Waking Life: The Holy Moment

This clip from Richard Lancaster's Waking Life presents spirituality in relation to film from a pantheist perspective.

Spirituality and the Self

To be spiritual is to contemplate the nature of the self, but not necessarily the other way around. When contemplating the nature of the self we can talk about the social self and the transcendental spiritual self. The social self can otherwise be called the ego. The ego is formed based on cumulated social experience, relationships, career path, and material posessions.  This self is the self we know and see ourselves as. We refer to this self as an object when using the word ‘me’ and refer to it as a subject when using the word “I”. This self is shaped and shifts thought our lifetime based on outside influences of socialization.

What is the self behind the social self? Pure awareness of consciousness: the spiritual self. It is the simple awareness of “I am” that remains constant though ones life. Descartes makes a fundamental error when he says “I think therefore I am”, when referring to the transcendental self. This is the error of equating the realm of soul with the realm of thought. The former is formless while the latter is purely form. Thinking exists in the realm of the mind which can not not be equated with the irrational realm of spirit. Reflection on the nature of a spiritual self is the deepest and most important spiritual practice one may engage in.

Tomorow's Spirituality

Ken Wilber talks about states and stages of the spiritual experience.

5 Practical Forms of Meditation

            Recently meditation has been gaining popularity in the west. Meditation can be a powerful way to relive anxiety and maintain focus in an ever increasingly fast paced society. I am going to outline some of the basic types of meditation that can be easily integrated into ones hectic lifestyle in order to maintain presence and ease stress.

1) Mindfulness: This is the practice of the mind operating in the present moment rather than being lost in thought. Don’t dwell on the past, don’t become anxious about the future. Focusing on the present situation can be done any time whether you’re working, doing chores, participating in a hobby, or any other daily activity. Immerse yourself completely into the activity at hand and take notice of small details you would normally overlook.

2) Breathing Meditation: Relax in a comfortable position, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. You may notice your breaths become slightly deeper. Focus the mind solely on the sensation of each breath.

3) Walking Meditation: This is a form of mindfulness that focuses entirely on each sensation as you walk. Notice the feeling of each part of your foot against the ground, the feeling of the atmosphere, the feel of your clothes against your skin, and the sensation of each breath you take. Take notice of your surroundings and feel present within them.

4) Transcendental Meditation: This is a form of meditation that has gained a lot of hype lately. It is portrayed as the most difficult form of meditation which requires the guiding of a spiritual guru who provides you with a unique mantra. In reality, a mantra is simply a tool to tire the mind and bring it into a state of blankness. This state of mind is said to be the connection to our true nature. This can be done by sitting in a comfortable position and getting into a relaxed state through breathing meditation. Once in a relaxed state, any word or sound can be repeated in your mind. The key is to not focus on the meaning of the sound, but rather just the sound. The less you think, the deeper you go. The goal is to go beyond concentration and  transcend the realm of thought.

5) Contemplation: This is the opposite of transcendental meditation since it focuses completely on  thoughts. This can be done with a short passage of wisdom such as an inspirational quote, philosophical maxim, or teaching from a religious text. Deeply understand this idea and how it relates to you.

“The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.” - Aristotle

Allan Watts - The Illusionary Self

Allan Watts talks about our narrow consciousness and how we are disconnected from our true nature.

Einstein Quotes on Buddhism

 

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.” -Albert Einstein

“If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.” -Albert Einstein

"When you examine the lives of the most influential people who have ever walked among us, you discover one thread that winds through them all. They have been aligned first with their spiritual nature and only then with their physical selves.”
-Albert Einstein

“Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity.” -Albert Einstein

"Measured objectively, what a man can wrest from Truth by passionate striving is utterly infinitesimal. But the striving frees us from the bonds of the self and makes us comrades of those who are the best and the greatest." -Albert Einstein

“A human being is part of the whole, called by us 'Universe'; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.” -Albert Einstein