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There was quite some time that passed during which I didn't understand what was meant by sacrifice in the work. I understood that it was difficult, that I had to give things up, but it was always fairly easy and nothing so intense as had been described. I recently realized, however, what sacrifice in the spiritual work means.
It means putting the work first, before friends; before work; before everything. I had assumed that this could be the case no matter what I did, which is to some degree true. It IS possible to hold the work first even in the worst of situations that are the least conducive to the work. However, if we are serious about the work, there are other sacrifices one must make. During this past year, I have made wonderful friends, I'm in a housing situation I love, I have a community of people that I love, I have job directions I want to move in, and all these wonderful things that are not overtly at odds with the spiritual work. However, these very things and my excitement about them helped me realize where my efforts had been going: into friends, career, community, etc... and not the work.
Sacrifice is giving that up to pursue the work. I'll be moving out at the end of this summer and moving to California, where I look forward to attending the center there. It is/was/and will continue to be a difficult decision, but now I have the first taste of what real sacrifice is and means, it means putting the work first actively, and not just letting the events in your life drift free as you try to fight your way spiritually.
I hope you all find the strength that I have been graciously given to carry out this work past all barriers.
-J
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Join Date: 2005-01-26
Forum Posts: 766
Hi, good topic!
To me, sacrifice is an important dissolutive function towards true change, alchemical change.
Such alchemical change requires that an unrefined thing is changed or “raised” into a superior thing. A truly superior thing remains that way because it does not revert back into it's original state.
It's constant is that it is always changing for the better.
It's evolving.
Like Jacob's Ladder, we must sacrifice the lower things beneath us in order to keep the higher things attained.
This will also help combat against the gravity of entropy, to not slip back into old habits and into the temporary kind change.
One should only sacrifice those things in life stopping them from evolving. If you like your job for example, and there's nothing to it in the way of your spiritual work, then there's no reason to sacrifice it.
Some people might do things like that to wear poverty as an identity for example. Walk around in rags to proudly boast how humble they are, etc...
Thanks for your experience, those barriers you mentioned don't get any easier, we just get stronger.
Join Date: 2003-08-20
Forum Posts: 56
Hi Julian and Apakhana
Just read your post and wanted to wish you all the best with your move Julian, as being part of a centre is very uplifting. There's nothing like doing practices with a group of people, it gives such a boost and helps a great deal with your own practices at home.
Apakhana, I agree with your comments about sacrificing those things that prevent you from taking up the spiritual work, sometimes its not what it seems and things that are difficult can be there for our learning. In one of his earlier skype talks, Master Belzebuub touched on the subject of changing jobs in a reply to one of the listeners, its worth listening to. He also talked about 'sacrifice' in a follow up talk. Personally, I find the Master's talks excellent and very motivating.
Until the next post, :) all the best.