There are many paths but all lead to the same destination. If we choose to reach Universal Mind/Consciousness through adherence to the principles of attraction then we should not be dissuaded by those who say that we must surrender the world or sacrifice our desires.
We live in a world where we have a virtual buffet of choices to attaining Truth, Love and Joy... "If you want to order a swami please press 1, for guru press 2, yogi or saint press 3, after choosing the correct option please press pound and your order for enlightenment will be processed."
I have studied and dabbled in many of these choices and they all propose a way to Truth. Each path has its adherents who often tell us that their path is the only way or that we are deluded in our choice of some other way.
The effectiveness of any particular path is contingent on "where" you are in your thinking. Does what you choose resonate with the "place" you are in, making you ready to receive? If not choose another.
Some say we should leave the world of the senses in austere meditation taught to us by "enlightened masters" who, after years of periodically leaving "reality," have attained the truth (enlightenment) and who, rather than totally leaving reality, have decided to hang around awhile to teach us how we too can leave reality for a better place/space.
The problem that I've encountered with these "paths" is the eventual attachment to ritual and the constant emphasis on the "work" involved, (the idea of "hard work" sits well with our belief of "no pain, no gain"). Why does God (your choice) require so much damn work to meet Him/Her/It in "Person"?
I believe that in essence very little, if any, "work" is required. It seems in almost every religion or belief system there is the attachment to only one way, "The Way," of being and thinking. They tell us that if we wish to experience God then we need to give up earthly desires and pray (or meditate) this way (for many years), at this place (ashram, temple, church), in this posture (just getting into a "lotus" could take years), with these robes (and shaved head), think only those thoughts and recognize that hierarchy of divine thinkers who are above us. At the same time we are told that we must not think, or we must surrender our thinking or change our thoughts to reflect this or that truth in the attainment of nirvana, samadhi, satori, enlightenment, heaven, etc. In my opinion there's just too much to think about.
I am proposing a slightly different path. This path advocates thinking, but this thinking leads to experience, is not complex and is highly enjoyable. With this path you can incorporate parts of any other path and use anything that they give you, but you don't have to if you don't want to. With this path our only goal is the experience of Joy and whatever is out there to aid in attaining this goal is valid.
Through this path we don't have to surrender the world, but we can make use of the world to attain Truth (just don't give up your day job). This path is similar to the others in that what we need we will find inside and that is where we will often dwell ("the Father dwelleth in me" -Jesus). Therefore, we just need to believe in this one and only fact: what we need is inside and cannot be found outside, though we can bring the inside out.
Inside we can cook up the Joy and bring it out to share, make others happy and incrementally intensify our own experience of Joy (so that's the "Circle of Life"). Joy is the experience and the goal, but it is not the final destination. Who can really say what that destination is (though many have done just that)? I know I can't since I'm not an enlightened master and being one is not on my "To Do" list.
"They call me the workingman... I guess that's what I am." –Rush, "Working Man"
I don't believe the journey to "heaven" should be like "hell." I believe the journey can and should be an In-Joyable experience because this is what the Universal Mind wants us to experience, since that is what It is... Joy.
"No matter what your spiritual condition is, no matter where you find yourself in the universe, your choice is always the same: to expand your awareness or contract it. And you have to start where you are. There is nothing wrong with being where you are - it's one of the infinite experiences available to us." —Thaddeus Golas, Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment
