Being spiritual does not make you better than “non-spiritual” people

 

• Being spiritual does not make you better than “non-spiritual” people

  Let people be. Let yourself breathe. How you decide to spend your life does not make you better than someone else who lives life choosing to be aware of different aspects of their humanity. Killing your ego does not make you better than those who never have. Being aware of your eternal power does not make you better than those who “aren’t awake” to you. If you believe in spirituality, do you not also believe in oneness? The simplicity of life and the power inherent in all beings!?

  I don't think those who feel they are better than others actually killed their ego - they have probably grew it. And maybe that's not necessarily "bad"?

  In general, it's probably quite understandable why people would feel that way. Maybe they feel in control of their life for the first time, maybe they obtained new tools that solved some problems and now they're trying them on everything else. If we're going through real, non-imagined changes we don't yet have mastery over everything we have and we are, and uncommon/atypical behavior completely expected and inevitable.

  It's like going through puberty - sure, we're awkward and disproportionate and maybe annoying, but it's kinda necessary to explore our options and grow into ourselves, and is beautiful in it's own way?... :) If we simply start roleplaying as adults straight from childhood and start behaving as is expeted from us, that won't really improve us, and may actually prevent us from finding ourselves.

  Avoiding notions of hierarchy and progress (by which I mean the idea that you are somehow more spiritually evolved than in your own past) is very difficult! I agree with you that is should be avoided.

  You kind of fell into that very trap with the idea of "low vibrational situation", which I think implies a lesser spiritual situation than high vibrational. Or perhaps you believe low vibrational situations are no better and no worse than high vibration ones, just different? I'm on board with that.

  The problem with taking this concept to the extreme is that it can eliminate any notion of discernment among spiritual practices, and resulting states of being, by basically eliminating any notion of spiritual progress by making choices about what best works for us.

  I view spiritual evolution and progress as getting closer to how you truly want to be and feel. So I dont see the downside in noticing when you're closer to that. If you view progress as being "better" than your past self, when you're talking about the essence of who you are, that's not true. There are details/varying perspectives in these understandings and it also depends on what you mean when you use the words you use, like "better". For example, you can say you have a better understanding of something when you're closer to the truth. And that would be true. But is your understanding better than someone else's? If your understanding is closer to the truth than someone else's, then in that sense, yes. But both of our understandings are what we need to go through at that time. In that sense, both understandings serve us equally and are not better than the other. Because we'll always end up where we need to be, and whatever the path looks like in getting there is just what the path needed to be. I know what I prefer to experience and that's high vibrations. So in that sense, I view low vibrations as unwanted and less favorable/worse than high vibrations when it comes to my personal (you could say egoic maybe) feelings on them. But when it comes to what we need to experience for our souls growth, both vibrational levels serve and are not better than the other. I believe one is to serve as the contrast as to who we really are, so we learn to act in opposition to it. Contrast serves to fully define and support. My intention wasnt to say you shouldnt note the difference in things or not notice what works for you and what doesnt. It was to broaden your understanding and others to look at the whole truth, and not judge someone's essence or stage of being as "worse". It seems like you may have been using the word "less" in a different manner of speaking due to your additional comment, but with the context of the post I thought you were using it the same way they were. I've learned this recently from an Aaron Doughty video which is why I think I seen this and was called to comment :)

  You've got an interesting mind. Thanks for sharing your ideas.

  We're coming a very different place because I pretty much reject most notions of truth, and in that sense there isn't really closer or further away from truth.

  The only spiritual accomplishment I have is this unfolding moment. I have a horrible memory, so I may have discovered important spiritual insights yesterday, but they are gone now, and I'm okay with that. I really don't care. I'm really not trying to accomplish anything, and I'm non-judging about me yesterday and have few expectations for me tomorrow. I don't mean to sound "holy" at all, as if I'm always in the moment the way some think of it (like the in-the-moment association with meditation practices). I'm just saying my core spiritual practices is very non-judgmental of myself and not goal orientated.

  I'm groping to explain (because I'm constantly re-figuring this out) - not sure if I'm expressing it well.

  No problem, thank you for sharing yours and for feeding my ego by complimenting my mind jk 😂 You're not coming off as "holier than thou" to me at least. Theres always going to be someone interpreting things based on their own experiences and projections tho lol. You seem calm, centered, and healthily detached. I feel like I could learn from where your focus is at the moment. Learn to just live in the present moment and not try to figure out what the truth is so much. What do you mean by you reject most notions of truth? Like you're kinda just allowing yourself to perceive things as you perceive them and dont try to analyze it to the point of you trying to figure out what the "truth" of it is?

  What I enjoy about the chat is both that we have different perspectives (so much more interesting than chatting with someone who has the same view) and you too subject spiritual ideas, including your own, to scrutiny. There's lots of seekers who make the assumption they have a shared understanding of something as another person does (like "vibration" or "awakening") and don't probe the idea to illuminate differences and challenge their own take on things.

  I guess as far as truth is concerned, it is absolute truth that I reject, particularly when it comes to spirituality. I'm amazed how many people will make assertions that involve a presupposition that there is an absolute truth, with a capital T. For me, truth exists, but it is very much "local" truth rather than "global" or absolute truth.

  For example, I have a passionate love for science - I find it extremely useful on my spiritual path, not to mention in my daily life in terms of technology based on it, especially medicine (I would not be alive without western medicine). But I believe science cannot now or probably ever touch the deepest mysteries, which are the subjects I find most interesting and spiritually compelling. They would include things like the nature of death, consciousness, interiority of black holes, preceding cause of the Big Bang, the origin of life, what is outside the boundaries of the universe, the nature of a reality where there is no time and space, etc. It's possible science could solve some of those questions, or get closer to an understanding than we are now, but I tend to think the essential answer will remain elusive, especially with death, the cause of this universe and what is outside the boundaries of the universe.

  There are lots of everyday examples where local truth exists, is discoverable and useful, but those truths are only true within their own system of knowledge, rules and shared understandings. Law would be a good example of that.

  So I guess when it comes to your language in the spiritual context in terms of "moving toward truth", that truth is real, but not in the ultimate sense, and really just belongs to you. I suspect you meant that too. For adherents of organized religions or spiritual systems, they would be seeking to move toward the truth as defined by that system, e.g. "enlightenment". I don't mean in taking this position to in any way diminish the strength or significance of those systems of truth - they have real power and usefulness for adherents. The can bring happiness, love and relief from suffering into the world. But they are not ultimate and absolute truth.

  Some seekers seek truth.

  I seek mystery, and prefer to sit with the uncertainty and curiosity that mystery entails. That's my happy place.

  I was watching an Aaron Doughty video about what makes up a narcissist and he said we attract people and situations that we need to learn from. This expanded my understanding that, although we are all on different vibrational levels, we still do all hold equal value. I've had contradicting thoughts before this understanding because on one level, we're all equal and we all come from the same source but on another, it was hard to ignore that some people are more helpful than others and therefore contribute more value. But the whole truth, is that we are here to learn from eachother depending on what stage you're at. So although, we may not like the lesson we have to learn that doesnt mean it doesnt have equal value and the person teaching it doesnt have equal value for what is needed at that time.