Being Evolutionarily Enlightened: What Does it Really Mean?

your personal growth, nor is it for your own sake. It is for the sake of the whole. It is no longer an individual right or a private choice, but a powerful moral imperative arising from your felt sense that you are here to serve the evolution of the whole. And so you feel driven to uncover your innermost personal essence and unique qualities at the deepest possible level – the level of the soul. You feel called to find your true soul-purpose, and bring to fruition your unique gifts and develop the skills that correspond to them, so that you actually have the means to con- tribute to the evolution of the cosmos. The sense of fulfilment and empowerment that comes along with that is felt to be of secondary importance. It is merely a byproduct of having found your authen- tic voice in this cosmic orchestra. When you have awakened to your Authentic Self to such depth and have grown into these advanced stages of self-actualization, the answer to the question ‘How shall I live?’ will be plain obvious to you. Your purpose here on God’s earth will be self-evident, and the ways in which you are here to serve the further evolution of the cosmos will be crystal clear to you. Such a grace-filled life, awake to the evolutionary impulse, deeply self-actualized, and lit up by the creative vibrancy of the Authentic Self, embodies the essence of the New Enlightenment. In light of all this, it is clear that living from your Authentic Self and actively applying the skills of your self-actualized poten- tials in service of a larger goal is the most powerful antidote there is to the sense of nihilism and meaninglessness that has overtaken parts of our culture – a sense that has even become commonplace in some spiritual circles who view life, the self and the world as il- lusions to be seen through and transcended, rather than ever-evolv- ing expressions of the Divine to be participated in wholeheartedly. At Manifest Nirvana, we dedicate substantial energy and attention to the all-important process of fostering people’s self-ac- tualization and empowerment. We provide an environment where everyone can flourish into the sovereign souls we were always meant to be – a setting where we can show up as creative pioneers, living inspired lives, serving the evolution of consciousness and culture, and co-creating the brave new world we would all love to live in, and would be proud to leave to our children. Being Evolutionarily Enlightened: What Does it Really Mean? In the Dharma of Evolutionary Enlightenment, the realization of the Ground of Being, which has been the crown jewel of Tradition- al Enlightenment throughout the ages, continues to be the corner- stone of this newly emerging path. Yet the New Enlightenment en- riches this classic realization of the True Self, which is unborn, and prior to creation, by adding a novel dimension to the Dharma that exists entirely within creation. It draws our attention to the need to also wake up to our Authentic Self – a state in which we align ourselves with the creative vibrancy of the evolutionary impulse - which was the missing piece in the Traditional Enlightenment schools. And thus in the teachings of Evolutionary Enlightenment the goal is awakening to both timeless, formless Being beyond the world and evolutionary Becoming within the world. So what exactly does it mean, then, to be evolutionarily en- lightened? We define it as the ability to transition effortlessly between the peace and bliss of Being – the goal of Traditional Enlightenment, and the ecstatic urgency and creative vibrancy of evolutionary Becoming – the goal of the New Enlightenment. When you are capable of moving seamlessly and fluidly between both, that’s when you know that evolutionary enlightenment has awakened in you. This smooth movement between Being and Becoming is a spir- itual skill. It magnifies as you realize more and more deeply what is perhaps the most profound mystery of all: that at the deepest possible level Being and Becoming are not-two. The more you live your life based on this radical nonduality of Being and Becoming, the more you become aware that Being and Becoming are fully and simultaneously present in every single moment of existence. They are two aspects of One Ultimate Reality - two sides of the same coin. The creative impulse is always inherently present in the transcendental depths of the Unborn, where it exists as infinite potential, just as the Ground of Being is always present in every move of this dance of creation as its Divine Source. And so, as a practitioner of Evolutionary Enlightenment, when you sit in meditation, you are consciously aware of the timeless stillness and blissful peace of Being. But the moment you get into action you are instantly attuned to the ecstatic urgency of Becom- ing and its boundless evolutionary creativity – yet always without compromising your rootedness in the Transcendental Source Con- dition. You know that the God-Force is sometimes experienced as transcendent peace beyond the cosmos, and sometimes as ecstatic urgency within it. The ability to move gracefully, naturally and ef- fortlessly between these apparently paradoxical expressions of the God-Force is the essence of living an evolutionarily enlightened life. The profundity of this realization, however, only becomes truly whole, potent and complete if we live it together with others. So let us transition now, to the Sangha Jewel of the Triple Gem and explore how we can live an evolutionarily enlightened life not just individually, but also relationally!