Comments on: The Importance of Spiritual Practice http://themiddleway.net/2007/06/16/the-importance-of-spiritual-practice/ Commentaries on Meditation, Zen, Buddhism, and Mindfulness Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:52:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Becoming Our Practice at The Middle Way http://themiddleway.net/2007/06/16/the-importance-of-spiritual-practice/#comment-8762 Becoming Our Practice at The Middle Way Sun, 17 Jun 2007 11:49:12 +0000 http://themiddleway.net/2007/06/16/the-importance-of-spiritual-practice/#comment-8762 [...] Register « The Importance of Spiritual Practice [...] [...] Register « The Importance of Spiritual Practice [...]

]]> By: Mikael Aldridge http://themiddleway.net/2007/06/16/the-importance-of-spiritual-practice/#comment-8732 Mikael Aldridge Sat, 16 Jun 2007 20:51:42 +0000 http://themiddleway.net/2007/06/16/the-importance-of-spiritual-practice/#comment-8732 I'm not sure about this right hand, left hand path thing. Where I have got to in my own practice is that Metta Bhavana (cultivation of loving kindness) and Dhyana (non-dualistic concentration) are equally important. Metta Bhavana opens up the heart and with it concern for all beings. Dhyana in this context establishes non-separation. May all beings awaken and be free —Mikael www.mikaelaldridge.com I’m not sure about this right hand, left hand path thing. Where I have got to in my own practice is that Metta Bhavana (cultivation of loving kindness) and Dhyana (non-dualistic concentration) are equally important.

Metta Bhavana opens up the heart and with it concern for all beings. Dhyana in this context establishes non-separation.

May all beings awaken and be free
—Mikael

http://www.mikaelaldridge.com

]]> By: Marcus http://themiddleway.net/2007/06/16/the-importance-of-spiritual-practice/#comment-8714 Marcus Sat, 16 Jun 2007 10:26:32 +0000 http://themiddleway.net/2007/06/16/the-importance-of-spiritual-practice/#comment-8714 Perhaps it depends on which bit I paid more attention to. The last few sentences stuck with me more than the rest of it... "And, sadly, in claiming to offer a completely “holistic” view of the world, they often prevent or discourage people from taking up a genuine path of interior growth and development, and thus they hamper the evolution of just that global consciousness that they otherwise so nobly espouse." Irrespective of the outcome desired by the authors of books touting Gaia or what have you, the end result appears to be people thinking "oh that's nice. Now I know about it, I won't pursue it for myself". In the end, I suppose we're arguing two sides of the same coin. The problem is really twofold. As you mention, people are not developing/nurturing the internal. But as I see it, because of the external influence given by these "holistic" views, they don't develop their internal world either. The real question is, if there weren't any external influences, would more people be developing their inner nature? Perhaps it depends on which bit I paid more attention to. The last few sentences stuck with me more than the rest of it…

“And, sadly, in claiming to offer a completely “holistic” view of the world, they often prevent or discourage people from taking up a genuine path of interior growth and development, and thus they hamper the evolution of just that global consciousness that they otherwise so nobly espouse.”

Irrespective of the outcome desired by the authors of books touting Gaia or what have you, the end result appears to be people thinking “oh that’s nice. Now I know about it, I won’t pursue it for myself”.

In the end, I suppose we’re arguing two sides of the same coin. The problem is really twofold. As you mention, people are not developing/nurturing the internal. But as I see it, because of the external influence given by these “holistic” views, they don’t develop their internal world either.

The real question is, if there weren’t any external influences, would more people be developing their inner nature?

]]> By: Wade http://themiddleway.net/2007/06/16/the-importance-of-spiritual-practice/#comment-8712 Wade Sat, 16 Jun 2007 09:24:56 +0000 http://themiddleway.net/2007/06/16/the-importance-of-spiritual-practice/#comment-8712 Hi Marcus, I think you've missed the essence of this one. "The ecological crisis- or Gaig’s main problem- is not pollution, toxic dumping, ozone depletion, or any such. Gaia’s main problem is that not enough human beings have developed to the postconentional, worldcentric, global levels of consciousness, wherein they will automatically be moved to care for the global commons. And human beings develop to those postconventional levels, not by learning systems theories, but by going through at least a half-dozen major interior transformations, ranging from egocentric to ethnocentric to worldcentric, at which point, and not before, they can awaken to a deep and authentic concern for Gaia." What Wilber's trying to say through Gaia is that problem in the world external world will automatically be addressed and solved through the development and nurturing of the internal world. His Holiness The Dalai Lama yesterday spoke the same message. By addressing your inside world, you naturally behave in an informed manner with the environment. --Wade Hi Marcus, I think you’ve missed the essence of this one.

“The ecological crisis- or Gaig’s main problem- is not pollution, toxic dumping, ozone depletion, or any such. Gaia’s main problem is that not enough human beings have developed to the postconentional, worldcentric, global levels of consciousness, wherein they will automatically be moved to care for the global commons. And human beings develop to those postconventional levels, not by learning systems theories, but by going through at least a half-dozen major interior transformations, ranging from egocentric to ethnocentric to worldcentric, at which point, and not before, they can awaken to a deep and authentic concern for Gaia.”

What Wilber’s trying to say through Gaia is that problem in the world external world will automatically be addressed and solved through the development and nurturing of the internal world.

His Holiness The Dalai Lama yesterday spoke the same message. By addressing your inside world, you naturally behave in an informed manner with the environment.
—Wade

]]> By: Marcus http://themiddleway.net/2007/06/16/the-importance-of-spiritual-practice/#comment-8711 Marcus Sat, 16 Jun 2007 08:54:46 +0000 http://themiddleway.net/2007/06/16/the-importance-of-spiritual-practice/#comment-8711 So in essence, it's saying that by telling people about, for example, Gaia, it's deterring them from actually developing an understanding of it. I assume this is because they think that having heard/read about it, they feel they know about it and then basically don't tread the path. I guess something similar would be the old birthday present. You get all worked up for what's hidden in the box, experiencing a whole range of emotions, only to find out on your birthday that it's a pair of socks. Sure you're dejected (if you didn't want socks), but what about the experiences you went through for that box? If you knew it was socks, would you have the same range of experience? So in the end, would the lesson here be "don't show people what the rewards are, otherwise it loses it's appeal" (or something to that effect)? So in essence, it’s saying that by telling people about, for example, Gaia, it’s deterring them from actually developing an understanding of it. I assume this is because they think that having heard/read about it, they feel they know about it and then basically don’t tread the path.

I guess something similar would be the old birthday present. You get all worked up for what’s hidden in the box, experiencing a whole range of emotions, only to find out on your birthday that it’s a pair of socks. Sure you’re dejected (if you didn’t want socks), but what about the experiences you went through for that box? If you knew it was socks, would you have the same range of experience?

So in the end, would the lesson here be “don’t show people what the rewards are, otherwise it loses it’s appeal” (or something to that effect)?

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