CJ interviews Arjuna Aradagh author of “Better than Sex” and founder of Awakening Coaching about spiritual awakening.  How does one become enlightened? What are the signs?

YouTube Interview on Spiritual Awakeining with Arjuna Aradagh

What are the signs of spiritual awakening?

by CJ Liu

Every day we have the opportunity to awaken.  Many would have us believe that it is a long path of hardship to arrive at being awakened.  Once we’ve arrived, then the challenge is sustaining and maintaining this state permanently.   Really?  Doesn’t it sound painful just thinking about it?  This was my take away from my conversation with Arjuna Aradagh.

There is much to be said about simplicity and breaking the goal down.  How about finding just one awakened moment in one day? Don’t worry about whether it’s one moment or minutes in a day.  Joy, happiness, and awakened moment doesn’t have to be out in the future, you can have it right now.  Think about it as each day you are feeling a bit more awakened day by day.

So, what does a moment of bliss look like for me? Each day I walk to my local coffee place to get coffee.  Often times, this may be my only connection with nature during the day.  I know, it’s sad.  Over time, this walk has evolved into a coffee procession where I look at the trees, feel the gentle Seattle Rain on my face, and smell the freshness in the air. This 5 minute walk can be pretty exquisite or a slog in the rain.  It’s really up to how I choose to see it.  I’m averaging about 50-50 in whether I experience the slog or nirvana.  But even if I miss the opportunity to enjoy my walk over, I almost always am totally present drinking each latte.   Drinking coffee for Seattle folks is a ritual.  The best part is sticking my finger in the creamy foam and then enjoying it bit by bit.  But, it’s engaging the 5 senses with the smell of cinnamon, the slightly bitter taste of the coffee, and the warming sensation as it slides down my throat that creates a heavenly moment for me.

So, what are the signs of spiritual awakening?  When do you know that your spirit is awake to the true nature of reality? It’s having moments during a given day where you are totally present.  It’s a moment when you fade away and all that remains is the deep connection to something whether it be a latte, tree, or the God within you. It’s the recognition that you are one with whatever you are experiencing.  It’s realizing that despite all the musings in your head, that the only thing that truly matters is that moment.  It’s recognizing that all you have to do is choose to touch, see, and feel something different in that moment to be awake.  And it’s to recognize that all is well in the universe and you. This is at least my sense of the signs of spiritual awakening.

Here is the quote that Arjuna says sums it up for him:

“Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in”.. Leonard Cohen

A conversation with Arjuna Aradagh about this Book and about Enlightenment

Q: How did you get the title of your book “Better Than Sex”?

A:  In the book, there are 7 steps to awakening. Arjuna describes the step and process called Radical Awakening, which he stepped attendees through during a presentation at the United Nations.  The day afterwards many of the attendees described their experience, but his favorite was someone who described the Radical Awakening experiences as  “Better than Sex”.  I bet you want to try it with that description.

Q: What does it take to be Enlightened and Awakened?
Awakening is different than awakened.  Awakening is a process. Awakened is a state of being and we often think of it as an accomplishment to be attained in the future. This kind of thinking is dangerous because it puts us in a state of striving for some better state in the future versus recognizing our brilliance and love, right now. The real leap is to abandon this ideal of being awakened in the future and be in the now. Awakening is always “NOW”.

Q: How do I know that I’m awakening? What are the signs?
A: At 9:51 in the tape Arjuna steps CJ through a process to help you feel this sense of awakening in the moment. Sadly, we think of awakening as something that we need to struggle with to achieve and that will give us a sense of superiority. But, waking up is easy. It’s about relaxing and paying attention into the moment. It’s our ambition to get someplace else that doesn’t allow us to see that we are already this radiant, beautiful consciousness, and love. This is our nature.

Q: How do we release this belief that we need to achieve an awakened state within a period of time?
A: We talk about the ego, negative emotions, and the mind as getting in the way of our being present. None of these things that are in the way, are really in the way. When people say they have lost this connection with life and themselves, what they are really experiencing is a resistance to accepting what is happening in the moment. So, instead of changing our thinking, it’s about relaxing the resistance. It’s about a reflex and reacting differently versus fighting against a concept (my ego). It’s about allowing yourself to flow through versus resisting who you are at this moment. Check out mp3 downloads on radical releasing: www.ArjunaAradagh.com/cjradio

Q: Questions to ask yourself when you are resisting?
A: What is my deepest longing? This question will take you deeper because your heart cannot forget what you want.
Do you want to make the process of awakening complex or simple? While most people want simplicity, they don’t live in this way.
Ask in each moment, who is experiencing this? Who is hearing the sounds right now? By going to this place you will find stillness.
When you have a strong belief, ask yourself “Is my strong belief true? Does EVERYONE have this same belief? Can I let go of my own way and let things flow?

Arjuna Ardagh – Awakening Coach and Author

ARJUNA ARDAGH Arjuna Ardagh is an awakening coach, writer, and public speaker who has trained more than 1,200 people to become facilitators of awakening. He is the author of seven books, including the #1 national bestseller The Translucent Revolution. Website: arjunaardagh.com