Happiness/Happiness and Enlightenment
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Type classification: this is an essay resource. |
Wikipedia: Enlightenment means in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things or a fundamentally changed consciousness whereby everything is perceived as a unity.
Happiness Can be Learnt edit
Woman: To be enlightened and happy are supposedly abilities one can learn?
Nils: Being happy is doable. Happiness can be learnt. A person can raise his or her happiness by 40% with simple daily exercises. American researchers who studied the topic of happiness found that to be the case. Enlightenment occurs when a person dissolves his or her inner tension through spiritual techniques such as meditation and thought work. An individual can relax through exercise. Inner happiness then unfolds on its own. A person can work for the conditions best suited to enlightenment, but the grace comes from God. If a person practices spiritually long enough, he or she develops inner happiness. How quickly this occurs depends on the intensity and nature of the inner conflict.
Woman: To be “free from joy and pain“ is nothing I consider worth striving for.
Nils: An enlightened individual has feelings just like a non-enlightened person: feelings of grief and joy. He or she simply lives at a higher level of happiness, in general. He or she has more peace, power, happiness, and love. There are two ways to approach feelings in spirituality. Buddha based himself in a great feeling of inner relaxation, free from intense emotions. He rose above feelings like rage, sadness, fear, and joy. The Dalai Lama in comparison, represents a form of Buddhism which emphasizes feelings. He cultivates feelings such as all-encompassing love and empathy. I teach the allowance of feelings of rage and sadness in my yoga lessons. I practice regular anger, grief, love, and joy exercises. Many yoga teachers overpower such feelings. There are also various ways to go in yoga. Man: I can think for myself, and decide for myself. I don’t need help from enlightened people.
Nils: I consider it a mistake to not accept help from enlightened teachers, but everyone has his or her own way. Help is voluntary. Accepting the help of an enlightened master has the advantage that the teacher knows the goal and can help people from straying from it. Without an enlightened teacher, it is more difficult to come to self-realization. Only a few people can find the correct way and reach the goal without a teacher. It is ok for a beginner to read spiritual books and to look for the wisdom within, but if you wish to make real progress, it helps to have a teacher. A bad teacher is harmful, but a good one can help bring people forward spiritually. We should first check out our teachers before we truly put our spiritual lives in their hands. I recommend that you center yourself in your own wisdom, and view the master’s wisdom as additional help.
Man: What ist enlightenment energy?
Nils: Enlightenment energy feels like light, water, or a magnet field around the person. It has the characteristics of peace, power, happiness, and love. When the person is pure enough on the inside, this happiness energy fills the body and the space around the person. He is then surrounded by an aura of holy energy. Enlightenment energy can be sensed. In science, it is often debated as to what it deals with. I experience it as consciousness energy. I can create this energy through my spiritual exercises and spiritually control this energy and transfer it to other people. I also got enlightenment energy from my teachers. The center of initiation in yoga is the transfer of enlightenment energy.
The Path to Inner Happiness edit
Inner tension and inner conflict occur when people prevent themselves from being at peace and from experiencing true happiness at a deeper level. This inner tension and conflict takes energy, destroys any chance for contentment, and lower one’s overall spiritual positivity. A highly tense and conflicted person tends to have negative thoughts. Love for oneself and others is blocked mentally and spiritually.
Inner conflict can mainly be traced to one’s childhood. In a conflicted society, where pressure to perform and competition is a daily reality engrained upon its members, a tendency toward conflict and tension is passed on from parents to their children during their upbringing. Parents live out their worries, doubts, fears, aggressions, addictions, and thus influence the spiritual development of their children. Other childhood sources of learned conflict stem from television. Tension in turn then comes from professional stress, strained relationships, divorce, and more, as these children grow up to face similar challenges as their parents face or once faced.
The good news is, whenever this inner conflict builds up inside, it can also be eliminated. The bad news is this can take quite a while. Whenever tension builds over the course of several years, it will also take years to relieve. It is always worth the effort, however, to take on the challenge of curing oneself of such inner negativity. For example, illness later on in life can be avoided as a life full of peace, energy, and positivity is a healthier one.
The amount of inner peace a person possesses correlates opposingly to the amount of tension in one’s body and spirit. The lower the tension, the more positive the life force present. Every person has the potential to find absolute peace and contentment. Everyone can achieve enlightenment. The only thing standing in the way of this goal is our own tension and negativity. Once these darker feelings subside, our inner positive energy grows.
A good way to go about curing oneself of this life force robbing negativity is to practice several spiritual exercises every day. We have to live in a way that facilitates a gravitation towards the light, instead of the dark. Most people in today’s day and age are on a march in the opposite direction. They live day to day feeling egotistical and stressed out. They live their lives focused on creating more tension and end up burnt out, sick, negative, and depressed.
Tension can reside in the body and the soul. The body and the soul are connected, and in order to relieve ourselves of inner tension, we should practice spiritual exercises for both elements. Inner happiness can manifest on a deeper level only when we cleanse ourselves of this inner tension. As people are very individual, no two have the same sorts of tension and negativity. Everyone should therefore experiment with said exercises to find what is best for him or her to direct one’s path in the appropriate way for him or herself to find inner happiness. True contentment can be found as one of the enlightened. The deeper purpose of life is to reach enlightenment.
The Five Basic Spiritual Techniques edit
Spiritually, humans can be compared to onions. Tensions and inner conflicts (inner stress) must be dissolved layer by layer. When one layer is peeled away, the next quickly appears at the surface until the inner core is revealed. At this point, a lasting inner joy is found, and the Yogi or Yogini lives in light.
Inner joy appears in a person when the tentions (Samskaras) in body and soul have been dissolved. We need exercises for the body (Yoga, Meditation) and for the soul (reflection, Positiv Thinking). Buddha developed a very simple yet genius practice. This consisted of “sitting, going, and thought practice.” This is the center of a successful Hatha Yoga Practice. You need body work (Yoga, walking), mental work (reflection, reading, praying, mantra) and meditation (sitting or lying). And everything in balance, in the right moment and with the right technik.
When one varies one’s activities between body work, mental work and meditation, the inner conflict and tension can be done away with. When a person only meditates, the spirit becomes dull and listless. Routine movement makes the spirit clear, keeps the body healthy and gives the person inner energy. If you only go or do Yoga asanas, the mind is restless. Inner happiness comes from inner peace. If the body is kept very quiet, well you can get into deeper dimensions of meditation. Meditation can be practiced either in a sitting position or lying down. Some people can meditate better when sitting, others when lying down. Those who fall asleep easily when lying down, should meditate by sitting. Those who cannot sit straight for a long time should practice meditation lying down.
In addition to periods of sitting and relaxing in combination with movement, working with the thoughts is important in getting rid of inner conflict. A Yogi or Yogini should develop his or her thoughts with love, wisdom, and self-discipline. He or she should learn to bring the thoughts into stillness, until the thoughts are always tranquil. Then he or she only thinks when thinking is required.
This basic model of stress resolution can be extended to the way of the five activities.The five activities are: lying down (or sitting and meditating), reading, walking (or Yoga asanas), doing good for others (work), and to enjoy life. There are two levels of meditation. The first level consists of purifying himself through visualizations, mantras, and breath exercises to activate the Kundalini energy. Then you stop all thoughts. The spirit comes entirely to rest. You let the thoughts and feelings come and go as they would. Suddenly peace and happiness appears.
Reading spiritual books helps to cleanse the spirit by helping let go of inner conflict. Everyone can read books to obtain spiritual inspiration. There are thousands of spiritual books available.
Another activity of those seeking enlightenment is movement, particularly cardiovascular sports such as walking, running, biking, swimming. Yoga is also a good form of movement. Even the Dalai Lama rides a stationary bike every day, for a half an hour. Swama Shivananda likes to take walks. There are appropriate exercises for everyone. Yogis living in caves developed the very well-known sun salute, for example.
The fourth activity is that of Karma Yoga (doing good). Karma Yoga opens the heart, gives inner power, and develops the consciousness towards all-encompassing love. Karma Yoga can be practiced one to six hours per day. Swami Shivananda recommended one hour, while Sai Baba is for six. Yogi Nils found three to four hours per day to be a good amount for him. Karma yoga can also be practiced by working people, but of course money is needed to exist in today’s world.
The fifth activity consists of enjoying life. We should bring joy into our lives. That opens our hearts, and brings light inside us. Everyone is predisposed towards something. You can listen to music, eat something delicious, read a good book, watch a movie, find time for your favorite creative hobbies, and so forth. It is important though, to pay attention to the amount with which we busy ourselves with enjoyment. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing, too little makes life sad.
Also, too much direct contact with other people during the development of inner happiness should be avoided. A yogi should find out how much contact with others is good for him or her. At a certain point, physical rest can cause the energy of a person to go inward. The person no longer has to direct oneself towards outer activities, and puts more worth on the inner spiritual cleansing, the dissolving of inner conflict, and the development of inner happiness. This turning point must be discovered by each yogi for him or herself. It is difficult to find and difficult to hold onto. Life energy tends toward an excess of activity or towards dullness. Both need to be avoided with daily exercised self-discipline. When we keep inner calm, inner happiness appears. We can develop our true selves, and our sense of life.
Yogi Nils spiritual techniques are simple. They consist of walking, reading, helping others, and lying in bed. Everyone can do that. The secret here is the right application of the right technique at the right moment. Then the inner tension dissolve and inner happiness appears.
Yogis know when they need which technique. When the body is dull and lacking energy, the Yogi goes for a walk. When he or she feels restless, he or she practices Yoga or meditates. When the spirit seems to rebel against the spiritual way, a book on spiritual topics helps to bring back the conviction towards enlightenment.
A Yogi senses the inner conflict and uses the proper techniques to dissolve the tension. That is usually what the body and soul wants the least at that moment. Wherever the neurotic tendency to feel repelled towards something is usually the way to the light. On the other hand, we need to sometimes give the body and soul what they would like, otherwise tension is built. The way to happiness requires a lot of wisdom and inner sensitivity. Yogi Nils asks his inner voice for spiritual guidance. He asks, “What is right at the moment? What is the way of truth? What do I need today? What do I want today?”
Nihilism or Holiness edit
Nihilist: I go more towards nihilism. I don’t believe in the holy. I don’t believe in righteous.
Nils: That is a big mistake. There is an absolute righteousness. There is a cosmos and in the cosmos, there are particular rules. In the cosmos, there is an order of happiness. The point of life is to be happy. The task of all people is to be happy and to create a happy world. In the cosmos, everything develops towards a higher purpose. The highest is the enlightenment consciousness. The task of all souls is to develop towards enlightenment. Then, these souls will be one with the highest consciousness. There is an evolution towards enlightenment. I have experienced great pain and great happiness. The biggest happiness I experienced in enlightenment. The cosmos has given humans the ability to move to wisdom. I can therefore say I would like to avoid suffering to the greatest extent possible, and to realize a state of happiness as far as possible. Those who have experienced intense suffering and intense happiness in life, know their lives’ challenges. They know that there is a correct way to the correct life. This could be called the holy path. Nihilists are confused people who inflict harm on others. The task of philosophy is to overwhelm nihilism and to give people sense.
Yogi Nils edit
The goal is to combine inner happiness and a life in all-embracing love.
First you wake your Kundalini energy,
and then you help with your spiritual abilities the suffering humanity.
The goal is to combine enlightenment and compassion.
This is the teaching of Buddha, Jesus and all the highly enlightened.
May all people be happy. May the world be happy.
Meditate With Your Inner Voice edit
The most important thing in spirituality is the inner voice. The inner voice is the voice of your own truth and wisdom. It is your feeling of rightness. You combine your intellect and your feeling. Than you will find the way to yourself. Follow your own wisdom. Find your personal meditation practice. Do meditation like is it good for you. We sit in our meditation seat (cross-legged, heel seat, chair) and in our meditation posture (hands on the legs or in the lap). The eyes are open, half open or closed.
1. Light = We send light to the world. We send in particular light to the suffering people. We use our television as a window to the world and wrap all suffering people with light. We visualize the earth, move a hand and think: "I send light to ... May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
2. Model-Yoga = We put the hands together in our lap. We visualize ourselves as a Buddha, Shiva or Goddess. We move our toes a little and think the mantra: "I am a goddess (Buddha, Shiva) of peace. I go the way of peace. I live in peace."
3. Cosmos = We visualize the cosmos around us, a universe full of stars. We make large circles with our arms and think: "I take things the way they are. I flow positive with the live."
4. Master = We rub the palms in front of the heart chakra. We connect us with the enlightened masters and think: "Om all enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. I ask for guidance and help on my way."
5. Inner voice = What tells your inner voice now? "My positive sentence is ..."
6. Mantra = We put the hands in our lap. The back is straight and our stomach is relaxed. We bring our mind completely to rest. We think the mantra "Om" 5 to 10 times in our head, chest, abdomen, legs, feet. We think in the earth and in the entire cosmos: "Om Shanti, Om Peace ..."
7. Stop thinking = We stop a minute every thought. When thoughts come, we always push them away. Then we relax completely. Go forward optimistic. You will succeed in your life.