Awakening Discernment: Learning to Tread the Path with Skill and Clarity: Avoiding Mishaps and Distraction

​Awakening Discernment: Learning to Tread the Path with Skill and Clarity: Avoiding Mishaps and Distraction

The topic I aim to address today is crucial for truth seekers. It revolves around the Sanskrit term ‘viveka,’ often translated as discernment. At its core, it involves discriminating between the unreal and the Real.

Discernment refers to the act of contemplating options and choosing the most fitting one. The intentions behind any choice can span from selfishness to altruism, where one can opt to protect or elevate their personality or look beyond personal desires towards the best choice for all involved. Mentally, 'viveka' involves discerning which thoughts and beliefs to empower, aiming to ascend from selfish desires and ignorance toward complete spiritual realization.

This discernment can further develop into discrimination, where the mind is trained to turn away from the ever-changing sensory experiences of the world toward the Source of all experiences. This enables individuals to navigate their daily lives while firmly rooted in pure beingness and wholeness.

In occult teachings and mystery schools, there's a strong emphasis on developing high levels of discernment and discrimination. It involves a foundational process of releasing superstitious beliefs, shedding the limitations of the egoic identity, and understanding universal laws and cosmology. However, this initial phase of “the Path” can be thrilling but it is also quite treacherous with many tests, trials, and tribulations along the way.

During spiritual awakening, cosmic intelligence (buddhi) influences and expands the mind, enhancing conceptualization, perception, and overall vibrancy. Some individuals rapidly evolve into genius-level minds with powerful magnetism and charisma. Yet, if one needs to delve into shadow work and integrate wounded parts of their personality, the ascent in consciousness might become precarious, and stumbling can occur.

Stumbling occurs when individuals fail to use discernment and blindly adopt distorted teachings or follow misleading teachers. A distorted teaching can cause confusion, misunderstanding, and misperception, diverting a person off track for a while or even an entire lifetime, leading to reincarnation for further consciousness development. Moreover, misinformed initiates can pass on incorrect information, causing misdirection and delays in consciousness development for many. In the case of these minor stumbles, a person can awaken to the truth, integrate wisdom gained, and correct their course to align with purer transmissions, teachers, and initiatives.

The gravest stumbles arise from the misuse and abuse of occult knowledge and power. This happens when individuals exploit spiritual teachings and their roles as mentors, healers, or guides for selfish or harmful purposes. Mishandling leadership roles involving occult knowledge directly influences others' karma and development. Therefore, aspiring leaders must diligently cultivate humility, honesty, and selfless devotion to avoid adding negative karma for themselves and others.

In the modern age, an abundance of spiritual and metaphysical information is available. The quality varies, ranging from profound truths to entirely misleading and distorted teachings. Moreover, those transmitting this knowledge do so for diverse reasons—some seeking personal gain while others have genuine intentions. Some individuals use buzzwords to gain attention and profit, lacking a deep understanding of the concepts they teach. Developing discernment and the ability to discriminate is paramount when one desires to climb the path all the way to the summit with efficiency and precision.

At different stages of your journey, you might seek or encounter a teacher aiding your progress along specific parts of the path. After all, having a well-trained and experienced guide can make the journey easier and more thrilling! Some teachers guide you unconsciously through shadow, luring you into their field with promises of enlightenment or activation, only to trigger old karmic patterns and conflicts for integration. Others guide you through wisdom and love, directing you toward your Inner Teacher with precision and grace.

Does the teacher or guide embody what they teach? Do they seem to take care of themselves? Do you feel more present after engaging in their material? How is what you are learning useful or applicable to life? Do they make evocative promises of enlightenment or keep you hooked with emotional narratives? These are just a few questions to trigger self-reflection.

Discernment is vital during times of rapid expansion. Through discernment and discrimination, one starts releasing the grip of the conditioned mind, turning away from ignorance and falsity towards Truth and higher understanding. By tuning into the deepest parts of your being, you can decide which avenues to follow and which sources hold the purest wisdom. Withdraw your inner awareness from the needs and opinions of the world, deeper than bodily drives emotions, and mental conditioning. Turn towards the Source of wisdom within and allow this body and mind to be led to the highest heights of spiritual realization.

Do you have some tips, tricks, or insights to share about growing in discernment?

Written by Michael James Garber
12/2/2023

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