Why are they called spiritual “disciplines”?

Question

Emphasis on the “disciplines”.

What do you practice?

I’m personally working on silence here.

Answer 1

I'm practicing how I can best manage to not get my mustache caught in the electric can opener again.

It's a long story........

Answer 2

mmmmmmm- for me, it took great discipline to get ahold of my mind. The science of breath control, holding a focus, to still the mind allowing the consciousness to be free- it is hard. You have to put in a lot of time and it isn't much fun - kind of like learning to ski.
One of my teachers use to call it the rock pile. lol

and like the Stones said - chitta chatta chitta chatta.......(the mind)

I practice different meditations - sitting with mantra, open eyed fixity, active.....

I am an artist, and so am able to contemplate greater wisdom as I work each day -

I also am in silence, sometimes for many days at a time.
Sometimes that looks like just keeping my mouth shut, rather than noble silence - but we do what we can.....lol

Edit: to Grim Jack, a small side bennie is that you tend to be a little more psychic - the analogy of "learn to ski" just came to me (I don't ski) - I saw that you're a skier after I wrote it. Funny,

Answer 3

The mind has been insane for quite some time for most people. To bring the mind back to sanity or it's natural state is definitely a discipline. I continue to practice meditation. ~ : )

Answer 4

I don't like to think of "practice" in any form. It smacks of 'becoming' something...trying to 'be' something other than just myself. It is unsettling and can be vicious on the 'little child'...just another form of taunting super-ego.

I do maintain a certain vigilance to come back to the simplicity of just being 'here'...not following thought into "stories"...old patterns, etc.

When one realizes the 'past' and 'future' are made up of 'now', it kills memory and the tendency to take thoughts seriously. Awareness is not cluttered with endless chatter.

Awareness is our 'ally'...spacious, constant...very available...and is always with us. It is the only constant...everything comes and goes in awareness. Ultimately, it is who we are and it takes no practice to 'get' there!

Answer 5

we are all different god is huge ,each individuals reflects yet a small area of all god is all human beings might desire to no longer carry on with non secular self-discipline ,via fact factors of the vastness god includes is the backside ,or decrease animisims, then there are the diverging non secular diciplins even christianity sprit is devided via that christ revealed we've mary baker eddie that centred on the therapeutic element of christ swedenberg who centred on the heavens and hells there advance into the time and the will for luther all actual saints of the powers of the christ spirit then the 8 varieties of buduism that fopcus on vairious factors of the budda ,aithiests ,bramam jews all spotlight bigger factors that meat the vairiable spirit ual needs of gods creation we thankfully have our familial ideals as you rightly element out, the youngsters usually turn from thier base perception as thier base non secular needs advance ,factors of the christ therapeutic mean you pass to that school of bellief ,that's a progression yet progression from a company root of paternal competance why the replace is yet via gods will as quickly as the eyes to spirit advance into opened the senses ,justicies we inherited enable the better seeings that at last will draw all the standards of the daddy into mutual respects ,the place we advance into as one for the only. we alter with a bit of luck for the greater suitable ,faithfully to the greater suitable as one in god

Answer 6

I'm practicing for an exam in real analysis I have to take in August.

Answer 7

Because they are something you do regularly and consistently. I'm working on mindfulness, being present in the moment. (I've already got snarkiness down to an art).

Answer 8

I practice how not to be bored at work when I've already finished everything.

Answer 9

If you were working on silence, then you probably shouldn't be writing, either, as that is cheating.

Answer 10

I practice, and hope to perfect, a perfect state of snarkiness.