Anyone remember road maps? Those paper maps that we used to navigate from place to place? Road maps provided an overview, and a preview, of my travels and how to get to my destination. They presented useful information, like what
Whatever we believe is not necessarily a truth. It might be, but it’s likely not. And yet we hold onto our beliefs in spite of the most obvious facts that clearly refute them. Why? Our beliefs give us comfort of
The Awakening process is principally one of shifting identity — the process of discovering our true sense of self and our Divine nature. At each step on our spiritual journey, we can reflect on who we are. And at each
Not long before I initially Awakened, modern interpretations of Advaita philosophy were becoming popular, promoted primarily by “Neo-Advaita” Western teachers. The term non-duality was becoming more commonly used in modern spiritual teachings. And modern Western non-dual philosophy was becoming the
When we first awaken out of our identification with personal self, our ego-body-mind, we notice something remarkable. The reference point that mediated our experience of the world prior to Awakening is no longer our seat of being. We do not
We are each a spark of the Divine, reflecting a unique perspective of the Divine expressing Itself. Our purpose is to live life spontaneously in Divine Alignment. This purpose unfolds in a progressive, evolutionary process of Awakening where the depths
The talk of many in the spiritual community is about being in the Now. The idea behind being in the Now is that we are not focused on the past or the future. It is in dwelling on the past,
If the lights have not come on, the full joy of Self-Realization has not yet arrived. The principal awakening in Self-Realization is the awakening to one’s true identity as infinite Pure Conscious Being — that Conscious Being in which all
If we can be present in each moment, we step out of relative time into the flow of living. Even if we can be fully present only for brief moments, we experience some degree of the peace or serenity of
Surrender is essential to the spiritual process. We’re often told we must consciously “let go” and embrace our reality. But this act of letting go is often an egoic-based action, driven by a need to control or manipulate our experience
At the risk of scaring off some people, I thought I would talk about worship and what it really means in spiritual unfoldment. Full Dawn Circle recognizes spiritual practice as worship. Spiritual practice aligns us with the Divine. Or, if
Many people think of the stages of Awakening only as a process of development of Consciousness, often overlooking the role of our bodies. As the stages of Awakening unfold, there are plateaus along the way where we might feel that
Many of us are impatient. We look for quick solutions. Quick results. In the “spiritual marketplace” there are numerous offers of quick Awakening. Often the promise comes as some new course or seminar; or a revolutionary process or method, that
We have a natural drive to seek greater happiness and fulfillment. And that’s great. Most of us want to be happy and fulfilled. And as we seek more and more happiness and fulfillment, we just need to be alert to
I’ve raised some skeptical eyebrows. In other posts I’ve written that the ego does not die (at least not until the body does), even once one is fully Awakened. This assertion can be seen as controversial because it contradicts beliefs
Some teachings focus on the realization that there is “no-self,” no person. Various teachings use this term differently, often referring to quite different stages in spiritual unfoldment. In my view, no-self is simply a way of referring to the changes
Listening to, or reading the writings of, different spiritual or religious teachers can be very inspiring and informative, if we know, or at least think we know, what they are actually saying. The meaning of their words can get in
The Divine is where we start. The Divine is beyond any concept we can come up with, which makes it very difficult to talk about it. The Divine must be directly known to truly know It. The Divine is the
Whoever or whatever we may think we are, we know we exist. Even when we are lost in our thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions, or experiences of life, somehow we know that we exist. If we did not exist, there would
Who are we and what is the world? Most people would say we are a body-mind and that our mind carries with it our sense of self, what we call “me” or “I,” the person situated in this body-mind. And
The mission of Full Dawn Circle is to share the insights and knowledge revealed through in-depth spiritual exploration and authentic revelation; and to reach out to seekers of truth. Here we strive to bring ourselves into alignment with the Divine,
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While going through some old files, I came across something I had written many years ago after initially awakening. The awakening itself was clear and self-evident. I had no doubts about it because the awakening was so obvious. But what
In many spiritual circles, “oneness” has become the new word to capture what in traditional Indian philosophy is the teaching of advaita, non-duality. It’s not a new idea, just a modern usage of a word that refers to an ancient
Some teachers say that awakening is not an experience. And yet, even some of these teachers who assert that awakening is not an experience may still use experiential terms in describing their awakening. What do they mean by saying awakening
Many spiritual seekers believe that to discover the peace of awakening requires the elimination of all thoughts, not just moments of thoughtless silence, but no thoughts at any time. I don’t know the source of this idea, but once an idea
Some teachings refer to death of the ego as a prerequisite, or as a casualty, in awakening or enlightenment. Metaphorically this may be true, but many teachers and seekers take this literally. When teachers speak of death of the ego,
There are some spiritual teachers, particularly contemporary ones, who suggest that seeking to find one’s true nature, to find who one really is, is counter-productive. In their view, our true self is already and always present; and already fully awakened,
Divine Grace is the mysterious cause of awakening; and of the subsequent awakenings that occur in our continuing spiritual evolution. Divine Grace causes the transition from one stage to the next. Because awakenings occur beyond the mind, Divine Grace can
We each start our spiritual path from where we are now. We start with the background of our life challenges, emotional baggage, and personal histories. We differ in social and cultural norms and constructs, religious training, psychological makeup and personality.
Awakening is the first step — that moment when you take a step back from who you thought you were and discover a deeper identity. Even the first step of awakening profoundly alters who you think you are. Awakening usually
I set out on a journey many years ago to become enlightened. Of course I had no idea what “me” seeking enlightenment really meant; or that self-realization was not a “me” awakening but the awakening of consciousness itself. Still, I