Click HERE to view Rev. Maraj’s guided meditation during the service.
All right. So, tonight we begin a five-week series on a book entitled “Living Originally” by Robert Brumet.
So, how many people like to live originally? How many people have no idea what living originally even means? Okay.
So, when you hear “living originally,” things that would come to mind would be like living uniquely; living authentically; living life on your own terms; marching to the beat of your own drummer. Or Sinatra would say, “I did it my way.”
And as good as that sounds, there is something that’s even deeper. There’s a deeper meaning to the term “living originally.” The actual meaning of the word “original” means being connected to your origin. “Living originally” means living from your spiritual essence, from your divine nature, from the core of your being.
Robert Brumet says, “Instead of living originally, most of us live unoriginally. Instead of living consciously, we live unconsciously. Instead of feeling connected and identifying ourselves with our spiritual nature — with our origin — we feel connected and attach ourselves to our low self, our small self, our false self: that part of us that has been conditioned to believe in lack; to believe that we are unworthy.” You know, to live in fear, to see just the negativity in life.
And that is not who we are. That is not our origin.
Unfortunately, we spend more time living mechanically, cautiously, and fearfully instead of living fully, authentically and originally. And Robert Brumet says that the answer from living unoriginally to live originally is that transformation. He said transformation is not just about improving your self-image; transformation is about awakening to the truth of who we really are.
He said transformation is a sacred process of disidentifying ourselves from the conditioned self and returning to the essence or our origin. Transformation, he says, is what’s needed to go from conscious to unconscious; and living unoriginally to living originally.
So, transformation, he says … In the book of Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 2, it says, “Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” And that Scripture is saying: Do not live in the conditioned, negative things that you’ve been told — these false beliefs – but renew your mind. Shift your mindset and consciousness and how you see yourself. Because then that will shift our perspective, our experience and how we interact, and how we show up in our lives; in our relationship. And particularly how we see and treat ourselves.
A great Bible story of transformation is Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. You know, Paul — who was known as Saul at that point — was very hateful. You know, he persecuted Christians. You know, he was an angry, hateful, violent individual. And then he was transformed and he was the one credited with spreading the gospel.
And so how did that happen? So, a flash of light hit him and he was blinded for three days. And somehow in that darkness — and interestingly, Jesus was in the tomb for three days — and something miraculous happened in the darkness that actually awakened him to the light. It transformed who he was into a whole different individual. It changed him at depth. And he had a radical shift in his purpose, his sense of meaning, and how he lived his life.
The thing is that transformation is an internal, invisible process. Because real transformation is spiritual in nature. You know, we can change things on the outer, but transformation is a deeper spiritual process.
You know, I think we all would like to transform some aspect of our lives. It’s really more like transforming some aspect of ourselves. And the two things that are needed for transformation: number one is desire. There has to be some yearning or desire calling or knowing that, “There is something greater that I’m meant to be. There is something greater that I am meant to do. There is a greater way that I am meant to live.” The transformation requires some desire within us.
And the second thing it requires is a level of surrender. Because to truly transform anything, we have to be willing to let go. We have to be willing to let go and release on all areas and stop resisting; stop fighting; let go of our attachments.
You know, Scripture over and over again tells how important it is to surrender and let go to allow something greater to take place. Many times in the Bible it says we must die to the old to be born anew. You know, to have a resurrection, there has to be a crucifixion. There has to be a dying to — a letting go and a releasing — to create a space to allow something greater and better.
Sometimes we just want to keep adding more and more, but sometimes you need to surrender. You need to let go. You need to release some of those energies, some of those mindsets, some of those beliefs that have been blocking us from living as full of life as we want.
Everybody remember the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price? This man finds this pearl that is so precious; that is so wonderful; that is so valuable. He goes and sells everything so he could purchase and buy it. And what that means symbolically: you have to sell and give up all those old, limiting thoughts to be able to purchase this thing of great value that would fulfill him and bring him joy and meaning.
Robert Brumet says, “The seeds of transformation lie within each of us and is awaiting our activation. We cannot control when or how the seeds will come into fruition, but we can develop the conditions that nurture and support the seeds of transformation. We do this through spiritual practice.”
So, what he is saying is: If we want to transform our lives, the absolute key is spiritual practice. How many people have a spiritual practice? How many people know you could probably do your spiritual practice a little better than you’re currently doing?
And so, the powerful thing here is — what we’re going to do is — we’re going to look at three things that can help us transform by being more effective in our spiritual practice.
And so, the first thing to help us is to PRACTICE WITH INTENTION. You know, intention is a powerful thing. Intention is not just a wish or a thought; It is actually a point of focus that directs our energy and our actions to some greater outcome.
Intention is the starting point of every dream. It is the creative power that fulfills all of our needs, all of our desires, all of our goals. Whether it is or a job, or a finances, or a healthier relationship, or healing in our families, it is a powerful and important thing: intention.
And so, how does an intention relate to spiritual practice? And so, my question is for you: How many people believe in the power of intention? Everybody? Okay … So, my question is: What is your spiritual intention? What is your intention for your spiritual practice? Have you ever thought of that? What is your intention in your spiritual practice? Is it just praying for what you might need in that particular moment, you know, to feel or get some clarity or guidance or some peace or healing?
And that’s good … but we’ve got to go a little deeper. When you pray, and when you engage in your spiritual practices, what is it that is truly your intention and your goal?
I think Paul puts it generally like this — our intention when we pray and have spiritual practice. He said, “Let the same mind that was in Christ Jesus be in you.” That it is about the intention of attaining the Christ consciousness. It is about the intention of being aware of our oneness with God. It is the intention of — Paramahansa or Yogananda would say — achieving self-realization, or to fulfill our divine potential, or to fulfill God’s will, or to fulfill our purpose.
So, what is your spiritual intention? It isn’t just the prayers we do. And there’s nothing wrong with the prayers or meditation we do. There is a higher purpose and intention when we pray. And what is that for you?
In Matthew 6, Verse 33, Jesus said, “Seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness.” Seek ye first. An intention is to seek God first, making our spiritual practice a priority and the priority of our lives.
Wayne Dyer says, “Intention is a fundamental aspect of the Law of Attraction that posits that we attract what we are rather than what we want.” If our intention is seeking God, really our intention is really achieving a higher vibration. You know, life is energy, and our words, our bodies, our actions all have a certain energy. And the level that we vibrate at; that frequency are the things that we attract in our lives.
So, we want to raise that. Our intention is to raise that. And the God consciousness is the most powerful way to do that.
You know, about five or six years ago, I spoke at a conference in Scottsdale, and it was called “Raise Your Vibration.” How to raise your vibration. And so, in my talk, I said there are two things you’ve got to do to raise your vibration. First: do activities that will raise your vibration. And the second is: stop doing things that lower your vibration.
And two of the most important things for us to stop doing — because if you have an intention to have a consciousness of God and to know a fullness of God — that there are things we have to make sure we don’t do; things that are pulling us away from the very thing that we are seeking. And the two to not do are: stop judging and stop complaining. To stop judging others in all areas of our lives — including judging ourselves — and to stop complaining.
You know, they did some studies with couples where they had them stop Judging and stop complaining about each other. And they found, within a month, the level of love, the level of joy, the level of trust, the level of honesty they had automatically went up. Just not doing something that brought them down naturally increased their connection, their intimacy, and their sense of closeness.
Intention is a powerful thing in so many areas of our lives, but absolutely vital in our spiritual life and spiritual practice.
So again, what is your intention for your spiritual practice? What is your intention of the highest outcome you would like to see from your spiritual life? Make seeking God a priority. And do things that raise your vibration and stop doing things that lower your vibration.
Alright, So that’s the first thing.
The second one is to PRACTICE WITH SINCERITY. In the Book of Jeremiah, it says this. It says, “If you seek me, you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart.” [Repeats] If you seek me, you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart.
The greatest commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all your mind and all your soul.
You know that line in Proverbs? It says, “As a man thinketh in his heart.” So often in the Bible, it talks about your heart. You know, “Seek God with all your heart.” “Love God with all your heart.” As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
And it is talking about the power of our heart: the power of our sincerity. That to do something with a sincere heart, compared to doing the very same thing with reluctance and resistance, is a complete difference. The difference is huge!
In Matthew 6:33 — I just read it, but I didn’t read the whole line — it says, “Seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Seek God, and then all these things will be added unto you. But it’s important for us to not be seeking God to get the other things. It is to seek God for the sake and the love of seeking God and being at one with God.
And so, we have to ask ourselves: So how sincerely am I seeking God in my prayer? Or am I just doing it for the payoff? For the benefit and the good that I want? And there’s nothing wrong with wanting or desire. But when it takes the place — or is a higher priority — than just seeking God and experiencing God, we begin to rob ourselves. And so, it’s a tough thing to seek God with all your heart as you are struggling in some areas of your life. That’s why you have to turn your attention completely to it.
In my prosperity class, we have a practice of 40 minutes a day of seeking God with all your heart. To not ask for anything except to seek a desire to experience and feel the presence and power of God. You know, a desire to experience a sense of wholeness and connection with God as the only thing we need to do. Because when that happens, we become so filled that the things that we desire just begin to attract in our lives. Because that God energy — that positive vibration and energy — has so increased that things begin to flow in our lives.
Robert Brumet says, “Engage in the practice without attachment to a specific outcome.” Seek God for the love and the delight and the joy of seeking God. Seek God to reconnect with the truth of who you are with your true nature.
So, intention. Sincerity.
And the third thing to help our spiritual practice be more effective so we can transform is to PRACTICE WITH CONSISTENCY. Most people don’t think about how powerful and important consistency is, but it is crucial for success. Because consistency fosters discipline. It builds momentum. And through small, repeated actions, it creates reliable, strong habits. Success happens with doing small steps and habits over time.
You know, most of us: we want to hit a home run for success, but that isn’t how it happens. It happens by small, little, consistent steps. Small, consistent actions over time. And it has to be consistent. And it’s got to be daily.
Someone said, “You don’t become a concert pianist by reading about music. You’ve got to practice, and you’ve got to practice daily.” Jesus demonstrated this for us. He prayed consistently four or five times a day. He prayed in the morning and midday and afternoon and evening, and sometimes in the night. Whether he needed it or not, he built a rhythm and an energy.
Sometimes we just pray when we need it or pray when we’re lost or pray when we’re upset. But the consistency built a level of consciousness — built a level of momentum — and created a nice rhythm that helps us transform and change.
The Apostle Paul said, “Whatever you have seen in me or heard from me or learned from me, put it into practice, and the peace of God will be with you.” You know, transformation just isn’t a one-time thing. It is an ongoing process supported by intentional spiritual practice with sincerity, with; consistency.
So, the three things we need to do in our spiritual practice is: to practice with intention; practice with sincerity; and practice with consistency.
So, let’s look at a few spiritual practices. Because it doesn’t matter what the spiritual practice you do is, but these three elements actually make them more effective, whatever your practice might be.
Let’s look at mindful meditation. How many people have done mindfulness meditation? Great! And so, the intention would be there to be present; to be engaged in yourself, in your life, and whatever you are doing. And so, the sincere practice, of course, is closing your eyes and just following your breath in; following your breath out. Follow your breath in … and be fully present to the sensation as the air … You can feel it coming up your nose and out through your mouth. That you are fully engaged and present right there.
And what will inevitably happen: your mind will wander, and you just have to observe and be aware. Don’t get upset about it; just be aware of it and then return your attention back to your breath. Feel the air as it comes in; feel the air as it leaves. Feel the air as it comes in; feel the air as it leaves.
Brumet says that, over time, you’ll say to yourself and realize, “I am not my thoughts; I am not these emotions; I am that which observes.” He said, “This is essence recognizing itself.”
And so, to do your mindfulness meditation with intention, with sincerity and with consistency absolutely makes a difference. I told you guys, years — I think maybe five or six years ago — I went to attend a silent retreat. And we meditated 11 hours a day. Eleven hours a day! How many people ever meditated for five minutes and your mind wandered for four? [Congregants laugh] Anybody ever? Okay. Well, imagine how much your mind wanders in 11 hours of meditation!
But one of the things about it is: you’ve got to be patiently persistent and just bring it back. Not get upset at yourself. Not think you’re doing it bad or wrong. You just need to keep coming back. Keep coming back. It’s a part of the business. That’s what having a human mind is: it runs all over the place. “Monkey mind” they call it. But you just have to keep at it. You have to keep at it. It’s hard, but you keep at it. You keep at it.
Consistency. Sincerity. Intention. It is powerful.
And the thing is, I think people give up on meditation, sometimes thinking it doesn’t work. But it does! You just need to keep doing it! You just have to accept the fact that your mind wandering is just a part of the process. It’s just a part of the process. Keep meditating; keep doing your practice.
I always say, like … You know golf is a really hard sport? You know people swear and throw golf clubs all over the place; do all kinds of things — break them in half. But then they go back and play golf! [Congregants laugh] And the same with meditation! Yeah, your mind will wander; you think, “Ah, I got nothing out of this!” But then you go back. You keep going back. You keep going back.
Mindfulness meditation: Consistency. Sincerity. Intention.
Okay; next one. The next practice I think is a powerful one, and that is self-inquiry. And that is where you would say to yourself, “So, what’s going on inside of me? So, where in my life am I hurting or struggling right now?” Or, “Why am I hurting and struggling right now?” Or, “What am I holding on to? What do I need to see differently in this situation?” Or, “What do I need to heal?”
And, in these, you write. “What is it I need to learn? What is it I need to let go of? How can I show up in my relationship with more compassion and more kindness?”
And you just write. You answer those questions and you write. Because one of the things that self-inquiry does: the intention is to be more honest with yourself; be more connected to yourself. To pay attention and to feel and listen to your own needs and own desires. Sometimes we are disconnected from the truth of who we are! Sometimes we don’t know how we feel. Sometimes we don’t know what we want.
And self-inquiry is a powerful thing. The answers are in you. The question is: Are you willing to ask them with intention, with sincerity, and with consistency?
Last one. And that’s journaling. How many people have ever heard of or read “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron? Anybody? Okay; cool. And so, one of the things she has people do is what she calls “morning pages.” You get up first thing in the morning and you write three pages of whatever’s on your mind. And you could even be writing, “I have no idea what I want to write today. You know, even this exercise is really annoying me,” and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.”
But you’ve got to write three pages – handwritten! And so, the amazing thing ism she says — and what happens – is it kind of clears your mind. It gets rid of the clutter. It helps you not stay stuck; a certain flow and energy starts to happen. And it boosts your creativity and it helps your overall productivity. And it just …. things get moving!
Because we get stuck in our heads a lot. And so, just beginning to write this at the beginning of the day really gets things to flow and to move. And it creates a sense a space for inspiration and wisdom to come forth when we — my brother calls it “desludging” — or just decluttering the mind.
My brother, Brian, has been doing morning pages every day for 13 years; has not missed. This guy loves this! He thinks it’s the greatest thing! He thinks it has brought more joy and happiness than any other spiritual practice that works for him. He also writes poetry, so sometimes he “desludges,” and then poetry comes out of there him. But he endorses it. And he does it with intention. He does it sincerely. And He does it consistently. The difference it’s made in His life is absolutely tremendous.
So, we’re at the beginning of this process. I’m just teeing it up. The spiritual practices are coming. But I just want to set the context and the mindset for you doing your spiritual practice and your desire to transform your life.
One thing I do want to say is: in this process, please be gentle with yourself. We can be harsh on ourselves. We can judge ourselves and beat ourselves up, sometimes because we think, “Oh, man; look where my life is. It could be — it should have been — further. Feel like a mess. Feel lost.” No! You are where you are. That’s it! You just are where you are. No need to feel bad or ashamed or anything about it.
A caterpillar It’s not bad because it’s not a butterfly yet. A child isn’t bad because it doesn’t know as much as adults. We’re all a work in progress! And it’s important to realize: “I’m just am where I am. This is the foundation. The choices I made made — the good ones, the not so good ones — that have brought me to this moment have also been is the foundation upon which I can build and transform and improve my life.”
Do not have regrets of what you did or didn’t do. Right now is where you are. And be gentle with yourself so that you can transform and do even greater things.
And remember: adversity sometimes is a good catalyst to help us move towards changing and transforming our lives. It’s not something bad; it could be something that can be very, very good and helpful for us.
Another aspect of this is: nobody gets it right all the time. So be patient with yourself, as well as gentle.
You remember Peter in the boat in the storm? And Jesus called him out and he was able to stand on the water and walk on the water for a bit while he looked at Jesus? Then he lost his focus and put it on this crisis — on the storm — and he sank. And he climbed back into the boat.
And so, my question is: Did he fail? And I would suggest no. He tried! To the point that Jesus later said, “You are the rock upon which I will build my church.” Because he did it. He tried it. He put it in motion.
No one’s going to get it right all the time. If you meditate for five minutes, and your mind wanders for four and a half minutes, did you meditate for only 30 seconds? I would suggest you meditated for five minutes. Because meditation is also just being available. It is that practice — that whole practice.
And so, we need to be gentle and supportive with ourselves. It’s a long process, but it’s an important process, and I think one of the best and most important things that we could do to bring our lives greater happiness and fulfillment.
If you want a better life, transformation — spiritual transformation — is the answer. You need desire and surrender but, most importantly, it’s about the effectiveness of your spiritual practice. Not just that you practice but how you practice: with intention; with sincerity; and consistently.
When you connect with the core of your being, it will absolutely help all of us in “living originally.”
God bless you all.
Copyright 2025 Unity of Phoenix Spiritual Center/Rev. Richard Maraj