Is Spirituality Optional?

 

When all of our known life happens inside our consciousness, it is naive and careless to not pay attention to consciousness.

Consciousness is more fundamental than space, time and laws of nature because all of them arise in consciousness. Consciousness is first in any knowing. Trying to reduce consciousness to matter or laws is seeking the origin of the grandfather in a particular grandchild.

Consciousness can't be denied. It takes someone conscious to deny it and someone consciousness to witness the denial. Consciousness shines through equally regardless of whether it is acknowledged or denied.

The problem with using science on consciousness is that consciousness is not an object that can be seen. Like love can't be seen. Only expressions of love can be seen. But an expression of love is not the same as love itself. The expression is at best a container for it. Love is not limited to any particular expression of it.

All the manifest world is an expression of consciousness. Consciousness is not limited to any of its manifestation.

When you are standing on a table, you can't lift the table. You need to get down from the table and stand somewhere else before you can lift the table. Science is standing on the ground of consciousness and wants to explain it. If science steps aside (from consciousness) science disappears. And while standing on the ground of consciousness it can't reduce consciousness to science. If this sounds like mere play of words, check this video where David Chalmers explains the struggle science is having with consciousness.

The fundamental truth of our life is neither suffering nor happiness. It's neither success nor failure. It's neither health nor sickness. It's neither wealth nor poverty...

The fundamental truth of our life is consciousness in which all of the above (and everything known) arises.

Is paying attention to consciousness then optional? Is spirituality a sport for the select few?

What if what is referred to as God in the religions of the world is consciousness? Is atheism possible with this definition of God?

In my view rejecting spirituality equals disregarding the greatest gift given to us - consciousness. A wiser question is - what percent of time and energy should be invested in spirituality?

We are at the dawn of a new year and it may be the ideal time to commit to some spirituality and start diving into the mystery and magic of consciousness that we are. None of us know what is consciousness but all of us know we are conscious.

Pitfalls to avoid on spiritual path

1. Giving leftover time and energy to spiritual practices. It's no different than trying to trade pennies for diamond. 

2. Postponing spirituality to post-retirement. One doesn't start building an investment portfolio at the end of life.

3. Equating spirituality to religion. Religion provides a stepping stone for the spiritual ascent but is not an end in itself. Getting stuck to any step means the climbing has stopped.

4. Spirituality is the journey from gross to subtle. Any search requires conviction that there is something worthwhile to be found and the patience and perseverance to go through the process.

5. Comparison and competition with others. While the destination is same, the journey we trace back to our source is unique. When you are the only one on your path, who is the competition or comparison with?

~S~

PS. I love science and value its place. The limitations of science mentioned above are specifically w.r.t. consciousness. Consciousness is purely subjective and science is purely objective and that's why there is no overlap.