Dialogue: Spiritual Teachings
Absolutely any spiritual teaching holds the risk of being misinterpreted, especially when it is read by the wrong person at the wrong time. Just like religious texts have been misinterpreted and twisted to suit one’s convenience for centuries, anyone reading spiritual teachings must also beware that teachings will work against you if you read through the filters of your beliefs instead of trying to connect with the essence through your heart.
And here I present especially something that can be open to misinterpretation, but I do it anyway, because I believe it will still help those who are prepared. One of the most common traps on a spiritual aspirant’s pathway, is getting lost in teachings. I have found myself lost more than once, and I see many around me deeply trapped by their intellect – able to give an entire discourse if need be, but barely able to invest any energies in actually experiencing anything.
Spurthi contacted me recently during her stay at Bylakuppe, where she was attending HH Dalai Lama’s teachings. I would like to mention here that our conversations have nothing to do with Buddhism itself, but with the idea of listening to teachings.
Spurthi
I am in Bylakuppe for Dalai Lama’s teaching.
Ashwita
great, how’s that going for you?
Spurthi
Very good… it’s awesome to be in his presence.. very peaceful. I experienced similar first in your presence.
He covered how to realise emptiness and impermanence, origin of dependence
Ashwita
oh, sounds wonderful
Spurthi
It helped in my intellectual understanding, I need to do lot of work to surrender fully. Hope 2016 helps me better
Ashwita
Yeah I find that the one risk in Buddhism is getting lost in the intellect
Spurthi
Yes.. tats why HH stressed direct realization is must
Ashwita
yeah, that can also be a very intellectual statement 😀
Spurthi
Teaching should only be a signpost
Ashwita
See all these things come in when you want to ‘get’ somewhere
Yes – signposts are needed when there is a journey. A journey is when you are not happy with where you are. Just sit down, there is nowhere to go. Stop trying to be better, and surrender will happen naturally. Otherwise you will end up with a fake intellectualized surrender
Spurthi
Hmmm … how can surrender happen wen my mind still complains / resists
Ashwita
Surrender to that state of mind. It is only the mind that is telling you how the mind should behave. Let that layer go first
Spurthi
It still wants to take control of things and induces fear of future by negativity
Ashwita
That is the only ‘work’ you need to do – witnessing the mind and not heeding its madness
Spurthi
While witnessing I somehow get lost with it and stop being witness..
Ashwita
practice practice practice
Spurthi
I need to practice
Yes tats the way.. should be more patient.
Shouldn’t give up practice
Ashwita
that’s all 🙂 there is nothing else you need to actually know
Spurthi
Right… Thanks a lot Ashwita for the way i want to discuss more with u.. now going to attend one more teaching from a Buddhist monk.. it’s so true as u said there r lot of chances here to get lost intellectually.
It’s easy to start seeking …
Ashwita
yeah. The real teachings fit in half a page. Anything more than that has a potential to mislead you
Spurthi
Exactly!!! Mind will be more than happy to resume it’s work after half page
Ashwita
gooood girl 🙂
Spurthi
🙂
At the beginning of a spiritual journey, it is usually of much help to be able to heal some deep wounds through therapy or some sort of spiritual healing. Until one reaches this stage, there might be some desire to ‘reach somewhere’. But eventually one reaches a point where all the basics have been learned, and practice is all that is required. One needs to steer clear of intellectual masturbation and focus on the only real thing on the ‘journey’ – simple, boring practice.
3 thoughts on “Dialogue: Spiritual Teachings”
Hi Ashwita,
Thanks for such a nice article.
One small clarification you mentioned that “Just sit down, there is nowhere to go. Stop trying to be better, and surrender will happen naturally.” I too believed in it, but people around me started looking at me as if i have stopped leaving.
Bit confused with this !
Srinivas.
Ah, thank you for the question. I tried to look for lines that might be misinterpreted and missed this one 😀 And it is a BIG one! Usually when you really sit down and stop chasing, is when the fun begins, it is when you truly start living life, making people wonder how they can be like you – it is when you are chasing nothing when you are free to run wild, truly enjoying life. Of course, sometimes during the transition from the ‘chasing’ phase to the latter one, it is possible that one goes through a very slow phase, where nothing seems important – much like a car slows down to a near halt when it is taking a U-turn.
Of course, if the people around you think that ‘living’ equates to getting drunk and partying, then it probably means you are just hanging out with the wrong people 😉
Once again Thanks a lot for taking time and explaining it 🙂 its very useful insight (y)