Spirituality That Works

Q: Should serious spiritual seekers limit themselves to a vegetarian diet? It seems to me that if killing is wrong, then killing animals is wrong, too.

If you’ve been contemplating spiritual matters long enough, this question inevitably comes up. There are a few different ways to look at it. Your view could be said to align with the ethical values of nonviolence and prevention of cruelty. Certainly, many spiritual people strive to live by those values.

Q: But is choosing … Read More

Q: Life today can often seem so overwhelming. Is there a way to look at our lives that will have it all make more sense?

It can help to think of life as a kind of maze. It has a beginning and lots of twists and turns, and even though we all try to see around corners to find shortcuts, the maze will still do what it will with us, until eventually we find the way out. That’s why, in … Read More

Q: What is this idea of non-attachment? Is it about not caring about anything? That doesn’t seem right. This makes it problematic for a lot of people to figure out why they get out of bed in the morning. Can you explain further how you reach that point of being able to just walk away and not care? 

First, let’s consider attachment. There’s a belief that what you have belongs to you and a tendency to think it cannot be … Read More

Q: What does it truly mean to live a spiritual life?

When someone first asks for a spiritual life, they are not aware, truly, of what they are asking for. They have read. They have heard. They have decided. But they do not know. And they cannot know at the beginning. Because if they did know at the beginning, without the proper preparation, it would only scare them. That’s because they aren’t ready for what they need to do. For … Read More

Q: What is the meaning of life?
On what level would you like the answer? On an individual level, there are infinite answers because for every life form, each experiences a different meaning.

Q: Is it natural for people to want there to be meaning? Or is that something that religion has given us a need for?

Religion isn’t the entire culprit. When someone starts to wonder how to make their way in the world, or what they could do … Read More

Q: Why has it become so difficult for people in this country to get along?

The primary reason for this difficulty lies in a fundamental misunderstanding about human nature. There’s a widespread misconception that all humans are essentially the same and should, therefore, naturally get along. However, this is far from the truth.Human beings are incredibly diverse, not just in appearance but in their core attributes.

For example, some individuals possess extraordinary willpower, while others have very little. This isn’t … Read More

Q: Certain subjects, words, and criticisms have the power to shake us to our core. What’s going on here?

Let’s talk about the power that words have over us. They sometimes carry heavy emotional and psychological weight. They can lift us up. They can also crush us. For the most part, we have a basic understanding of how and when this happens. And when it’s happening in the moment. But what many people don’t realize is that whenever there is … Read More

Q: Can you explain what influence language has on our perceptions?

When we are born, we’re born with full awareness. We’re still connected to the All–That–Is.  Looking into a newborn’s eyes, you can see the ancientness of their souls. You can see the wisdom of the ages looking back at you. Because this newborn is still fully connected, this is their experience.

But before long, to make us more suitable to living within the families and cultures into which we’re … Read More