Developing Spirituality

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Can Spirituality Be An Escape?

I had a friend who learned Transcendental Meditation and practiced almost every day. She felt happier, more relaxed, even blissful as long as she meditated. If she missed a few days, she found that she didn't feel much different than before she began to meditate. Although she felt better when she meditated, it wasn't solving her underlying problems.

I've known many people who've used spirituality and meditation as a way of avoiding dealing with their issues. Since they feel good when they're pursuing a spiritual path, guru, or new technique, they think that will make all the uncomfortable stuff dissolve and go away. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Spirituality is no more a magic bullet than anything else.

According to Lawrence LeShan, a psychotherapist, meditation teacher and author of "How To Meditate," meditation can help strengthen the structure of our personality, making us better able to deal with our challenges. And it may give us more insight into our issues, but meditation doesn't do away with them. It may reduce overall anxiety, make us feel safe, therefore better able to face ourselves, but we still need to do the internal work needed to bring about change.

Anything that allows us to feel bliss and euphoria, whether it's drugs, lust, romatic love, alcohol, achievement, spirituality or meditation, can become addicting. We become enthralled to the feeling and want to repeat it as often as possible. It makes the bad feelings fade away. Spirituality is a healthier escape than any of the others, but it still can be an escape. We need to ask ourselves, "What am I trying to escape from or avoid?"

There needs to be a balance and a grounding at the same time. Getting carried away with bliss can mean not attending to day to day affairs, such as paying the bills, eating right, and having healthy relationships. I knew a woman like this. She was so wrapped up in her pursuit of peace that when she received a chunk of money in a settlement, she didn't want to be bothered by trying to invest it. Instead, she gave the money to a friend to invest it for her. Unfortunately, the friend put it in a high risk investment, which failed, and she lost all of her money. The euphoria from spirituality and meditation doesn't erase our personal responsiblities.

We seek to recognize our wholeness through spirituality and meditation. Instead of feeling like we have a "hole in our soul," spirituality helps us to understand that we are truly whole and complete as we are. It allows us to be more fully present in our world and expand our awareness of who we are. But as long as it's being used to avoid our feelings and deep issues, we can't move forward. We're either resisting discomfort or moving toward wholeness. We can't do both.

We have to be able to balance our spiritual practices with our everyday and emotional lives. Spirituality and meditation gives us a sense of connection that we can then take into the rest of our experience. When we are able to acknowledge our issues, work through them, and accept all of ourselves, we're honoring our spiritual essence.

Developing Your Spirituality – Basic Exercises

What is spirituality, and why and how would someone want to develop it?

Spirituality is nothing less than a conscious awareness of your own basic nature, which is essential sprit, and not material. Why to develop it?

We develop our spirituality in order to bring ourselves closer to all creation and the creator. How to develop it? The answer is easily within you.

Considering the Creation

Perhaps there is not a man (or woman) alive or that has ever lived that has not marveled at one time or another at various signs of creation.

Creation being the entire observable and unobservable phenomenon in our universe.

The macro cosmos (larger creation; the stars and our earth) or the micro cosmos, the great miniature universe within ourselves; for example our cells, and our structure and its function.

A simple consideration of its complexity and the number of exact combinations that would have to be met for life to exist can bring the greatest skeptic and atheist to their knees.

Impossibility of Creation

Physicists are now at a basic common agreement that the principles of Quantum physics are about as close as we can understand the mechanics of creation.

They have come to the conclusion the entire universe is made up of thinking (intelligent) non-stuff (particles or waves) with no matter or mass. They further equate this non-stuff with thought. So our entire universe is only thought?

Creation then is impossible. Yet with our intelligent non-stuff and the impossible number of co-incidences required for creation (yet alone “life”) to exist, we have our universe in its entire splendor.

Spirituality in our Everyday Lives

We live, we are told, in a material world. Yet, our material world bounds with so-called miracles, miracle workers, and contradiction. These are no more than signposts to indicate the “real” is not so real as we suppose.

Taking that for granted, we must develop our own spirituality so we become closer to what is real rather than what is not.

Do we fix our consciousness on a creation made up of thinking non-stuff, or do find our own basic nature, align ourselves with that, and start to harmonize ourselves with our basic nature?

Certainly the latter is correct.

Exercise for Developing Your Spirituality

Sitting in a quiet place, and in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and watch your breath. Watch mentally the air coming in and out.

After a few moments, and when you are relaxed, imagine you are free to travel wherever you wish. To another city, to the moon, to the stars.

Feel yourself free in this travel and marvel at the beauty and perfection of the creation all around you.

Try to feel allied to creation, and be a casual observer. Let your imagination run where it will. Let your imagination be a sort of cosmic gypsy, and wander where your imagination takes you.

Do not force your thoughts, let them flow of themselves.

Sitting as long as you can, slowly bring your consciousness back to your here and now. When in the here and now, consider the greatness of creation and the creator, whatever religion you have, use your own symbology.

When you arise from this exercise, your spirituality will have been enhanced.

The more your ponder and wonder, the more your spirituality will develop. Your own beliefs will be reinforced, and you will see even your mundane life improved by this harmonization with creation

Shopping at the Spirituality Supermarket

Feel-good spiritual paths espousing light and love and the prospect of some kind of an enlightenment with little or no effort are plentiful, but have they really changed you? A trend is developing toward a serious approach to spirituality involving personal, in-depth, permanent changes in perspective, and the trend is rapidly growing. Practitioners are becoming increasingly wary of recreational spirituality because their lives have not fundamentally changed; the same troublesome problems exist with the same old "self" in control, and they are no closer to the new consciousness that is evolving in the world than they were years ago.

Sometimes we can feel as if we are in a spirituality supermarket, everything looks so good, so enticing. We put a little of this in our baskets and a little of that . . . and check out. We go home, try a little of this and a little of that, and have lots of fun. Everything is interesting and keeps us busy and absorbed, and we really believe that we are making some kind of transformation.

Then one day, perhaps suddenly, we are faced with a situation that confirms that all the old tendencies that we thought we have left far behind were only hiding, waiting for the right moment to remind us that nothing has changed at all.

We cannot keep our cake and eat it too, we cannot keep our old ego, our old idea of us, and expect to change into something else. We are only play-acting if we think this way. This begs the question; do we really want to change or not? Because change involves letting go of who we are. If we are fundamentally in love with who we are, and only want to touch up a few edges of our personality, then a fundamental change will never take place. Only at the end of personality is where that big one happens, and few want to go that far.

If you haven't thought about this in depth, you should. Before spending money on self-help books, CDs, and spiritual paths, make certain that you really want to change, because real change means letting go of everything that you currently believe in, and that can be a radical step for many people. Without letting it all go, the core remains unchanged.

If you find that you really don't want to change that much, then the spiritual path becomes no different from any pastime, like knitting or tennis. As matter of fact, knitting and tennis are a bit more honest - no pretenses.

E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com

How Can I Deepen My Spirituality?

"You learn that if you sit down in the woods and wait, something happens."

- Henry David Thoreau.

Deepening what you know about your spirituality, and deepening your spirituality per se, are two different things. Deepening what you know about spirituality is relatively easy; just read everything you can get your hands on, go to lectures, talk endlessly with all kinds of people, and soon you will deepen what you know about spirituality. You might even become an expert and know everything there is to know about spirituality! Trouble is, knowing and being are two very different levels. We can know all there is to know about spirituality, yet not be spiritual at all.

Many people these days want to deepen their faith, but they haven't a clue how to do it. They may pick up some hints, such as it requires solitude and a one-on-one relationship with that which is sacred, but this is rarely talked about in our congregations, because we need to congregate! None of this solitary business, how would the church pay its bills?

That leaves us pretty much on our own to find our way, and the way can have many twists and turns. For instance, it's difficult at times to see any progress being made; it seems that the deeper we go, the more we see how awful we really are compared to that which is sacred! It's as if we are going backward most of the time, and after awhile, that old congregation begins to look good again!

Henry David, an expert on the woods, says that you must wait - for something to happen. That's the key - waiting patiently. Waiting with such resolve that we are willing to wait an eternity. That's what it takes. Waiting just beyond that moment we can wait no longer. Waiting so long that all of our ideas and opinions, all of our thoughts and our dreams are stilled. Waiting beyond all hope.

That which is sacred is waiting as well, waiting to see if we can out-wait our selves. During our quiet times, we observe carefully all that disturbs our silent waiting, all that comes between us and that which is sacred, and we become ashamed that such frivolous thoughts drag us into our selves and away from our Source relentlessly. When will we make the decision to go all the way? It is really up to us.

Eventually, we will decide to sit in our woods, silently, in anticipation of that which is greater, that which few come face-to-face with. Why is it that the contemplative saints of Christianity; St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila squirreled themselves away and devoted their lives to deep prayer and meditation? Did they know something we don't, as we scurry here and there in pursuit of our everyday ideals that vaporize like the mist on Thoreau's pond?

Why do Buddhist monks meditate night and day in the forest to find enlightenment? Why are common people finding themselves asking questions about life, and wanting to know for themselves what lies beyond?

We can only do what we can do, and we can't make quantum jumps from our heads - all big leaps come from the heart - and if our heart begins to ache for that which is sacred, nothing else will satisfy us again. That's just the way it is. Try as we might to make things relative and normal again, the energy for those things is quickly exhausted, and we soon find ourselves back in the woods, wondering what happened.

There is no set roadmap to your particular truth; it is your solitary, unique journey to map out yourself. Just remember to wait in the woods. This may help.

E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com

Exploring the Spirituality fo Reality

Roxanne Howe-Murphy, Ed.D. www.lifewisecoaching.com

Have you had the experience of reading self-help books on spirituality or going to spiritual workshops, and having an uplifting, perhaps even an ecstatic experience, yet having nothing change in your daily life? That seems to be a common experience and frustration among people who are seeking transformation.

There are many definitions of spirituality, and I do not pretend to encompass all of these definitions here. One of the myths about “spirituality” is that we have to “go somewhere,” such as into a trance or into another world so that we can transcend our day-to-day lives. Certainly, it can feel like a relief to escape from the human condition and merge with other-worldly realms. I spent the early stages of my spiritual journey trying to do just that, thinking that I was ‘working’ my path. What I have come to learn* and know from experience is that anything that takes us away from direct contact with our own human realness, from the experience of being absolutely here in this moment can also take us away from our Ultimate nature.

This temptation to avoid the human experience in favor of finding something “out there,” reinforces a dualistic perspective. What if we could stay “right here” to connect with the present moment experience of being in this grounded body, having an open heart, and quieting the chattering mind? How would that affect one’s capacity to experience that which is more than the small me (also known as the ‘egoic me’)?

Let me offer some examples. Have you ever carried around an emotional hurt, such as grief over some important loss in your life, or the accumulated stress of trying to do too much over an extended period of time? You do your best to ‘hold it (whatever “it” is) together,’ then someone looks into your eyes, and quietly gives voice to your experience. Perhaps the person simply says, “I see the you’re in pain.” That’s when the tears roll. You might recognize that relief arises, as well. You have been seen, your experience has been recognized, named and brought into the light. You allowed your feelings to be there, without pushing them away. You have a direct experience of your inner environment, and then you notice that some or all of the pain lifts. Something has changed for you. Perhaps you have an experience of being lighter, more spacious.

Another example is one that I experienced recently while on an annual women’s retreat with a group of friends. While some of us see each other more frequently, as a group, this one time per year offers a chance to nurture our longtime bonds, and engage in many activities that we love to share. This year we noticed that something was missing from our time together. With some exploration, we realized that we had not remembered to create a container for each person to be in the moment, and share her current experience, with no one barraging her with questions. When we consciously created the space for each person to be in truth with her current life, we were all deeply touched. We saw each other from a new perspective. We were changed. The depth and realness experienced made a powerful difference in how we felt about the entire week-end.

“Are these really spiritual experiences?” I would affirm that they are. There was contact with the truth of Now. There was an awakening and a deepening of experience. Internal change occurred. Hearts were touched and opened. And through contact with self, perhaps there was a recognition of something larger than self. A sacred moment occurred. It’s one of the great paradoxes of life.

The Enneagram offers a profound approach to the spiritual journey based upon realness. Used with right intention and guidance, we discover that our direct experiences with what is Real can be translated into our day-to-day experience—right here, right now.

Roxanne Howe-Murphy, Ed.D. is principal of LifeWise Learning Institute, an executive and life coaching and education company. She is also the Director of the Enneagram Institute of the San Francisco Bay Area. Howe-Murphy is the author of Deep Coaching: Using the Enneagram as A Catalyst for Profound Change (2007). She teaches healing professionals to integrate the Enneagram into their work, and offers workshops to the public.

* The author would like to acknowledge the pioneering work of Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson with the Enneagram.

© Roxanne Howe-Murphy, Ed.D. ,2007

Two Types of Spirituality ... Faith and Knowledge

--- Faith vs. Knowledge ---

While many religious zealots view the idea of knowledge-based spirituality as "agnostic", indeed, it is not. As a matter of fact, even agnosts believe in something, which provides them an alternative stance to organized religion and gods. You have to believe in something to take a stance!

Faith-based spirituality is the belief and trust that things will be as they will be in the future. It is the acceptance of the "great mysteries" of life and death for which religion and society teaches that there are no "definitive answers." Such an approach to spirituality creates a fear-based environment based on gods who are vindictive and uncaring. Believers place their lives into the hands of an unseen being in the hope that all will "work out for the best."

Knowledge-based spirituality is the understanding and kinship of all and the desire to achieve and progress through life toward one's own Vision and goals. The "great mysteries" become topics of personal research and, with an open mind, answers can be acquired from the environment and the Universe. This type of spirituality invites one to set aside fears and examine the information and entities of the surrounding environment. One has the chance to take life into one's own hands and guide it along a path to one's own desires.

--- Hatred and Faith ---

One of the problems of today is that, in our world, wars, hatred, and bias begin in the moral grounds established by religion and society. Religion creates a solid separation between different factions of humanity. These factions take the core ideals of society and mutate them to suit the needs of their particular beliefs. In the end, when societal boundaries are breached, and control languishes over the ranks, uprisings and bitter conflicts begin to restore order. The stronger of the factions wins and forces their beliefs on the weaker.

In faith-based factions, fear is instilled and faith that a great hereafter exists. People fight to maintain their beliefs because they've finally "forced" their conscious minds to accept the unanswered questions based on invisible and unfounded guesses by their "noblemen". The battles are fought to ensure that their foundations and comfort zones are not affected by the infidels of the intruding factions.

However, with knowledge-based factions, fear is minimized and the great hereafter is right here and now and continues on forever. Knowledge provides the mind with a greater degree of processing information arriving at our many senses in many contexts. It allows us to look beyond the basics and outside of the accepted "comfort zones" to comprehend the ideas and ideals of other entities, both physical and spiritual.

--- Opening Your Mind ---

As part of our being, we all have the need to believe in something greater than ourselves. There is a part of us that "has to belong." Many people fall deeply into organized religion because it provides the camaraderie and a focal point for their community as well as a basis for the moral code of the community. These, in addition to the faith-based answers to the "big questions", provide a comfort zone and a foundation for many. However, by opening one's mind and examining the many facets behind these "big questions", one can develop and acquire the true answers within one's own context.

What is the key? Context-free rationalization. Of course, "context-free" is a little strong as we must all have a context, or a point of reference, that we can use to compare information and apply our rules and belief systems. However, open experience and vast knowledge can provide us with multiple contexts that we can use to devise a wider view of a particular piece of information. This wider view is what is called an "open mind". The open mind has no safety zone as it is always risking it's "comfort zones" in search of new information and new ways of examining situations and other beings.

--- What's next? ---

Acquiring this knowledge and ability to move across many contexts is not a simple task as it requires the ability to acquire, accept, and process information outside of our current context. It is a "chicken or the egg" situation; however, it is a decision that we make as humans to initiate such a move.

By opening our minds and perceptions, we allow our conscious minds the ability to communicate more freely with our subconscious minds. In doing so, the vast amounts of information available in the collective unconscious, "The Grid", "The Universal Library" is available to us, simply by "looking." Consider the idea of opening the mind as a primer for what follows once you are able to use your mind to its fullest capabilities and acquire immeasurable knowledge from all entities across the Universe and throughout time.

This is the true meaning of spirituality. The knowledge and desire to exist with and within the Universal essence. To accept and acquire knowledge that is freely available to you through time and space. Finally, the knowledge to use this information in a way that is beneficial to you, as protecting and projecting yourself, you are providing a pathway for others and the betterment of your communities. --- About the Author ---

Edward B. Toupin is an author, publisher, life-strategy coach, counselor, Reiki Master, technical writer, and PhD Candidate living in Las Vegas, NV. Among other things, he authors books, articles, and screenplays on topics ranging from career success through life organization and fulfillment. Check out some of his recent print and electronic books as well as his articles covering various life-changing topics! For more information, and to find out about his upcoming title on book publishing, e-mail Edward at etoupin@toupin.com or visit his site at http://www.toupin.com!

Copyright (c) 2004 Edward B. Toupin

Can Spirituality Be An Escape?

Spirituality: Would You like Some Help?

Develop your Spirituality - Be a Saint!

Developing your Spirituality - Basic Exercises

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