Spiritual awakening: Thoughts shared – Part 2
“Spiritual Insights-Hobbies or Passions”
Doing what you love is one definition of one’s hobby or passion. This is true if love or passion means no or little identification with whatever the activity. If we analyze what we and most people do as their hobby or passion; often it is proving to oneself and others one’s proficiency, youthfulness or righteousness.
One of my passions as a young man was basketball. I kept proving over and over again to myself and others how talented, athletically gifted I was on the court. I looked forward to getting my name in the paper on how many points I made. Also, the more that my friends and family members complimented me on my playing ability; it had the effect of intensifying my desire to get more recognition.
Another passion or hobby was what I call my quest for truth. My extensive reading ,listening to tapes, and attending lectures which gave me a vast arsenal of facts, ideas or insights. What better purpose than to use this information to one up or prove to myself and those others out there my political correctness or true spiritual depth. I saw myself as a modern day Socrates whose duty it was to prove to the conservative Republicans they were far right extremist, and to orthodox Christians they had misinterpreted Jesus’ message. And of course, the more arguments reinforced my need to prove how wrong they were, and obviously affirm my righteousness.
My most recent passion or hobby has been my spiritual search which has come to mean discovering who I really am and what my purpose is on the planet. But, even in this well meaning passion or hobby; I have found myself identifying with a role of being a spiritual adept or enlightened person. I considered it my duty to get these unconscious others’ to wake up or be Present’ here and now. In a recent metaphysical course I found myself being very shrill, arrogant, righteous and even angry. Again, like my basketball and intellectual passions or identifications; what kept coming out of my mouth was a tone of proving to myself and my classmates that I was not only spiritual, but more spiritual than the whole class.
So, what is the lesson to be learned from these over identifications with these roles or passions or hobbies? That it is possible to be increasingly less identified with any self serving roles. Echkart Tolle is correct when he points out that we can decrease the gap between being totally present, and slipping into these
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