Spirituality That Works

Q: Can we talk about the path to enlightenment? How does one get on that, and stay in it, and get to enlightenment?

First, you must learn about and understand what enlightenment is. This information has been shared in-depth for thousands of years,  and still, few people are able to do it. It cannot be accomplished by intellectual pursuit, but that is often the doorway that is easiest to enter through.

In some ways, the task is impossible as it … Read More

We like to imagine there will be a perfect moment to begin. The day when all the stars have aligned, the laundry is done, the plan is clear, and our mindset is exactly right. We think that once we’ve lined up all the pieces, we will finally start that project or make that change we have been putting off.

But life rarely offers such a tidy runway. More often, we’re juggling family drama, looming deadlines, a body that sometimes aches, … Read More

Q: It seems that around the age of 4 and 5, children experience many more powerful emotions. This can make getting kids to bed even more difficult. Around that age, so many kids seem to save all their talking for bedtime.

At that age, they’re processing many emotions of change, loss, learning independence, learning acceptance and how to fit in. Some are in an environment for the first time where they are seeking approval from someone other than their parents. … Read More

Q: Why do people of various spiritual schools of thought describe different realms in which they travel? Why aren’t they all going to the same place? I’m thinking of the differences between Theosophists, Spiritualists, Shamans, Sorcerers, and so on.

All of those worlds various people describe exist for those people. Many dimensional states exist in which one can travel and experience a spiritual reality. Just as there are many countries to which you could travel to in your world and … Read More

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