From: QueeneMUSE@aol.com
Date: Sun Sep 24 2000 - 11:29:43 MDT
In a message dated 9/22/2000 10:15:06 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
emlyn@one.net.au writes:
>
> Striving for excellence is excellent. Where's the room for
> spirituality/mysticism/religosity? Why do we need it? Does it benefit us to
> add it? What price do we pay?
>
Laziness is a lot of it. If you pretend to be spiritual instead of actually
doing the spiritual work, you don;t have to really *be* spiritual.
Good questions. Three separate terms you have blended into one. There's a
subtlety at play...
Oh... and you forgot one nasty attribute: Superstition.
Spirituality is not really a form of mysticism. Many people *claim* to be
spiritual, New Agers for example, but all they are is superstitious, rigid,
lazy or self delusional. George Dubya thinks he is spiritual, but he is
really just a born again former alcoholic. = ) He'd like to tell me what I
need to do to get into heaven....
Spiritual (to me) is a discipline of disciplines: a meta-discipline, if you
will... and is needed to master Zen, Music, Taoism, Karate, Sports, Yoga,
relationships, the Arts - and for me - automorphing.
It requires emotional fine tuning and great focus - combined with a physical
state of well being and a beneficent intent.. it can be as simple as 'do unto
others as you would have done unto you' ..or a daily practice requiring
centering and biofeedback.
Mysticism and Religion are a different fish, and are more likely to be linked
to irrational behavior. Why they are so necessary and important to our world
is a very important part of the puzzle of humanity and one which we could
benefit by exploring without so much scorn and judgementalism. Acceptance of
it is key, if we want to make changes. Make love not war upon it.
Spirituality is an honoring of a part of our mind or our life source, but
which doesn't need to be a superstitious belief system.
Superstition, pretend gods, and false belief systems are dangerous - yet they
are also useful.
Useful to whom?
Self delusion, judgementalism of others and propping up of self importance
seem to play a large role in organized religion. Historically it helps in
motivation & manipulation of masses.
Today we have substituted TV.
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