The Benefits & Dangers Of Spiritual Communities

Being involved with a spiritual group has many tremendous
benefits over going it alone, but it can also have many pitfalls.
On the one hand, you have the benefit of interacting with people
of like mind to your own. However, on the other hand, you have
the many frustrations and challenges that come with participating
in a group of diverse individuals, each with a separate opinion
of what constitutes a correct approach to the spiritual path.

One danger we can very easily fall prey to is that of comparing
ourselves to others. Of course, each of us has spent a large
portion of our lives making endless comparisons of just about
everything. However, when this is applied in a negative fashion
to the spiritual arena, it can have dire consequences.

Many people quietly ask themselves, “what’s wrong with me?”,
and can make themselves very depressed by doing so. It seems
that other people are making good progress in their spiritual
growth, but when you look at yourself in the mirror, not a lot is
changed. This problem is also magnified by the fact that many
individuals in spiritual circles like to parade their supposed
achievements, sometimes subtly but often quite blatantly, and let
everybody know just how advanced they are. Hence, sensitive
souls, who insist on comparing themselves to such people, can
undermine whatever growth they have achieved. Indeed, they can
even cause themselves psychological problems in the process;
depression being the most common of these.

This is why it is often best to keep your counsel. Spiritual
work is best kept secret and personal. It is not intended to be a
beauty competition. Otherwise, there is a tendency towards making
negative comparisons. At the other extreme, it is also possible
to develop spiritual pride and boastfulness through some imagined
superiority of your own.

Neither extreme is of any benefit to your spiritual life.
Therefore, if you give away some money to a worthy cause, keep it
to yourself. Should you one day see a vision of Christ or
Krishna during your meditation session, only you and your
spiritual diary should know anything about it. if you do share
your insights with another person, ensure that you only do so in
order that the other may benefit, or because you are genuinely
uncertain about your experience and need clarification from
someone further along the path than yourself.

Comparisons can be most valuable if used in the correct way. By
comparing yourself to those who have attained what you seek, you
see where you are lacking and are given a role model whom you can
seek to emulate, however imperfectly at first. Thus, Christ,
Krishna, Buddha, and others have been used as role models to the
great benefit of those who have done so. By studying the lives of
such people – by pondering on their thoughts, words and teachings
- you inspire yourself to want to be more like them, and actually
accelerate the process of doing so.

Actions do speak louder than words in the context of
spiritual society. Words are cheap and easily spoken. They are
no measure whatsoever as to the spiritual progress of the
individual speaking. Mere head knowledge of the esoteric is no
guide either, since books are plentiful these days and anyone who
wants to can rapidly obtain a “spiritual Ph.D” in esoteric
chatter! Sadly, the spiritual arena does attract many
psychologically maladjusted individuals, whose greatest pleasure
is vaunting themselves up on the good opinions of others. It is
important that you are not easily fooled, and especially that you
are not depressed and discouraged, by their antics and claims.

However, actions that are sincerely motivated speak clearly of
what lies deep within the heart. There is a lot of hypocrisy
going on within spiritual groups. You may find one person making
all kinds of spiritual pronouncements, and yet this same person
will quite thoughtlessly walk past a beggar in the street without
even thinking of helping in any way. Here is an actual example
of this kind of behavior. A yoga teacher was preparing to send
cash donation overseas to a worthwhile charitable course. She
mentioned this to her class and asked if anyone else would like
to contribute too. The silence was deafening!

As you observe spiritual people in such groups and communities,
you will see many such examples. However, the point is not to
become judgmental or regard yourself as superior. Rather, you
should observe and be aware. Guard against falling into the same
trap yourself.

It is also vital to respect your spiritual teacher, and listen
sincerely to the teachings, without crossing the line into
worshipping your teacher or regarding him/her as having descended
from heaven. This can lead to tremendous disappointment, and has
done so for many followers in many different places and times.
It is always wonderful to find a perfect teacher giving perfect
teachings. All too often though, the teacher you end up with is
just as human and fallible as the rest of us. Moreover, the
greater the degree of advance, the greater the distance there is
to fall, should it happen. Spiritual teachers have been known to
“come off the rails” and get involved in sexual affairs, or other
such behaviors which their disciples would regard as improper.
Others engage in ashram/temple politics, apparently for their own
self-aggrandisement.

Hence, it is always a good idea to use discernment at all times.
If the teachings are valuable and true, then heed them. However,
if the teacher should ever bitterly disappoint your expectations
one day, beware of throwing out the teachings with the teacher!
This is what many disappointed aspirants do. They give up their
practice and drift away disillusioned forever.

If you are a teacher in a spiritual community, it is quite common
to find people in the group who do not respect you, and who seek
to undermine your authority, or belittle you in subtle ways. In
such instances, it is wise to remember that in any spiritual
group, there will always be sheep, as well as wolves in sheep’s
clothing. It is not your job to sort them out. Rather than become
discouraged, or get into a bickering contest, focus instead on
always giving of your very best, regardless of praise or
appreciation. Your chief point of comparison should be yourself,
and how well you are holding to your own values. Let the world’s
opinion come and go.

Spiritual groups can truly be a wonderful place to grow, and to
meet other people of like mind. If used in this way, they can be
a tremendous spur to your inner development. However, it is
always wise is to remember that no group is perfect. You are
dealing with real and fallible people, no matter how they might
like to represent themselves or be thought of. Therefore,
rather than focus on the imperfections and get distracted by
them, approach the spiritual group or teacher with realistic
expectations. Since the whole point of a spiritual community is
to aid growth, it should never be a cause of disillusionment
and sorrow. By working within a group in this manner, and by
never neglecting your own vital individual practice, you set
yourself up for success and steady advancement upon the spiritual
path.

Copyright Asoka Selvarajah 2005. All Rights Reserved.
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Asoka Selvarajah is a writer on personal growth and spirituality, and the author of “The 7 Golden Secrets To Knowing Your Higher Self”. His work helps people achieve their full potential, deepen their understanding of mystical truth, and discover their soul’s purpose. You can subscribe to his FREE ezine, and get his FREE ebook “Inner Light Outer Wealth” at:
http://www.aksworld.com/AspireToWisdom.htm?imk=Blog _______________________________________________________________

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