4 Major Signs You’re Having a Spiritual Awakening
These signs also act as a guide towards enlightenment.
Buddha was walking along a path when he exchanged pleasantries with an ordinary man. Immediately, the man noticed something unusual about Buddha (as he didn’t know who he was).
An extraordinary peacefulness, confidence, serenity, and calm exuded by Buddha prompted the man to ask hesitantly, “Are you, God?”
With poise and politeness, Buddha said, “No.”
“Then you must be a scholar of holy scriptures,” the man continued.
Again, Buddha answered no.
“Then, you surely must be a priest or a saint who is advanced in matters of rituals and devotion?” asked the man curiously.
Buddha planted a subtle smile on his face and said no.
“Who are you? Because you don’t look like me; you’re different.” the man finally asked.
Buddha replied, “I am awake!”
This story of Buddha is often told to describe the heightened state of self-awareness. Reading plenty of spiritual content and meeting with many Yogis and Tapasvis, I have realized that,
“When you’re spiritually awake, you experience undying happiness that’s undisturbed by any external stimuli like praise or criticism. When you reach that stage, your aura becomes so powerful that it starts influencing the people around you.”
When your every move is governed by an “awareness of who is doing it,” you’re spiritually awakened. Not everyone might experience that superlative state of spiritual awakening as the Buddha, but there’re signs that tell you your spiritual progress.
Also, these signs act as guideways for planning your spiritual journey.
1. You Are 100% Aware of Your Surroundings
One of the first signs of spiritual awakening is observation.
Cultivating the deepest concentration is the primary step for any Yogi to benefit from spirituality. By Yogi, I don’t mean a saint or sage. It can be anyone who practices the principles of spirituality in everyday life.
Today, most people don’t realize what they’re doing. Their focus and actions contradict each other. Eating but their focus is on the TV or lost in their thoughts, driving but listening to music or podcast, talking but imagining something else, etc.
A spiritually awake person knows exactly what he’s doing. He notices and remembers everything. By developing this kind of concentration, he’s able to create a photographic memory. He pays full attention to every minute detail like his waking time, the way he kept his shoes in the rack, people’s reaction due to the words he spoke, how many flowers bloomed in his backyard, how much time he spent on introspection, etc.
A person can completely be aware of his surroundings when his energy is not scattered. That can happen only when he’s into himself. His mental focus is on the present moment. He thinks only of what’s in front of him. He observes everything because his mind has no other activity to do.
The first step towards spiritual growth is always the awareness of the surroundings.
2. You Know How You’re Going To Re(Act)
Surety comes from knowledge.
When a person has acquired the crux of knowledge about what’s happening around him and his role in that scene, he won’t live in auto-pilot mode like everyone else.
Today, most people are living like programmed robots. The mental wiring propels them to adopt a “tit for tat” attitude. They act and think later. Not contemplating the intensity and return of their actions, bind them to use phrases like, “I didn't mean to hurt you, it was just a slip of the tongue, I am extremely sorry, I was not in my control, etc.”
But a spiritually awakened person is in control of his senses. He reprograms his mind in such a way that prevents him from reacting. Also, he always thinks about the consequences of his actions before acting upon them. With years of practice and self-control over the mind, these questions pop up in his mind whenever he’s required to act:
- Do I need to be a part of this act or a conversation?
- Why am I feeling angry?
- Do I need to advise without being asked?
- If I act his way, will it invite any harmful consequences on my future self?
- Do I need to make the noise of my noble actions?
- Am I acting with an awareness of my true kind self?
These questions keep his actions in check. Not a single Karma is wasted on trivialities. His every thought has a meaning; every act has a purpose.
So, asking yourself these questions will serve as a guiding tool towards fulfillment. A Buddhist monk Ajahn Summano mentions in his book, “Questions from the City, Answers from the Forest”:
“Sincere inquiry always sparks our movement toward truth and compassion. Deep questions that arise naturally in the process of life’s unfolding signal the manifestation of the very energy through which we grow further.
We would be arrogant to believe that we can proceed far without pondering the important questions life asks of us.”
This way, a spiritually awakened person conserves a lot of mental, physical, psychological, and emotional energy, which otherwise would have been wasted in acting without thinking (about the consequences).
3. You Feel a Sense of Responsibility Towards Humanity
A person who evolves spiritually has a greater purpose in life than the rest. He lives for others. Not because of some fear or an obligation to make his lord proud. But he feels a sense of responsibility towards humanity.
A spiritually enlightened person will no longer indulge in thoughts and actions based on personal motives. He’ll seek solace in thinking about others. Also, he won’t feel hurt even by an inch when others reject him because his intentions were pure and free from expectations.
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, the author of A Jewish Code of Ethics, writes:
“Recognize when the needs of others are greater than your own.”
Decoding this elevated level of selflessness, this could mean:
- Stopping your car to allow even an animal to pass.
- Letting the merging traffic enter your car lane.
- Patiently allow a tailgater to overtake you without cursing.
- Speak politely even you’re accused of a sin you didn’t commit.
- Helping others go ahead of you even if that means you’ll have to wait for a longer time.
- Donating without expectations of praise.
Volunteering and serving others becomes a natural way of living for them. Why? Because they feel that they’re connected with the universe.
Take, for example, the metaphor of an ocean. They’re the wave, and they’re the ocean. They are separated from their judgmental attitude (that might arise from other’s ill behavior) yet connected to them through their altruism.
4. You Are Detached From Everything
When I use the word “detached,” it doesn’t mean renunciation. Detachment is the heightened level of consciousness that spiritually awake people develop. It’s a myth that only sadhus and saints can develop this attaintment.
When you’re completely surrendered to the Almighty, even your thoughts look alien to you. “Whatever comes to you is through the channel of Almighty” — you have deeply accepted this truth that liberates you from the burden of any possession.
For saints, it’s easy to attain because they have renounced all the worldly pleasures and material comforts. As it’s rightly said in a proverb — Out of sight is out of mind.
But for a household spiritual person, this attainment has a deeper meaning. Consider an example of a lotus — it blooms amidst the mud (live in this material world enjoying the pleasures) yet remain detached (no feelings of I can’t live without this…).
You can only achieve this level by releasing all the false attributes like name, title, occupation status, educational designation, etc. Why? They’re eventually going to die with the death of your mortal coil. Also, the soul never needs anything materialistic. The immortal soul craves eternal pleasures which lie in the remembrance and devotion of the Almighty.
So, start with erasing the false mindsets that:
- I am Darshak (Name)
- I am an Engineer (Profession)
- I am a son, friend, etc. (Relations)
- I am a Designer (Occupation)
- I am the owner of a mansion or a fancy car (Possessions)
If you constantly live with a soul-consciousness awareness, no worldly pleasure will attract you. That’s because you’re living with the truth that you’re a soul, not the body. The more we practice this consciousness, the easier it becomes to free ourselves from the illusion of “I am the body.”
If you are evolved spiritually, your organic thoughts for material possessions would be — If I have it, it’s good. If I don't, it’s still better.
Final Thoughts
If you’re on a spiritual journey and have had hints of the awakening mentioned above, many congratulations. But if you wish to open yourself to your full potential, I recommend some practices like:
- Devote an hour of silence to reflect upon your thoughts and actions.
- Spend time in solitude.
- Connect with the community.
- Practice seeing everyone beyond the labels of name, profession, status, etc.
- Focus on what you do. Think what you do. Do what you think.
- Slow down the pace of your life by pondering upon your wants.
Before you go, I will leave with a thought-enriching quoted from Lao Tzu:
“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment. “
This week at Spiritual Secrets, it’s your turn to share your knowledge about enlightenment, awakening, etc.