FORUMS > Spirituality Forum Rules

Hippie4lyfe created an interesting forum about organized religion. We all know or have witnessed how traditional religions may chastise others for not believing in the same doctrine as the people that follow them. But I've noticed a different trend with those who claim to be "spiritual." These spiritual pioneers tend to be snobby and feel they are better and wiser than those that follow a more traditional dogma. And this is especially the case if they compare themselves to people who have no faith at all.
I find that people that act this way are simply insecure. They, in my mind, are like those that go through all the trouble to buy expensive designer clothes to feel good about themselves. They consider themselves to be a part of an elite group for spending thousands on fabric and shoes to adorn the body that are only good for one season and then of course it's of little value in several short months. That alone in and of itself is so incredibly stupid - to waste so much money on something that will be considered out of fashion in 12 weeks. They also look down at others who don't share their penchant for "high end labels" and this gives them a false sense of superiority.
I feel that this is how a lot of people embrace their spirituality. They're not as dangerous as Christians or Muslims (have been throughout history) but their gravitation toward "specialness" and insularity can be just as bad as anyone who boasts of spirituality. I've noticed this to be the case with those that practice Reiki or Wiccan beliefs but especially gay men that are reiki practitioners.
To me they're not spiritual people questing for the elusive incorporeality but rather the opposite. They come off to me as insecure and childlike individuals who are attracted to power and exploit "spirituality" to meet their own unrelated needs.
Am I the only one that notices this? Comments? Even Jesus is known for being non-discriminating. Whether the person was a leper, a jezebel, a prostitute, rich or poor - How many people that claim to be spiritual can say the same thing about themselves?

You raise an interesting and completely valid point. For many spirituality becomes a addiction to the further glorification of their own ego. Ego is completely destructive to true spiritual development. Although I am not Islamic there is a great quote regarding this;

I struggled hard but did not reap the fruits of my labors. Then I gazed into myself and found that my ego and my heart were unified. When the ego and the heart are united, a portion of all that shines upon the heart is seized by the self. Thus I came to know the cause of my dilemma, that the light illuminating my heart was being seized by my ego.

-Al-Nuri, in "Islamic Sufism"


I think this sheds some light on how this happens in some cases. Originally, their heart starts out in the right place but before long ego comes along and steals the show. Ego is a particularly sneaky and insidious thing in spiritual practice, and often its risen before we've even seen it coming. Many times this starts as a desire to spread your knowledge or wisdom, but this in itself becomes a double edged sword, because now there are two not one. There is the teacher, the one who possesses knowledge and wisdom and there is the one to be taught, the one lacking knowledge and wisdom, and right there already you have created spiritual ego, you have placed one on a pedestal above another.

True spirituality in my view is about coming to our oneness. Realizing that we are all one, and one is all. Realizing that it is our common suffering that binds us together, all beings experience sickness, aging, loss and eventually death. All beings want to be free from suffering, want to develop into something greater, something more perfect. This is what is known as original impulse, has its been present from the second the big bang took place. Immediately the forces of physics/universe/nature/spirit whatever you wish to call it, began to organize into progressively greater forms. Bits of dust became swirling clouds, clouds condensed to form planets, elements condensed to form molecules, molecules to proteins, proteins to life, and so on. For roughly 13 and a 1/2 billion years, the universe has been evolving into progressively more perfect forms. Here we are, that impulse to grow, to become, to improve, 13 billion years later, and that form is now the form of all living beings. We are original impulse and that original impulse evolving towards ever greater things is our common link. When we forget that and create layers of authority, levels of knowledge or wisdom, degrees of initiation, we deny our commonality and place one above another, and in doing so we forsake the most spiritual fact in the universe, that we are one and not two.

I simply try to ask myself one question when ego arises, or seems to arise: Who is this one who __________(insert whatever)? For example, who is this one who wants to be right? Who is this one who wants to tell someone else off? Who is this? Usually in asking myself this, I am reminded that my true nature is one with, and not separate from, and my anger, or my ego, or my feeling of terminal uniqueness, or whatever it is, is usually calmed quite quickly. I am still human and I forget more then I remember, but I try, and in that effort I am again one with all.

The final catch of this ego problem is that it usually takes ego to spot another ego....dough!!!!!!

What you describe sounds more akin to people who seek out identifying with "otherness" as a means of personal aggrandizement and validation than people who are actively exploring their faith or aesthetic senses.

I have only a few experiences of being the pushed end of another person's religious snobbishness (a woman on a bus in Miami once extolled to me the virtues of a spiritual leader from India she followed, emphasizing how she had been atheist before discovering this particular fellow; beyond this, my experiences of "faith"-based snobbery have come from adherents of the Christianities).

I try to hold the reins on my potential for my own atheist snobbishness. It's easy to get carried away when one "knows" or "feels" the "truth."

YoungHungSFSD, you make a great point - the ego. I read a really great book titled "A Course in Miracles" and it goes on to talk a lot about the ego. It goes on to express pretty much what you're saying. I found it a great read.
The book was written by a woman in NYC who is/was a psychologist. The interesting thing is that she wrote this book with the help of one of her fellow employees. She does not take credit for what is said in the book. She claims to have gone under a trance and that some divine entity channeled through her and told her what to say while her cohort jotted down everything she said. According to the preface it took 7 years to get all of this information and to write the book. Some claim it is Jesus channeling through her. All I can say is, in my opinion, it seems like some divine entity channeled through her. The things that are explained and mentioned in this book sound way too advanced for any human being. It was a powerful book.
It doesn't talk about the ego entirely but it does make substantial mention of it in several chapters. This book was written in the early 70's and is still practical over 30 years later.

Jack Kornfield also talks about ego, and spiritual superiority quite a bit in After the Ecstasy the Laundry. Excellent read in my view. So often for so many people the deal becomes about how to look like the "perfect christian" or the perfect wiccan, or Buddhist, or catholic, and in our efforts to look the like the perfect practitioner we loose the essence of what's important.

I definitely agree it's an ego thing. Some people think they are privy to some great 'Truth' and develop a sorta god or messiah complex. For example, with pagans I've noticed a sorta self-righteous snobbishness towards Christianity. They can be downright disrespectful, like claiming Christians to be ignorant and discriminatory or using a cross to "exorcise" a child of demons just to be funny (I've seen this happen in the Wiccan group I was in, out in public to my mortification.) Granted, Christianity has had a very bad reputation over the couple millenia towards minorities (i.e. Wiccans and homosexuals.) I mean, with the Inquisition, Crusades, and general Christian fundalmentalism, I wouldn't blame them for being sore. But If you want tolerance, you have to show tolerance too. In other words, don't be a hypocrite. But I'm kinda digressing grossly on the topic here.
Back on subject, some "spiritualists" like to believe that their views are correct and everyone else who doesn't hold their views or ignorant and beneath them. Many people don't like the idea of being wrong, thus they they close their minds and act holier-then-thou. Others like to go on power trips. They have to have everything their way.

Hi =) I certainly agree with a lot of what you have to say!

I'm a spiritual person that doesn't believe in organized religion. I also happen to be a Reiki guy who went through the attunements and training a little over 11 years ago. It was really life changing for me.

You're right about a lot of the attitude that comes along with Reiki. I've run into quite a few practitioners, gay or not, who think that they're more enlightened than others..almost like a status thing. Reiki is supposed to be about helping others. It's about using the energy around us in a good way to heal and center. Unfortunately it has become quite a business. I was fortunate enough to have a great Reiki master who explained the history of Reiki, how everyone has it in them, how helpful it is, how non-selective it should be. Some Reiki practitioners need to get their attitude in check. They crap and put on their pants one leg at a time...just like the rest of us. =)

I feel that everyone should believe in what makes them feel safe, comfortable and happy. It would be great if everyone could have a look at ALL religions and try to understand how they are similar or different. Most would find that the similarities drastically outweigh the differences. Different religions have a different viewpoint on who or what God is. It really shouldn't matter.

In my experience, people who gravitate towards false 'spirituality' often flit from one discipline to another. Psychic phenomena, UFOs, Buddhism, Aquarian Age, etc. Every time a new guru or swami arrives, they switch yet again. Not really believing in them but probably just wanting to be part of something 'different'.

I am leery especially of movements which center around a particular 'enlightened' individual. These was how the organized religions started after all. Rasputin-like prophets extolling their newfound truths etc. They are in all senses still organized religions, and probably more dangerous if not for their small size.

For me, 'spirituality' means INDIVIDUAL spirituality. He believes in something, doesn't need others to tell him how to believe in something, and most of all doesn't parade his belief or attempt to convert others to his belief.

That is the faith I can respect. Not those seeking forever because the journey is too enjoyable, and not those who are caged by the 'towers' of their own calcified doctrines.