Updated: 02/26/08

SPIRITUALITY

Earlier, you were asking me to discuss spirituality. Here are some of my thoughts.

Spirituality is an attitude. It is an attitude, which is determined by your philosophy of life. Your philosophy of life determines your goals in life and that is determined by your knowledge. Your knowledge is determined by the extent of your devotion and love for knowledge and truth, and of course, your opportunities. Your search for truth is determined and oriented by your biases, opinions and beliefs. In other words, honesty, justice, compassion and open-mindedness determines if you will, or if you will not find out the truth about a matter. In this situation, we are looking into the truth of spirituality.

Spirituality is not something you can find by looking outside of your own self for it. You cannot find it in the sky. You cannot find or buy spirituality in a God Shop. You cannot have spirituality by begging or praying for it. Spirituality is not a reward for good conduct or for following some man made rules. Spirituality is a reward for internal purity, love and compassion. Spirituality is an inside attitude that can only be practiced. It cannot be found or discovered. Spirituality is a product of self-domestication. It can only be cultivated.

If spiritual is a continuum, what is at the opposite end of it? It is not enough to say the opposite of spiritual is “non-spiritual.” I am forced to conclude that the opposite of spiritual is selfishness, and the greater part of selfishness is conformity to culture norms and to political and religious beliefs. Religious salvation proclaimed by Christianity becomes an attempt to escape personal spirituality and is therefore, a product of personal selfishness that is opposed to true spirituality.

Selfishness is often disguised as altruism and can only be judged by the individual himself as he develops his spiritual eyes. If an action or thought blossoms from compassion, then that is an act of spirituality. If an action stems from any motivation other than compassion and love then that action is a selfish act and thus, not spiritual.

This brings up a question. Are not all religious plans of salvation based on a personal selfishness? The Hindus will accept no salvation that does not include all of mankind. The Baptists accept a salvation that includes only the one person - you. Which concept is more spiritual, the Hindu’s plan, or the Baptist’s plan? This is not to laud the Hindus or to belittle the Baptists. It is to show that the concept of “spiritual” is in constant conflict with the personal wants and desires of the individual. Spirituality is the self-adjustment and self-alignment of the individual with the truth, compassion and justice of the universe.

The whole universe comes into focus only inside of each individual. If you are blind, you cannot see the things revealed by the light. Even with good eyesight one must still concentrate on what he is seeing, what it means and how it relates to other known and visible things. When it comes to the universal truths inside of you, your spiritual eyes must be focused inward in order to rightly interpret what you are seeing.

What disrupts this internal spiritual eyesight?

Everything!

In order to use your spiritual eyes you must discard one by one those things that hinder the use and focus of your spiritual eyes. In order to see the spiritual truths you must first see the hindering falsehoods that disrupt the focus of your spiritual eyes. You will then develop a distain for lies, deceptions, distortions and their offshoots. This is called “purifying or cleansing.” It is also called Atheism because honest doubt is the only honest approach to seeing, understanding and getting rid of the hindering elements to spirituality in your life.

Having seen the troubling impediments to spirituality, one must begin to eliminate those things that separate him from the knowledge and truths of the universal spirituality. One will not find spirituality by seeking for it. Seeking spirituality becomes a selfish endeavor and defeats the whole concept of spirituality. Spirituality, like happiness, is a by-product of right judgment and right living.

So, the trouble begins. All of those things that hinder spirituality maybe classified under the term “selfishness.” Decisions must be made as to what is compassionate, what is essential and what is necessary. That must be weighted against those things that are based on personal human want and desire.

The philosophies of one’s culture are the most hindering impediments to spirituality, and that includes religion, economics, government, business, family, friends, expectations and such.

This produces stress.

What is stress? Stress is the conflict between what one inwardly knows is the right thing to be and do, as opposed to what is the pragmatic and selfish thing to do in order to get along with one’s fellowman and one’s culture. Stress is hardly ever caused by too much to do. It is most often caused by not having good spiritual and compassionate priorities established. Your philosophy of life determines your priorities. If you are trying to live according to the economic or religious philosophies of life, you are lost from the start. All the economic and religious philosophies are based on personal selfishness - the enemy of spirituality.

This is not to say that religion does not have some good precepts and admonitions, but it is to say that that according to religion what you do (your conduct) and what you “believe” (your religion) are all important to your future and present.

The Atheist philosophy emphasizes that what “you are inside” is most important in determining your spirituality. And what “you are inside” is the measure of your spirituality.

Spirituality is understanding who you are, what powers you possess, what your purpose is here, what you should do and what is your future in life. Spirituality is developing the inner you to the extent that you not only understand yourself, but you will soon begin to understand others, and finally you will understand the universe itself. You will discover that the universe follows the infallible law of cause and effect. You will also discover how you may use the universal powers available to you and for what purposes.

Spirituality is like happiness. The more you hunt for it the more elusive it becomes. So, spirituality is not a commodity within itself. Spirituality is a byproduct (like happiness) and it suddenly can become a traveling companion without you knowing it. Others will recognize and know your spirituality a long time before you do.

Indeed, the deliberate hunt for and the display of spirituality might be considered a selfish act or attitude within itself, and therefore, unspiritual.

The secret to spirituality is personal mental freedom and tranquility. Again, this is found in Atheism. Freedom is found in the quietness of the mind, in knowing who you are. Spirituality is the condition of being in harmony with the universe. Spirituality is the release from all the things of the world that keeps you from being quiet. Once you are free and tranquil, it doesn’t matter who controls the government, or what war is being fought, or what earthly matters are pressing upon you. You become free from all that pressure and stress.

You are even free from death because you are at one with all the universal truths. You are free to accept your fate no matter what that may entail.

My attitude is to forget about spirituality. Instead, seek justice, love, compassion, knowledge, understanding, (wisdom) open mindedness and fellowship with others of like mind. Do this and others not blinded by their religion and culture will consider you to be spiritual.

Others will most likely, hate you. Why? Your spirituality becomes the standard by which their own narrow views and selfishness must be measured and they hate their own conclusions.

No longer must you wrestle with the questions of: “Who is God? What religion is correct? What does the future hold? Am I saved? What religious writings are the truth? What is Truth?” These and many such selfish questions dissolve and are eliminated in the spiritual person.

Any person that thinks he is spiritual - he is not!

The questions you must ask yourself are:

“What am I?” and “Who am I?”

When you can answer those questions, all others vanish.

It seems to me that one must embrace the cleansing of Atheism before he can be spiritual.

That is Atheistic Spirituality.

Thomas E. Blaylock

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Posted: 04/25/07