Renunciation, the Four Stages of Life, and Moksha

Don’t do it… UNLESS you hear the calling.

It is not glorious, although yes, admittedly, it does bring honor. But that should not be the motivation for a renunciation.

Spirituality is a tool for a happy existence; it is not an end.

Renunciation can be a form of pratyahara, or sensory deprivation, that can certainly contribute to an environment conducive to acute experiences. Furthermore, renunciation is appropriate for those that feel that worldly existence has become empty for them and no longer obtain stimulation from worldly pleasures.

The path of the guru or of the serious spiritual disciple is not one of choice, but one of necessity. It is a path that pulls them so strongly that they feel an overwhelming sense of inauthenticity in their day-to-day life and hence feel that there is no other choice but to cast off all of their belongings.

Yes, it is for necessity, for sanity… and NOT for someone that is curious. You can believe it that all people have the taste for luxury, even a renunciate. It may be minute, it may not fill his mind with desire on a regular basis, but sometimes we all have the longing for comfort.

Becoming a renunciate makes existence lighter in many ways, but in some other ways it becomes heavier: Becoming materially lighter, one is free to roam… but as well, without the wealth that comes with a corporate or any sort of commerce-related 9-5 job, there is less room for choice about when and how and in what fashion to roam. You certainly won’t see a renunciate traveling in first class or in a five star hotel.

As well, in principal, being a renunciate gives more time for spiritual practice. In fact, life becomes completely dedicated to spiritual practice, to being exalted in permanent ritual. Of course, there are varying degrees and styles of renunciation, and a real sannyasin, or renunciate, may have a very different mission for having been called to renunciation by the divine forces.

Some people are called to renunciation to live as a hermit and to live in tranquility with nature. In the traditional ashrama system, this is what is called sannyasa.  But renunciation can take place without completely withdrawing from the world. This is what is called vanaprastha in the ashrama system. The vanaprastha is one who has for the most part let go of worldly duties, but remains in contact with society in order to teach and share wisdom.

Of course, one may move between the four ashramas–the other two being brahmacharya, referring very loosely to a period of discipleship, and grihastha, the period of family life and work in society. Each time there is a period of complete withdrawal from the world resulting in some form of communion with the divine, moksha is obtained.

Let us speak about moksha. Moksha is “freedom from the cycle of birth and death”, and this is very commonly misinterpreted as being the birth and death of the physical body. In fact, here “birth and death” is referring to the arising of karmic cycles in the experience of a given atman–or individual consciousness–and NOT to the physical body. However, once the samskara that is the central point of consciousness forming atman is dissolved, there is one type of moksha in which rebirth of the physical body with relation to one atman will be obtained. The energy is then completely released back into the vacuum, and all memory of lives is erased, all impressions depressed.

Otherwise, the atman continues to return with all of the knowledge of before and will either exploit this knowledge or teach it.

Om.

Appreciation

I love you for all that you are. I accept you for all that you do. It is perfect. You are perfect. You are the highest, purest perfection embodied. I am so lucky to know you.

Thank you for being honest. Thank you for expressing yourself to me authentically. Thank you for having the courage to let me know that your state is changing. Thank you for loving me too. Thank you.

Relationship Alchemy

Dear Universe of Infinite Power,

This is what My Man looks like. He’s looking for me and our home, so if you see him please do us a favor and guide him to my address.

I know he exists, because I exist… and so of course my mirror-image-polar-opposite also exists.

I say “My Man” not out of possessiveness, but out of the respectful recognition that he is the complete embodiment of how I envision the archetypal man… hence rightfully, truthfully “My Man.” It is to him that I turn first before all others for all matters that imply my interaction with the masculine sex. He is the first to know my feelings, he is the one that helps me make executive decisions, he is the one that has all the information and is able to make sound and stable analyses and conclusions about all situations with which I present him because he is infinitely perceiving…. And because of this incredible communication and shared vision that we have, he plays a very integral part in the creation in the physical world of the vision of utopia which I am manifesting.

He is ready, just like me, to fall completely and totally in love, in which we mutually worship each other out of sincere appreciation. We worship each other through offerings of food, poetry and other forms of writing, presentations of our artistic and musical talents, massage, and other thoughtful morsels of devotion, such as simply giving a phone call to say, “Hello.”

We both feel lucky to know each other and to be the object of the other’s affections.

When neither of us is traveling, we see each other almost every day, and we are so comfortable together that we feel that we can even get our alone time when we are together. Sometimes, we do travel together, too.

As soon as one of us hears of an event or happening that is of interest to attend, we are excited by the thought of sharing the possibility of going as a couple with our partner, and we do: We invite the other to go; we do things together; we share experiences that build our foundation; we share experiences that make for giggles and pillow talk when we are alone together.

We talk about our day, and listen to each other: out of the thrill of being the receiving end of such vibrant, detailed storytelling;
as well as out of feeling honored to be the support for the immaculate and beautiful being that is our partner.

We relax together, and we are there to give warmth and recharge the other when one of us is tired. Sometimes it is both of us that are tired, but for some reason, when we are holding each other our exhaustion is reversed and we re-emerge from our nest of love completely refreshed and new with bright eyes and bushy tails.

My man is someone that is ready to go all in. Hesitation-free. Someone that is living fully in the present, who’s past is contained in a full circle which has been shed. Who’s nostalgic journeys are seldom and short.

When he thinks of the future it is only to express his vision that lives in him now. Targets and goals are obsolete for him, as he fully embodies the principal that living in the present is the most efficient way of producing a happy and abundant future.

He lives in harmony with the natural cycles of nature and expresses openly, boundlessly all avenues of his human existence, all restrictions dissolved.

He may or may not want children now, but he is certainly open to having children, and it seems completely natural and logical to him that the tangible expression of the fullest, deepest form of love that we share be the creation of a human child born of that love.

My man is a natural father, and as he is a completely liberated being of pure consciousness and unconditional love, it is his favorite pastime (outside of our own loving dalliance) to nurture, help and guide others to reaching this same state of bliss and appreciation for life that we experience. Since he has little to no dramas of his own, he finds his purpose and main role in life to provide solutions to the cares, worries, and fears of all seekers of salvation that cross his path.

And of course, we give each other confirmation, validation that all that we are feeling and experiencing is a perfect state of You, Universe.

This is a glimpse of My Man. I know that this is a tall, dark, and handsome order, but I know that for You, and the Majestic and Infinite powers that you have–you who have created this universe of stars and galaxies and black holes–for you, this order is child’s play indeed. If I have not been clear enough, let me know, and I will precise it even more.

Last time we got very close to a long-term partner, Universe, but it still wasn’t him. I know that this is no ones fault but my own, as my order was obviously incomplete, and I must have left some of these above things out. I know you gave me exactly what I ordered.

Thank you for being such a diligent servant, Universe. You are really amazing at how rapidly and precisely all of my orders are filled. You are really my most faithful mirror of all, always presenting me on a silver platter exactly that which I am conjuring up inside.

With an infinite ocean of love,
Your dear Alix, with humility