Spirituality Information |
What Is The Spiritual Path?
For many years of my life, I thought the spiritual path had something to do with following one of the major world religions or pursuing an Eastern practice. I even thought it had something to do with morality and ethics. Today my comprehension of the spiritual path has changed completely. Instead of the complexity of any of the disciplines to becoming a good person, I have found that the path is simple. In fact, some of the greatest atheists have followed it better than many theists. An example that comes to mind is the famous British Philosopher Bertrand Russell, who lived an impeccable life of wisdom, compassion, and grace.. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That is the spiritual path. Everything else--all the theology, philosophy, and practices--lead you to that singular ideal. Physically, do you like to be murdered, wounded, beaten, or raped? Emotionally, do you like to be humiliated, disenfranchised, betrayed, abandoned, disrespected, alienated, and cast aside? Mentally, do you like to be cheated, swindled, lied to, vilified or misinformed? Of course not. In fact, your whole body just cringes at the thought of such mishap. Yet, this is what we do to others. If we are truly savage, we abuse others physically. If a little more sophisticated, we abuse others mentally and emotionally. And in this process we abuse ourselves. In actuality, there is no enemy, for we are all connected at the collective unconscious, and the misperception that "they" are different from "us" has been the historical cause of most human suffering. Often this abuse is perpetuated from the collective rules referred to as ethics and morality. What is ethical and moral is defined by who is making up the rules. Yet the bell that tolls for another, also tolls for thee. Why do we act in a way that injures others? It is because we feel a deep void inside of us and we lash out like a wounded animal. We relate to the world from the wounds of apathy, grief, fear, lust, anger, and pride. By striking out, however, we only deepen our own anguish. Although we are only trying to survive, we achieve only more peril. A spiritual person, however, comes from a completely different perspective. He or she is motivated by feelings of courage, acceptance, and peace. What does the spiritual path have to do with good psychology? Everything. A sound mind in a sound body. Can the spiritual path be defined in an even simpler way? Yes. It can be defined as love. When you love, love, love--you'll be happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise. The opposite of grief, misery, and unending travail is the spiritual path. While many disciplines may lead to it, the heart will show you the way. Once we shed our habitual narcissism, then the way to courage, acceptance, and peace becomes possible. Resource Box Saleem Rana got his masters in psychotherapy from California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, Ca., 15 years ago and now resides in Denver, Colorado. His articles on the internet have inspired over ten thousand people from around the world. Discover how to create a remarkable life Copyright 2005 Saleem Rana. Please feel free to pass thisarticle on to your friends, or use it in your ezine ornewsletter. It's a shareware article.
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Working with God Not a Failure!Those of you who are unemployed, or desire a career change, or perhaps, like me, want to expand the work you already have, may notice things are not happening as fast as you had hoped. Take heart! You are not a failure and there is nothing wrong with you!Recently I listened to a woman harshly chastising herself; "I've been avoiding doing what is necessary to get my new career going - I haven't written cover letters, made the necessary contacts, and have even sabotaged myself by stopping my daily runs. The Star of Bethlehem It was said that Caesar Augustus one night consulted his personal sibyl (fortuneteller) and asked her if a prince greater than he would ever be born. As she searched for an answer in her sacred books, the place was lit up by a meteor that flared in the dark sky. An Open Invitation "All you who are thirsty, come and drink." ISAIAH 55:1, NCVThe most incredible invitations are not found in envelopes; they are found in the Bible. Home Improvement or New Construction? Jesus said, "No one can see the Kingdom of Heaven unless he is BORN AGAIN," (Jn 3:3). A born again disciple is one who has, literally, been given a new lease on life. The CAB Approach to Spiritual Growth I have been thinking a lot about the spiritual growth process and I thought I would share. I think that what enlightenment really involves is accepting the light that already exists within each of us and in every one and every thing. 5 Paper Management Tips for Christians My favorite scripture is Roman's 8:28. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Inner Beauty - Finding the Source In Corrogue I am seeking the source of inner beauty.This is a way to find an inner beauty that transforms. Abundance As Spiritual Birthright I am going to remind of some simple, yet important things, that you should already know, but perhaps need a reminding of just now. I know that I need reminding from time to time and suspect that you may also need the same 'straight to the point' reminders. Counsel for Non Church Goers Not going to church has the advantage of having free time on Sunday morning and not having to bother with getting out of bed and traveling to the meeting place of worship service. In America you have the right to attend or not attend. Perception of Freedom Sometimes we're already free but we don't realize it. We don't believe it or act like it?There's a story about an eagle that got trapped in a chicken cage as an egg. Spring Cleanup The junk I'm talking about is the stuff that we keep stored up inside ourselves. It's the excess baggage in our lives that tends to weigh us down and serves no purpose. Living Between Two Worlds! We are all here on this plane, thinking to ourselves "who am I and what am I doing here?" I believe this question is bouncing around in the heads of many people! Some of us then go in search of our answers by asking people whom we think know more than ourselves for help! We seek guidance from our mediums and psychics, from religions and other groups that we think we might find an answer and in most cases we are still left wondering. Have we ever stopped to question why? Have we asked ourselves why we are not convinced by the answers we get from other people?It is obvious why no one can provide you with an answer. The Power of Simplicity in Holistic Living What does it take to live life holistically?It definitely does not require a degree from well known university, a high paying job or huge bank balance. Holistic living has nothing to do with all that!Holistic living simply means?. Halloween Rites For some of us, EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN!!! If you want to be unusual dress up as a nurse, secretary, grocery clerk or bank teller this year. Gypsy, vampires and shaman wanna-bes are everywhere already!Or you could get all Martha Stewart about it and practice the following festive rites, which find their origins in the British Isles and Europe for that "authentic" Halloween experience. Lost is a Spiritual Problem Lost, but you don't know where you're going.Lost is a horrible place to feel. Understanding the Gospel of Matthew and Why it Matters - Part 8 Matthew 3:1-3The Preaching of John the Baptist1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight. Jesus: The Greatest Scapegoat It seems more people today are using the Christian god concept as a medication, a solution to all problems, and/or a drug that eases the most difficult of conflicts. The need for a god has never been more prominent than it is today. The Slippery Halls of Perspective. As we walk these halls of Life viewing the world and ourselves through our limited and often times limiting perspectives, who can really fathom the depth of another? Didn't we all at one time believe in Santa Clause? Didn't we all believe at one time, that when we closed our eyes we disappeared? Didn't we all used to believe we were the center of the world? Where did those perspectives go? Are we now sure that we have it 'really right', or are we still clutching at temporary viewpoints and transient opinions, unknowingly defending mirages? Who can really judge who sees clearly? Who can really say who is deluded? Who is really in touch with reality? Perspectives change and for the most part do not belong to us, but rather happen to us. All perspectives are partial, and because they are partial, they are incomplete (even this one). Oh, God. What Do I Do Now? Uh, oh. I'm in trouble now. Is It Real? If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. --2 CORINTHIANS 5:17, KJVIt may have happened to you at a Billy Graham Crusade. |
home | site map | contact us |