Spiritual Relationships

 

Photo Credit: The Bridal Box

Spiritual Relationships

We may or may not be following the spiritual path, but we definitely get into spiritual relationships without knowing that these relationships are spiritual. The first spiritual relation is established with the self – we may not know it, but from the moment we start feeling comfortable with our own self; we feel happy and at peace when alone – that is when our relationship with our inner self is established. We don’t know it yet, because we are still caught up in the mundane world – but the first step has already been taken unknowingly!

We feel a connect with unknown people, places, forests, the rivers – all this is because of our past life connect with these aspects. We have completely forgotten what our relationship was – suddenly we see someone crossing our path and we feel a strange affinity towards that person, like we have known each other for a very long time. This again is a spiritual relationship which is coming to the fore in this birth.

Most of us are looking for love and affection in all our relationships, but finding love and acceptance can turn into a difficult challenge. In our daily lives our relationships are based on the individual ego with its stream of demands, likes-dislikes, personal memories and conditioning. The ego personality is based on self-interest, it wants more pleasure and less pain; it seeks power, status, achievement – and all these are not a good vehicle for a spiritual relationship.

There is another kind of relationship which is egoless – one experiences this first as an innocent child and then when one becomes a parent. In these phases of life self-interest does not pop up – the innocent child is always egoless and the parent loses self-interest when faced with his/her offspring. In these phases one experiences a range of things unknown to the ego, such as innocent delight, selfless love, trust, intimacy, a desire to cherish the other and pure joy in someone else’s existence. Two beings merge in complete acceptance of each other. The question is - can these qualities emerge in a relationship between two adults? Can the ego be removed out of the equation easily?

This is where meditation helps – we don’t fall asleep during meditation. We relate to ourself without an agenda. We go within to meet our selfless state, which is neither blank nor empty. It is the meeting point where existence is enough and consciousness too is enough. With continuous meditation practice the ego’s agenda becomes more and more pointless. Once we relate with our self without ego, it becomes natural and easy to relate to someone else in the same way. Actually, consciousness completes us – our very own existence completes us!

Eventually, however, it becomes easier to relate to ourself in a simple, uncomplicated way that indicates our state of self-acceptance, and this opens the door to a true spiritual relationship, first with oneself, and then with anyone who wishes to share in the state of completeness.