Practical Spirituality.
Spirituality is losing its mystique. For the most part it has become a commoditised form of entertainment. Daily new fads appear promising a cure all our life ails, instantly, with little or no effort. Such great accessibility to a smorgasbord of quick-fix-spiritualism means that the lay person can now move from one set of teachings, techniques and guru's to the next - in search of some perennial truth, or momentary feeling of success, happiness and peace.
Yes, some solace will inevitably be found in any 'spiritual' pursuit, albeit short-lived, until a newer, more exciting fad comes in our direction. This incessant searching creates a state of somewhat selfish ‘non-activity’ where our prime concern is extracting the most for ‘us’ – our relationships, our wellbeing, our careers and our finances, without feeling the need to give anything back in return.
Spirituality has become nothing more than a means to an end, akin to (dare it be said) self-help.
And therein’ lies the angst of modern spiritualism ... so long as one is caught up in this enduring search for ‘enlightenment’ the essential truths of love, forgiveness and compassion that spirituality (and religion) has endeavoured to spread and instil, remain purely intellectual, and consequently neglected. And evidence of this truth can be seen throughtout the modern world.
Of course, self-exploration and enquiry must be encouraged and there can never be a substitute for practices such as mediation and prayer. However, in order for us to enter the greatest depth of spiritual realisation we must do more than sit still, listen and read out our material wishlist to God or the Universe.
Instead, we must practice these essential truths in our daily lives; in our relationships, in our homes and in our workplaces. And we must share our experiences with others. This is practical spirituality, and what the great saints, sages, masters and prophets have for thousands of years been calling us to step towards.
Perhaps we need to take a step backwards, rather than searching for the next big fad – the next tip, technique, practice, or guru to worship and follow. And rather than waiting and searching for answers, we need to engage in practical action. Rather than attending talks, lectures, workshops and building libraries that house our massive collection of spiritual books, we need to extract from this repertoire the essential truths of love, forgiveness, family and community – and spring them into action, now.
Often we delude ourselves into believing that just because we have skimmed a few sacred books and heard a few inspiring teachers, and have the intellectual capacity to ‘talk’ spirituality, that we are actually practicing these essential truths. We are all guilty of this to some extent.
Instead of waiting for miracles in our own lives, perhaps we need to put some of the ‘teachings’ we have learnt to practical use – we can start with our circle of friends, our family, our colleagues and our community, and if we succeed then we can take on greater challenges. We need to rely less on accumulating mountains of spiritual ’knowledge’ and begin by simply living out in action.
Simply proclaiming you are spiritual, religious or have a belief in God or higher force does not create any legitimate self-power; the world is full of dormant and idle 'seekers.' A national census may reveal that a percentage of population is Christian, Hindu or an Isalmic adherant - however statistics alone are meaningless. Imagine if all the people that called themselves 'spiritual' actually acted 'Godly' rather than simply use a title to identify with a group, imagine the transformation we could create in humanity.
Anyone who dares call themselves spiritual or religious must surely carry some awareness of the power of life; some interconnectedness between human, animal and environmental life; and above all some degree of social responsibility. This realisation is pure spiritual energy.
However, one of the greatest challenges faced by humanity is creating outlets to harness this great output ofspiritual energy, into social change. What is required is no racial movements or gestures – all that is needed are a few simple steps towards love and grace. We must dare to simplify or lives and explore and practice these same essential truths.
Practical spirituality is the only way of living powerfully. Spiritual laziness needs to end. We want it all, however, we don’t want to take the time to create anything. As much as we like to believe it, just looking at stars and cards, and visualising, and breathing and trying a new form of yoga, buying a few sacred books, or giving all your money to a new guru won’t transform your life; transformation requires a bit of time, patience and quite a bit of effort. There are no gimmicks or short-cuts in life .... and only spiritual 'salesmen' will be the one’s offering them to you!
Why am I here? I am looking to create a group of independent observers, who are truly committed towards making spirituality more than a ‘once a week’ outing. It does not matter what your faith or religion is, all that matters is your intention towards creating practical change. We offer no methodologies, no courses, no programs, no tricks, no gurus – just real people connecting around a common goal.
Perhaps something I have written above strikes accord with you, if this is the case, then please make contact today ...
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