Are you enlightened?
Alesha grew up in a family that practiced Yoga and Meditation, and had his first meditation lesson at 4 years of age. As a teenager he experienced the ecstaty of divine love, but this did not satisfy him. He went on a 10 year inner journey to discover why an experience that seems so profound did not make him happy, and how to find happiness. In the end after many dead ends, and no one who could guide him on the right path he stumbled for himself on the experience of oneness that transcends and includes love, and realised that this is what he was searching for.
Does that mean that you are happy all the time?
In oneness there is a constant source of joy, love and inner peace at all times, but that does not stop you from experiencing the pains and problems of ordinary life as well. Joy is with me at all times, but it is sometimes overlaid by other kinds of suffering and ordinary life problems. The problems don\’t completely go away, but they do become less important because of the deeper experiences that are always present.
Are you the right teacher for me?
There are a few qualities I look for in students:
1. you are interested in new deeper ways of practicing spirituality, not just the old traditions. The old traditions have a lot of value, but what I teach are ways of taking them deeper.
2. you are open to learning from other spiritual traditions – not just from the one that you are already familiar with.
3. you are interested in practical spirituality – not just in your own personal happiness, but in using your spiritual growth to make a difference in the world around you.
4. a self motivated attitude. I can not tell you everything that you need to do, i can only guide you.
How to find the right teacher?
There are many good spiritual teachers out there in order to find the right one you need to find one that suits you, that suits the path that you need to follow. My specialty is that i can help you to find the right path for you no matter who you are, or what your particular needs are. You may find that I can help you just choose the direction, or you may find that you choose to walk with me further along the path, but in the end the one true spiritual teacher is God, and I can only help you to find your own spiritual connection and to learn in your own way.
You don\’t look like a spiritual master
It\’s true I do not have that blissful guru look – the one who sits in the cave and stares into themselves with absolute contentment – that\’s because that is not what I am teaching. I do not come here to teach you how to be happy with everything as it is, to allow the world to go on without you. I teach you how to become more part of the world, to take action on the world\’s stage, and to bring your spiritual enlightenment into the service of humanity and all of creation. This looks unfamiliar because it is unfamiliar – we do not have enough people like this, and we need them. We need a flowering of practical spirituality to transform the world.
What do you do after enlightenment?
You make a difference – you help the world to become a better place. When we become connected with all things then we naturally come into service because how else would i look after myself, but to look after the world around me, as that is also part of me.
Does it matter what religion you follow? Or which spiritual practice you do?
All the major religions have a core basis in oneness, and done well (which is fairly rare) they transform you into oneness and connection, but there are also differences, and the differences are more to do with who we are, and what kind of practice feels good for us. You cannot reach enlightenment doing something that is difficult and stressful for you – because that is the opposite of enlightenment. Enlightenment can only come from taking the easy route and doing what comes naturally – there can be some level of discipline but it must be a discipline that brings joy and connection. So choosing a tradition or teaching that suits you is very important. It is also important the quality of practices within that tradition.