===== The Phases of Spirituality =====
1. No spirituality
============
In this mode we think that the causes of our problems are out there in the world. For example, we go from one bad relationship to another, and we think the problem is we just haven't found the right person yet. We are generally resistant to anything which makes us look closely into our own behaviour or psychological make up, unless all the wheels fall off, then we might see a counsellor or therapist as a last resort.
Due to the conditions of our lives we may or may not get tired of this mode of existing. Weirdly enough, it does work for most people! But as you're reading this you are probably not one of them, hard luck. Either we get tired of fighting the conditions of our life, or perhaps we are really winning life, great job, great relationship, nice friends, but still feel that there is something more. This leads us to...
============
In this mode we think that the causes of our problems are out there in the world. For example, we go from one bad relationship to another, and we think the problem is we just haven't found the right person yet. We are generally resistant to anything which makes us look closely into our own behaviour or psychological make up, unless all the wheels fall off, then we might see a counsellor or therapist as a last resort.
Due to the conditions of our lives we may or may not get tired of this mode of existing. Weirdly enough, it does work for most people! But as you're reading this you are probably not one of them, hard luck. Either we get tired of fighting the conditions of our life, or perhaps we are really winning life, great job, great relationship, nice friends, but still feel that there is something more. This leads us to...
2. Spirituality as self-development
===========================
Through some kind of practice that makes our own patterns clear to us, maybe meditation, maybe CBT, maybe therapy, we start to notice subtle things we are doing which cause our problems. Say we always end up working late, seemingly beyond our control. But maybe we start to see that actually we are not being assertive enough, or we have some strange hidden fear of saying no. As soon as we become aware of these patterns, we can start to change them. We stop hiding, and we see that actually as we change our own behaviour, incredible improvements happen in our lives. We notice that actually we create a lot, almost all of the stress and problems in our lives. We can see that if we keep working on ourselves, our lives will continue to become unimaginably better. We become more in control, more happy, more calm, more able to handle stressful situations. Great!
===========================
Through some kind of practice that makes our own patterns clear to us, maybe meditation, maybe CBT, maybe therapy, we start to notice subtle things we are doing which cause our problems. Say we always end up working late, seemingly beyond our control. But maybe we start to see that actually we are not being assertive enough, or we have some strange hidden fear of saying no. As soon as we become aware of these patterns, we can start to change them. We stop hiding, and we see that actually as we change our own behaviour, incredible improvements happen in our lives. We notice that actually we create a lot, almost all of the stress and problems in our lives. We can see that if we keep working on ourselves, our lives will continue to become unimaginably better. We become more in control, more happy, more calm, more able to handle stressful situations. Great!
This is the realm that most spiritual practitioners are working in, it makes sense and it feels like improvement. However it is limited, and simply just another place to get stuck. How is this possible? Because it is still looking for improvements. It is someone seeking more happiness or more peace, or someone changing to try reduce their suffering. If we are dedicated or lucky we may catch on to the fact that we can continue to work on ourselves forever, and our lives may get infinitely better, our emotions and feelings may become infinitely happier, but we suspect there is something more, that this is just another treadmill ... they are right. And so we may find ourselves reluctantly led onto...
3. Spirituality as self-immolation
=========================
At this point, it is clear that there is nothing to do with the contents of our experience that is really fulfilling or meaningful. Sometimes we are happy, sometimes sad. We can work on ourselves to accept the sad times and spend more time happy. But something is still not making sense. This is the existential phase. There is nothing to do with the contents of experience, the problem is the way that experience appears to occur to a someone (us).
=========================
At this point, it is clear that there is nothing to do with the contents of our experience that is really fulfilling or meaningful. Sometimes we are happy, sometimes sad. We can work on ourselves to accept the sad times and spend more time happy. But something is still not making sense. This is the existential phase. There is nothing to do with the contents of experience, the problem is the way that experience appears to occur to a someone (us).
At this stage, one is bitten by the insight bug; the real spiritual path begins. Meaning that we leave the realm of trying to influence the contents of our experience, and start trying to relate to experience in a totally different way. People generally aren't really interested in this bit.
People might talk about surrender a lot these days, but what they actually mean is, I want to suffer less, so by surrendering to this moment, I believe than in the future I will be more ok with it. This appears to be the path of self-surrender but actually it's still just clinging to happiness. Any self-surrender undertaken with this mindset is tainted. It is like when we break up with someone, we do some work to just "be with" the grieving. But if there is still the belief, hope that we will get back together, all our efforts in letting go are sullied, there is no true healing happening there... so it is with letting go of the self.
People might talk about surrender a lot these days, but what they actually mean is, I want to suffer less, so by surrendering to this moment, I believe than in the future I will be more ok with it. This appears to be the path of self-surrender but actually it's still just clinging to happiness. Any self-surrender undertaken with this mindset is tainted. It is like when we break up with someone, we do some work to just "be with" the grieving. But if there is still the belief, hope that we will get back together, all our efforts in letting go are sullied, there is no true healing happening there... so it is with letting go of the self.
At this point one can be described as "seeking". A knot of consciousness is trying to untie itself, someone in a dream is trying to awaken. Practices focus on trying see the true nature of reality (insight), contemplation, and willingness to face the existential fear of spiritual death (not as bad as it sounds). Then if we are lucky and aren't running from fear too much or using our Enlightenment quest to hide from our real lives, we awaken, hooray! A great illusory battle in unmasking a great fictitious self is won, and nothing at all happens. And so, somewhat anticlimactically, we begin...
4. spirituality as nothing whatsoever
============================
The giant quest is done, we are one with the universe, we are nothing, we are infinite, we are an illusion, so is the world, and the dream of an "I" is seen to be as laughable as a child's imaginary friend. And everything is exactly the same as it was before. The pain of loss still pain, fear of being rejected is still fear. Now the only thing which remains is just to stop doing anything at all, and especially stop being Enlightened, and double especially, trying to get more Enlightened. Anytime we notice ourselves trying to do something, having an opinion about how things should be, Reality asks us politely to drop it. If we refuse, we suffer. And the suffering is worse now, because we know deeply what truth is, and how ugly our false beliefs are. Reality asks us to just return to being totally human, just a mammal, nothing special, everything perfect. And in this giant game of doing nothing, anything and everything can happen.
============================
The giant quest is done, we are one with the universe, we are nothing, we are infinite, we are an illusion, so is the world, and the dream of an "I" is seen to be as laughable as a child's imaginary friend. And everything is exactly the same as it was before. The pain of loss still pain, fear of being rejected is still fear. Now the only thing which remains is just to stop doing anything at all, and especially stop being Enlightened, and double especially, trying to get more Enlightened. Anytime we notice ourselves trying to do something, having an opinion about how things should be, Reality asks us politely to drop it. If we refuse, we suffer. And the suffering is worse now, because we know deeply what truth is, and how ugly our false beliefs are. Reality asks us to just return to being totally human, just a mammal, nothing special, everything perfect. And in this giant game of doing nothing, anything and everything can happen.
When all of experience is shimmering and empty,
When each sliver of silence brings infinite plenty,
When it's abundantly clear that there's nothing to get,
When there's nothing inside to defend or protect,
When no-one can die, and no-one can be born.
When all is released as it even takes form
Then nothing remains but some tears and a smile,
And allowing this mammal to play for a while.
When each sliver of silence brings infinite plenty,
When it's abundantly clear that there's nothing to get,
When there's nothing inside to defend or protect,
When no-one can die, and no-one can be born.
When all is released as it even takes form
Then nothing remains but some tears and a smile,
And allowing this mammal to play for a while.
No comments:
Post a Comment