I’ve been accused of being too elitist in my latest writings; talking about rarified atmospheres which my readership is not interested, and is too difficult to reach. So let’s get down to the practical application of what I’ve been talking about.

In the article on Nonduality, I introduced the concept of oneness with Divinity, and all of creation.  So how does that translate to an everyday lifestyle? How does one utilize this understanding and still function in everyday reality?

The awareness of Nonduality is much like scuba diving. Instead of the medium which you are in being water, it’s Divinity. This is the consciousness which is the underlying spark to life and the fabric which unifies all.  Yes, if one stops paying attention to one’s everyday existence, eventually one would wind up in a cave somewhere in total bliss.  But, people manage to work and play in a water environment and still be able to function.   Many years ago I was a teaching assistant in a scuba diving school working towards my Instructor Certification.  I also attended a commercial diving school.  I learned to function in all sorts of manners in that environment and am still here to tell about it.  Mechanical and welding operations, which have their own set of safety guidelines on dry land, are certainly different underwater, and as long as I focused on my task, I performed quite adequately.  

As a teenager and young adult in the 60’s and 70’s, I learned to function in altered states of consciousness and still was able to do what needed to be done.  True, I did not care about some aspects of society, but those were often artifacts, which hold no significance to this day.  What can and often does happen when one spends time in meditation or contemplation is that the glamour of the superficial is released and one no longer cares about those aspects of life.  To those outside, who have made these elements the meaning of existence, this is tantamount to heresy.  But, to the one who is has realized his own divinity and is in harmony with life, all those trappings are just that.

Brother Lawrence, a 17th century French monk, shared his simple recipe for living in communion with God, while performing the duties assigned to him by the monastery in which he resided http://www.practicegodspresence.com.  The late Stylianos Ateshlis, A.K.A. Daskalos, a Christian Mystic, served as a captain in the Greek Cypriot Army during its partition along religious lines.  While never charging for his teachings or healings, he was quite successful in selling his paintings of the Tree of Life.  Nisargadatta Maharaj, who left his family and business in order to wander as a Sadu to satisfy his spiritual quest, upon reaching a very high level of enlightenment, realized that he did not have to do that after all and returned to his home, business and family. These were people who attained a level of consciousness equivalent to sainthood or beyond.

What about those who simply desire to let go of the endless searching for satisfaction?  Those who would like to step out of the rat race and live a peaceful, joyful existence?  Jesus’ teachings were not about enlightenment, since the well of gravity* of the ego both in his day and modern society is so great that it’s almost impossible to reach, but rather the state of unconditional love.  At the level of unconditional love one is assured a place in the upper heavens, in the Angelic Realm.  From those realms it is reportedly possible to reach enlightenment much easier, without the distractions of the body and ego to hold one down. Lotusland or Pureland Buddhism teaches a similar path. 

Yes, unconditional love is a blissful state, and one is tempted to simply collapse into that bliss. Yet, if one has certain worldly commitments, then it is possible to continue those endeavors.  There may be a period of adjustment where one has to find their balance, but when one’s commitment to raising children, performing some task or art, sharing some knowledge with the world, or meeting one’s responsibilities is compelling, there need be no conflict with one’s spiritual life. 

So how do we go about this tightrope walk of being in the world but not of it?  How do we serve Divinity and function at the same time?  Brother Lawrence’s simple solution was to do everything, whether cooking, repairing sandals or procuring the Monastery’s wine as a tribute to God.  In so doing he lost all disdain for those tasks which he originally resented for taking him away from meditation. Instead they became his meditation. 

If we let go the notion of God being some Supreme Being, and consider him (a genderless pronoun) to be the medium in which we exist, the totality of consciousness, then we can simply become aware of the presence of All That Is.  Just being aware of this presence surrounding and filling us is enough to transform one’s life.  To be aware of the sublime love which is the essence of Divinity is to be cradled in bliss.  To open to the consciousness of the heart and realize the love which is surrounding and filling us is transformational.

Washing dishes or ironing clothes can become a mudra; a way of being present with Divinity.  Helping others as an expression of love can be wondrous.   If we open ourselves while performing any task, and make that task an expression of our love, we are on the road towards a new life.
 
A simple mediation is to bring your hands up to the level of your heart facing out and like the Prayer of St. Francis, ask to be an instrument of God’s peace and love.  Something like “Lord, let me radiate out to the world that which you give me….”, can be an amazing experience.  The “Discovery of the Divine Presence” meditations that I share with other, is a direct experience of Nonduality.  It is a roadmap to being in oneness with creation, and can be used to help bring that state into everyday experience. 

These are just some of the practical ways that can be used to experience Nonduality and bring it into everyday reality.  Whichever one you use is not as important as the assiduous use of whichever tool is chosen.  It takes dedication to move beyond your limitations and bring awareness of Divinity into everyday existence. 
* The energy needed to reach escape velocity from a planet or other body.

©2008 David Lowell – Permission is granted to forward, publish or otherwise distribute this article as long as this resource box is attached. David Lowell has been working with energy and healing for 30 years. His clients and students include people from all walks of life on 5 continents. He is the author of “The Struggle to Surrender: Love, Consciousness & The Quantum Field” and publishes “Perspectives” an irregular free Ezine. To see more articles by David and find out about his work go to => http://davidlowell.com/1home.html