The Spiritual Path

One of the characteristic traits of human beings generally is that they take a simple problem, create a complex solution to the problem, and then end up in a quagmire.

"Spirituality" is such a problem. In the first place we tend to the "spiritual" life as distinct from the "material" one. The two cannot be separated; they are really one and the same. Certainly it is not possible to live a so-called "spiritual" life divorced from our real world. Spirituality does not equate with the ethereal. The Spirit is made flesh; without the manifestation of spirituality it has no substance.

In John 10:37-38 Jesus says, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him."

James 2:17 says, "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

In my personal life I have found that by changing my behavior (my works) I modify my perceptions and begin to more clearly see "the light" (the spirit). I would suggest that all this stuff about spirituality is at least roughly equivalent to psychological healing, to making our wounded and fragmented selves whole again. Whether this attitude is right or wrong in any larger or more theoretical view is really unimportant, because by working on healing our psyche we move along the spiritual path without even trying. And we remove all the mystery and misleading otherworldly-ness from the process. We put our feet on solid ground and see where it takes us.

Thoreau said, "Simplify, simplify." Might I suggest that Mr. Thoreau had much of value to teach us about simply living wisely? Even the amoral Bill Clinton got his 15 minutes of fame by saying, "Keep it simple, stupid."

My first proposal in this thread is: In order to develop your spiritual self, change your behavior. Let the works lead you to the spirit. Keep it simple. Put theories aside and watch yourself in action in all of life's daily events.

In order to change our behavior, we must change our perception of things, our point of view. So long as we hold to unrealistic viewpoints (call them ideas of how things should or ought to be) we operate in a world of delusion. Our first step is to come to grips with hard, cold reality. Things (and people) are what they are, and that is the reality we must deal with. That includes our self.

Our self, our being, is what it is, and most all of us pretend we are something we are not or are not what we are. We believe our own lie and live in delusion. The solution? See ourselves for what we are as best we can at any moment, and accept what we see no matter how distasteful it may seem to us.

"Enlightenment" means "coming to conscious awareness of reality." Amit Goswami, the quantum physicist, says that "God" -- the ultimate -- is in fact pure Consciousness. The Universe itself, he says, is Consciousness. If he is right (I agree wholly with this vision of God) then our goal as spiritual seekers is to become Fully Conscious, which is the Union with the Divine. So taught Buddha and so taught Jesus, who said "Ye have eyes and do not see."

In the New Testament accounts, Jesus spent an inordinate amount of time "healing the blind". It might be a profitable question to ask why he did this. My answer is that we "do not see" and his work, in part, was to help us see, that is to become conscious.

The starting point for healing ourselves is to see how we act and why we do act in a certain way. Once we see this, we can then change ourselves very easily. But for as long as we cannot or will not see it, we cannot change at all; the forces that drive us to act or behave in certain destructive ways remain unconscious.

What do you think?

The second sentence of the second paragraph should read: In the first place we tend to see the "spiritual" life as distinct from the "material" one.

I like it Greybeard. But my own experience is somewhat not as ordered. What you say regarding the inability to change a behaviour if unconcious is true for me. But personally I find there is no work to do when the thought or pattern becomes concious.... all there is is awareness of it & then change.
For me I have arrived at a point of reliquishing control. I suppose this could have been verbalized in the 60's as handing your life over.
Quite frankly I don't feel qualified to steer the ship as all the the life changing descisions are made for me anyway at a higher level. I kid myself that I really have much input. Sure the day to day stuff but generally not the important stuff.
Ultimately it is simple but the course through mind can be complex.
We all travel a long way to reach our destination right where we started from.

Originally Posted by Greybeard

The starting point for healing ourselves is to see how we act and why we do act in a certain way. Once we see this, we can then change ourselves very easily. But for as long as we cannot or will not see it, we cannot change at all; the forces that drive us to act or behave in certain destructive ways remain unconscious.

What do you think?

Taking a look at the mirror and asking why we do what we do, why we see what we see, to release our perception and behavior through forgiving it.

Sounds good to me. :)

Two very insightful posts....
Regarding "working to change," Jeddu Krishnamurti in his Think on these Things advises us to watch ourselves without judgment, criticism or any attempt to change ourselves. I agree with him and with you, Not Human. I happen to be a preacher of the "power of surrender", which we could call "letting go", and so you and I have had similar experience that has led us to the same place. I simply did not express my thoughts or experience well and apologize. Hmm....and I also have used the metaphor that life is like a ship departing a port, running through storms, shoals, exotic ports....and ultimately returning to the very point from whence she departed so long ago.

As for your comment Topology, later on I will tell a personal story about forgiveness that fits hand in glove into your offering. Thanks.

Greybeard to use a 90's catch phrase.....Krishnamurti rocks!!!

I think this is a great, insightful thread.

Greetings..

What is referred to as 'letting go' or 'surrender' may be the equivalent of my experience of the 'still mind', if so.. the clarity emerging from a mind that is still, quiet, and alert, so clearly and directly informs the experiencer, that the knowledge born of such experiences finds preference in a hierarchy of understandings.. compared to knowledge gained through the experiences where the mind is actively judging, expecting, manipulating, and 'trying' to do what it does so well naturally, organize the experiences..

Be well..

Hi Greybeard,

One thing i see in your post is walking the talk. Another way to put it, whatever you meditate on does not end when you get up..it's lived.

"The starting point for healing ourselves is to see how we act and why we do act in a certain way. Once we see this, we can then change ourselves very easily. But for as long as we cannot or will not see it, we cannot change at all; the forces that drive us to act or behave in certain destructive ways remain unconscious."

Good'un

Tzu.....Still mind...eloquently said, easily understood by anyone who reads it.

Sentientno1.....If we don't live it of what use is it? that's what I started this thread for....to say that spirituality is lived, now...This forum, the whole of it, if it is to be of use to anyone, should address the practical aspects of simply living and living simply.

"Master, what is the purpose of life?"
To live.
"But Master, what is my purpose?"
The garden needs weeding.

If we attend to what is immediately before us, the larger purpose will take care of itself.