Spirituality That Works

Before the hustle and bustle of the Industrial Revolution, the sounds of nature, the ringing of church bells to mark the hours, the everyday noises of town life, horse hooves on cobblestone streets, marketplace haggling, that’s what we knew.

And even these sounds, while sometimes loud, were intermittent and confined to particular places. Back then, experiencing quiet moments was more common, with noise levels similar to what you might find in today’s quiet library or peaceful countryside, at around 40-60 … Read More

Q: I was reading something by Ouspensky, in which he was remembering Gurdjieff and how Gurdjieff spoke of us living in something of a sleep state. There was this quote: “One thing and one thing only is therefore necessary. It is necessary for individual men and women to awaken, to remember who they are, and then to become who they really are, to live it in the service of truth. Without this awakening and this remembering, nothing else can help … Read More

Is it Okay to Fall Asleep During Meditation?

Recently, I had a friend who is new to meditation express her frustration at continually falling asleep whenever she tries to meditate. Then she proceeded to share with me some of the torturous ways she’s tried to keep herself awake. I felt sorry for her tired body…

She wasn’t asking for my thoughts, so I didn’t offer any. But you, dear reader, are about to get an earful.

Whether you’ve just started … Read More

Q: It appears that many people today just want to blow up the system to see what happens next. I hear and read that young white males especially feel that they have no status, no standing, or hope of any standing. This has pushed them to the point of despair. There’s no purpose for them. And nothing has been set up to help them. So, they think, let’s just torch it all and start over. Can’t get any worse for … Read More

To reach enlightenment, only two skills are required: No thought. No time.

First, let’s tackle no thought. To accomplish this, meditation must be regularly practiced. It’s fine for beginning meditators to have thoughts, but they must practice not being attached to those thoughts. They need to learn to watch the river of thoughts flow without judgment and without adding more thoughts. That’s the beginning of acquiring a peaceful mind, a non-reactive mind.

Over time, the raging river slows until it … Read More

[If you haven’t already read Part 1, I recommend that you start there. This is a continuation of that conversation.]

Q: You’ve outlined that to achieve permanent enlightenment requires a pretty extreme commitment. Realistically, how many people can just be focused on enlightenment? 

That’s why I don’t usually focus on enlightenment in my teaching. I focus on how to live the best spiritual life you can. I don’t judge those who “want to get spiritually high.” At least that’s a … Read More

Q: I was wondering why so few people reach enlightenment. It seems that most people who have individual enlightenment moments can’t hold onto them. They can’t make them a regular part of their lives. It’s like they get a high, they come back down, then they want to get high again. But they just can’t make it a lasting experience. Why is this?

Because the necessary preliminary groundwork hasn’t been laid. Someone like that might be top-heavy spiritually, but they … Read More

Q: What purpose does complaining serve? Is it ever useful or helpful?

For some people, it can be a form of attention-seeking. Of desiring empathy or understanding from others, “See how hard I have it? See all that I’m trying to do? See how much others aren’t doing?”

For others, it can be a form of boundary-setting. “Don’t ask me to do one more thing because look at all I’m already doing.”

In your life, it’s the release of pent-up … Read More