- The beginning of the nonfiction booklet A Modern Crash Course in Spirituality by Stefan Emunds -
Why a crash course in a subject that could fill libraries? It’s true, one could talk about spirituality forever, but one could also sum it up in one word: 'Love'.
We can also describe it by refusing to do so - Lao-tze did that.
These days, many religious minds hear the spiritual call. Maybe it’s our fast-changing society. Maybe it’s the dawn of the Aquarian Age. Maybe because religion is too old school. Hence the need for a crash course. The spiritual landscape is fragmented, obscure, sometimes weird. Modern people need something concise. Hence, the need for a modern course.
Most spiritual scriptures are ancient. At that time, people thought differently, felt differently, and they used language differently. It’s high time for some modernization. Hence, a modern crash course.
So, what is spirituality all about? In one word: Illumination. What is illumination? Access to experiences and knowledge beyond sense impressions and reasoning. For example, there is nothing in the world you see, feel, hear, or touch that indicates the existence of a soul or a creator. And they can’t be reasoned either. The same is true for love, beauty, happiness, and purpose. There is so much more to our existence than survival, success, and sensual experience. We are so much more. “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter,” said Yoda.
This is spirituality: the realization of the totality of our being. Notice the choice of words: realization, not faith. It means realization in both meanings of the word: knowing and fulfilling. And that makes all the difference. Usually, religion contains itself with faith. Spirituality wants to know and experience higher states of mind and being. It wants to wrestle with angels and look the Creator in the eye.
A crash course needs a simple method. Let’s take the most effective one: reversal. Spiritual truth is usually the opposite of common sense. There’s nothing wrong with common sense, but it takes the world at face value. It holds us back. The method of reversal is simple and effective. Reverse a feeling and idea and see if it can inspire you.
Summary: Illumination is the realization of the totality of your being, in particular, your higher self. Assignment: Write down a pledge, in your own words, which states that you will dedicate the rest of your life to the realization of your higher self.
Why a crash course in a subject that could fill libraries? It’s true, one could talk about spirituality forever, but one could also sum it up in one word: 'Love'.
We can also describe it by refusing to do so - Lao-tze did that.
These days, many religious minds hear the spiritual call. Maybe it’s our fast-changing society. Maybe it’s the dawn of the Aquarian Age. Maybe because religion is too old school. Hence the need for a crash course. The spiritual landscape is fragmented, obscure, sometimes weird. Modern people need something concise. Hence, the need for a modern course.
Most spiritual scriptures are ancient. At that time, people thought differently, felt differently, and they used language differently. It’s high time for some modernization. Hence, a modern crash course.
So, what is spirituality all about? In one word: Illumination. What is illumination? Access to experiences and knowledge beyond sense impressions and reasoning. For example, there is nothing in the world you see, feel, hear, or touch that indicates the existence of a soul or a creator. And they can’t be reasoned either. The same is true for love, beauty, happiness, and purpose.
There is so much more to our existence than survival, success, and sensual experience. We are so much more. “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter,” said Yoda.
This is spirituality: the realization of the totality of our being. Notice the choice of words: realization, not faith. It means realization in both meanings of the word: knowing and fulfilling. And that makes all the difference. Usually, religion contains itself with faith. Spirituality wants to know and experience higher states of mind and being. It wants to wrestle with angels and look the Creator in the eye.
A crash course needs a simple method. Let’s take the most effective one: reversal. Spiritual truth is usually the opposite of common sense. There’s nothing wrong with common sense, but it takes the world at face value. It holds us back. The method of reversal is simple and effective. Reverse a feeling and idea and see if it can inspire you.
Summary: Illumination is the realization of the totality of your being, in particular, your higher self.
Assignment: Write down a pledge, in your own words, which states that you will dedicate the rest of your life to the realization of your higher self.