avatarAlan Lew

Summary

The provided content discusses the integration of Buddhist principles into contemporary spirituality, emphasizing that the manner in which we conduct our lives is more spiritually significant than the specific actions we take.

Abstract

The web content presents a blend of traditional Buddhist teachings and modern New Age spirituality, suggesting that enlightenment is not about the activities we choose but rather the mindfulness and intention with which we engage in them. It outlines the Buddhist concept of the "defilements" — greed, hatred, and delusion — as the true obstacles to spiritual awakening, regardless of one's worldly pursuits. The author reflects on the Noble Eightfold Path as a guide for living with righteousness and mindfulness, free from these defilements. The text also posits that all experiences, whether deemed positive or negative, serve as opportunities for spiritual evolution and that contemporary spirituality acknowledges everything as an emanation of Source Consciousness, thus inherently neutral and valuable.

Opinions

  • The author believes that traditional Buddhist teachings, such as the importance of avoiding the defilements, are still relevant and can be integrated into modern spiritual practices.
  • There is an opinion that contemporary spirituality, which views all actions as emanating from Source/God, allows for a broader interpretation of what is considered spiritual.
  • The text suggests that the New Age spirituality perspective aligns with Buddhist principles in emphasizing the importance of the inner state over external actions.
  • The author expresses surprise at the lack of historical and philosophical knowledge among some contemporary spiritual seekers regarding ancient teachings like Buddhism and Hinduism.
  • It is conveyed that the process of spiritual evolution involves experiencing and learning from the full spectrum of duality, including both high and low vibrational states.
  • The author advocates for the study and application of ancient wisdom, such as the Noble Eightfold Path, as a means to elevate one's consciousness to higher vibrational levels.
  • The author asserts that despite the diversity of human experiences, at the core, we are all expressions of Source, exploring the universe we have created.

Part of My Personal Awakening Series

It Does Not Matter What I Do, It’s All About How I Do It

Buddhist insight for a new world spirituality.

by OiMax

CONTENTS [1] A Lesson from Buddha — [1.1] Things That We Should Not Worry About — [1.2] Things That We Should Worry About — [1.3] Buddha Teaches Us How to be Mindful [2] A Contemporary Understanding — [2.1] “What” We Do is Not Spiritual — [2.2] “How” We Do What We Do is Spiritual — [2.3] The Noble Eightfold Path [3] How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks

[1] A Lesson from Buddha

Buddha said that, in terms of awakening and enlightenment, there are things that we should be concerned about and there are things that we should not worry about.

[1.1] Things That We Should Not Worry About — are:

  • Love and romance relationships
  • Caring for one’s family
  • Pursuing one’s career or a passion for a good project
  • Desire to enjoy life (nice home, travel experiences, good friends, good food, nice things)
  • Working to make a living, including being engaged in trade and commerce
  • Being involved in the legal and political affairs of our society

He is basically saying that these basic human needs are not obstacles to awakening and enlightenment. Doing them is not an indication that our lives are spiritual or not spiritual.

[1.2] Things That We Should Worry About — are:

  • Greed and attachment
  • Hatred and aversion
  • Delusion and ignorance

In Buddhism, these are known as the defilements, and they can (and will) appear at any time and with any activity that we partake in. A Buddhist should try to avoid them as best they can.

When the defilements arise and influence how we think and behave, without proper awareness and mindfulness on our part, then they become major obstacles to spiritual freedom and awakening.

[1.3] Buddha Teaches Us How to be Mindful — and to live our lives in skillful and wholesome ways.

Of particular note is “The Noble Eightfold Path”, which consists of:

  1. Right View
  2. Right Resolve
  3. Right Speech
  4. Right Conduct
  5. Right Livelihood
  6. Right Effort
  7. Right Mindfulness
  8. Right Concentration (meditation)

In the context of the defilement, being “Right” in each of these areas means doing them without greed, aversion, or delusion.

This sounds easy, but that “ego” can be oh so tricky!

☸☸☸☸☸☸☸☸

[2] A Contemporary Understanding

I WROTE much of the above several years ago (in what feels like a previous lifetime) when I was heavily into Buddhism. Below is how I would interpret these teachings now, from a New Age spirituality perspective.

[2.1] “What” We Do is Not Spiritual — because all is God / Source

What we “do” in our physical, 3rd Dimensional life does not matter in terms of awakening and enlightenment. We can have any job, any sexual preference, and any political preferences.

by Erika Sievert

Contemporary spirituality sees everything as emanating from the original Source Consciousness (or God). Because everything comes from that one Source, everything is a mirror of Source/God, no matter whether we consider it good or bad. Everyone and everything was created by Source for a reason and have equal value and purpose in the eyes of Source.

Everything means everything that can be experienced by us, either physically or mentally. This includes all physical objects, non-physical objects (like thoughts, ideas, emotions, and ghosts), and all actions taken by physical and non-physical objects. It is all Source / God, and it is all essentially neutral from that perspective.

So whatever we do, can be done in a spiritual way that favors our evolution, or it can be done in a non-spiritual way that favors devolution. Neither is necessarily bad, it just depends if you want to evolve to higher levels of consciousness and vibration, and devolve to lower ones.

When Buddha says that we should avoid the defilements, what he is really teaching is that we should use the defilements to define what awakening means to us, individually.

[2.2] “How” We Do What We Do is Spiritual — because that determines the reality we experience

The defilements are not necessarily “obstacles” to awakening, although many people see them in this way. The defilements exist for a reason: to help us to engage with and experience the 3rd Dimension as fully embodied human beings.

We came to Earth in this incarnation to experience the diversity that this planet and dimension have to offer. Our birth process and early childhood growth are specifically designed to help us to forget, as deeply as possible, that we are in truth, eternal Souls.

For a tongue-in-cheek perspective on these ideas, see:

In essence, we devolve from a soul-identity to a human-identity to have that experience.

By going through this devolution of forgetting, we then set ourselves up for a life in which we can potentially experience the highest highs and the lowest lows that the universe (or Source) has to offer.

The defilements are low (or “negative”) vibrational experiences that help us to discern what we do not want. In that way, they point us in the direction of what we do want, offering ever new opportunities to create a reality that is more spiritually evolved.

Our life then becomes one in which we are ever creating, evolving, and expanding ourselves spiritually to higher vibrational frequencies through a process that I have elsewhere referred to as the cycle of duality.

For more on the “duality cycle”, see:

[2.3] The Noble Eightfold Path — teaches 8 spiritual practices for evolving one’s consciousness to higher vibrational levels

Buddhism basically teaches one how to replace lower energy frequencies with higher energy frequencies. You could also say that this is replacing a negative state of mind, dominated by defilements (or our outer ego), with a positive state of mind that is aligned with the inner ego (or Soul, though Buddhists do not believe we have a “soul”).

For more on the inner ego and outer ego, see:

This is done by studying the dharma (Buddha’s teachings), using affirmations (mantras and chanting), praying to the Buddha (a form of visualization), different forms of meditation (quieting the mind), and other techniques.

All of these practices are common across a wide range of New Age teachings, although they are seldom associated directly with Buddhism.

[3] How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks

I AM somewhat surprised at the lack of knowledge of the ancient roots that lie at the basis of New Age spiritual teachings, especially among the younger spiritual seekers on the Facebook groups that I follow.

by EGIZU Getxo Euskaldun Elkartea

Many seem to know nothing of Buddhist or Hindu philosophies, histories, and their varied versions — let alone the lessons they continue to offer us today.

The short example that I provide here, of Buddha’s teachings about the defilements, shows the value that these traditions offer in understanding life and the awakening process.

We often hear, in New Age teachings. that…

We Are Not Our Bodies, Our Thoughts, Our Emotions, and Our Egos.

But we do not hear so much that…

We are Not Our Jobs, Our Relationships, Our Homes, and Our Cultures.

We are, of course, all of those things from a 3rd Dimensional perspective. But we are also beyond all of those from the higher dimensional, deeper self, or Soul level of awareness. And that is what we are all evolving towards.

We are Source, experiencing the wonders of the universe we have created.

Related

  • For more on Buddhism & Hinduism, see this collection of articles:
  • Note that the articles in that collection are behind the Medium paywall. For paywall-free access to my articles, go to www.AlanLew.com, linked below.

Contact

  • I am not financially affiliated with any of the people or products discussed in this article.
  • I appreciate comments, questions, and typo corrections. - See the About link in my Medium profile for contact information and related articles.
  • Written in collaboration with my Energy Group/Higher Self. This is our perspective of the truth and not the whole truth of reality.

My Medium writings are available “paywall free” at www.AlanLew.com:

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Buddhism
Spirituality
Life
New Age
Awakening
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