Being a Spiritual Warrior - a talk

Use the attributes of the warrior to raise your awareness, still the ego mind and gain lasting inner peace

When things aren’t working – and life isn’t working

Right now many of us are all too aware that things aren’t working. The life merry-go-round seems to be going out of control. People are aware that all this is telling them something, that the pursuit of the material alone does not work and is ultimately unsatisfying. There must be more to life than this and that it starts with us, ourselves.

It is not "out there" that contains all that we seek, it is "in here". It is us ourselves that are the Source of goodness, truth, peace, contentment, enjoyment, fun, laughter, love and life.

Addressing the fundamentals

What we need to be doing is “… finding that goodness that is already within you and allowing that goodness to emerge. But it can only emerge if something fundamental changes in your state of consciousness”. (Eckhart Tolle, “A New Earth”)

Essentially people need to awaken, to become aware, to shift their consciousness, to discover their own inner joy. This is not through quick fixes which simply reinforce the ego mind. It is through focused, committed effort, using the power of awareness to manage the mind and connect with their inner selves more and more consistently. This requires awareness, practice and dedication.

The path of the Spiritual Warrior

This is the path of the spiritual warrior, one who is courageous and focused in seeking to confront their ego, to connect with their inner peace and sustain that connection as they go about their daily life and engage with all that occurs.

The concept of the spiritual warrior is an ancient one, for example famously described in the Bhagavad-Gita when the warrior Arjuna is instructed by Krishna in focused spiritual practice before battle. The Buddhist tradition defines the warrior as “the one who has the courage to know oneself”, which includes facing and dealing with one’s inner demons.

And the highest temples are guarded by the greatest demons.

Speaking of the Warrior’s path

This talk serves as an introduction to the path of the spiritual warrior, both through describing the dilemma that human kind is confronted with today, examining some characteristics of the ego and exploring the path that courageously confronts the ego mind and connects with inner truth in this life right now.

The talk consists both of input and experiential self-reflection and meditation as well as time for discussion. It uses material that is not only derived from western psychology but also Eastern mystical practices, especially derived from Yoga. This material is used to provide powerful concepts in personal and spiritual growth in general, irrespective of one’s own persuasion. In the process, I share my own experience in engaging with my demons and my knowledge derived from a lifetime of teaching and facilitating the development of others.

This talk also serves as an introduction to my workshops, "Peace in your Heart, Peace in your Life"

Next Talk

Glastonbury

Venue: Glastonbury Positive Living Group, Town Hall, Glastonbury

Date: 13 Oct 2010

Time: 7.30pm

Bournemouth

Venue: Bournemouth Positive Living Group, St Ambrose Church Hall, 72 West Cliff Road, Bournemouth, BH4 8BE

Date: 18 Oct 2010

Time: 7.45pm

East Devon

Venue: Axminster Awareness Centre, Axminster, Devon

Date: 12 November 2010

Time: 8.00pm