There are essentially two requirements for the successful integration of spiritual qualities into our lives: the theoretical understanding of the concepts and their practical application. We first need to be introduced to the concept of qualities such as surrender and non-judgement, then we need to apply them to our lives.
If you become proficient with the yang qualities but disregard the yin ones, you might become very efficient at achieving in the outside world. You might become a successful entrepreneur, a self-made millionaire, the head of a large corporation, or someone with great worldly power. If this is what appeals to you then non-acceptance, desire, attachment and judgement will be your allies.
If you take this path you will be engaging in what I call personal development rather than spiritual development. You will primarily see yourself as a person, an individual, wanting to achieve and make something of your life. You want to be someone and your motivation is personal power.
Conversely, if you practise the yin qualities at the expense of the yang ones you may become the sort of person who appears to be all sweetness and light on the outside but who has a raging torrent of conflict hidden within. You may think a lot about acceptance and non-judgement but instead of helping you to push through your emotional blockages they will more than likely serve only to suppress them.
Now there is nothing to say that you shouldn’t become a high-flyer in the outer world or that you shouldn’t think nice thoughts, but if it is liberation, Self-realisation or enlightenment that you seek, you will need to engage in a process of spiritual development which involves developing both yin and yang qualities.
Once you have learned the theory of these qualities you will need to practise applying them to your life by meeting life’s challenges, working through your issues and learning how to overcome resistance.
Next Chapter: Working With Resistance >>
*** This chapter is taken from my book The Light Within ***
