This is my latest understanding. After analyzing my experiences with other people and their points of view, I came to the conclusion that becoming “righteous and sinless” is almost impossible. Gates are really so narrow. Being righteous and sinless means living under the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit.
I used to think it was simply a matter of technique — that with the right understanding and by following the right path (being guided by God of course), one could become holy, sinless, righteous, enlightened, or liberated. But this view was wrong. I’ve found that most people simply don’t want to become such individuals. Their ego doesn’t want to lose itself. Even “professional” teachers and gurus have problems with this.
Why do you want to walk this spiritual path? What’s wrong with who you are right now? Many are willing to start the journey, but almost no one truly wants to reach the final destination. They prefer their own ideologies, techniques, and concepts, yet avoid what actually works.
No one honstly has answered my question yet: Why haven’t you, with deep and sincere honesty, asked God to make you holy, sinless, and righteous? The ego senses its own end, it seems to you your end.
What is the ego, or the flesh? It’s an artificial consciousness — or more accurately, an unreasonable consciousness. It evolved to take care of our physical bodies. It’s blind to true reality: a subjective, automated control system. It governs animals, and it serves unreasonable creatures well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
What is the tree of life then? It is the Holy Spirit of God — Reasonable Consciousness.
Unreasonable consciousness steers us through feelings, desires, expectations of reward, or fear of pain. Reasonable Consciousness reveals the “Father’s” Will. He lets us understand His design, recognize His expectations, and see the true goal. If you lack Reasonable Consciousness, the instinctive guidance will continue to take care of you.
The ego uses fear and discomfort to stop you from starting to do the real job. Try this: imagine asking God to make you holy and perfect in His eyes. What kind of life would await you afterward? Only something useful and good, right?
Awakening begins when you disagree with the status quo — when you realize you’re being manipulated - how you feel, think, and act in ways you don’t truly want. Dare to beg God to liberate you, if there’s something in you that truly needs to be liberated. Or ask Him: Why am I so comfortable remaining unreasonable?