A Spiritual Roadmap




A Trans-personal Spiritual Roadmap


NOTE:  Transpersonal means to 'transcend' the personal.




The Trans-personal Spiritual Roadmap below is composed of six different lists and descriptions.  They are...

1) The aspects of our experience  is a breakdown of the four different aspects of a human experience.


2) The Leading Indicators of Spiritual Progress - This is a list of characteristics that are initial indicators of spiritual progress for those who may not feel that they are making progress... at first.


3) The Progressions on the Path - This is a list of spiritual progressions that the individual can use as a 'troubleshooting' guide to gauge their 'progress' on the path.


4) The Stages on the Path - These don't necessarily have to be static stages but rotating stages that we can all 'rotate' through at one time or another.


5) The Impersonal Trans-personal Archetypes - These are descriptions of how individuals who are making spiritual progress perceive the world.


6) A Profile of a seeker who is making 'gains' - is a list some of the characteristics of seekers who have made some gains on the path.


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1) The Aspects of our experience


There are four aspects to our experience... they are...


1) Our Humanity - 'Gifted' to us (if you will) by an unknown and unknowable source... such as we are... because it is required for a human experience.  Composed of all that is necessary for an individual human experience such as a physical body, non-physical bodies, thoughts, emotions, instincts... and karma with all its karmic 'connections' and attachments.

The 'operating system' of our humanity is the ego.

The individual human expression that runs 'on' the operating system of the 'ego' is the 'personality'

All this 'heaped' together can lead to the assumption of a separate 'person'... or 'self'.

2) Our being, awareness or essence or 'Self'.

3) Intuition which is the non-local guidance system of the individual being... it 'informs' the individual of that which it can't 'see'... IE: that which is necessary to navigate individual experience successfully.

4) The 'Doer'  - 'that' which is the Source of our humanity... our essence... our intuition and all that 'just happens'   It is infinite and unknowable to us, such as we are, as individuals... thus it is from our perspective... 'Sacred'.   



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2) The Leading Indicators of Spiritual Progress


 Spiritual progress is often said to be a measure of detachment, happiness or joy but those are the fruit of practice... not necessarily the leading indicators of progress, which are more subtle.   It's important to keep these in mind so that progress is not discounted along the way as any encouragement is helpful.  

* focused awareness leading to an ability to sustain efficiency and hard work.

* paradoxical actions... as in:

     Less concern for the personal and more for the community as indicated by spontaneous anonymous acts of 'paying forward'.

     NOTE: The flip side of this is greater inner attention or 'minding our own business' - as in inner business.   Paying forward to the community can be the paradoxical spontaneous fruit of inner attention.   Why?   Because we spontaneously appreciate the community more than ever now that our attention is inward... because personal concerns are in their proper place... so we have more bandwidth of attention for the community around us... it's a paradox.

the exercise of will through self imposed discipline.

the ability to act on what we know... IE free of doubts.

* the ability to act in an emergency with a calm, clear mind.

* growing comfort with being alone with ones self... and ones mind.

* moments of being undefined... recognizing that and beginning to be comfortable with that.

* moments of 'understanding'... seeing through dilemmas and false dichotomies of opposites.

* independent mind - seeing through manipulation... greater discernment.

* personal balance... body and mind.

* rational mind... clearer thinking and appreciation for practicalities that were once overlooked.

* moments of spontaneous creative problem solving using counter-intuitive solutions.

* moments of spontaneous creative imagination... not only artistically but in practical matters as well.

* deeper appreciation for quality of the local environment around our selves... not just the planet.    Why?   Because when you can 'see' past your nose you start to notice things - and 'others' - around you.  All of a sudden... it's not all about 'you'.

* inner attention has started to shift from the personal to undefined Being, Self or awareness.


NOTE: A major leading indicator of progress is the ability to 'see' past our own 'personal' opinions.   That's a paradox.  We still have opinions but we are not attached to them... we are able to 'see' past them... because opinions are not all that's 'on' now.    This is a leading indicator of detachment... detachment from our own 'personal' opinions.   Why?   Because now we have access to a source that knows better than our own 'personal' opinions.   A source that can 'see' beyond them.  So you're now 'seeing' beyond the personal.   It's obvious.  


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3) The Progressions on the Path


 The following is a list of progressions on the path which can be used as a 'troubleshooting' guide to gauge ones progress.   These are not meant to be absolutes but rather 'tendencies' that are available to the seeker in varying degrees - and on multiple levels - on any given day and in any given situation.   So they are always in flux and should be seen in that light...  these are indicators... not necessarily static 'states' ... since we're constantly cycling through these tendencies.  The seekers job is about building the momentum of spiritual tendencies which leads to the ability to turn the inner attention 'in'.   It's only the 'person' that wants or needs attainments.   Being is satisfied with itself.

 So 'progress' in this context, is seen as a 'progression' in the 'growth of tendencies'...  and they 'progress' from left to right... but 'progress' can also be in the 'opposite' direction as well at times...

Confusion about the problem and confusion about the solution -----> Understanding the problem and understanding the solution -----> No problem

* Separate person -----> Individual being  ------> non-local individual.

* Spiritual seeker ------> spiritual practitioner ------> spiritual being.


Personal willfulness ----->  Individual Will  -----> Surrender of individual will to the One Will

* Personal problems and dramas -----> Impersonal situations and adventures -----> Living as the answer to all problems

* Inner attention on the personal -----> Inner attention on Being -----> Inner attention on the Infinite

* Distracted and unfocused person -----> Focused individual -----> individual and non-local 'focus'

   NOTE: Focus is required because being is the hardest 'thing' to 'see'.

* Contradictions and dilemmas -----> seeing through 'dilemmas' with understanding -----> Universal Understanding

* Wants and needs -----> needs and preferences -----> minimal needs and preferences

* Linear view -----> Paradoxical view -----> Infinite view

* Personal work ----->  Spiritual practice -----> Self Mastery -----> Detached Witnessing and Understanding -----> Self Recognition -----> Enlightenment

* Inner attention on the outer -----> Inner attention on inner -----> Inner absorption of inner attention

* Holding on ------> Letting go -----> Surrender

* Linear Time through projecting the past into the future -----> Releasing attachment to the past -----> moving forward in the 'moment' -----> Timelessness

* Inflexible resistive -----> Flexible and adaptive ------> Universal adaptability and non-resistivity

* Uphill climb and Hard work -----> Efforting -----> Non-efforting or Effortless unlimited effort

Personal opinions -----> 'Impersonal Opinions' --------------> "Opinions" are Knowledge.  

   NOTE: Impersonal opinions are opinions that are informed by impersonal awareness... thus they carry more weight...  but they are not infallible


* Unconscious reactions -----> Conscious responses -----> Consistent responses.

* Personal consciousness ---------> Individual impersonal awareness ------------> non-local individual awareness.

* The 'personal position... to the impersonal position... to a Superposition in the mind (IE: you're 'operating' on multiple levels... simultaneously - the 'personal' and the impersonal... simultaneously)

* It's all about me -----> It's not all about me -----> It's all 'me'... so to speak.





  So... what are the Leading Indicators that we're not aware...

* It's all about me.

Unable to 'see' past our own beliefs and opinions.

* Only projecting the 'past' into the 'future'.

* Only aware of the personal.   Being is absent.

Only capable of personalized reactions.

* Unresolved dilemmas.

* Inflexible and resistive.  

* Distracted and unfocused.

* Inner attention only on outer things.

 It's simple...  but these symptoms can (and will) occur even to someone who is making progress... but it still pays to know the signs so the turnarounds can be quicker.   Knowledge of the problem is a time saver... but not all there is to the solution.  The solution is to keep practicing once we see the problem is 'back'... so to speak.

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4)
The Stages on the Path


  The Spiritual Stages are not about static stages but about cycling through the stages below.   Acceptance of this constant 'cycling' is part of the path.  So we cycle from 'personal work' to 'spiritual practice' to 'Self Mastery' and then inevitably to the practices of 'Self Recognition' and non-local 'Depth of Field'.  Eventually Waking up occurs and recognition of ones impersonal Being becomes more of a constant.   This sets the stage for 'Greater things' to come.  Personal work will hopefully become less problematic as time goes on and require less and less attention as attention shifts to the impersonal being and detachment becomes more familiar.


Stage 1:  Personal Work - complex work on 'problems'... Inner attention on developing the person

 Composed of:  Letting go, responsibility, emotional work, diminished willfulness, developing perseverance, growing up and becoming an adult, developing legitimate 'self' interest and strong ego boundaries, habit modification (addiction recovery) greater awareness of diet and health, subconscious work, inter-personal work, developing discernment and intellect, attitude adjustments, inspiration and hope, study, learning to turn a negative into a positive, balancing outer life.

 Purpose:   Personal balance minimizes distracting personal resistance by putting the person in it's place and minimizing unnecessary karma and dramas.   It also helps in learning to deal with the inevitable karmas and dramas.  Personal balance is an ally to being and the community.   It's a form of paying forward to ones being and the community.   It's learning to 'mind ones own business'... by keeping the focus on the potentially disruptive 'person'... as best as we can... until we can understand.   Personal work is the beginning of the process of learning to focus attention inward by minimizing inner and outer distractions.


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Stage 2:  Spiritual Practice - hard work through use of will... coming up with solutions... Inner attention begins to shift to undefined Being, Self or awareness

Composed of:  Meditation, Contemplation, bodily practices like Yoga and Chi-Gung, breathwork, developing will and discipline, developing paradoxical impersonal individuality and 'Self' interest... as in interest in the 'Self', (distinguishing between proper ego boundaries - the 'person' - and the 'Self') delaying gratification, developing awareness distinct from consciousness, working with inner attention, under-conscious work, appreciation for paradoxical knowing understanding as opposed to 'personal' opinions, study, creativity as a vehicle for trans-personal experience, developing deeper discernment, developing impersonal power, energy work and energy awareness, incorporating health as a component of spiritual progress, developing an awareness of and a connection to the greater cosmos (Jyotish), mantra, learning to transmute 'negative' (IE distracting) energy into the energy of awareness, learning to balance the inner and outer.

Purpose:  Training inner attention so it can focus on and 'see' awareness or being.   Training the body/mind to help facilitate that.   Brings being into play to keep an 'eye' on the personal expression... so the person is now "informed".   Being "informed" is being guided by intuition that knows instead of only being guided by limited personal beliefs  (intuition is the silent instantaneous 'voice' of Being that informs us).   Inner attention develops this '3rd eye' of awareness.   You could think of 'being' as 'adult supervision' of the person... because it simply 'knows better'... because the person is only capable of belief.   The recognition of this 'help'... is a relief.

NOTE: Personal work is for the sake of the person and the community... and by extension, the Self.   Spiritual practice may have a paradoxically beneficial effect on the 'person', but in the end, it is for the sake of ones being.   It's a way of exercising the 'self-less' muscle.   It is an act of 'growing' the recognition of that which is beyond the person which helps to balance the 'person'... thus making the 'person' more compatible with the newly emerging 'Self'.  Primarily though, it's honoring that which is beyond the person by first remembering and recognizing that being exists.  Then practice makes sense.  We forget to practice because we forget we exist... as being.  So it's a 'time-out' from the 'person'.   It's a self-validation of being... because we don't honor something unless we believe it exists.   So just the act of practicing is an assertion that we exist... as being... and this recognition requires work on our part.  It's an act of will.   Spiritual practice is what happens when we have the will to make 'time' for the 'timeless'.


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Stage 3:  Self Mastery  the reward for hard work but still requires effort on all levels... Inner attention more on Being, Self or awareness... by choice

 Composed of:   The reward for personal work and spiritual practice.   The 'reward' is a personal expression that serves impersonal being instead of obscuring it with distractions.  As such, it can be trusted more and more to be an ally instead of an adversary.   These individuals are more comfortable with being undefined and less attached to the personal... and they know exactly what they came here to do.  Self Mastery requires a sustained and developed individual will and balance.

Purpose:  For a seeker it's a means to an end.  The personal 'self' is now at the service of the individual being (it's proper place) rather than being the source of obscuring it.   And this being is serving it's 'Self' and the community by what they do... as well as by what they don't do.    When we are able to consistently 'supervise' our selves with awareness and being we are 'stand alone connected'... and 'good to go'.   You're a stand alone spiritual practitioner (but connected) and are self regulating to some degree... so that translates into a degree of 'independence'.  


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Stage 4:  Detachment   still requires efforting on all levels... Being, Self or awareness is clearly seen as 'other' than the person

 Composed of:   Detachment from the 'personal' by bringing the detached, impersonal 3rd party witnessing awareness into play... knowing understanding, increasing value of the inner, inner independence, inner freedom felt as uncaused happiness or joy, empowerment of the individual being, balanced expression of inner and outer.    NOTE:  Uncaused happiness or joy may or may not put a smile on your face but it is always felt and appreciated inside... because it's a product of inner attention... so there doesn't need to be an impulse to express it externally... so others may not necessarily know about it just by looking at you.  The joy comes from knowing that the 'person' has nothing to do with 'you'... which is a huge relief.   It's also inherent in the nature of the '3rd party'.   This is 'seeing' from 'both sides now'.

Purpose:  We can't 'set sail' till we 'let go the lines'.   So we can't prepare for the infinite until we detach from the personal.   It's seen as a 'good first step'

NOTE: See The Three Levels of Detachment in the Footnotes in the blog Home Page .


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Stage 5:  Self Recognition - Recognition of ones Self is 'implied in the act of 'seeing'.   IE: 'you' 'are'... and you 'are' where you 'look'.   Identification then shifts to this undefined awareness or 'Self'... because 'you' are obvious... everywhere you look.   It can be experienced several ways such as an ambient non-local awareness in and around the head or as 'you' recognizing 'you'... or as the 'Inner I Am' witnessing the outer 'I'.   It can also be experienced as 'Self' recognition.   'You' recognize 'you'.   Learning how and where to 'look' for 'you' is a practice that can be Mastered... with practice.


 NOTE: Separation is in 2 stages... the first Separation is the result of the individuals 'separation' of attention.   The 'answer' is practicing 'unseparated' attention or inner attention on outer attention or inner attention turned 'in' on its 'Self' (IE: 'going within') until 'you' are spontaneously obvious everywhere you look...  Unity consciousness begins with a 'unification' of the separation of ones own attention.


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Stage 6: Waking up   The individual 'wakes up' when they come to the realization that this is a world of 'sleeping' people (including them).  So their basic working assumption is that everyone they meet is 'asleep'... until they 'prove' themselves otherwise.   Those that are 'awake' don't feel the need to prove to others that they are 'awake' as 'reality' is all the 'proof' they need.   Its up to 'others' to impress them... that they are 'awake'.   So the burden of 'proof' is on 'others'... not the awakened individual. 

 Thus they 'wake up'... to their own 'sleep'.   They 'wake up' to the reality of their own Being.   


Purpose:   The purpose of waking up is to recognize reality... the reality of this world and the reality of ones own impersonal Being... once and for all.   This sets the stage for Greater 'things' to come.



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Stage 7:  Enlightenment - effortless efforting... Inner attention mostly divided between the Self and the Infinite with the 'personal' faintly in the background... its proper 'place'

 Composed of:   It can be a varied mix of all or one of the following... and or even more:  Peace... non-interrupted Peace even in so called 'sleep' states.  Uninterrupted awareness of ones own Being... even in so called 'sleep' states.  These individuals are 'Home"... and feel no need to leave 'Home'.   Degrees of universal awareness through a 'Depth of field' of awareness which extends outward through an extension of inner attention 'out'... that's a paradox... as inner attention eventually widens the focal plane of outer awareness through the 3rd eye.  Thus the outer is seen as 'in'... as in 'inside' ones 'Self'.   Degrees of inner absorption of inner attention, universal consciousness (Crown Chakra??), universal being. Unity beyond conflicts, Loving Understanding.  Unlimited meaning. Overwhelming value of the inner.   This can be seen as not only a lack of a substantial separate person... as in 'self-less-ness'... but in the extreme as even the lack of an undifferentiated Self as all is ones 'Self'.... or 'Self-less-ness'... as in all is 'in' ones 'Self'.   That is the ultimate Realization of undifferentiated being.  Or it can be viewed as all is one 'individual Self'.   Either way it is an enlightened perspective.

Purpose:  To inspire and be a blessing for all they 'see'.



 NOTE: We value that which we place our inner attention on.   So if inner attention is solely on outer things, we'll overwhelmingly value the outer.   When inner attention shifts to the inner, values shift to the inner.   When inner attention is trained to focus on the inner for sustained periods, sooner or later it will be 'absorbed' by that which is the source of the 'inner'.   And then... and only then, will the inner be overwhelmingly valued.

 Everything hinges on this inner attention... all spiritual practice, in the end, is about first distinguishing and then training this inner attention so that it can be focused in the proper direction.


 All distractions are distractions from recognizing this inner direction of inner attention... and the power and potential that it has.

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5) The Impersonal Trans-personal Archetypes




1) Local Individual trans-personal archetype... is an impersonal individual whose perception is relatively localized but paradoxically divided between their 'personal' life and the 'impersonal' Self.   In this case their experience is dominated in the 'foreground' by this impersonal awareness or 'Self', while the 'personal' is in the 'background'.   So they have a higher value of the impersonal over the personal because it 'dominates' their experience.   Thus it is a 'trans-personal' perception... because their impersonal perception 'transcends' their 'personal' perception.


2) Non-local Individual trans-personal archetype... is an impersonal individual who perceives their impersonal 'Self' awareness as both local and non-local... in addition to their experience of their 'personal life' in the 'background'.   Thus they 'see' not only 'beyond' the 'personal'... but 'beyond' the visual bounds of their own individuality... via the classic 3rd eye of awareness.   Thus  they not only 'transcend' the 'personal' but the sense of being a localized individual being as well.
 Thus they are 'twice' transcended... simultaneously.  Even 'thrice' transcended when you consider that they are operating in and out of time... simultaneously.  Which explains why these experiences are otherwise known as... 'ineffible'.


3) Surrendered Archetype... is the non-local individual whose inner attention is drawn 'in' to the point where they have surrendered their individual will to the One Will that is simultaneously the Source and the 'doer'.   They see themselves as an individual non-local 'free agent' of this Source or One Will.


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6) A Profile of a seeker who is making 'gains'


"It is sacred because it's eternal... that's what sacred means."
John Michell... from the movie "Crop Circles... Quest for Truth"

  Such independent seekers in the 21st century might have the following characteristics in that they are:

Aware... and they are aware they are aware.  

Adaptable and flexible... adaptable to whatever their personal destiny has thrown at them and flexible in body and mind.

* Focused... on whatever is in front of them.

* Exhibit Self imposed discipline... even when so called "work" is hard to find... because the 'artist' in them is always busy.

* A good citi-zen... because they are 'paying forward' by paying attention...

* Appreciates Quality... see's it as a reminder of the Infinite nature of reality and inspiration for such... Quality is seen as a reflection of their inner values and a reminder of their inner direction in life.

* Grateful to and respectful of spiritual traditions... but may not necessarily be a part of any tradition.

* Detached and engaged... detached from personal 'attachments' but engaged in life... confident that their efforts will eventually be rewarded when it's motivated by awareness.

* Understands... as in... 'understands' both sides of the paradoxical 'personal-impersonal' dilemma of life and unconflicted by any so called 'dilemmas'.   IE: they have 'A life'.

* Practical... exhibits common sense... see's it as a benefit of awareness.   Common sense is seen as 'that which is obvious' in light of awareness.

* Has a developed individual will... and diminishing willfulness.   And this will is focused on 'doing what they came here to do'.

* Independent... in mind and spirit... not subject to manipulation... because they see 'through' it.  IE: they are nobody's fool.

* Creative problem solver... isn't defeated by 'problems'.  Comfortable with creative 'workarounds' and adaptations.

* Creative expression... as a spontaneous expression of their appreciation of 'Quality'... and it has the 'qualities' of Quality.   Creativity is seen as inspiration that's 'paying forward' to ones 'Self'... and to 'others'... as well as paying Respects to 'that' which is greater than the 'individual'.

 But... when the need arises in phenomenal life they are:

 * Rational (another aspect of common sense).   They see this use of rationality as an 'Art' to be practiced and a benefit of awareness... as this logical rationality is merely a practical part of a multilayered existence... and not the 'heart' of it.   And this rationality is not incompatible with their emotionality... or their awareness... or their creativity... it's simply a useful tool for navigating through phenomenal life and for accomplishing what they came here to do with minimal distractions... IE it serves their 'purpose'.   It's an expression of an 'economy' of awareness by not wasting awareness on distractions when it's most needed.   'Economy of awareness' is 'efficient'... because they don't waste what they value.  So efficiency of awareness is an expression of their value of awareness... it's an expression of a 'focused' mind... when needed.   So they are focused and rational when needed and open to creativity when creativity is called for... or when the inspiration arises.   IE:  they are flexible.

* Intuitive and discerning... because they are informed by that which is outside of time... and capable of acting on it.

But...


* They make good use of 'time'... because they are not held back by the past... or the future.

Comfortable with their 'humanity'... IE: they no longer see it as a burden to be endured but a vehicle for experiencing and helping 'others', even if its only by what they 'don't do'.

Appreciates experience... because experience is intimately tied to awareness.  No awareness... no experience.   No experience... no existence.  

The 'personal' is not their 'purpose'... because their 'purpose' is a function of a 'trans-personal' awareness.  Thus this 'trans-personal' purpose is an 'adventure'... because their 'purpose' is Bigger than the 'person'.

So the 'person' knows its 'place' in relation to the individual... and the individual knows its place in relation to the unknowable.  IE the Sacred.

* In other words...  It's not all about 'them'... 


   Such individuals are an asset to any society... as well as to their own 'Self'.  


NOTE: Awareness can be trusted because it doesn't "turn" on the seeker... even when it's 'turned' on its 'Self'.


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Robert McCoy
Authors Blogger Profile
Contact Info:      bommac123 (at) gmail.com