The Spiritual Path Should Be Rated ‘R’
By: Craig Kolavo
Tags: Spirituality, Spiritual Awakening, Personal Development, Spiritual Growth, Awakening

Intended for a Mature Audience

The Spiritual Path Should Be Rated ‘R’

Although I’m not a religious guy, I have been a seeker on my spiritual path for decades. If I had any regrets, it would be why it took me so long to evolve on this journey. In hindsight, I now know that everything unfolded in perfect time. However, I do see how religious beliefs ingrained in my mind from childhood did slow my progress.

For example, God is an old man with a flowing white beard sitting in a throne somewhere up in the clouds. Okay, I know this sounds silly, but this image is exactly what we were taught to believe as children. God was this father-like figure who was often angry and judgmental. He was watching over us like a hawk — keeping detailed notes for judgment day. If you’re good, you will be rewarded in the afterlife. If you’re bad, you must pay the price. Images of heaven and hell were everywhere to remind us.

Obviously, I can only speak of my own experience. However, since there are more than 2.3 billion Christians in the world, I’m guessing that I am not alone. I don’t really blame anyone. Maybe ‘God in the image of man’ is necessary for kids?? I’m a parent now. I understand how a little fear can be a good tool for control. But come on, we’re not children anymore!

If you’re looking for God, it’s time to stop gazing up into the sky. It’s time to trade in that telescope for a microscope. If you are really looking for a Divine presence, it’s time to look within. For me, becoming self-aware was a knowing that God is my Life Force — the vibrating energy that animates every cell in my body. The word animate is perfect for this definition. From the Latin anima or animat, it means “life, soul, instilled with Spirit.” Even Jesus taught, “Do you not know that you are a Temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells within you?” Wow, that says it all for me. In addition, this Energy that flows through you also flows through all of creation. This is what connects us all!

By the way, these are not some ‘New Age’ hocus-pocus ideas. This is an age-old message. The NY Times best-selling author Richard Rohr, who has also been a Catholic priest for the past 50 years, recently said on his podcast, “This message of self-discovery is what Jesus was trying to teach 2000 years ago. Obviously, humanity wasn’t ready for this message, but maybe the time is now.”

To put it in a nutshell, I believe at birth we are pulled from an invisible world of pure energy into this world of form. For those who are waiting for the Second Coming, this is it! Doctors say this unexplainable ‘spark of life’ appears sometime between 22–30 days after conception. It’s often called a ‘heartbeat’, even though the fetal heart is not fully developed at this stage. Anyway, fast forward several decades — when our bodies finally wear-out. This eternal part of ourselves (Energy/Life Force/Spirit) will simply return to its Source. For those who prefer a metaphor — if God were the Ocean, every newborn would get a drop of this Ocean water at birth. When our bodies perish, this water evaporates and will return to the Ocean. How cool is that!

If this is too woo-woo for you, maybe a little science might help build my case. Science and technology have been catching up with what the ancient mystics have been teaching for thousands of years. Did you know that the human body is 99.9% empty space? I know, this sounds ridiculous! However, the study of particle physics (atoms, quarks, etc.) has proven this to be true. I love this analogy; If the nucleus of an atom was the size of a peanut, the outer shell would be the size of a football stadium! That’s a lot of empty space! These atoms, which make up all matter, have electrons zipping around inside, giving them the illusion of being solid. Think of a ceiling fan running at full speed.

Since life cannot exist without this invisible energy field (99.9%), I refer to this as our Life Force. Humor me a little longer for one more scientific tidbit. The first law of thermodynamics says Energy cannot be destroyed. It can only change in form. Hence, the eternal nature of the energy body. Awakening to this awareness is true freedom. We are eternal spiritual beings on this amazing human adventure. Why not enjoy this ‘form’ we find ourselves temporarily inhabiting? Again, when the physical body finally dies, we simply change form and return to our Source. Nothing to fear.

Did you notice there was no mention of making any side trips to heaven or hell?? Okay, I’ve got good news and bad news. Let’s start with the good — there is no hell in the afterlife. What’s the bad news? We create our own ‘hell’ during this lifetime. This realization was a huge aha moment for me. Although it took me 50 years to figure this out, I am now aware that most of life’s anxiety, fear, pain, and suffering are caused by our disconnection from Source. We came into this world as body and soul. Unfortunately, we’ve completely forgotten about our better half.

Like any school, the School of Life will continuously test us. These daily life lessons will repeatedly attempt to lead us to awakening — to discover and reconnect with our Divine nature. When we continue to ignore these lessons, the tests become more difficult, more painful. I know this firsthand! I was one of the stubborn ones. Always rushing from one experience to the next. Never taking the time to look for the wisdom of the present moment. In a mystical way, pain is good. It will eventually lead us all to look within. To discover the Sleeping Giant who patiently waits to be discovered.

Although I’m optimistic during these turbulent times, I do feel a sense of urgency. We need more awakened beings on this planet now! When this day arrives, we will remember our oneness. When we begin to see ourselves in the eyes of another, peace will soon follow.

with love,

Craig

Craig Kolavo is the author of Awaken the Sleeping Giant, and the founder of AwesOm Life and Together We Are Strong. Learn more at www.AwesOmLife.com and www.TogetherWeAreStrong.com .