Honest spiritual effort brings peace, freedom

"As I began to love myself, I understood that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth." From a poem by Charlie Chaplin

- ASH PATEL

From time to time, those on a spiritual journey reach complex points of negotiation with a combination of old habit patterns, and thought patterns, that can obstruct their way forward. They are not always easy to recognise, but a sign which indicates that something needs to change is when we have emotional suffering and pain.

Alongside the absolutely essential practice of meditation, the act of writing is one of the most powerful ways to become free from the accumulated grime of the pain in the heart. There are two habits that we have that keep the sorrow deep in the heart. One of them is the habit of taking sorrow. We are conscious and careful about not causing sorrow and hurt for others, but we often do not realise that we are taking sorrow. When we are faced with challenging situations, relationships, or problems and the subsequent mental and emotional upheaval, we need to understand what is going on inside, and stop taking sorrow.