Spiritual Gymnastics - Seeing the Big Picture

Intellect is our discerning power, our analyzing power, our reasoning power and our wisdom. In Gymnastics, you use/exert your body and stretch it beyond certain limits or beyond certain comfort zone. Similarly, in Spiritual  Gymnastics, you stretch your intellect to widen your horizon, broaden your perspective and to see the whole picture instead of the parts.

Transcript

Hello, everyone.  Many of us and many in the world, love sports.  Sports has become such a big part of our lives. And gymnastics and whatever form where you use your body or exert your body, you stretch it beyond certain limits or beyond certain comfort zone.  You go beyond what normally in a resting state is possible or is done by the body. 

And if we don't do it for ourselves, we at least like to watch it and watch others  play sports, do gymnastics  stretch and go beyond certain horizons, certain limits, certain hallmarks that we think we have put in place, but just to stretch it a little bit further,  but very few. But although every day, increasingly more people do spiritual gymnastics.  And one thing that we exercise in spiritual gymnastics is the power of what within spiritual knowledge, is called the intellect.  And the intellect is our common sense. Intellect is our wisdom. 

Intellect is our discerning power, our analyzing power, our reasoning power.  Intellect is the wisdom with which we live, the wisdom that we apply to what we see and experience, and the knowledge by which we live.  And now, to stretch your intellect is a very interesting practice activity to widen your horizon, to broaden your perspective, to see the whole picture instead of the parts.  For example, you see the whole tree instead of just a branch or a leaf, or a flower, or a fruit.  And in spiritual gymnastics, you would go for that unlimited intellect, that intellect that has  unlimited wisdom, that intellect that has the ability to see the whole picture and understand things  in depth, and not just see a branch and think that that is the whole tree, or see one tree and think that that is the whole forest. 

Now, in the context of our life and in the context of our world today, there are things that we perceive with our physical senses.  We see things with our eyes, we hear things, we smell things, we taste, and we touch.  And a limited intellect would see that as our world, as if there is nothing more.  And in spiritual gymnastics, you stretch your intellect and you go beyond what is perceived by the physical senses.  You see the invisible, you perceive the invisible behind the Visible. 

You perceive the Intangible behind that. What is tangible and you know the world of the senses and the sense experiences is there.  But you also know and perceive that there's something much more beyond.  And a simple example in this is, when we look at someone, what do we see?  Do you see the body which is there? 

Do you see the curves and the forms and the color of the body and the features that is there?  But there is a personality behind.  There is a being that operates that body, a being of consciousness.  That being is invisible.  The being can express through the mouth, through the body, through the organs. 

But there is one who is operating that body.  There are thoughts and feelings and there are memories there. There is a past there. There is a future. There are intentions there. 

There is an attitude there. There is a history.  So to stretch our intellect. And to at least take all of that into consideration.  When we approach things now, when we apply deeper spiritual knowledge. 

We know that there is a whole dimension beyond the physical world.  And that even behind the human personality is a spiritual being.  A being that transcends the limitations of the human personality and the body.  A soul.  A soul who is timeless. 

A soul who has come into this world to play a part.  One who uses that unlimited intellect? Will see this physical world as a drama, as a play, as the story of human civilization that is being acted out.  And one who uses that unlimited intellect.  Will not get trapped in petty attachments. 

Or some silly thoughts and ego.  About things that are temporary and will end.  One who uses the unlimited intellect will understand the self as a spiritual, timeless being with higher potential.  A being that is innately free, innately secure. And from that security, that noble personality emerges. 

And the noble personality can express naturally.  Appreciation, love, respect. 

There is a deeper enthusiasm to play the game of human life. 

So let us explore this ability of the Intellect, this power that we all have to stretch the Intellect and see beyond.  We can operate from that limited intellect.  And when we operate from that limited intellect, we see as if only one dimension of things. When we operate from that unlimited intellect. 

You can see the whole forest. And appreciate the beauty of the whole forest.  Instead of just one branch, instead of just one leave.  So let us take a few moments to practice, to explore. 

And in meditation, we take the conscious time to reflect.  And to try and grasp the big picture, the whole picture of who we are and of what life is all about. 

So as we keep the body comfortable, just become aware of the position of the body.  Let the hands relax. 

Become aware of how the air is pulled into the lungs on inhalation. 

And pushed out of the lungs on exhalation. 

And whatever else pops up in the mind, you just let it go.  No need to think about it. 

And in the surroundings, whatever is happening, some sound, some movement, someone walks in, you acknowledge, you appreciate the thoughts. Don't need to go there. 

And also create that awareness that this body is Like Instrument. 

There are features, there are eyes and limbs, and they move.  But there is ONE who is operating this Body. 

There is one who is experiencing the senses and the sense, experiences the inner being, being of consciousness, the soul. 

And there's no rush and just come to this absolute clarity that this real self is this invisible experiencer, the soul, like the driver of a car. So the soul and the body is the car, the vehicle, and the soul is the driver, sitting behind the eyes, using the eyes as windows. 

And one can use the image of light, a tiny star, to indicate this invisible experiencer, like a tiny point of sparkling, living, conscious light, just behind the eyes, in the center of the forehead. 

Pure, timeless, serene, living light, operating the body for a temporary period of time. 

The real self is this invisible being of timeless, pure light. 

The soul and the soul is visiting this body, visiting this planet, visiting this world of matter. 

And this unlimited intellect grasps the self as this being of light grasps the dimension beyond the world of matter. 

Soul has come from that invisible dimension of silence, of stillness, of light, home of souls, home of God, supreme soul. 

Unlimited intellect knows this in an obvious way.  Of course, that dimension is home.  Of course, soul belongs to the supreme. 

All souls are family, family of benevolent, pure, living lights belonging to God. 

They come into this dimension of matter to play the game as observers, invisible observers. 

They associate with the body, played a part. 

And as the soul enters again into sound and action, into the physical world, let us aim to use this unlimited intellect and continue to train ourselves in this spiritual gymnastics.  In every situation, hold the awareness of the whole picture instead of part limited. 

You enjoy these types of gymnastics even when you do physical gymnastics. 

Have a good day.  Bye.