Yesterday,
it just occurred to me that the quest for spirituality among many people
nowadays is found primarily in very ordinary, quotidian experiences, in the so-called
"simple joys of life," such as love, family bonding, compassion, enjoying
a beautiful sunny day out in the park (as our extended family did yesterday), etc.
In order to make these very ordinary experiences a means to deepen one's
spirituality, one just has to—as the Buddhist tradition teaches— be mindfully aware
of them, savor and cherish them, and then, seek to deepen and transcend oneself
(my definition of 'spirituality'), particularly through compassion.
If
that is the case, my burning question is: Why do we even have to
"supernaturalize" or "box in" the very human quest for
depth and transcendence into the category of "religion" with its
supernatural categories? Is that even useful? Isn't doing that a cause for the
great divorce between spirituality and everyday life? This group of questions
certainly needs further reflection on my part.
I
have this nagging feeling that, at least for some (many? most?), spirituality
nowadays could very well remain at this very basic human level. And then, if
there is indeed a God, S/he would lead
people very "organically" to whatever goal or end that S/he has in
mind, without forcing an unnatural, dichotomized type of religion (between
natural and supernatural).
I
was thinking of these things while we were having a beautiful moment of family
bonding at a park yesterday on a gorgeously beautiful spring day.
I
am also reminded of what contemporary spirituality teacher Diana Butler Bass wrote
in her book Grounded about the
spiritual revolution that, she claims, is currently afoot. The only thing is,
this spiritual revolution seems to be grounded in very human, mundane,
earthy things. Butler Bass writes,
It is surprisingly easy to join in
[the spiritual revolution]: get off the elevator, feel your feet on the ground,
take a walk or hike, plant a garden, clean up a watershed, act on behalf of the
earth, find your roots, honor your family and home, love your neighbor as
yourself, and live the Golden Rule as you engage the commons. Pay attention.
Play. Sing new songs, recite poetry, write new prayers and liturgies, learn
sacred texts, make friends with those of other faiths, celebrate the cycles of
the seasons, and embrace ancient wisdom. Weep with those who mourn. Listen for
the whisper of God everywhere. Work for justice. Know that your life is in
communion with all life.
The spiritual revolution, finding
God in the world, is an invitation to new birth, most especially for religion.
There is no better place to start than in your synagogue, mosque, temple, or
church.
Grounded, 284
(originally written 2018-05-07)
