· Daniel W. Chen · Spirituality · 3 min read
What is a Spiritual Awakening?
Discover the five stages of human spiritual awakening, a journey I began in 2014, and learn what I wish I knew when I started my practice a decade ago.
The Essence of Spiritual Awakening
Most people sleepwalk through life. They’re unconscious, driven by ego, reacting to the world around them. But there’s another way to live.
Spiritual awakening isn’t about religion. It’s about waking up to reality.
Traditional Perspectives on Awakening
Before we dive into the stages, let’s consider how two major spiritual traditions view awakening:
Buddha’s View
Buddha taught that awakening (enlightenment or Nirvana) is the end of suffering. It’s achieved by understanding the true nature of reality:
Impermanence: Nothing lasts forever.
Suffering: Attachment leads to suffering.
Non-self: There is no permanent, unchanging self.
Through meditation, ethical living, and wisdom, one transcends the cycle of birth and death (samsara).
Jesus’s Teaching
Jesus focused on awakening as an inner transformation through God’s love and grace. Key elements include:
Repentance: Turning away from self-centeredness.
Faith: Trusting in divine love.
Living out principles of love, forgiveness, and humility.
Jesus emphasized a personal connection with God and the transformative power of divine love.
The Stages of Awakening
1. Unconsciousness: You’re a puppet of your thoughts and emotions. You believe you are your ego. Life happens to you.
2. Ego Death: You realize the ego is an illusion. Your old identity crumbles. It’s terrifying, but necessary.
3. The Search: You seek truth. Not intellectual truth, but experiential truth. You read, meditate, explore. You’re driven by an insatiable curiosity about existence.
4. Emergence: Your authentic self begins to surface. You can’t pretend anymore. Old relationships, jobs, beliefs fall away. It’s painful, but liberating.
5. Alignment: Inner and outer worlds harmonize. You accept yourself fully, flaws and all. This self-acceptance extends to others. You see the interconnectedness of all things.
Key Insights
Suffering stems from identification with thoughts and emotions.
The ego is a construct, not your true self.
Awakening is a process, not an event.
It requires courage. You must be willing to let go of everything you think you know.
As you awaken, your external life will change to match your internal reality.
True awakening leads to greater compassion, not detachment from the world.
The Paradox of Awakening
The more you awaken, the more you realize there’s no fixed “you” to awaken. The seeker dissolves into the seeking.
On Technology and Spirituality
Can technology aid spiritual growth? It’s a contentious question. But if technology is an extension of human consciousness, why couldn’t it be a tool for expanding consciousness?
The key is intention. Use technology mindfully, and it can be a powerful ally in your awakening. Use it unconsciously, and it becomes another layer of ego-driven distraction.
Remember: The map is not the territory. No app, book, or teacher can awaken you. They can only point the way. The journey is yours alone.
Awaken. The world needs more conscious humans.
P.S. I built Life Note to help you have a smoother ride this spiritual journey, feel free to try it out and let me know what you think.