The Joy of Self Mastery Part 1

04/21/23 • 25 min

Don Daniels, a former monk and lifelong student of personal growth, presents episode 9 part 1 of the Notes on Self Mastery podcast. In a live presentation, Don talks about attaining the joy of self-mastery - when you finally take control of your life - and how many people on the spiritual path often forget about taking care of themselves in the mundane world. He emphasizes the importance of being aware of how to take care of oneself in all aspects of life. When self-mastery is attained, we then naturally infuse spirituality into our everyday lives.

The conversation emphasizes the importance of responding to life situations with love instead of fear. Coming from a place of love can help one make decisions easier, but it also requires being a spiritual warrior and being prepared for constant challenges. True spirituality is about balance and constantly witnessing the flow of God through us. He acknowledges that living in love can be challenging in a world that constantly throws curveballs, but emphasizes the necessity of being a spiritual warrior and constantly witnessing the flow of God through oneself. Don discusses the importance of responding to life situations with either love or fear and the need to choose love as a way of life. True spirituality, he believes, is not just about extreme happiness but about finding a place beyond happiness that is more important and satisfying. In this conversation, Don discusses the importance of self-mastery in spiritual growth, and how facing and overcoming the dark aspects of ourselves is crucial in this journey. He also touches on the impermanence of everything in this world and the need to find the permanent source of joy and love within us. The speaker mentions the concept of the bliss sheath in Vedanta and Shaivism, but emphasizes that even this is still a dualistic idea until we identify completely with the source of that bliss, which is really us. Finally, Don asserts that love is a natural phenomenon that should be an integral part of our spiritual growth.

The conversation continues with a discussion about self-mastery and the different areas where individuals need to work on balancing their lives. Self-mastery involves understanding oneself, confronting one's dark side, and infusing it with light, love, and God. The conversation continues with a discussion of the first three types of mastery necessary for a fulfilling life: physical, emotional, and relationship mastery. -----To be continued in Part 2. Stay tuned!

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Previous Episode

Way of the Compassionate Heart

In episode 8 - Don Daniels shares more of his spiritual journey, beginning with his early experiences of the Holy Spirit and dissatisfaction with the religious teachings of his youth. This journey led him to travel to India, where he lived in a monastery and became a teaching monk. After leaving the monastic order, he continued to grow spiritually, emphasizing the importance of feeling God's presence within oneself and seeing it in others to develop a compassionate heart.
Daniels emphasizes that truly feeling God within requires identifying with the divine presence and recognizing that our heart, mind, and spirit are part of God. This leads to the development of compassion and love for others, even those we might not like. Daniels also highlights the importance of remembering that we are one with God, even during difficult times, and that developing faith and intuition can help us live a life of compassion similar to that of Jesus Christ.
Drawing on the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi, Albert Einstein, and others, Daniels encourages listeners to give of themselves, let go of the ego, and allow the divine presence within them to shine through, emphasizing that our true nature is love.
Einstein once said that a human being is a part of the whole, that we call the universe a part limited to time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the primary goal of true self-mastery and religion. Or at least it should be.
Einstein was pointing to the same truth as spiritual masters have been for centuries -that our limited sense of self is an illusion and that we are, in fact, connected to something much greater than ourselves. This realization is at the heart of developing a compassionate heart.
As we connect with the divine presence within us and recognize our unity with all that is, our compassion for others grows. We begin to see the divine spark in everyone we encounter, even those we may not like or understand. As our compassion deepens, we often feel called to be of service to others, to ease their suffering, and to share the love and light we've discovered within ourselves.
In this journey, we must learn to love ourselves as well. Only when we truly love and accept ourselves can we genuinely love and serve others. As we embody the compassionate heart, we become instruments of peace in the world, living examples of the divine love that connects us all. By embodying compassion and love, we can help uplift and heal the world.

Next Episode

The Joy of Self Mastery Part 2

This conversation is part two of a live presentation on the joy of self-mastery by Don Daniels. He discusses the five pillars of self-mastery, with financial and career mastery being the fourth. The fifth pillar is about time management in our lives. Don emphasizes the importance of finding a career that aligns with an individual's spiritual path and light-heartedly warned against relying solely on God for financial sustenance. He encourages integrating one's job into their spiritual life.

The conversation continues with a discussion of the fourth pillar of self-mastery, which is financial or career mastery. Don emphasizes the need to find the right career path that aligns with one's Dharma. He shares his experience of trying out different jobs and how important it is to find a career that fits an individual's spiritual path. Don shared his personal experience of trying out different jobs after leaving the monastery, including selling insurance, which he found to be a terrible fit. As he says, "Talk about cognitive dissonance"!
The next part of the conversation shifted to Don's personal experience of working in a psychiatric unit after getting a degree in psychology. He recounts a touching story about a patient whom he provided care for.
Aligning a career with spirituality is crucial for achieving self-mastery. As highlighted in this discussion, finding your Dharma and integrating work into your spiritual life can elevate your career to a higher purpose. It takes courage and patience to find the right career path that resonates with your spiritual path, but the rewards are worth the effort. Financial success is important, but it's equally important (perhaps more so) to remain aligned with your spiritual values. Integrating work into your spiritual life helps in creating a cohesive, fulfilling life. It's important to prioritize spiritual alignment in our career journey and experience self-mastery in all aspects of life.