Channel Spiritual Longing into Powerful Practice and Inquiry

An individual seeking guidance shared the following:

"Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. My deepest desire is to achieve a full spiritual awakening, primarily because I want to bring about beautiful, positive change in the world. I've long felt that my mental health struggles have prevented me from making a real impact, which contributes to a sense of worthlessness.

I am aware that I sometimes use my spiritual path as an escape from life's difficulties. However, I also have a genuine longing for awakening for its own sake—out of a deep love for Truth and my true nature. A part of me is becoming impatient, wondering when this direct experience of my true self will actually happen. In the meantime, I am continuing my efforts to heal."

Soh replied:

Your longing to awaken for the sake of beauty and truth is precious—and the fact that you can name the feelings of worthlessness and still keep your heart open says a lot about your strength. 🙏

Two things that can really help now:

1. Channel the longing into practice. Put that desire straight into intense but steady self-inquiry and meditation, every day. For self-inquiry, keep returning to the felt sense of “I”—Who (or what) is aware right now? Where does the ‘I’ arise from?—and rest as that Awareness/Source the moment it’s glimpsed. (Ramana’s classic Who Am I? is a clear pointer.)

https://www.gururamana.org/Resources/Books/Who_Am_I_English.pdf

2. Loosen the grip on outcomes. Awakening isn’t a future event to “get.” Grasping at a later breakthrough actually veils the immediacy of your true nature here-and-now and adds suffering.

Helpful reading/listening:

• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (there’s also an official audio program read by the author). If you prefer, you can search YouTube for audiobook versions.

• If you can, find a living, awakened teacher for guidance and feedback. Meanwhile, I just posted this full list that you can read end-to-end: https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2025/08/dzogchen-mahamudra-resources-with-links.html

On mental health: please don’t worry that struggle disqualifies you—many people with significant challenges have awakened, and practice often supports healing. Go at your own pace and keep seeing professionals to help hold the container while you practice: https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2024/10/prioritizing-professional-mental-health.html