Image by Vjay Ishwar
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, let me sow forgiveness.
Where there is doubt, let me sow faith;
Where there is despair, let me give hope.
Where there is sadness, let me give joy;
O Master, grant that I may not so much seek to receive
compassion as to give compassion.
~ The Peace Prayer of St. Francis
One of the elements that was crucial on my growth path was the ability to surrender to life. Only after many years of spiritual practice did I reach a point where I was able to accept whatever the universe had planned for me—whatever would come—without resistance, expectations, or whining. It was certainly not easy at all.
We are so attached to our ideals and plans that embracing any and every aspect of reality (especially the one showing up that contradicts what you wanted) is very challenging. We try to get things to go our way, pretend that life bends in our direction, and are confident that we know what we need and when we need it. Furthermore, we are so focused on ourselves and our needs and aims that the very idea of dedicating your life to others seems rather far-fetched. Yet, altruism and service are fundamental keys to accessing the highest stages of consciousness.
As Martin Luther King once said: “Everyone can be great because everyone can serve. You don’t even have to make your subjects and verbs agree to serve. You only require a heart full of grace.” Grace arises when we act with others on behalf of the world.
Service and the Common Good
Service, above all, discloses the path of realization of the common good. No useless rituals, pompous words, or particular beliefs are involved, just cooperation and assistance to humanity. It is an attitude, not a strategy or a religious duty. No expectations are attached. No need for retribution. No waiting for applause. It has to do with the purpose of life, and we must admit that it has a life of its own.
A single act of kindness may have a long trajectory and touch those we will never meet or see. It often has a ripple effect since we cannot see the impact of our benevolence. We keep that attitude and way of being because it has become second nature to us. We do not conceive of living, acting, and thinking differently anymore. As Dolores Cannon wrote:
Humanity is in a place where they require many servers. Not everyone serves in the same capacity or is even aware of it. Many people are unaware of all the lives they have touched by their good work, good words, goodwill, and actions. All people’s actions are important.
We are happy to contribute to the beautiful task of spreading peace, compassion, and harmony wherever we are and wherever we go. We agree to become an instrument and give up the idea that we are a captain of other people, an achiever, or someone superior because of some minor achievement. What we offer is who we are, what we have, what we think, and what we do for the benefit of others. We realize that we are a vehicle for something greater than what we could ever become individually and that our job is to purify the channel, so we can contribute to whatever the world needs at each moment.
We have no preconceived notions or plans on our part. Somehow we become catalyzers, and we feel that our life does not belong to us anymore, and neither do our individual aspirations and desires. This is not done through sacrifice, pain, or martyrdom. It is done as a natural overflow of the heart, with joy.
Let’s keep in mind that what really matters is not our doing but our being, the energy we emanate, and the energy we are. It is not what we do but who we are that is the source of fundamental transformation, contrary to what we think. That is why we must reach the upper levels of development. We can be genuinely beneficial if we give up our personal agenda and focus on being a healing presence on this planet.
Kindling Love or Hatred?
Experiences either kindle love or sharpen hatred. Who will be the first one to throw a stone? Probably the hater himself. Only working for the benefit of the world will produce the balance we desperately need individually and collectively because it will pour out magnanimity and understanding of Infinity.
You finally understand that great things can be done through you only because you no longer have an agenda of your own. It is not at all forced. It is a more willing renunciation of something you view as useless and childish. Not only that, but it is a spontaneous step on the spiritual path. Unselfishness and benevolence secretly purify the heart and bring peace into the world. Contributing willingly to the Infinite plan is the way to overcome our ego limitations and expand and melt into the One with all.
Offering ourselves to be of benefit means being empty of ourselves (the ego and all the attachments that go with it) to actually serve as a vessel of help, a channel of light in a world of darkness and suffering. Cultivating an unbiased mind and an unconditional love for humanity constitute today the foundation required for a global transformation. The correct action can only be done on this base. Wisdom and courage help us understand the responsibility we have for the welfare of all humanity.
The new humanity will be created by individuals who have modified their motivation, leaving material and egocentric obsessions behind and focusing on benefiting the whole. We are facing a world whose fate is still unsettled. Only by becoming a force for good alone can we build a planet where everyone is considered equal, peace can flourish, every being is seen as worthy, and everyone can live in peace.
An asana (position) in yoga, sometimes called “the surrendered warrior,” symbolizes the inner movement one needs to make to achieve enlightenment. Giving up and letting go of your plans and individual ambitions is better to assist the collective destiny and humanity’s evolution.
Humanity Must Go Through a Transformation
Humanity has to go through a transcendent transformation from one level of adolescence (where we are as a species) into adulthood. We are still in progress as a species. We are a work in progress. Thus, we are an unfinished product. But advancement can only be done through real wisdom, which entails understanding and integrating that we are all ONE.
We cannot go very far without a commitment to the needs and advancement of our brothers and sisters. Without realizing that our contribution to the whole is of utmost importance, there is no inner development. Without changing our motivation from egocentrism to egolessness, we will find a dead end on our path. We achieve individual evolution when we actively participate in global evolution. There is no shortcut here.
Becoming a Builder of Good in the World
Every heroic, altruistic thought is already a seed for the future world. Not only great masters but every individual can become a builder of good in the world. Every action has consequences, and usually, every effort has multiform results, even if we are blind to them.
If we were to witness all the repercussions, we would probably become confused. Only through the broadening of consciousness can one acquire a broader horizon. Even though there is much chaos, there are plenty of injustices, and even though human dignity is being trampled, we can keep our love for humanity and compassion by increasing our level of consciousness.
I am always amazed at the inexhaustible patience and deep compassion of the great masters. Through incalculable eons of time, they have accepted the most oppressive and burdensome incarnations for themselves to move and raise the consciousness of ungrateful humanity, which has persecuted and crucified its liberators and teachers constantly and in every way. I hope that this will change in the coming epoch.
Service Is Not Forced from the Outside
Service is not something forced from the outside. Naturally, you arrive at a point where fighting to push your interest ahead is not relevant anymore. It would be best if you still made a living and were independent. Still, you are no longer obsessed with survival, with the impulses of the body, creating material security, and devising how to use others for your own promotion.
Your daily duties and chores still need to be performed, but they do not consume your time or energy. Those commonly shared concerns get dissolved, and you focus on how you can contribute. You should heal and clean yourself first, so you do not stain anything.
The Universe's Symphony
The evolution of the universe is like a symphony. In the ongoing concert, there are many instruments. Each one is sacred. Each one has its unique music. Each contributes a particular texture and depth of sound to the symphony. And all of the instruments are playing a shared performance.
No device can claim to be the music itself. Each one must bow before the orchestra director and follow his directions. Each one is worthy, and yet not critical, alone and isolated. There is an intimate collaboration of all the musicians because they know that the only thing that matters is the final piece of art. Each one is called to excellence for the sake of all. Each one must play her instrument to the best of her abilities. Each one knows that her work makes sense only within the unity. Each one finds meaning and purpose by contributing to the whole. Nobody pretends to be a solitary star. Every spark adds to the final shine, the magical symphony, and the ultimate masterpiece.
This is precisely what we are called to do here on Earth too. Understanding we are just pieces of a puzzle, cells of the same sacred organism, drops of the same ocean, stars in the same constellation. To complete the masterpiece, the universe requires our unique contribution and cooperation. The great mystic Teresa of Ávila expressed it beautifully:
Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
No hands but yours,
No feet but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which to look with Christ’s
compassion on the world.
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.
Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Adapted with permission.
Article Source:
BOOK: The 7 Levels of Wisdom
The 7 Levels of Wisdom: A Path to Fulfillment
by Monica Esgueva
In The 7 Levels of Wisdom, a path toward a more enlightened and fulfilling life is analyzed. Meant to expand both knowledge and awareness, this path offers the richness of Eastern philosophies tailored for the Western mind. The 7 Levels of Wisdom covers different related topics crucial for understanding and leading a personal transformation, with an aim to inspire people to reach the highest levels of human consciousness, the most important goal, and to see it as something they can do, regardless of their responsibilities or life conditions.
By assessing and describing the different stages of human consciousness, The 7 Levels of Wisdom will help its readers identify where they are on the progressive path toward enlightenment, as well as what lies ahead.
About the Author
Advocate for Inner Peace and Consciousness, Mónica Esgueva is a renowned self-development teacher and spiritual guide known for bridging the gap between Eastern and Western philosophies. With a profound understanding of the mind, human consciousness, and spirituality, she has been helping the transformation of individuals for more than sixteen years.
She is the author of 9 books, including the bestseller in Spain and Latin America, “Mindfulness,” and her latest book in English, “The 7 Levels of Wisdom.” She teaches workshops and guides meditation & transcendence retreats. She is the co-director and host of "Despierta" (Awaken), a documentary about the path to self-realization.
A former Economist, she later completed several studies and training in Coaching with NLP (with John Grinder, co-creator of Neuro-Linguistic Programming), leadership at INSEAD (France), Mindfulness at UCLA, psychology and neurosciences at MIT and King's College London, hypnosis at the NLP Center of New York, and more.
Visit the author's website at: MonicaEsgueva.com/
Video interview with Mónica Esgueva:
