I believe it might have been my Catholic
rearing that gave me the impression that any legitimate spiritual awakening
would be of the Burning Bush variety. That impression brought with it the notion such an event
ought to bring with it super-human powers to heal, to levitate or to walk on
water.
After
abandoning the childish notions of a transformative shot from heaven, I then
read into Eastern spirituality (i.e., Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa
Yogananda) a similar take on spiritual abilities. Then I read Buddhist texts.
There I read about how a variety of sages experience something translated as
“enlightenment”. These too were sudden moments in which the disciple would be
transported into a new awareness. I read a story about spiritual competitiveness
in which one monk challenged a sensei named Bankei, boasting: “The founder of
our sect can perform all sorts of miracles.”
“I can too,” answered Bankei, “When I feel
hungry, I eat, when I feel thirsty, I drink.”
I agree with Bankei because I too can now enjoy life. Isn’t
that a miracle?”
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