Spirituality isn't something that rewards you with peace of mind. Rather, peace of mind is a both precondition for spiritual development, and a byproduct of being on a spiritual quest.
Modern life isn't optimised for peace of mind. It entails digging in with your elbows against the ribs of others and making moral compromises. It is driven by the Ego. Modern life jangles and clashes with any sober assessment of what's needed to be truly happy. Being continually bombarded with adverts does not help bring about a state of contentment; your expectations are being stoked beyond what you are physically able to realise.
But there must come an end-point to the rat-race. All loans paid off; savings in the bank, and a modest monthly income or two.
This should be the moment in life when you finally feel materially comfortable. When you work out how much cash you need from month to month to last you until the end of your (biological) life with a safe reserve to live comfortably. Once you reach that point - slow down or stop.
Get off the materialist treadmill. Dial back your wants. Focus on genuine needs. Adopt a simpler, cheaper, more sustainable way of life. Retreat to a life of quiet contemplation. Meditate, walk, read, discuss.
Me, I'm still working - it's something I do because I want to, and no longer simply because I have to - and I shall continue to do so for as long as possible; if your work is fulfilling it does give a sense of purpose. Peace of mind does not arise as a result of an absence of intractable issues in one's life - but being on top of them. Not letting them wear you down, nor letting them dampen your spirits.
My father, who survived the Nazi German occupation of Warsaw, the Uprising, prisoner-of-war camps and finally exile, would tell me that with time you can get used to anything. And when the pain stops, the relief takes on a spiritual dimension, if you feel profound gratitude that the nightmare is over.
So aim to lead a life that's calm, unhurried, joyful and spiritually unfolding towards a Purpose, and peace of mind - craved for these days - will follow.
I certainly feel the need for contact with the metaphysical and spiritual growing within me as I age - this is not just the result of mortality creeping up on me, rather it is the result of a observations of what is valuable in life and what isn't. And focusing on the former.
Five and half weeks of Lent have flown by, the final week begins now, and ends on midnight, Sunday 9 April. In the final week, I will be drawing together strands from previous posts and putting together some conclusions
Lent 2022: Day 39
Animal spirits, animal consciousness
Lent 2021: Day 39
Praise the Sun God
Lent 2020: Day 38
Don't let misfortune catch you unaware!
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