Category: Spirit

In life, almost everything we do has an impact of one kind or another. All our words, actions and attitudes feed into the realities we share and create with others: systems, relationships, standards across the whole of life (see Notes One). Much of that may be hidden, but is that to say it doesn’t matter?

I’ve heard it argued that we aren’t responsible for how others take things; that if they get hurt or misunderstand, that’s their problem. And of course we need to take responsibility for ourselves, for our wounds or patterns; but that doesn’t mean we needn’t also be insightful, considerate, and clear in our treatment of others.

This touches upon ideas of reciprocity: situations arising out of mutual interactions; things moving both backwards and forwards. Because communication and relationship of any sort clearly involves more than one party and something being both given and received. Are we responsible only for what we give, not for the capacity to receive or whether what’s received is what we intended? In terms of ends and means, is it enough to think of our side and let impacts take care of themselves?

Those wounded in how they relate would presumably then fall back on their limited understanding, caught in their patterns, if no one takes time to impart a better way of being. And those economically disadvantaged – within our own societies or in the global way of working – would also be left to their own devices.

What I’m getting at is how these are all realities we are born into, through no real merit of our own. Those born into situations offering poor models of communicating must work with that. Those born into certain communities and countries often have few chances at attaining wealth, security or social status.

In these areas, and others, it seems we all have a part to play. With social interactions, choices in how we act and what we tolerate shape our social spaces, cultural conversations and ethical standards (Notes Two). Economically, our behaviours sustain global systems and impact the everyday lives of so many (Notes Three).

We may not have created the systems, we may not agree with them, but we are part of them. In that light, do intentions even matter? We might act on what we think to be true and what we would like to create, to the best of our understanding; but if the outcome’s different, is that not our problem? Does responsibility lie in the creation of a system or reality; in coming to an understanding of it; or in our conscious engagement with situations we find before us? Because blaming the system doesn’t solve anything: we may not have caused it, but we can help stop it.

With all this, I’m very much asking questions about problems we can only solve together. Surely it matters that others are suffering, wounded, disadvantaged; and if we can help heal that through our actions, that must be better than leaving them to it.

Notes and References:

Note 1: Reality as a sense check
Note 1: What are the true costs?
Note 2: Empathy in a world that happily destroys
Note 2: How many aren’t well represented?
Note 2: Antisocial behaviour & the young
Note 3: Waste and consumer choices
Note 3: Fashion, self & environment

Also, Mirrors we offer one another spoke in a broader sense of the meaning we create together.

Recently I wrote about “The Spirit of Community”, with spirit in that context essentially referring to the ideas, principles, values and meanings woven behind the understanding of community and how that might affect everyday actions, systems and organisations. And that seems a reasonably workable starting point for talking about spirit.

It’s a topic I’ve touched upon a few times in looking at spiritual literature and modern attitudes (see Notes One); and it seems important in that all our actions ultimately sit within our understanding of what life is about.

In a way, any system of ideas must rest on a sense of what can be seen and what cannot: modern secular theories generally asserting that only what’s physically perceptible holds meaning; while any other belief system holds up an understanding of a deeper reality. Accounting for what cannot be known by sight – whether through faith or disbelief – effectively then creating the ground for our existence.

The post about the meaning of beauty explored how we prize external appearances: those obvious, measurable qualities some are born with or others might buy. Which often seems the clearest voice within modern culture, but also questionable in terms of what matters most: appearances can be deceptive, can essentially be bought, and often seem to run counter to the development of character. And a system of meaning based on nothing but the physical must also be subject to changes resulting from time, fate, or revised standards.

All of which strays slightly from the point, but only to raise questions around the values of a material philosophy. Because it seems non-belief discredits so much, leaving little space for the appreciation of many things that make us human and make life worth living. Things like kindness, love, inner beauty, compassion, courage, sacrifice, perseverance have little value in a world that talks only of profit or gain.

Of course, secular reasoning offers that illusion of certainty which allows us to step forward confidently into the unknown without the burden of other considerations. But to my mind that kind of reasoning is just as much a matter of faith as any other: one path is a faith that something greater is there; the other is faith that nothing is.

Writings on Education spoke of how modern thinking arose and informs the ways we understand and live our lives; connecting everything together around its basic assumptions. Ideas about the limitations of knowledge were the products of intense cultural debate, but now seem to be accepted and defended with a much more casual frame of mind; which is interesting, for something so fundamental.

Fascinating as all that is in terms of thought and reality, my main question here is whether it’s possible to have an intellectual framework incorporating both faith and reason: where the denial of deeper meaning can stand alongside faith, rather than seeing it as a lesser form of intelligence. Because really it seems that the absence or presence of such meaning all forms part of the same conversation.

Notes and References:

Note 1: The ideas of Eckhart Tolle
Note 1: Mindfulness, antidote to life or way of being
Note 1: What do we see in beauty?
Note 1: Spiritually committed literature

“Towards a New World View” discusses further the idea of developing our belief systems and engaging in wider conversations.

With almost any area of human activity these days there’s a sense of “how can this be made profitable?” Maybe that’s because tech opens the doors to vast markets and opportunities, which business models and entrepreneurs then race to capitalise on. Or maybe there’s a natural logic of turning any given activity into a business. Whatever the causes, this commercialisation seems a particular challenge in the realm of spirituality.

Whereas economic interests used to be more centrally organised, now all we do can be monetised through advertising, paywalls, online sales, contributions, crowdfunding and the like. It’s something that’s affecting our lives in countless ways, as natural behaviours often get replaced by commercial enterprise (see Notes One).

It seems a natural progression: our tools change and we seek new ways to contribute and also turn things to our advantage. With an economy largely reshaped by technology, it makes sense for money as this unit of transaction to feature largely in evolving business models. But while it may be understandable for everything to come down to money, it’s not entirely neutral.

I’ve spoken elsewhere about the influence of money over artistic work (Note Two), which is another area where this seems problematic. Art, to my mind, serves an important human purpose as this act of reflection and meaning; yet when money gets involved that may subtly change the nature of what’s offered in that timeless cultural exchange.

Similarly, money can raise its head quite fiercely in spiritual endeavours. As those inclined to offer insight, encouragement or guidance seek a place in the modern economy there’s often a degree of resistance to individuals becoming wealthy or running businesses off the innate needs of others. It’s a problem with a history running all the way back to medieval indulgences, peppered in more recent times by self-help gurus.

That’s not to say this is always a problem: many people in this field seem to have something valuable to offer in helping others improve their lives. There’s clearly a desire for self-development and a genuine call for techniques to manage modern life, whether that’s the outlook suggested by Eckhart Tolle or recent trends towards mindfulness (Notes Three). But the dynamics of the marketplace must shape what’s offered, as well as effectively making certain insights unavailable to those without money to spare.

It’s more something that intrigues me: how, as human beings, we seek meaning whether that’s through art, spiritual development, or cultural experiences. These seem to be activities that can bind us together, lift us above our everyday lives, and make those lives worth living. The extent to which it’s acceptable to charge for that or set yourself apart as some kind of leader may be a perennial question.

Ultimately, we must all find our own way with such ethical decisions. It’s an imperfect system, but if people truly mean well in what they offer and how they do so then maybe their messages can stand the test and serve to meet this demand for meaning.

Notes and References:

Note 1: The challenge of community
Note 1: Values and the economic
Note 2: Art, collaboration & commodification
Note 3: Mindfulness, antidote to life or way of being
Note 3: The ideas of Eckhart Tolle

Then there’s The motivation of money which looked more generally at money as a concept and an influence.

In Spirituality since the 80s I spoke of belief within a meaningless world, and how trends such as meditation could be seen as an escape or a means of offsetting modern living. But can these practices offer more than merely a convenient repackaging of ancient wisdom in a form that assuages yet sustains our way of life?

Essentially, we’re talking about a strengthening of the awareness behind thinking, and the capacity to detach somewhat from the thoughts or feelings that often occupy our waking mind. The practice of mindfulness seems to have arisen from Buddhism (or possibly within other spiritual traditions), and recently been revived in its capacity to support or rebalance aspects of modern life. Whether within the context of mental health concerns or more broadly within mainstream culture, this has found a place among the tools at our disposal for managing our lives.

As discussed with regard to The ideas of Eckhart Tolle, it seems the value lies in suggesting a different pace of being or another way of relating to existence. Tolle’s writings – as those of Krishnamurti – model alternative ways of thinking about thinking, and seek to break the hold current thought patterns have over us. Whether this is through meditation, techniques for redirecting our thoughts, or practices such as walking and colouring; the essence seems to be in calming the mind and letting certain things simply pass us by.

What intrigues me most is how spiritual ideas have stepped into this role of mitigating the strains of society; often becoming something we adopt ad hoc rather than as an end in themselves. As mentioned in Happiness and modern life, there seems to be a sense that our way of living requires certain mental adjustments on a human level.

In How many things are cycles (we could break) I reflected on ways modern civilisation seems to depend on certain patterns of thought or consumption; and if there’s any real interest in breaking these. It seems to me sometimes that society undermines our worth: telling us we need more; that our personal or social standing rests on many things outside of ourselves.

What is this system we exist within? Schumacher spoke in “Small is Beautiful” about how maybe our society doesn’t truly want balance and peace. Within a predominantly economic system, it seems there’s little call to resolve problems so much as to offer a temporary remedy (see Values and the economic). Are the solutions we say we’re seeking possible within such a society?

One of the unspoken questions arising from the post on cycles was, What would it mean to break them? And my thoughts on Tolle led in a way to asking, What would it mean to be awake? So here, What might mindfulness offer us as a completely different way of being? Spiritual practices seem to re-emerge at times as these convenient offerings to serve our way of life; but could they be part of something larger, that might not require such checks and balances?

Moving away from more topical concerns, the focus of this post is modern spirituality. In essence, it seems that spirituality and religious or philosophical concerns loomed large throughout much of recent history even up until the Eighties. I use that date as a slight watershed because there are many texts running into that decade that seek to address the challenges of spiritual experience but then the tone seems to shift (possible reasons for this and whether or not it’s connected with shifts to a more technological or materialistic society is a different matter).

Broadly speaking, from the Enlightenment it seems there was weighty public discourse around belief, religion, responsibility, ethics, meaning and so on. Even through the nineteenth and into the twentieth century debate continued around the moral basis for human activity. Then I suppose from that point Western society became caught up in progress and conflict and rapid social change, including a loosening of these sorts of discussions.

Not to be critical of that, because the process of exploring diverse belief systems and questioning your own seems a beautiful process that can lead to greater tolerance and understanding. There are some wonderful books from the 80s and beyond that seek to chart these waters and find a voice for hope and meaning in modern life, some of which I will pick up here at a later date (Spiritual Emergency, The Aquarian Conspiracy, Towards a New World View, New Renaissance, among others). In a way I see this as a dialogue of progress through the twentieth century as thinkers sought to grasp how humanity meets modernity.

Then it seems, interestingly, that society has taken a path of meaninglessness (that’s not a judgement, but the philosophy of materialism is essentially that there is no deeper meaning to life) while religion seems to have undergone a hardening of sorts in response to modern times and spirituality has often become an emotive or sentimental retreat, an escapism in a way, or a handy tool for calming the modern mind.

I will return later to this, but it just seems intriguing how our way of living has essentially stripped meaning from life yet we still live within it all as humans who seem to intrinsically seek meaning and understanding. Clearly belief still carries weight in current affairs and it seems it cannot be dismissed out of hand, but the place it holds in human society is fascinating.