Would you care to comment?

Question

Over the last few months I’ve had the opportunity to hang out with a diverse set of “spiritual” individuals. All of them had an underlying quality that I can’t quite put my finger on but they all processed a mixture of intensity, focus, connectedness and tranquility. The mix included Neo-Pagan, Christian, Buddhist, and a woman who describes herself as a mystical agnostic.

The common thread was that rather than these people being devoted to a given religion/god/goddess they were all devoted to introspection, mediation and development of their own spirituality. Their spiritual exercises took a very high priority in their life.

So it seems to me that religious/spiritual enlightenment/maturity has everything to do with the dedication of the individual and very little to do with the path the individual is on.

Lots of good answers...

Let us put it to a vote.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Well said, Grimmy.. that's perfect. And, it's just like a scientist to explore this, and look for the commonality :)

Answer 2

It could be that the intensity and focus comes about because they follow 'spiritual exercises', and the connectedness and tranquility were as a result of the satisfaction of 'doing well' in their spiritual exercises.

Spiritual exercises are all well and good, but like technical exercises for a musician, they have little to do with real world performing. "What Does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his soul?" This can apply to religious or spiritual success, just as much as other more worldly things. After all it is still worldly :)

Concern for the 'path' and/or concern for spiritual enlightenment and achievement, wont make a person spiritual.

I think it is more important that a person be open and receptive. The story about God wanting to speak to us, but not being able to get through, because we were "engaged" in trying to speak to God, is quite apt. Stop trying to be, and simply be, and in that silence we can be open.

Answer 3

I Perceive that there are different paths suited to different "types" of people/different orientations, but ultimately that all paths lead to the same place. In fact it is better put as 'life is the path'. We cannot help but evolve spiritually, to greater peace and happiness, no matter how long it takes. There is nothing that is not part of the path, we are the path. How can we distinguish between something that is "spiritual practice" and something that is not? and so a quote comes to mind....
"It is not by your actions that you will be saved, but by your being." -- Meister Eckhart. I believe that we are all on the path whether we like it or not (we will learn, we will grow), it is the degree of awareness and heart that we embody in all that we do that determines how consciously the path is walked.

Answer 4

It actually has nothing at all to do with the path you are on. It is all about the destination. We have the choice set before us wether we like it or not. We can either chose life or death. God is absolutely all inclusive. He said that anyone who believes in Christ will be saved. You don't have to do anything else. You don't have to be rich, poor, black, white, male, female, smart, stupid, healthy, or even good. You just have to accept the fact that we are not perfect, we have made mistakes and He has paid the price for them all. Even for the one's we haven't made yet. Buddah requires you to achieve spiritual enlightenment, Muhammad requires you to obey the law and to be male, many even believe only non black men are able to enter Allah's presence. Hindus have to keep repeating the test until you find the right Karma. All other religions require something of man. Christianity is the only belief in exhistance that says God did it all for me. All I have to do is accept it. And we have to accept the gift instead of Him forcing it on us, because He didn't create us to be robots, but to be free individuals who chose Him because we Love Him. If you actually learn what God says about Himself in the bible it's hard not to believe that He is a Holy, Loving, yet very strong and unchanging God. Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but Loving Him is the abundance of Wisdom. The more you know Him, the more you can Love Him. All religions are not equal. Christ says very clearly, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me." So if He's not telling the truth, then He's a liar. He either is the Son of God, or He's a liar. He was definately not just a good man either way. All other religions teach selfishness, Christianity teaches us to lay down our lives for our friends. The contrast is just to great to be ignored. You can't stay on the fence forever. Either Christianity is the one true way to God or It's a terrible lie and hoax that has caused many innocent people to give up their lives for a lie. I chose to believe. I hope you will keep seeking truth. We are told that those who seek will find. Grace to you.

Answer 5

As a Baha'i I am in agreement that there are many paths to spiritual connectedness with the Source of All Being. Consider though that Individual growth is in a reciprocal relationship with society. Religion also has a practical societal part which acts upon and reinforces -- or does not reinforce when the social aspects of religion have been encrusted with rigid man-made conceptions/entrapments inherited from a distant past -- the individual. These two parts are mutually reinforcing.

To feed that individual spiritual growth back into the larger community there must be means and instruments to channel it so the institutions and organizations of humanity can further support and express collectively the individuals' growth, hence organized religion.

As long as the organizational aspect of religion serves and expands the individual's growth, it serves as an integrative force overall and carries civilization forward. When it moves away from the pure and intended meaning of the universal educator who founded the religion and serves impure and selfish man-made vested interests, it becomes a destructive force, as we are seeing in today's world. Not to say that individuals from all religious walks aren't contributing as individuals. I refer to the outworn and crumbling organized religious institutions that serve agendas suited to the past and do not serve our inevitable march towards planetary integration.

I have found in the teachings of Baha'u'llah that requisite social channel for supporting individual spiritual growth and development into which those individuals can pour that growth back into community in a reciprocally and mutually beneficial cycle of growth and development in a planetary age. Take a look at Baha'i communities world-wide. You will see in them a model for a spiritual yet practical planetary community.

Answer 6

At least to me, spirituality has nothing to do with a given religion. Now, that isn't saying you can't have both many people do but spirituality is something inside that you develop with the use of religion or without it. It's all in how one decides to apply it for themselves.

Even those who have no religion can develop spirituality as I do not believe it has anything to do with what the soul is said to be, but is something that you allow to be brought out in yourself by the right combinations in your own life.

Answer 7

i do care to comment, agree, thank you for sharing and i would like to share something that i learned today......When Einstein died on April 18, 1955 he left a piece of writing ending in an unfinished sentence.
These were his last words:
In essence, the conflict that exists today is no more than an old-style struggle for power, once again presented to mankind in semireligious trappings. The difference is that, this time, the development of atomic power has imbued the struggle with a ghostly character; for both parties know and admit that, should the quarrel deteriorate into actual war, mankind is doomed. Despite this knowledge, statesmen in responsible positions on both sides continue to employ the well-known technique of seeking to intimidate and demoralize the opponent by marshaling superior military strength. They do so even though such a policy entails the risk of war and doom. Not one statesman in a position of responsibility has dared to pursue the only course that holds out any promise of peace, the course of supranational security, since for a statesman to follow such a course would be tantamount to political suicide. Political passions, once they have been fanned into flame, exact their victims ... Citater fra...

Answer 8

Exactly. That's why I like to hang out with "spiritual" people not "religious" people because there is a huge difference.

Religion can be in the bag you carry on your spiritual journey, but if you wear it as a mask so it's the first/main thing people see, then your journey isn't about being spiritual.

Answer 9

I think that the path you are on is the "right" because that is where you are. I don't believe that spiritual enlightenment or maturity is about dedication and not about the path you are on. The path you are on leads to your dedication to whatever you follow. You should feel special that these individuals are in your life (you chose them before life afterall) and I believe this only confirms that you yourself are on your "right" path. You are dedicated to something because your experiences have led you to this point. So dedication and the path you are on go hand in hand. (Also, you may have encountered these individuals in a past life and re-connected in this life for some purpose!)
P.S. I am working on my own growth and soul maturity... but I still find myself being a little (just an itty bitty amount) judgemental towards people, it actually breaks my heart to read other people's comments stating that the only way is to follow "god" and to read the bible and have this blind faith... what these people don't realize is that we're all on our own path and we are all searching for our own way to whatever it is we're heading towards. By trying to "herd" all of is into that single outlined trail you fail to think for yourself and begin to think what other's want you to think... I'm not hurting anyone by believing in energy and being spiritual in my own way.. but many relgious types are hurting me by judging me and attacking me.

Answer 10

Basically, I agree with you -- I managed to fit in a few long wanders down several of those paths.

Then your story reminded me of all of the 'oh I'm just so spiritual' people I used to know. The kind whose connectedness was primarily to their egos.

It takes all sorts, doesn't it.

Answer 11

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