We walk the spiritual path so that we may know lasting and true happiness; so that we may heal the cause of our suffering and awaken to our true nature. Ultimately, we suffer because we have lost sight of who we really are. Ourperception of reality (including the reality of who we are) is clouded by illusions caused by the knocks of life, which led to imbalanced thoughts and emotions, and which in turn, created a distorted view of ourselves and of life. We have forgotten who we are; we believe that we are someone who we are not and wish that we were someone else – healthier, richer, taller, younger, prettier, more loving, spiritual, with more friends, a bigger house, a new car, greater social recognition, an appreciative partner, and so on.
Whatever the details, we want something (either concerning ourselves or some other aspect of life) to be different to the way that it is, in the belief that we will then be happy. And so we suffer, because we are unable to accept what is – we deny the present moment, and it is the present moment that is our true nature, and it is only by being consciously aware of our true nature that we can know lasting and true happiness.
The symptoms of our suffering may be mental, emotional, and/or physical; perhaps manifesting as fear, stress, envy, pride, obesity, anger, greed, anxiety, or a heart condition. It may be simple enough to identify the superficial cause, for example, a skin condition and stomach problem caused by stress at work, fears about money, and a poor diet. However, there are many layers of imbalance within us that culminate in the outer manifestations of pain and suffering that we are aware of. These layers are the result of our experiences (and our perception of those experiences) over many lifetimes, which means that there are many different aspects of reality (some known, others unknown) that culminate in our experience of life today.
The reality that we are most familiar with is the physical. On a physical level, the world around us is made of matter, and for the most part is tangible. Both science and spiritual traditions tell us that physical matter is built from the elements (albeit with a different definition of what the elements are); science also tells us that the elements are made from atoms. This is true for all matter including our physical body, through which we experience and interact with the physical world.
On a deeper level, everything is energy – nothing exists that is not energy. So beyond the outer imbalance, the suffering that we are aware of, is an energetic imbalance of a deeper reality than the outer expression of physical, mental, or emotional suffering. Superficially, we might be angry and upset because so-and-so did this or that, but when we become aware of the body, it’s quite easy to feel the deeper, unbalanced energy of anger within ourselves. You may also have experienced an awareness of other people’s moods (energetic imbalances) without them saying or doing anything, as you, either consciously or unconsciously, pick up on their energetic emanation.
Quantum physics tells us that all physical form consists of vortexes of energy that are constantly spinning and vibrating, each one radiating its own unique energy signature; and that it’s these vortexes that make up the structure of the atoms that each physical form is made of – they are the energy behind the form.
The mystics and spiritual teachers have been telling us for thousands of years that beyond energy is no-thing-ness, an empty spaciousness that is the potentiality of all things, the oneness that is the true reality of life (including the true reality of who we are). So, without energy there would be no physical form, and without empty spaciousness there would be no energy – energy is the connection between the non-physical and the physical, no-thing-ness and form. The empty spaciousness (no-thing-ness) being the deepest reality.
Science tells us that the atoms that make up all things are 99.9999999999999 % empty space. As far as the human body is concerned, this means that the amount of solid matter in our body is comparable to a fly in a cathedral. However, in quantum physics, where the structure of the atom is viewed even more closely, there is nothing to observe but a physical void. This ties in with the Big Bang Theory, which states that all matter originates from a singularity where the laws of physics no longer apply – i.e. a physical void where time a space cease to exist. So according to physics, ultimately, the atom has no physical structure, we have no physical structure – physical structures don’t have any physical structure! Both science and spirituality are telling us that the true reality of life is a singularity (a oneness) that is an empty void (no-thing-ness).
Science is third party observation, whereas spirituality is first party experience, and it is the first party experience of truth (the deepest reality) which is true healing – it is to allow the conscious embodiment (the first party experience) of what science can theorise and see, and what the mystics know through their own experience.
Between the physical world and the empty void are many aspects of reality (many mystical worlds of existence), and it is possible for us to consciously experience these worlds with the help of shamanic practices that have been used for many thousands of years.