Law of Discipline

Freedom is the result of discipline, not its absence. On the surface it appears that freedom is a great escape from boundaries and limitations. Do anything. Do it anytime, anywhere. Forget about restraint or consequence.

But some allowances bring greater bondage, and some limitations bring greater freedom. Because everything is connected to everything, expanding in one area means contracting or limiting others as explained in the Law of Dynamic Balance. Freedom to spend money brings economic obligation. Freedom to abuse the body results in loss of physical power. Everything is a trade—a balance of losses and gains.

As we grow, we become more conscious of these relationships. We become increasingly intentional about what we are willing to give up and what we are willing to gain. Discipline becomes an internal process of limiting some things in order to grow others of greater value. This process becomes ever more precise and demanding.

Many people never advance because they are unwilling to bring rigor to their life. Diversions drain away the time and energy essential for spiritual development. The resolve of one day vanishes the next. Over-extension consumes every resource. There is no time for anything that matters because it is allocated to everything that doesn’t. Excessive material ambition takes many to the point where they can barely hang on.

Adepts and masters pursue a careful process of focusing energies. They do not arrive by accident or fluke. Nor are their unusual abilities acquired casually or attained solely as a gift of grace. They bring their body, emotions, and mind into perfect control. But this is really only a beginning. The discipline required to use power appropriately is more nuanced. Ultimately discipline becomes a conscious alignment with the universe—a harmonization with the impulse of creation.

On the spiritual path, we all become more aware of what is diverting. This is called becoming one-pointed. It happens every time we make more conscious decisions about how we want to invest our energies, what is really important, what advances our growth and service. Each constraint becomes a choice on the path of greater freedom and power.