“Some of those who teach are self-deluded. Some are out-and-out cynics, using what they know because it makes them a living. They are not interested, whatever they say, in making a better world. They are not interested in opening minds and helping others to know more about harmony and love. To them spiritual teachings are mental goods in a world market-place and it’s mostly a matter of selling spiritual commodities at whatever price the market will bear.”
Mar
08
After reading the entire article … I feel like I have been given a mickey-finn and find myself shanghai’d on some boat headed for nowhere.
In many ways … that is what Spiritual Materialism is if you are the one giving, and yet, if you are the one who receives the Materials of worth .. just keep making it up because the fools are believing whatever you are making up, right?
Bottom line, whatever it is you are selling it has to be of worth to whoever is buying it.
What are people buying .. this year?
…and if you are selling the invisible, advertise it as ‘the emperor’s new clothes’? the problem is that, at least for me, progress has been through unglamorous daily training. eventually there are ephemeral insights. what am i going to do with that? have a Revival meeting?
Very interesting article! You make a lot of very good points, tying a lot of things together and evidently see very clearly! Yes, we are known by our fruits (deeds not words).
Strikes me (in a good way of being stuck!) that you have a wonderfully clear writing style which is hard to come by. Actually, I love the way you express yourself using many short sentences and yet I don’t get tired of reading them. I can imagine your aikido must be very clear like that too!
Sprit-moving poem at the end too to boot!
Thanks Ralph!