by  Justina Cojan

We are different, we have different gifts and education, we have been trained in different fields, each of us receiving the Fate we deserve. The teachings on a spiritual Path are radically different then any subject taught in school or university, which are focused mainly on offering knowledge to learn a certain profession that enables us to integrate in a given social system.

 Under the impact of ordinary education we transform, we change ourselves; but any systematic spiritual evolution is only triggered by the constant and direct approach of teachings which are the basis of the Spiritual Path.

Questions that a human being faces at a certain moment, such as: who am I? Why was I born? Why do I live? Where do I come from? What happens to me after I die? will receive their answer once integrated on a genuine Spiritual Path only under the guidance of specialized persons, and with adequate methods belonging to a spiritual school. Superficiality, half-learning (or quarter-learning), the rush of putting labels will make it impossible to correctly understand the useful practice of spiritual teachings for a human being.

We also have to understand that everything we experience and feel, all the aspects and events that we face have a generating source, the wisdom and knowledge of which are infinite. This supreme and inexhaustible source, which encompasses in her endless embrace all things and all beings in the Universe, has been called differently in the many religions, being understood as the Supreme Divinity or God. In Creation, man integrates himself according to his level of understanding or, in other words, to his level of consciousness.

Consciously or not, the human being aims to reach a certain state of well being. Therefore, it is obvious that the best states and the best level of consciousness are represented by the Supreme and Perfect Source, which is God. Different philosophical schools and religious beliefs were formed as a consequence of the explanations given by philosophers related to this theme. People have different tempers and skills. Therefore, it is natural that there are different philosophical schools which correspond to the spiritual necessities of all human beings.

The practice of an authentic spiritual system becomes more and more necessary and any human being that wishes to evolve spiritually must walk the Spiritual Path, which suits her best. One of the possible genuine Spiritual Paths worthy to be followed is the Integral Yoga System, under the teachings of Gregorian Bivolaru – whom I will call Grieg, who is the Spiritual Guide within the MISA yoga school in Romania.

For a genuine yogi, coming closer to God is not only achieved through faith but also through direct experience. Thus, it can be said that Integral Yoga, is an extraordinary royal path of the spirit, which makes the experience of the ineffable fusion with the Divine Absolute possible for all who are prepared and perseverant. The Yogic Spiritual Path is a discipline of the soul, and among other things it aims to awaken the soul to the infinite universal love, in and through which each one of us exists. Because of the many ancient and new mysteries that this Spiritual School reveals with the Spiritual Guidance of its mentor Gregorian Bivolaru to all people on this planet, her uniqueness is outlined.

One of the extraordinary bonuses of the yoga system practiced within this Spiritual School is that it harmoniously combines obtaining physical perfection with the spiritual realizations of the human being, and all these make a unified whole at the consciousness level. Each one will find through his own experience the form of balance, harmony and happiness that suits him/her.

Yoga is known as one of the most efficient Spiritual Paths that has been followed from ancient times by spiritual seekers. Due to its unsuspected authenticity and implied depth, yoga practice is hardly accessible to ordinary human intelligence; especially if we consider that everything that is received will be reflected or brought into awareness according to the nature of the receiver. Integral yoga is a group of yoga systems, ancient and new techniques that aim towards perfect Self knowledge, which ensures the harmonious development of the body, mind and soul.

The one who perseveringly practices the techniques revealed within this yoga school can obtain moral perfection, perfect focus of the mind and awakening of different psychic capacities. The yoga system taught within this spiritual school can be considered a real course of applied psychology, but it is more then this. Yoga without knowledge does not offer perfection. Only yoga and knowledge together can lead the perseverant practitioner to perfection.

Simple knowledge of yogic techniques does not bring progress without the awakening of spiritual intuition. At a first glance, the yoga that is practiced within this spiritual school might look like a succession of physical and mental exercises, practiced perseveringly only by beings who endure all sort of punishments. But for the initiates, yoga practice is the only thing that can offer the elimination of disturbing factors, both physical as well as mental, with the goal of achieving a perfect state of inner calmness, mental peace and profound inner focus. The mental sphere is superior to the physical body, which must become a tool for spiritual evolution: “The quality of an action depends very much on the mental attitude of the human being making the action.”

A truly spiritual person must acknowledge that there are also other spiritual paths which lead to the Ultimate Truth. We must have a respectful attitude for all Spiritual Paths. Related to this, Grieg says: “All authentic Spiritual Paths express the Truth in different ways which are specific to them. We can choose from each Spiritual Path that which we consider will help us. Generally speaking, they are all the same.”

Even if there are many authentic Spiritual Paths and all lead us to the Ultimate Truth, only one will fit us best – the one that leads us the revelation of our essence the quickest.
The spiritual guide can firstly be recognized as the founder of a spiritual school, as he is the one who put the basis of teachings that we can assimilate through study and actual practice. From the very beginning, when he can be seen as such, the Spiritual Guide does something else very special: he can guide the aspirant, if He is asked to, to decode the mysteries of his teachings. For assimilating spiritual teachings it is necessary to have an attitude of complete trust in their message and a state of openness towards the one offering those teachings.
 
Highly spiritually realized beings, saints, great wise men are always in the light of God and God is always mirrored in them. The closer you get to the Spiritual Guide, the more His infinite nature will be revealed to you. Eventually, being one with Him, you obtain supreme wisdom. It is not enough to know that He exists; even meeting Him is not the peak of your spiritual life. You must come closer to Him and establish an intimate spiritual communication with the Spiritual Guide.
Many of us heard people speaking about the Spiritual Guide of our School, there are many who even saw Him, but few are those who receive Him truly and forever in their hearts. Only those ones will make it. Many see the Spiritual Guide only as the founder of a spiritual school, and then, although he is a man of value, he remains only a teacher, guiding us through the teachings he founded.

Between the aspirant or practitioner and the Spiritual Guide there must be a relationship of honest friendship, in which you feel His guidance and support all the time, a father-son relationship. If we truly want to become better, purer, then we are ready and God sends us the Spiritual Guide. It will always be necessary to maintain this aspiration. When the aspirant is ready, the spiritual Guide appears. Although there can be more than one spiritual guide, we only need and it is enough to have one Spiritual Guide, because if we obtain His blessing, He will watch over us and support us until the end, showing us what our true essence is.
Meeting our Spiritual Guide coincides with the Manifestation of Divine Grace and then the true spiritual awakening is produced. When a highly spiritually realized being will be for us more than just the founder of a spiritual school, she will be our Spiritual Guide. From this moment on, any teachings the aspirant will ask from the Spiritual Guide, He will give to him and thus He will lead him with love towards the Supreme Self realization.

For this, it is necessary to constantly maintain the need for spirituality, which will accompany us in order to be able to enjoy the benefits of a truly spiritual life. The spiritual guide shows us the way that must be followed, but we alone will have to follow it. We will be able to do this if we integrate those enlightening advises and impulses offered to us by our Spiritual Guide in our everyday life, in order to help us:

“Ceaselessly maintain yourself in a continuous wonderful beginning. In this way, the steps are made one by one. Never fall into doubts, suspicions and pessimism. Never look down to the others, cold and without sympathy. Do not keep you heart as stone to those who love you. Every day, aim as much as possible to learn something new, both about yourself as well as about the beings you love. Everyday focus your attention, and aim to become aware of everything that is beautiful, both in the dear ones around you, as well as of everything good and beautiful within your inner universe.”

Taken from yogaesoteric.net

http://www.yogaesoteric.net/content.aspx?lang=RO&item=4768

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