It is no secret now that religion holds you back, this is something many of us know. So, we are starting to turn to a seemingly more personal form of spirituality. But this “spirituality” seems to be looking a lot like religion. It had me fooled for quite a while. It is the sneakiest religion of them all, even sneakier than science. And why it can get away with such a low profile is because much like science, its followers do not think they are part of a religion.
Lately, I am seeing more and more people falling into this new age spirituality trap. There have been other terms popping up regarding this subject such as “spiritual one-upmanship” and “spiritual materialism.” In my opinion, this new form of “spirituality” can be just as spiritually restricting as religion or even pure materialism.
My Story
I had never been much into religion, as a child I believed in science. As I got older I discovered there were things that cannot be explained by science. Then, I dived into an entirely new realm studying eastern religions and philosophy. I never wanted to follow one religion because I knew that doing so would not answer my questions and would only hinder my spiritual growth. So instead, I collected what I agreed with and began to reject scientific thought.
Soon after, I started to become attached to the belief system I had created for myself. I could not approach anything outside the constrains of it. I had designed a map that I thought was so good I mistook it for the territory. No matter how good your map is, it is still just a map.
On top of this, I began to think of myself as better than or above the “nonspiritual,” religious, and the materialistic. I thought that they were somehow doing things wrong and that I was doing things right.
Eventually, through some very powerful psychedelic experiences I realized that I was still trapped by the very confines I was trying to escape. I was no more free from religion than I was when I was trapped by science, or when I believed in the fairytales of childhood. Perhaps I was even more trapped, thinking that I was free. Sadly, I had freed myself from the prison of my mind only to build a new one that was apparently different yet fundamentally the same. I simply moved from one system to another; no real progress was made. It’s quite funny really, my “spirituality” was hindering my spiritual growth in the same way I feared religion would.
Attachment
The problem was not with the actual ideas that I subscribed to but with my relationship to them. It was my attachment to the concepts that was holding me back. What I find most comical about this is that many of the concepts I got attached to were anti-attachment. Many people, in effort of achieving non-attachment, become attached to non-attachment. They may block themselves off from the rest of the world or they may hold onto this idea so firmly that they do not allow themselves to fully enjoy life. In this way, they only further trap themselves.
Trust me I know, I struggled with this for a long time. I wanted to be completely indifferent about everything. I didn’t want to have an opinion so I could never be disappointed. Unfortunately, because of the intensity of this desire I became trapped into not caring. When I was confronted with decisions, even small ones, I could not decide.
Balance and Letting go
Now, true non-attachment is about acceptance. It is not about restricting yourself from living life, rather, it is about letting life flow through you, letting the joys and pains of life come and go without resistance. You are not to have no opinion whatsoever but not be attached to it. If we are constantly egoless and opinion-less we cannot function in society. It is all about balance, you see.
Let me explain. Eastern philosophy speaks of not being any particular temperament but being able to be whatever is needed. If temperament were represented by a circle graph with each extreme along the outside the goal would be to be in the centre but able to move into any part of the graph when necessary. I was trapped in the centre, unable to adapt. The idea is to be fluid like water, able to take the shape of any container, or situation.
To achieve non-attachment you must simply let go. It is not something you must think about, for then you will become attached to it. Alan Watts compared letting go to a guard on the look out. If the guard is constantly thinking about being alert he will not be alert. To be alert he must not be thinking about anything. Letting go is the very same thing.
Conclusion
To finish, I do think it is excellent that these types of ideas are becoming widespread. At the same time, I do not think we are doing the best job of integrating the lessons. Much of these teachings speak of freeing yourself from attachment and the ego yet our relationship with them goes against their lessons. We seem to be mistaking the words for their meaning, and thus trapping ourselves further. This is because we are still trying to free ourselves. You cannot try to free your mind from concepts and succeed, you must simply let go.
