SPIRITUAL AMUSEMENT DARKENS THE SPIRIT

Many people have a desire to be spiritually enlightened. However, on the road to find enlightenment, they sometimes inadvertently offend other cultures, traditions, and religious beliefs—even trespassing on sacred grounds! Some seem to get caught up in seeking spiritual amusement more than enlightenment. When they commit these types of fore mentioned infractions, it cast shadows across their spiritual paths that darken the way.

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I have known people who have set out upon a spiritual quest only to swipe ideas, songs, practices, and rituals from other cultures. They embark upon their journey in the name of enlightenment, however like spiritual bandits, their desire to find something new and exciting often results in them stealing from other traditions; this demonstrates a lack of respect for the richness of other cultures. It also trivializes the years of training and cultural experience the spiritual leaders possess.

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People who demonstrate such indifference for religious boundaries will grab a specific technique from an intricate and multifaceted system such as ancient herbalism or the lifelong study of shamanism. They may have good intentions as they explore their spirituality. However, they show scant regard for the history and dedication required to practice those techniques effectively.

After participating in a ritual, or perhaps only reading about it, they will greedily take the parts which suit them for the time being and leave the rest. There is nothing wrong with being eclectic, but to exploit other traditions just to satisfy a craving for spiritual novelty is self-serving.

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There is something to be said about the specialized ability to do one thing very well; this requires discipline and patience. The problem is that most people who jump from one religion to the next do not take the time to develop this type of specialized ability. Within a very short time, they become bored and start looking for the next, newest thing to satisfy their need for spiritual amusement.

Speaking of needs, I believe nothing makes people more miserable than neediness. In the experiences I have personally witnessed across the country, I see worshipers perpetually making requests of their Deities to satisfy their insatiable human wants. Just how much is enough? Is there too much focus on the self?

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What about focusing on the needs of the local communities and environment we share? Without a healthy balance of priorities, our desires can take away from our calling to serve others (in whatever capacity).

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I have been horrified to hear people tell of how they visited ancient sights or sacred grounds and took small items from the area as souvenirs. One woman spoke of how she traveled a great distance to visit the sight of a sacred tree that was extremely old. She proudly bragged about how she had snapped off a small branch from the tree to use as a “spiritual tool.”

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When I mentioned to her that the tree would probably have been better off left alone, she retorted by saying, “Well, at least I’m not as bad as some people who carved their initials into the trunk!” What ever happened to the concept of integrity?

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When I go for a walk in nature, I consider the entire forest to be sacred ground. Therefore, I leave the surroundings undisturbed and refrain from bringing home objects to display on the mantle. It is a form of humility. Besides, it is not the actual object which holds spiritual enlightenment—that is something found within oneself.

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Take a lesson from the owl: when the owl roams, she leaves little trace of having been there. However, in a paradoxical/spiritual way, she changes everything she touches.

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It is a common belief among spiritual leaders that living a simple life with minimum materialism is most conducive to spiritual growth. True power comes from being able to work with as little as possible. It does not come from the accumulation of material goods.

So all the flash from that shiny religious jewelry doesn’t mean much if you do not have compassion and love in your heart for all living things. Since you already have a spirit-flame in your soul, you do not need to seek it in other traditions or sacred objects. The treasure chest need not seek the hunters.

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The quickest way to spiritual self-destruction is by way of the ego. And yet, how many times have ego problems caused the energy in a spiritual group to be off balance? In their quest to find innocence lost, many people have regressed to egocentric behavior.

There is a difference between being childlike and childish. You don’t need to act childish to resolve past issues. Through enlightenment, childhood scars can transform into wisdom. It is true that you cannot change the past. However, you can learn from it. That should add to your enlightenment and clear away some of those dark shadows on your path.

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Something to meditate on today. Realize all flowers are uniquely beautiful, yet they do not try to emulate each other. Nor does your flowering spirit need to be like any other religion, tradition, or culture. Be satisfied with who you are.

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