, "that we are conscious and that the universe is not." He
thinks that his existence will end with this lifetime and that he is not
responsible to the universe. The non-spiritual being has become
arrogant.
The spiritual being behaves as if the
God in all life matters, and he feels a sense of responsibility to the universe.
He is in awe of this life and that he has a mind with which to process the
physical universe. That awe leads him to look outward at all life and the
environment with a sense of appreciation and reverence, to engage with life
itself at a deeper level than merely the material world.
To the spiritual being the cycles of
life are approached as representatives of infinity, with reverence that is truly
an honoring of life. It is a gentle and kind approach toward all that is in our
world, a recognition that the earth itself and the universe beyond has a
consciousness and that our life is connected in some unseen way to all life now
and in the past. The invisible intelligence that suffuses all form is a part of
ourselves, thus a reverence for all life is knowing that there is a soul in
everything. That soul is worthy of being honored.
The spiritual person is conscious of
the need not to take more from the earth than is needed, and to give back to the
universe in some fashion for those who will habitate the planet after himself.
Miracle-making capability comes out of a strong reverence for all life,
including your own, and therefore in order to know real magic you must learn to
think and act in ways consistent with being a reverent spiritual
being.
11. The non-spiritual being is laden
with grudges, hostility, and the need for revenge. The spiritual being has no
room in his heart for these impediments to miracle making and real
magic.
The spiritual being knows that all
spiritual masters have talked about the importance of forgiveness. Here are few
examples from our mayor religious teachings:
Judaism: The most beautiful thing a
man can do is to forgive wrong.
Christianity: Then Peter came up and
said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive
him?" "As many as seven times." Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven
times, but seventy times seven."
Islam: Forgive thy servant seventy
times a day.
Sikhism: Where there is forgiveness
there is God himself.
Taoism: Recompense injury with
kindness.
Buddhism: Never is hate diminished by
hatred. It is only diminished by love. This is an eternal law.
For the spiritual being it is crucial
to be able to "walk the talk." One cannot profess to be a practicing member of a
given faith, and then behave in ways inconsistent with the teachings.
Forgiveness is an act of the heart.
12. The non-spiritual being believes
that there are real world limitations and that although there may be some
evidence for the existence of miracles, they are viewed as random happenings for
a few fortunate others. The spiritual being believes in miracles and his own
unique ability to receive loving guidance and to experience a world of real
magic.
The spiritual being knows that
miracles are very real. He believes the forces that have created miracles for
others are still present in the universe and can be tapped into. The
non-spiritual being sees miracles in a totally different light. He believes them
to be accidents, and therefore has no faith in his own ability to participate in
the miracle-making process.
Conclusion
The spiritual dozen require very
little of you. They are not difficult to understand nor do they require any long
training or indoctrination on your part. They can be accomplished in this very
instant in which you are reading. Becoming a spiritual being takes place within
that invisible self I have been writing about. Regardless of how you have chosen
to be up until now, working toward becoming a spiritual being can be your choice
today. You do not have to adopt any specific religious tenets or undergo a
religious transformation you simply have to decide that this is the way you
would like to live out the remainder of your life. With this kind of inner
commitment you are on your way.
It is important to recognize that real
magic is unavailable to those who choose the non-spiritual life. Being able to
make miracles happen is fundamentally a result of how you choose to align
yourself, how you choose to use your mind, and how much faith you have in being
able to use it to affect your physical world.
This article was excerpted
from:
 Real
Magic : Creating Miracles in Everyday Life
by Dr. Wayne
Dyer.
Reprinted with permission from "Real Magic",
published by William Morrow & Company, Inc., 105 Madison Ave., NYC, NY
10016. ©1992.
Info/Order book.
More books by this author.
About The
Author
Dr. Wayne Dyer has a doctorate in counseling
psychology, and is a renown national speaker and author. Dr. Dyer can be reached by writing to: Dr. Wayne Dyer, 1905 N. Ocean
Blvd., #17-C, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33305.
| Comments () >> |
 |
 |
