The Trials of Purification - Meeting the Challenge of Spiritual Growth

By Julie Redstone

Purification is a sacred process that is meant to set mankind free, enabling life to be lived without pain and limitation from the perspective of the soul. It is a process that creates the possibility for individuals and for the Earth of living a sacred life.

And yet the trials of purification sometimes appear to outweigh its rewards, allowing one to feel that there is only difficulty and pain to get through, rather than a sacred process going on, initiated by light, and corresponding to God's intention to bless the Earth and all souls.

It is easy to believe this during a time in which the expansion of light is largely invisible, and one must trust this event based on belief and on one's inner knowing, rather than on a state of corresponding inner joy. Indeed, sometimes the difficulties of purification can appear almost insurmountable, creating heartache, fear, hopelessness, or anger -- all feelings that may have been present in the past to a lesser degree, that now clamor inside with greater insistence.

Because of the amplification of these feelings in the presence of greater light, what may appear to be taking place may be attributed mistakenly to deficits in one's character, in one's efforts at healing, or in one's relationship with God. None of these interpretations would be correct. For purification is the answer to the desire for healing and help. It is a drama of the past taking place in the present for which the conscious self ordinarily has little or no frame of reference. Its purpose is to eradicate limitation, and to create for the self, a new and sacred way of life.

With respect to the acceleration of the purification process on the planet, it is, without exception, produced, first, by the intensification of light upon the Earth; second, by one's own receptivity to that light; and third, by the intensity and scope of the needs that exist for healing.

Where issues in the past have not been able to be dealt with at the deepest level, but only in a more intellectual way or only to a certain degree, the expansion of light releases into awareness the deeper strata of thought and feeling, bringing with it more profound aspects of the original situation in need of healing. This would all be clearly understandable if the action of light were observable to the conscious self, which could then become more of a witness to the process, rather than fully immersed in it. In fact, in cases where such witnessing is possible, greater peace is often present even while difficulties continue. Nevertheless, this perspective is not always available, due to the intensity of ongoing difficulties.

Even where symptoms express themselves physically as part of the purification process, the underlying cause is still a need for the healing of one's consciousness, and this need can also increase in intensity, manifesting physical symptoms that are stronger than they were before.

Having an anchorpoint within oneself that enables one to connect with the deeper truth of purification and the freedom it is bringing and will bring, is an essential part of going through this process with greater ease.

Having others around who understand this frame of reference, a place to go where one can receive comfort and support, a source to which one can turn for a sense of greater light -- these are also important ways of going through what can be a time of great intensity.

However, the most important thing that supports one's passage through this time is to feel a deepening of one's relationship with God and with God's love. This deepening, even while difficulties continue, gives life a new meaning and contributes its own sense of joy. For the relationship with God establishes one's awareness as a soul, connected to life and to other souls in a whole new way. This is the reward of purification, even while challenges may be present.

To know with conviction that God has not forsaken one -- that God is, in fact, present during this time, is, more than anything else, the bedrock upon which endurance is founded and upon which hope and trust can be maintained. All other supports assist with this process, but knowing God's love and the sacred reality that is trying to emerge, are the central ingredients for maintaining oneself in the face of difficulty.

During the trials of purification, one's inner being may know one thing, while the body, mind, and emotions may feel something quite different. The deeper self may, for example, feel connected to God's truth, while mind and emotions feel separated, causing the conscious self to feel alone and without help. This situation, despite its intensity, can be met through the strengthening of love which can carry one through the trials of purification.

Feeling or asking to feel God's love, feeling the love of others for oneself, feeling one's own love for God, for other souls, and for the life of the Earth -- these are all things that can become stronger in the presence of greater light. They do not eliminate the challenges that are often present, but they surround them with compassion and uphold them with understanding.

Blessed are those who may enter the trials of purification in a state of awakeness, and who can go through the experience with God as companion, rather than without.

Blessed are those who may find within themselves the love that endures in the face of all difficulty, that is devoted to the light, and that seeks the healing of the self and of the Earth in the presence of every level of challenge.

Julie Redstone is a teacher, writer, and founder of Light Omega, a center for spiritual teaching and healing in Western Massachusetts. The purpose of Light Omega is to create an understanding of the sacred transition into light that the earth is presently going through and the changes this will bring to individual and planetary consciousness.

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Do You Need A Spiritual Teacher?

By Sheri Rosenthal

Many people have asked me my opinion on having a teacher on a spiritual path. Like everything else in life, there are only points of view as to whether this choice is the best one for you. All I can do is reflect my personal experience regarding having a teacher and what I feel the benefits and problems are of engaging in this kind of relationship.

First and foremost, a teacher is someone who has been down the same road that you are traveling – albeit at least a few miles ahead of you. They understand the pitfalls and the roadblocks, and can assist you in making your path easier and less painful. They can comfort you with the knowledge that many people have walked this road before and survived, no matter how difficult the path may appear to you in the moment.

Second, a teacher can reflect things to you that you would never see in yourself – at least not without a lot of self-honesty, which is hard to find when we are first on our spiritual path. Denial is most often our companion and we avoid what we fear is painful, even if we are doing it subconsciously. The point is that a teacher has more awareness and can see through the mental and egoic strategies that we eagerly justify and defend.

Third, a teacher creates a safe and supportive environment to allow us to open our hearts and minds in, giving us the opportunity to explore aspects of ourselves we would normally avoid. A good teacher will not use anything we have shared against us or to hurt us, and above all will not manipulate us with that information. This is not unlike the relationship we have with our doctor – what is discussed in the treatment room stays in the treatment room.

The dangers of such a relationship are found when a teacher has not totally cleaned their ego-mind and still has the tendency to want to use people and situations for their personal benefit. The flip side of this issue is that many times the student does not understand the teacher’s point of view because they can only see from their limited point of view. They then judge the teacher, not totally understanding their intent or the bigger picture. In these moments it helps to speak to other students who have been down the road before for clarity – one way or another. The purpose of your spiritual path is to increase your personal power, self-love and self-worth, not to give it away to others.

Other dangers involve becoming attached to a teacher feeling that if they were to leave you that you would never achieve enlightenment. This is just another appearance of “I am not good enough” manifesting itself in another guise. There is an old Chinese proverb that says: Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself. A teacher can be a mirror for you, they can reveal many hidden aspects of your mind, and they can point out many of your habit behaviors that are causing you pain in your life. But in the end they cannot do anything for you. You must do it for yourself. Anyone who promises otherwise is a danger to you.

For me, having a teacher has been an incredible blessing in my life. He taught me what unconditional love was through action – not through words. He reflected to me the love and blessing that I am, revealing the lies that I am not. He gave me words of support when the path was dark and encouraged me when I thought I would never make it. He was brutally honest with me, since there was benefit or investment in lying to me. He lent me his eyes to see the world through so that I could experience that life can be heaven on earth. And most importantly, he loved me just the way I was, with all my bad habits until I finally could express the light that I am.

Hopefully my words will be helpful to you and assist you in making a healthy personal choice. As always, I wish you the best on your path.

You are welcome to reprint this article with the following information at the conclusion of the text:

Dr. Sheri Rosenthal is a master Toltec teacher and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Toltec Wisdom and WITH Forgiveness. Having trained with don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, she currently takes students on spiritual journeys, works with personal apprentices and enjoys being extremely happy. You can reach her at http://www.sherirosenthal.com, http://www.journeysofthespirit.com and http://www.withforgiveness.com