There’s something mystical about just being, but there’s something equally mystical about becoming. This perhaps is the key insight of the evolutionary enlightenment perspective–that the impulse to become, grow, evolve and diversify is also a valid and identifiable element of the basic ground. Our universe is the outgrowth of this mysterious impulse.
It’s easy to get so caught up in the business of doing that we begin to form assumptions, such as the opposite of doing or just being is the pinnacle of spirituality. We may not feel particularly spiritual in doing–we’re rushed, anxious, stressed. So spiritual practice seems to be about stillness, nowness, letting go and so forth.
This perspective creates a duality between our busy lives and those seemingly more spiritual moments, but this is a misnomer. As long as spirituality is the opposite of everything we do there’s no opportunity to integrate. Spiritual growth occurs in a vacuum during those rare moments when we have time to go on retreat or meditate. Then it’s right back to the status quo.
So we need to see that the “busyness” of our lives is actually a manifestation of this other aspect of Spirit–the impulse to create, build, grow, develop, diversify and become. Granted, it can look pretty dysfunctional at times, but it’s all related; and when we tap into this impulse in a deeper way, it will inform and direct all we do with clean and revitalizing energy.
Our busy lives then become an expression of our spiritual nature as we engage in enlightened activity doing just what we’re doing right now.
So the next time you’re meditating, see if you can identify and experience the clear energy of the evolutionary impulse. Then ride it throughout your day. It changes everything.
