10 Spiritually Transmitted Diseases

1 Recent Articles, Spirituality 6:11 AM A+A-SHARE O !R"T!R"TSHARE O

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1$% & '(()le +16 Stum*le+p(n0
"t is a ,un)le (ut t-ere, and it is n( less true a*(ut spiritual li.e t-an any (t-er aspect (.
li.e/ D( 0e really t-in1 t-at ,ust *ecause s(me(ne -as *een meditatin) .(r .i2e years, (r
d(in) 10 years (. y()a practice, t-at t-ey 0ill *e any less neur(tic t-an t-e ne3t pers(n4
At *est, per-aps t-ey 0ill *e a little *it m(re a0are (. it/ A little *it/
"t is .(r t-is reas(n t-at " spent t-e last 1$ years (. my li.e researc-in) and 0ritin) *((1s
(n culti2atin) discernment (n t-e spiritual pat- in all t-e )ritty areas5p(0er, se3,
enli)-tenment, )urus, scandals, psyc-(l()y, neur(sis 6 as 0ell as earnest, *ut ,ust plain
c(n.used and unc(nsci(us, m(ti2ati(ns (n t-e pat-/ My partner 7aut-(r and teac-er Marc
'a.ni8 and " are de2el(pin) a ne0 series (. *((1s, c(urses and practices t( *rin) .urt-er
clari.icati(n t( t-ese issues/
Se2eral years a)(, " spent a summer li2in) and 0(r1in) in S(ut- A.rica/ +p(n my arri2al
" 0as instantly c(n.r(nted *y t-e 2isceral reality t-at " 0as in t-e c(untry 0it- t-e -i)-est
murder rate in t-e 0(rld, 0-ere rape 0as c(mm(n and m(re t-an -al. t-e p(pulati(n 0as
H"9-p(siti2e 6 men and 0(men, )ays and strai)-ts ali1e/
As " -a2e c(me t( 1n(0 -undreds (. spiritual teac-ers and t-(usands (. spiritual
practiti(ners t-r(u)- my 0(r1 and tra2els, " -a2e *een struc1 *y t-e 0ay in 0-ic- (ur
spiritual 2ie0s, perspecti2es and e3periences *ec(me similarly :in.ected; *y :c(nceptual
c(ntaminants; 6 c(mprisin) a c(n.used and immature relati(ns-ip t( c(mple3 spiritual
principles can seem as in2isi*le and insidi(us as a se3ually transmitted disease/
T-e .(ll(0in) 10 cate)(ri<ati(ns are n(t intended t( *e de.initi2e *ut are (..ered as a t((l
.(r *ec(min) a0are (. s(me (. t-e m(st c(mm(n spiritually transmitted diseases/
1/ =ast-=((d Spirituality
Mi3 spirituality 0it- a culture t-at cele*rates speed, multitas1in) and instant )rati.icati(n
and t-e result is li1ely t( *e .ast-.((d spirituality/ =ast-.((d spirituality is a pr(duct (. t-e
c(mm(n and understanda*le .antasy t-at relie. .r(m t-e su..erin) (. (ur -uman c(nditi(n
can *e >uic1 and easy/ One t-in) is clear, -(0e2er: spiritual transformation cannot be
had in a quick fix.
?/ =au3 Spirituality
Faux spirituality is the tendency to talk, dress and act as we imagine a spiritual
person would. It is a kind of imitation spirituality that mimics spiritual realization
in the way that leopard-skin fabric imitates the genuine skin of a leopard.
%/ @(n.used M(ti2ati(ns
Alt-(u)- (ur desire t( )r(0 is )enuine and pure, it (.ten )ets mi3ed 0it- lesser
m(ti2ati(ns, includin) t-e 0is- t( *e l(2ed, t-e desire t( *el(n), t-e need t( .ill (ur
internal emptiness, t-e *elie. t-at t-e spiritual pat- 0ill rem(2e (ur su..erin) and spiritual
am*iti(n, t-e 0is- t( *e special, t( *e *etter t-an, t( *e :t-e (ne/;
&/ "denti.yin) 0it- Spiritual E3periences
"n t-is disease, t-e e)( identi.ies 0it- (ur spiritual e3perience and ta1es it as its (0n, and
0e *e)in t( *elie2e t-at 0e are em*(dyin) insi)-ts t-at -a2e arisen 0it-in us at certain
times/ "n m(st cases, it d(es n(t last inde.initely, alt-(u)- it tends t( endure .(r l(n)er
peri(ds (. time in t-(se 0-( *elie2e t-emsel2es t( *e enli)-tened andA(r 0-( .uncti(n as
spiritual teac-ers/
$/ T-e Spirituali<ed E)(
T-is disease (ccurs 0-en t-e 2ery structure (. t-e e)(ic pers(nality *ec(mes deeply
em*edded 0it- spiritual c(ncepts and ideas/ T-e result is an e)(ic structure t-at is
:*ullet-pr((./; When the ego becomes spiritualized, we are inulnerable to help, new
input, or constructie feedback. We become impenetrable human beings and are
stunted in our spiritual growth, all in the name of spirituality.
6/ Mass !r(ducti(n (. Spiritual Teac-ers
!here are a number of current trendy spiritual traditions that produce people who
beliee themseles to be at a leel of spiritual enlightenment, or mastery, that is far
beyond their actual leel. !his disease functions like a spiritual coneyor belt" put
on this glow, get that insight, and # bam$ # you%re enlightened and ready to
enlighten others in similar fashion. !he problem is not that such teachers instruct
but that they represent themseles as haing achieed spiritual mastery.
B/ Spiritual !ride
&piritual pride arises when the practitioner, through years of labored effort, has
actually attained a certain leel of wisdom and uses that attainment to 'ustify
shutting down to further experience. ( feeling of )spiritual superiority* is another
symptom of this spiritually transmitted disease. It manifests as a subtle feeling that
)I am better, more wise and aboe others because I am spiritual.*
C/ 'r(up Mind
Als( descri*ed as )r(upt-in1, cultic mentality or ashram disease, group mind is an
insidious irus that contains many elements of traditional co-dependence/ A spiritual
)r(up ma1es su*tle and unc(nsci(us a)reements re)ardin) t-e c(rrect 0ays t( t-in1, tal1,
dress, and act/ Indiiduals and groups infected with )group mind* re'ect indiiduals,
attitudes, and circumstances that do not conform to the often unwritten rules of the
group.
D/ T-e @-(sen-!e(ple @(mple3
T-e c-(sen pe(ple c(mple3 is n(t limited t( Ee0s/ "t is t-e *elie. t-at :+ur group is
more spiritually eoled, powerful, enlightened and, simply put, better than any
other group.* T-ere is an imp(rtant distincti(n *et0een t-e rec()niti(n t-at (ne -as
.(und t-e ri)-t pat-, teac-er (r c(mmunity .(r t-emsel2es, and -a2in) .(und T-e One/
10/ T-e Deadly 9irus: :" Ha2e Arri2ed;
T-is disease is s( p(tent t-at it -as t-e capacity t( *e terminal and deadly t( (ur spiritual
e2(luti(n/ T-is is t-e *elie. t-at :" -a2e arri2ed; at t-e .inal )(al (. t-e spiritual pat-/ Our
spiritual pr()ress ends at t-e p(int 0-ere t-is *elie. *ec(mes crystalli<ed in (ur psyc-e,
.(r t-e m(ment 0e *e)in t( *elie2e t-at 0e -a2e reac-ed t-e end (. t-e pat-, .urt-er
)r(0t- ceases/
T-ese are *ut a .e0 (. c(untless Spiritually Transmitted Diseases t-at 0e enc(unter (n
t-e pat-/ "t is n(t a matter (. i. 0e enc(unter (*stacles *ut 0-en/ Fet (n t-e pat- t( trut-,
eac- le2el (. (*scurati(n 0e enc(unter is *ut a d((r0ay int( )reater discernment and
clarity/ "t is a mar1 (. -uman maturity t( c(ntinually un.(ld deeper le2els (. spiritual
inte)rati(n, and t( )race.ully admit t( err(r and re.ine (ur 1n(0led)e as 0e )r(0/
Mariana @aplan, !-D, Real SpiritualityG adapted .r(m HEyes Iide Open: @ulti2atin)
Discernment (n t-e Spiritual !at-HG

ne0insi)-ts?01%
(2em*er 1&, ?01% at 1:&0 AM
Many 1n(0 trut- (n an intellectual le2el and )( n( .urt-er/ Trut- cann(t *e e3perienced
(n an intellectual le2el, n( matter -(0 many classes y(u attend (r -(0 many *((1s y(u
read/ Trut- 1ept at an intellectual le2el simply -(lds t-e spiritual student in place and
adds t( t-e t-ird dimensi(nal ener)y (. t-e 0(rld/ T-e Di2ine cann(t *e underst((d 0it-
t-e *rain, it is t(( pr(.(und, t(( uni2ersal, and t(( sacred/ Trut- )radually un.(lds .r(m
0it-in as an indi2idual is spiritually ready, intellectual 1n(0led)e (. trut- is (nly a .irst
*a*y step/
Any(ne 0-( is seri(us in t-eir c-(ice t( e2(l2e, must start 0al1in) t-e 0al1 dear (nes,
instead (. ,ust tal1in) t-e tal1/ "t is time, and is past time .(r many/ Remem*er, man1ind
is n(t (n eart- simply t( en,(y t-e scenery, *ut t( a0a1en/ All readin) t-ese messa)es are
ready, and 1n(0 it, yet many -esitate t( actually li2e it/
#i2in) a spiritually a0a1ened li.e d(es n(t mean standin), arms .(lded in a p(se (.
prayer ?&AB, n(r d(es it mean sayin)G HO- '(d is all, e2eryt-in) is illusi(n, s( " 0ill let
t-is star2in) *a*y ,ust dieH/ #i2in) (ut .r(m trut- d(es n(t mean *ein) any(neJs d((rmat
eit-er, as (ne (. t-e many c(ncepts a*(ut spirituality 0(uld -a2e y(u *elie2e/ #i2in) (ut
.r(m @enter means li2in), m(2in), and -a2in) y(ur *ein) in a .(undati(n (. trut- at all
times in spite (. (uter appearances/ F(u are t-en )uided t-r(u)- e2eryt-in) needin) t( *e
d(ne (n t-e -uman le2el/
+nderstand t-at disc(rd and dis-arm(ny -a2e n( la0 t( -(ld t-em in place *ut are simply
t-e illus(ry interpretati(ns (. a uni2ersal, impers(nal, and un-enli)-tened 0(rld
c(nsci(usness enmes-ed in *elie.s (. duality and separati(n/
Send #i)-t and l(2e t( all t-(se y(u see stru))lin), al0ays rec()ni<in) t-eir true Di2ine
nature/
Muc- is c(min) t-at y(u 0ill percei2e as c-a(s *ut d( n(t )( int( .ear .(r all is simply
t-e rem(2al (. (ld and .inis-ed ener)y .r(m 'aia as 0ell as .r(m indi2iduals/
e2er d(u*t t-at y(u are Di2ine *ein)s -a2in) -uman e3periences/ T-(se e2(l2ed
en(u)- t( *e readin) messa)es suc- as t-ese, are (n y(ur 0ay and .ully capa*le (.
addin) muc- #i)-t t( t-e 0(rld at t-is time--i. y(u c-((se/
Ie are t-e Arcturian 'r(up DA?CA1% - (neness(.all/c(m
- See m(re at: -ttp:AA-umansare.ree/c(mA?01%A11A10-spiritually-transmitted-
diseases/-tmlKst-as-/D0HTd.E/dpu.