ASR: B13: Chapter 7: “Spirituality” Is Not A Single Layer
My point is: “religion/spirituality” practices are not the issue. Those are just terms that communicate concepts. Tools. Just like languages of this world. There are lots of “branches”. Thus, “religion” is not the problem — People are. “Religion” is based on individual’s believes, preferences, and perception. There are as many diverse “religions” as there are diverse people.
“Religion” does not kill; it does not act; it does not discriminate; it does not have ego or pride to be prejudices — we do. Neither “Religion” or “spirituality” is “organic” enough to have its own will to make choices. Nor is it “alive” with conscious abilities to identify with or be identified, as what we have been accusing it of doing.
They are just sound or a bunch of lines on a blank page or screen. Symbols we give meaning to. Because we like to identify and define and make choices by those conditions. Thus, it is a tool and nothing else. A tool created and used by people to project wants, needs, and to manipulate. An inorganic tool that will sit where we place it. That will not move unless we choose to give it the ability to do so, and it will do so only at our will.
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Therefore, “Religion” and “spirituality” are tools used to form strength and alliance with other like minds. A tool like a sword that can be used for great good or great evil depending on the hands that holds it. A tool created by people to use against people. “God” has nothing to do with the bloodbath written in our history books. At the end of the day. It is never about “good” or “evil”. They are not the test subjects. WE are.
“God” is the tool, the excuse, the weapon we use in our past wars, and “religion” is a label and flag we hide under to focus our point. The tool to bring us together, and the weapon to use against others. The label is to help us recognize like-minded peers to makes us feel united, empowered, and motivated. It identifies us, thus, forces us to be defined and be bounded by the conditions of its creator or the manipulators.
Calling “God” as “Source”, or by any other names. Identifying ourselves now as “spiritualist” instead of “religious” — Will not make us immune from falling into the same mindless pattern we have been choosing all this time. Only by being aware of what we are doing and being mindful of our every action as we make it and its consequences. Can we avoid being seduced to fall into easy past habits that got us sidetracked.
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If heaven exist. I can guarantee you from what I am taught and the many hard to explain experiences I have personally had. I can say for sure that being “religious/spiritual” is not a straight ticket through the golden gate. Despite what is mis-taught to us.
Heaven is not a “place” we can weed our way in; and “God” is not a fool we can deceive to manipulate to our ways. Anyone who promise us that we can just have either — are trying to deceive, manipulate, and brainwash us to their will.
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From what I have observed and experienced, in my opinions. There are way too many people who work too hard and put too much effort on the superficial aspects of the practices of “religion” or “spirituality”. So, focus and fixated on those aspects that we have loss the true understanding of why the practices exists.
“Spiritual” teaching has become “commercialized” to the point that it has loss the higher meaning of its intentions. There is now so much “spiritual junks” and “clutters” that it is hard to tell what higher teachings is; and what is perspectives and perceptions. Especially, so for someone “young” who does not know what they are looking for.
Now a day, the emphasis is to focus on things that do not matter like dieting, prayers, customs, and fancy ceremonial traditions taught to us — But ignore and choose to be ignorant to the real lessons being taught right before us. So, how can we ever accomplished and achieve what we worked so hard to seek? We believe what we believe. Passionately fought to be heard and get so angry when someone show us otherwise.
Driven by unfound confident, ego, and pride. We are so arrogantly attached and obsessively committed to things we think we know. That is traditionally taught as comfort — that we cannot move beyond it to achieve even the basic of the lessons currently being taught. Which is to focus on being a good person instead of wasting time on trying to prove ourselves.
As I have said before, I sincerely take no pride in calling someone stupid or ignorant (They are just the closest words I know to translate and articulate what I am trying to say). To me using those words to associate with someone means: more work and frustrations for those who comes to teach us and learn from us. Also, more unnecessary suffering for all of us than needed to be.
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Not many people realize that there are “layers” to “spiritual” practices and training. We can summarize it to two categories: Soul (internal) and Physical (external). But that does not mean just because we can do so, that the intertwining individual layer’s significant can be disregarded. There are many layers that makes up the Physical categories. “Behavior modifications” or “awareness” is one. “Mindfulness” of physical habits is another.
There are others in between, but out of the three basic sub-categories of the “Physical Practice”. The top basic layer or what I call, “on the surface” practices. Is the most embraced and most familiar. Because it is the easiest to flaunt and show and allow us to be identified. Allow us to be identified with. In this layer is where we emphasize the physical routine habits and practices to stay with tradition and its templates. Tradition such as praying sessions, rituals, ceremonies, special diet, and even the way we dress.
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All our layers have significant. They all have their purpose for existing. Not one is more important than the other. They each do not exist on their own. Are not confined, defined, and identifies by clear cut boundaries. They intertwine to help each other maintain in rhythms to create harmony.
Therefore, when we identify and put more important in one layer and not the other. We become out of sync. The external layers are the most familiar and recognized. Because it is the easiest to identify with. However, if we do not deeply grasp something, and practice only what is easy. We cannot practice or apply it properly to get the result we need.
We need to understand and respect all components as individuals’ parts working together. That all layers need to be maintain. That we cannot bypass some because it is smaller or hidden too deep. Thus, would take us more effort to get to it, to maintain it. All parts are needed and needed equal awareness of its working conditions from us. Just like music. Miss a note; change a note here and there; and it is a different song. If we do not know where each note should be or intentionally change it — we cannot play it the way it is meant, right?
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When we embrace and identify too much in certain directions, we lose the rhythms that create that melody. The internal physical layers — the practice of “cognitive mindfulness” and “emotional awareness”. Those are the layers we seek to achieve when we create “spiritual practices” methods to train ourselves to be more in tune with.
Changing what is on the surface is always easier than changing what is inside. Because inside is where we can hide ourselves from the judgement of others. It is where we can lie to ourselves and get away with it, because no one can reprimand us for what they cannot know. Hence, there are a lot of people that get lost within the physical “spiritual” layer of the practice.
Get so obsessively sidetracked by the habits of the practice that they neglect the others important layers of the practices. Therefore, they get lost within their own egos. Thus, started to lose track of the path they are on. Begin to see illusions and become easily “directed” by lower entities through impressions that confirms with their believes and perspectives. With ego — instead of what is.
The process is so subtle that they would not even realize they have been “corrupted”. Hence, the corrupted spiritual leaders, religious leaders, cult leaders, serial killers, and their followers. Or just plain normal people seeking to individually practice to “escape” instead of for the reasons the practice is intended for.
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I am taught by my guardians all the fancy rituals and routine, and all the flares and frills we invested in our process to practice. Also, invested in the places of worship and where we practice — Should not be more important than being self-aware of our actions and reactions in our daily life. No point in donating lots of money to a religious establishment. Only to go there to gossip about other people — Or look around us and compare and belittle others contribution because we believe ours has more value.
Or forking out tons of money to go to a “spiritual” class or retreats. So that we can “temporarily” set who we normally choose to be — aside to be someone we are not. If we are not self-aware enough to understand the basic of basic ways of conducting ourselves daily. Then all the money we donate to any cause or establishment will only be in vain.
Going to churches, temples, mosques, and any other of the endless list of “religious” or “spiritual” establishments we choose to practice our believe at. Does not make it automatically a place where our “God” resides. Shaving our head, donning a robe, or a head piece and accepting a label that we belong to a beliefs or group. Taking a vow to commit ourselves belonging to a category and identifying ourselves with a title — so we can feel apart of something.
Eating a certain diet, fastening, or have a certain physical appearance. Or follow certain rituals for praying. Have lots of money to donate or time to spend doing “religious” activities or program — Is very unlikely “God’s” main intention for us. Because if so, we would not come into this world naked, and leave it — with not even the cloth of our fresh and bones to take home with us.
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Side Note: I am not against retreats, not against religious or spiritual settings or gathering. I am using it to make a point about not being dependent upon what is marketed to us. We are marketed and sold a lot of junks that we are told we need, when we might need none. Our abilities to advance can sometimes be hindered by our dependency to tools, that we are attached too. Therefore, it is hard to advance when we are always hold back by limits, we defined and identify ourselves by.
Honestly, one of the hardest things about being a “spiritualist” in a realm that defines and identify itself with anything and everything — Is that no matter how you try to express and explain something. Someone will find it offensive or be triggered by the words or gesture you use. But without words, how can we communicate the things we know? Not everyone in this realm can tune into the higher energy wave to understand what I know without words. I am here to share with those who are not yet there.
Coming from a world where I do not have to say anything to be understood. Into a world where I must write essays to express what I am trying to say and yet, always get misunderstood. It is a huge adjustment. Especially, when words do not come easy or there are limited words to really express all I am trying to say.
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Just because individuals decided we want to joint a religion/spiritual path and start following its method of practice. Thus, learn a way of disciplinary practice — does not mean we can be allowed to stop learning. Does not mean that our life’s lessons and the higher education and wisdom we are here to learn, is complete after joining. Does not mean we are a step closer than someone else who choose not to join.
Does not mean that our past and future wrong actions and its consequences are “null and void” — Or lightened. Choosing to confirm, to conform, to accept, and to practice a mundane way of life — Or choosing to embrace a set of perspective does not mean it is the “right” method, purpose, or path that the creator intended. Does not mean we are automatically entitled to be beyond and above the higher intention — just because we choose it. As I have said, our perspectives and our acceptance or denial of the real true — does not change the fact of “what is” and its existence.
Often people are self-blinded to their own arrogant. Thus, does not realize that it is a form of arrogant to think we are on the “right” path/track. Think that our chosen choice is the “right” one while other’s choices are not. Thus, we stop ourselves from being open to further learning anything else — But, what we choose to learn, choose to believe, and choose to accept to confirm the path/perspective we have chosen. Hence, we can not evolve or ascends, thus the lessons repeat itself.
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Maybe, myself, I might know nothing of the wisdom I have written. That my wisdom in this book is nothing but arrogant perspectives. Maybe all that I thought I know are nothing but me B.S-ing to self-fulfill and compensate for whatever it is, I have yet to be aware of — that I might need or want. Whether it is so or not. I am guessing and hoping that if I am questioning and is aware of the possibilities. Thus, being mindful of its effect and act accordingly to limit its influences: I could end up a step closer to the true path our creator intended for us than those unaware — Or chooses to be intentionally ignorant to its effect.
As a student, I would rather learn my wisdom from those who questions and show awareness of themselves and the bigger picture. Then from someone who walks blindly, accept blindly, hear selectively, and see selectively only what they want and choose to. In my opinion, if someone cannot grasp and understand the basic of basic lessons being taught. What makes them think that praying or meditating all day — Or living in a church or temple will help them reach further higher ascension?
One can pray all day and part themselves from the social world and emerge themselves in an isolated life at a church or temple for all their life. They can preach and repeat all they want the wisdoms that they speak of. But if they cannot practice its higher meaning and apply it to situations. Because they cannot grasp and understand the basic of its fundamental. All their time praying and meditating, all their time following the routine method of doing what they believe or is taught is the “right” path — is all for nothing.
The result of practicing only so we can say we are doing so — is the horror stories of past Popes molesting children. Of well respected “spiritual” leaders taking advantages of others to make themselves rich. Of cults leaders who brainwash and massacre their followers. Of religious wars and horrifying acts of “evil” that we allow to exist till this day.
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Therefore, all the superficial specifics that we are taught to be dependent upon, and strongly attached to, are just that — attachments. I personally do not know, nor care to know what “sainthood” means. Neither do I care to define “spirituality” or identify with what people believe it to be. I have no ambition to be anymore than the best I can try to be — as what I am made to be — right now. A human being.
A student of life. A companion and peer to those who wanders temporarily into my path. I believe that as long as, we live true to who we are. And that we at least try each day to be more aware and the best we can be — to be a better person than we are the day before. It is enough. I do not feel I need to be classed to be love.
It does not mean our creator loves me any less. We are not judged on what we show, but on what we do and what is truly in our heart and soul. A place that is not visible to the eyes. Thus, it cannot be judged by our peers and their idealism. A place where only you and “God” will truly know if you are truly worthy of what you seek.
