religion and spirituality
- Religion is the container and spirituality is the contents.
- Our problem is that we focus on the container and not the content, our attachment to the container is the source of countless wars.
- The container is also needed but the most important is the contents.
- Spirituality is the spirit, spirit is the reality, [the truth].
- To become spiritual, one needs a spiritual practice or Sadhana.
- There are many practices depending on religious background.
- Any Sadhana is liable to become a mechanical act.
- Awareness, total alertness makes sadhana, spiritual.
- Any sadhana without awareness is a mechanical act.
- We need to keep our mind where our hands are.
- Don't multi-task, focus on what you're doing at the moment.
- Doing one thing and thinking about something else is the source of stress.
- We are here but we want to be there - a source of stress.
- We need to put attention where our effort is.
- Thoughts of past and future keeps us away from present.
- We are not living, we are either dying (past) or dreaming (future).
- How to stay awake:
* focus on what you're doing in present moment.
* catch yourself every moment you stay away from present.
* use your breath to focus back to present. [or we can focus on inner energy]
* develop detachment.
- The cause of our wondering mind is our attachments. [i think to be detached we need to develop the role of being an observer or a witness. Witnessing everything happening around us including inside us without any judgment.]
-- paraphrased from a lecture by Swami Prakashananda - Chinmaya Mission (except what's in [ ...])
2 comments:
Of course the container is imprtant. Without it, where will the contents be? Is there anything worng in gaurding (or I should say defending) the so important container?
i think the problem arises when in the name of defending the religion people act in contrary to what the religion is teaching. container is important but the contents is the most important part. The goal is to reach a point where our every action becomes spiritual. Let's say we are sweeping the floor, if we are totally attentive, vigilant and present in that action then that action is a lot more spiritual than doing a religious act where the action has become mechanical and our mind is wondering somewhere.
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