SPIRITUALITY: THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED; THE FINAL SOLUTION

SPIRITUALITY: THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED; THE FINAL SOLUTION

By: Fahim A. Knight-El

I have for the most part intentionally shied away from assessing, evaluating and exploring the subject of spirituality. Perhaps because I understood that these ageless and timeless truths would have required me to change internally and at certain times in my development, I was not prepared to venture into the spirituality realm for that exact reason. But I also understood to deny this most important state created a moral and ethical vacuum that has left me and others unfulfilled in which very few have truly embraced the principles (it forces us to look deeper at ourselves and many of us are not willing to do this) and this is evident by the state of humanity that we are still lacking in this area. Let me say this, I do not believe that it is coincidental and/or ironic that I have chosen at this time and space to explore this topic which has been burning inside of me for a very long time and the time to have this conversation has finally arrived (but this not an indication that I have attained any real level of spirituality that has elevated me to the level of Guru or Sage). I have not written a Blog/article in over two months or so (my initial thoughts were not to write anymore Blogs because all that needed to be said has already been said).

I have spent most of my time during that period thinking heavily about how I wanted to approach this topic matter, which I had been working on this piece for the last two to three months loosely titled, "Spirituality" and it has taken me that long to complete my thoughts and I must admit that it has been by far one of the most difficult pieces that I have ever written. It had been sitting in my WORD documents for much longer than I expected and ordinarily prior to attempting to build on this piece; I constantly had to gather some inspiration in order to write a full and complete sentence and paragraph. Lastly, I also refused to read other works relative to the subject because I desired to have this piece be an expression of my own personal thoughts on the subject of spirituality and I was more curious of what's going to come out of me, as opposed to referencing and citing what others may have said on the subject.

How does Humanity become more spiritually centered? This is the question that is at the root of the social problems and imperfections that are plaguing humanity and has led to the demise of many past civilizations (humanity’s neglect of this axiom as individuals and societies has proven to be futile). This question can no longer be ignored or negated, if we truly desire to alter the present paradigm and change the state of humanity and begin the process of transformational healing and rebalancing the universe (anything less than this will continue to lead to death and destruction).

Nevertheless, the failure to recognize and accept the value of spirituality (which leads to the highest form of humanity) has been a direct result of arrogance and haughtiness and refusal to curb material appetites (the lowest form of humanity’s nature), which has led a sector of humanity to turn their backs on what would have been considered righteous and justice. They have always viewed the world from a linear and counter clockwise perspective.

Our spiritual quest and/or pursuit, is tied to our Karma (good and bad) however, most of us are entrapped in past cycles of pain, grief, guilt, anxiety, etc. This is often at the basis of our relationships and we wonder how, and why, did we arrive at this reckless course of action that seems to be govern human behavior. The spiritual driven person does not allow themselves to become imprisoned by negative past events and understand that one of the greatest virtues is forgiveness. The act of forgiveness has healing power and it ends one’s cycle of past pains and moves the heart and mind into a state of eternal peace and freedom. Although, no one can advert or escape their own personal Karma—spirituality helps define and allows the human being to come to know a higher level of human suffering and yet is better equip to reconcile reciprocity.

This position has to be unconditional in order to experience the exhilarating power of freeing oneself because often the forgiver is entangled in more internal affliction than the one we think need reprieving. The failure to release oneself from a judgmental disposition will eventually lead to biological and mental sickness. Our physical and mental well being is tied to our ability to liberate ourselves from the shackles of whatever perceived wrongdoing that may have been committed against us and allow our spirituality to exonerate the wrongdoers of any present or future liability—free them that you might free yourself. The wrongdoing or grief that was caused should be met with a full force of compassion and it is mercy that frees up the negative emotions which immediately makes us better prepared human beings. However, not to relinquish the pain of yesterday ensures us personal turmoil in the present and future—only the ability to forgive will allow us to experience a deeper level of spirituality (an inner personal gratitude).

So many of us have been relegated to self-imposed imprisonment where our minds and thoughts are steeped in past pathologies of agony, anguish and torture. They do not understand that there is power in letting go and moving on (love is the absences of hate). We have the ability to renegotiate our Karma (Buddha, Confucius, Zoroaster and countless others gave us a peep into the power of those that walk spiritual paths), it is all tied to our approach to spirituality in which there is nothing that is considered past, present and/or future cycles (that can not be broken and undone), which includes our lives that succumbs to the fierce energy of that which governs the visible and invisible world (the ability to change our thinking ensures human possibility and grants us altering potential beyond where we are right now). So as a man/woman thinketh so is he/she.

The sad thing is that no one has taught us how to escape these temporary states (pain and anguish) and therefore, permanence is allowed to set-in relative to how we relate to ourselves and others. Therefore, the external world (illusionary) becomes the vehicle of transference of anguish and the cycle pain continues to replicate itself, which undermines the psychological and physical possibility of having meaningful relationships beyond the superficial. Spirituality allows one to adequately address what's beneath the surface, which is self (this is where real questions and answers are entertained and resolved) which eventually evolves into an internal healing (only if one is prepared to take the journey).

This leads to a higher sense of self-awareness (nothing outside of this really matters, but one should not mistake this principle with vanity and ego). It is at this moment that one comes to the realization and accepts that all real change (must be internal) is predicated upon us as human beings, being able to resolve our internal contradictions—to know this understanding will remove all perceived external barriers (superficial) rendering them powerless over our lives. It is at this same moment that the predetermined destiny which you ascribe for yourself and others will began taking shape and form in particular, in stages of enlightenment (this is where true love and earthly fulfillment is found and it represents boundless freedom without limitations and imposed external restraints).

Spirituality and freedom is synonymous, you can not have an appreciation and/or embracement of one and deny the other. Enlightenment is one of the attributes of spirituality—to allow the mind to go to the depths of seeing the world beyond their own selfish limitations and care enough to share in moving humanity and the earth from a temporary state of darkness to expansive illumination. Yet, I do understand that there are many enlightened men and women who are void of spirituality and are empty inside and live unfulfilled lives. They only make contributions to their vocations in which success and failure is measured in terms of things.

We have witness wealthy people who appeared to have it all (the outside world is drooling at the mouth with wishful thinking and admiration of the outward personal façade and did not know that they were looking at an empty shell)—money, status, upscale luxury automobiles, mansions, friends and yet their lives are unfulfilled and some have walked away from what appeared to be lavish lifestyles in search of obtaining a more inner peace. These people lives were not worth emulating, but it’s the outward vessels that have been more attractive to human inclination. The accumulation of things (money, cars, homes, etc., proved to be unsatisfying) only complicated their lives in which initially they thought money and their buying power would bring them happiness and personal gratification (they acquired lots of money, but was dead inside). Once they realized that this artificial state only created a vacuum (unfulfilled emptiness) and there had to be something more gratifying and self-fulfilling.

However, once they became aware of possessing the ability to detach, it led them to reconsider their value system and to relinquish certain material appetites. This is the path to truth realization; let me be clear with my readers, there is not one Path that defines and determines how we reach or attain a spiritual worldview. This writer does not have a philosophical map or a crystal ball to share with his readers as a definitive treatise and guide to lead them toward understanding how important and vital this stage is. Also, we have no authority over who will be admitted to travel this path. Thus, there is no clergy or religious text guiding how this process will take place and, although religion might lead one to embrace spirituality; it is far from being a perquisite to attaining spirituality. Spirituality does not need religion to affirm or validate its existence and has always stood independent of these formalizes processes and schools of thought.

Perhaps in the West there are a number of factors driving us away from the natural order of things and it has become a battle of good versus evil. True spirituality is a natural journey that brings us to certain awareness about self and everything around us is included in this assessment. To be able to look at one's self from inward and then outward and know that unless we as human beings work to remove the crud and look deeper into the essences of our souls—only there will we find love, compassion, harmony and a greater duty to humanity beyond the limitations that has been set by this world’s order.

Everything around us is failing—the government, education, religion, family structure, etc. This self-awareness is innately and instinctually and we are born to surrender to what is good in the universe and its value. However, the minute we are introduced to this present physical reality; it is designed to submerge us into systems of politics, economics and social stratums that are diametrically opposed to socializing the human being to recognize that we all are apart of this masterful collage that unites us as an integral connection to something far greater than ourselves.

But there is none more oppositional to the concept of spirituality than social Darwinism (survival of the fittest) and Capitalism (greed)—this is one of the root causes that has led and continues to lead to all of our personal turmoil and has led society to the abyss (cycles of death). Where human beings are conditioned to extract and consume more from the planet and their environment than is needed to sustain themselves. Their mindset places them outside of observing the true laws of nature; only kill what you can eat and only gather what you consume. Thus, allowing the cycle of life to be regenerative and reproductive simultaneously without exploitive disruption, which eventually leads to death and emasculation.

Sadly, this is the present course that humanity has chosen to take and nature—seen in droughts, tsunamis, cyclones, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, snow and ice storms, etc., is openly rebelling. The scientist and experts blame the whether phenomenon on so-called global warming and gives abstract causes of why the planet is heating up—climatologists, geologist, meteorologist, physicist, etc., are baffled and their so-called scientific explanations have left us with more questions than answers. We know for sure that weather patterns are more much unpredictable today than they were just twenty-five years ago—the most visible indications that the earth is violently rebelling and its trying to over compensate these man made disorders in which the present day ecological disarray and chaos are small signs that humanity is in violation of the universal laws.

These type contradictory and out of balance systems have contributed to thought patterns that are diametrically opposed to the intrinsic good imbedded in the human make up, which is DNA coded. The concept of war and human aggression are by-products of human insecurities on every level and the negative energy it generates is driven by those who possesses super-egos and represents the antithesis to the spiritual driven mind. The recent human psyche is constantly being fed and geared toward all facets of external programming (give them more material things—change technological gadgets every six months--smartphones, I-Phones, I-Pods) and keep them engaged in social networking and make them think that by pursuing the latest form of technology is more valuable to their spiritual development than truly coming to know the value of self-realization. These things serve as human distractions and are geared towards keeping us from discovering the beauty and power that exist within.

The universe has poles of polarity—positive and negative forces that creates a magnetic energy of attraction just as the earth's waters are equalized and balanced based on the gravitational pull of the moon (created over 66 trillion years ago). I have come to an understanding that there are three plains of spiritual foundation which is rooted in the mind, body and spirit (soul). The mind is the only reality that exist and there is nothing beyond what the mind can create because it has the power to produce thought and explore imagination and provide us with the mental data to further generate positive and/or negative and is able to transition between two worlds the conscious and subconscious (the dream world). Negative thoughts are manifested in the opposite energy of what is good and it compliment/compromises and support harmony what is within the universal order of things.

Our spiritual world is empowered by thoughts as well as all reality, but not many human beings are willing to allow themselves to move beyond what they can see, feel, taste, hear and smell on the physical plain and not allow themselves to experience the five senses on a much deeper level. All of the senses are manifestation of thought and human reality exists because of an inclination to create a world and society that is geared towards mastering physical reality. The ancient civilizations such as the ancient Kemites (Egyptians), Mayas, Native Americans, Dogons, Druids, Chinese, Indians, etc., had evolved 10,000 to 20,000 years ago to a higher form of civilization and most ancient societies shared certain social threads in which they saw themselves as miniature microcosm Beings that were connected to the larger macrocosm universe in which they were not afraid to embrace the divine laws of the universe. Western man has continued to ignore this holistic approach to life and view the universe as though it functions independent and without direct and indirect bearing on our physical survival—the universe is the only true sovereign entity—if the two most important laws that governs the universe, which is motion and order, ever becomes compromised our insignificance as human beings would be exposed and there wouldn’t be anything we could do alter our ultimate demise.

Thus, this observance created for the ancients, a psychological and physical paradigm of personal connective to that ALL that is (from this understanding came the virtue of humility). The ancients did not see themselves superior to other earthly or universal beings and were able to interpret the language that was written in stars and embraced that man and nature are complimentary forces. They understood that the earth was five billion years old and is constantly evolving and they saw themselves as part of this evolutionary process and embraced that every living organism had a purpose (that was well defined for millions and billions of years, perhaps before man walked upon the earth)—the animals, plants, insects, etc., that were dependent and interdependent on each other and had over the ages prepared us with certain lessons.

Man has tried to interpret these lessons through the study of religion, metaphysics, zodiac, astronomy, science and other schools of thought and is still learning how complex the universe is. Spirituality can not be truly interpreted or determined to mean this or that, because of the power of the inner chi to move in the realms of the esoteric, Gnostic and occult. Spirituality functions outside of definitiveness and has little toleration for confinement and yet it has the ability to better define all reality. We as homo-sapiens on a large scale have always viewed ourselves as being apart and superior to other species, which has led to creating disharmony with the balancing energy of the planet. We have lost that intrinsic and extrinsic equilibrium which lines up with the planetary and solar systems as the true manifestation of life source that all earthly beings must adhere.

It is the ego driven mind and personality that has falsely visualized themselves as superior species. The ancients came to know and understand that to embrace nature was equivalent to embracing life in its entirety and their survival was tied to how they treated the ecological systems—the waters, dams, lands, lakes, oceans, soil, animals, etc., and respected the food chain. They erected Deities and Gods based on what they observed in nature and the contributions it made to life expansion of society. Thus, from this came the formulation of rituals, customs, folklore, sacred rites, etc., and it created traditions which were only a means and attempt to interpreted and make reason relative to transference a visual and tangible communication to their civilizations (it was an attempt to try to explain the unexplainable). However, this perhaps contributed to the corruption of the intended virtues that spirituality rest upon. They confused the external symbolism (sacraments, rites, rituals, etc.) as being the way to attaining a higher manifestation of viewing the universe and human life—religion is the foremost present day corruption of the original principles and represents a deviation of the intended laws that governs spirituality.

The planet will remain in chaos until humanity in particular, and the so-called ruling class (the 10% percenters) in general come to the realization that the scales of justice can only be temporarily manipulated (if you do not believe me just take a moment to look around you and it is evident that their power is crumbling) and our survival is pending on how well we line ourselves up with what’s good in the universe and pursue a spiritually centered direction over democracy, socialism, monarchial rules, etc. Many of those who are pushing saving the planet and calling for a green economy and appear as environmental friendly advocates are only hypocrites and liars. How in hell can you trust former Vice President Al Gore with saving the planet? And not realize that it has been his capitalist agenda and the Invisible Elitist which he fronts for, that has put humanity in their present predicament. Let me end here because this article is about my take on spirituality and not politics.

Fahim A. Knight-El Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of goodwill, of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolism and reinterpreted the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlightened world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight-EL can be reached at fahimknight@ yahoo.com.

Stay Awake Until We Meet Again,
Fahim A. Knight-El