Thriller!

More and more these days, you hear the terms "spirituality" and "spiritual growth" as well as "personal development." They can be taken to mean all sorts of things, and I could probably spend a few posts just going over that. In fact, Ken Wilber has devoted the better part of several BOOKS to the subject in an attempt to cover off all of the possible definitions.

To me, the better question is, "Why do you pursue your vision of spirituality, if you do?"

Motive and intent are everything when talking about the results, after all, and there are a lot of pitfalls out there associated with these things. I am defining a "pitfall" as a path that leads towards strengthening your ego rather than becoming disidentified with it. So, here are some of them:

Thrills, chills, and frills: Many people who pursue so-called spiritual practices are actually in search of fun or thrills. Are you one of them? Ever hope that eventually if you stuck with a teacher long enough, you would get the tittilating bits? The scary stories? The dire warnings? The admission to the Secret Society? Maybe you have even been given some of these things by a book, group, or teacher? Isn't it exciting? I've been there too!

Though it is indeed waaay cool, seeking thrills is not going to get you very far. In fact, pursuing spiritual evolution for these reasons is a barrier to real development. Whenever you wear out the novelty, you will move on, often before you actually get someplace. In martial arts, we used to tell students that they won't really learn anything deep with an exercise until that first wave of boredom hits.

Why?

Because getting past that first wave of boredom is a lesson in dealing with the ego. The ego is what gets bored, not your true self, and learning to deal with the ego is a path to true development, rather than listening to it and moving onto the next thrill.

To be right: Some folks pursue spirituality so they can find the "ultimate truth". While this is a noble reason to start out, in theory, the pitfall often occurs when they think they have found this so-called truth. The finding is not the pitfall. The clinging is.

Whenever you cling to something, in this case an ideal, you are identifying with it. Whenever you believe that something is absolutely correct, and that everyone else is wrong or in some way inferior to you because they do not believe that way, you are in the grip of the ego. One of the ego's funnest desires is to be right and to make others wrong. This can be done with any subject, let alone the subject of spirituality.

If you believe you are in a spiritual practice that demonizes others or somehow paints others as being one thing or another, and you ascribe to that practice, take a good look at what is going on.

To get "fixed": All of us have emotional baggage or issues that we would rather not have. These could also be mental forms that we are unable to get rid of. In the Present moment, these things are actually not that hard to assuage. It's getting to the Present moment that is tough, and this baggage can directly inhibit one's ability to do that, especially if someone identifies with that baggage as themselves. Have you ever thought, "I wish I could be fixed."?

Some people pursue development to get fixed. They believe that the practice itself can fix them. Again, this is a noble and valid reason for starting. Also, once again, it's not the fixing that is the problem, it is the clinging.

If you think you want to be "fixed", ask yourself something. Do you want to have true peace and tranquility in your life, or do you crave the drama of "getting fixed?" Many people who claim to want peace are just normal people: i.e. they idenfity with the ego which craves emotional pain to strengthen itself. The key to avoiding this pitfall is to be able to step back from that craving and observe it. It is what it is.


There are more pitfalls, of course, but they all really are about the same thing: If you are completely identified with your ego, you will be fooled as to what is going on. Your ego is a master at that.

However! You need to start someplace. A lot of people take those first steps for the wrong reasons, and wind up on the right path eventually.