Level 1 Lesson 7 Audio Assignment – What is necessary for Success in the Spiritual Practice
1-What are the main teachings brought out in the audio lecture recording? Explain in your own words
Shet-t means mummy.* Sheti means spiritual discipline, to go deeply into the mysteries.
*Initiation into Egyptian Yoga pg. 19
A person is not truly a human being until they are on the spiritual path. If you are living life without direction, if you are living life without the benefit of spiritual knowledge your life will be bereft with downfalls, with adversities, frustrations. This state is actually worse than an animal. To say that someone is acting like an animal is actually putting animals down because human beings are actually worse with the degradation of life, wow!! But the flipside is that if the teachings are practiced correctly then one can be greater than animals, greater than other human beings. This made me think of the following proverb “Know thyself as the pride of creation, the link uniting divinity and matter: behold a part of God itself within thee: remember thine own dignity nor dare descend to evil or meanness.”*
Ancient Egyptian Proverbs Mystical Wisdom Teachings and Meditations pg. 28
There are three overriding principles: Cultivating virtues, bringing those virtues into day to day life and continuous spiritual practice.
The main virtue from which all flow is truthfulness.
Do not close your ears to the words of truth.
One should not make major changes in their life when beginning the spiritual practice.
The teachings are not fanaticism. Fanaticism is the blind reverence, just faith, following blindly. The teachings doesn’t ask you to believe but you must seek truth, to experience the teachings directly.
You must go beyond faith, you must go beyond concepts you must go ever higher in the search for yourself.
The truth is self evident however you must learn to understand it. Part of the process of learning is attaining purity of heart.
The virtues purify you. Each virtue counteracts a vice.
The vices cloud the intellect and prevent you from understanding the truth
Spiritual evolution has to deal more with purity than with the teachings (words) although the teachings is a step in the process.
You have to be willing leave the lower truth behind for the higher.
You have to always combat the pride and egoism. If you are a yogic student you must remain humble even in the heights of spiritual progress.
You have to be open, ready to hear the truth even if it is coming from a 7 yr old child.
We must get rid of the misconceptions that plague the mind because of an ignorant view on spirituality such as I can’t attain enlightenment, or that you must go to a special place to attain enlightenment. Don’t fool yourself. The distractions of life will not stop. There is no perfect time to practice the teachings, The right time is now.
Becoming senile, and dealing with other mental complexes or becoming insanity is not a normal progression of life and it is due to not having a spiritual anchor in life. It comes from the constant degradation of the mind throughout your life.
Your spiritual life should be balanced, flexible, with the ability to be flexible. Living a life of virtue, keeping the balance internally and externally with your dealings in the world helps to accomplish this balance spiritual practice and life as well.
We must spiritualize our lives by bringing the virtues into our day to day actions. Seeing ourselves as a conduit for divine action. As our higher selves working through us.
What you are doing wrong now was cultivated by your past actions and your present actions will engender truth and righteousness for the future if you lead a virtuous life.
2-Are you currently implementing the teaching given in the book and the lecture? If so which one(s)?
I am currently practicing the shedy disciplines as well as I am on a vegan diet. I try to live by Maat as much as possible and I bring the practice of Maat with me to work as this is extremely helpful in dealing with certain personality types. I also practice silence as a way to stay out of unnecessary conversations and this quiet time allows me to get a better grasp of the thoughts going through my mind, which helps me to combat the ignorant internal chatter. I also try to practice the above proverb and always watch myself so that I don’t develop a mean streak towards my coworkers or towards those that I feel have wronged me. I try and practice Maat when I deal with my daughter as well as she gives me ample opportunities being 15 years old…. I am beginning to see how my ignorant understanding of spirituality and of my connection with creation has caused many self inflicted wounds in my life but now I am repairing those wounds through the practice of the integral shedy disciplines.
3-If not then how will you implement the teachings you are not currently practicing, in your life and spiritual practice?
I am working on developing the ability to leave the lower truth for the higher. One example is now I have a better understanding of the necessity of purity and the integral practice of the Shedy disciplines. Another example is now that I am learning what true spiritual life is I am trying to shed the ignorant views I once had. I strive to be more righteous when in work as sometimes I can get carried away with the conversation by other employees. I am remembering that there is no “perfect time or situation” in which to practice the teachings. The time is now in the present. I am also working on becoming more flexible with my spiritual practice so as to be able to cope with what life deals me trying to remember that what I experience is due to my ariyu.
