Religion and spirituality: preaching vs. leading the way

Religion and spirituality are in constant struggle, even though you don’t know it.

On one hand is the very powerful institution of religion: there are a few problems here and there, but religions all over are increasing their numbers in terms of people and temples.

On the other hand, is spirituality: the Cinderella of human spirit, with not much structure, but lots of good intentions and, yes, the number of spiritual groups and tendencies, and the number of people enrolled to them have increased a lot too.

Now, let’s look at it in a different way in which there is no struggle; spirituality is the subtle background that is the essence of religion. In fact, a very religious person is very spiritual too, and spiritual people are often associated with a religion.

But it is true that religion – the religion common people practice – is more focused on the form, that is, scriptures and rituals. On the contrary, spirituality emphasizes the practice, the BEING.

In other words, religion may be only preaching while spirituality is leading… Still, I do believe they are not opposite and here are three examples that may help

• Your religion talks about being charitable and you do, from time to time. Spiritually, you can also be charitable by giving others vibrations and good wishes. Always. Both are necessary and useful.
• By being religious, you have to go to your temple every week or so. By being spiritual, your practice is daily and you don’t have to go to a temple necessarily. When you go to a temple, just be spiritual; when you are spiritual, just feel like your house is a temple.
• The scriptures tell stories or describe a code of life. Spirituality makes your live those stories and change your own life.

What do you think about religion and spirituality?

Finding the treasures within

Take your hat and let’s go to an adventure!

The first station is your own mind; explore your thoughts, feelings and emotions. Is there any gem there? Maybe it is a good wish for someone who is causing problems to you or a deep feeling towards your family.

The second station is deep inside… it is beyond your perception of your name or personality, beyond your and others’ body. It is just a sensation of BEING… That gives you peace, love and unconditional joy.

A last station to find more treasures: it is the SOUL station, the point in which you are totally free from your body and its boundaries. You are free like a bird and you can fly… It is peace beyond imagination and it is not just a sensation. You ARE A SOUL.

Now, take those treasures back to your day-to-day life and use them in your work, in your relationships, in managing your health and all other aspects. That’s why those treasures exist!

Just…

Just say it… If it is in your mind, it won’t disappear. Add love to it.

Just do it… If it is in your mind, you are wasting lots of thoughts. Add determination to it.

Just think… Stop to think, to reflect and to contemplate. Add interest to it.

Just love… Don’t choose; love whatever comes in your way. Add selflessness to it.

Just hope… Hope never dies, don’t kill it then! Add enthusiasm to it.

Just dare… Courage is always present, use it! Add a smile to it.

Just have… Whatever you have is a reflection of what you are. Add value to it.

Just be with… Whomever you live or work with is showing the things you have to learn. Add a lesson to it.

Just work… When you work, you are emerging the best of yourself. Add relevance to it.

Just be quiet… Whenever you are quiet, you are emerging the best of yourself. Add silence to it.

Just BE… Know who you are, live who you are. Add spirituality to it.

I am here, what about you?

A typical scene nowadays, anywhere in our very modern world: a group of friends sitting together, all of them looking into their own cell phones, apparently ignoring the rest of people around them, even though they are very good friends.

We live in a world of people who are not present. A few are working at one place different than the place they are sitting or standing; others, are looking for fun somewhere else and in many cases, they don’t even know where their actions are taking them to. Many others are trying to evade and escape the present reality.

But, I am here. Even though I am so busy, I am still here…

Maybe I can’t be present all the time, but I chose and decide to make that special effort to be where I am and to be what I really am, along with others.

Would you like to try? Try to disconnect yourself for a while from the whole world and be present at the small space you occupy. Try to look into the eyes of others and appreciate the nature around you or the wonderful city you where you live.

That will generate an alignment, enabling your mind to perform better and helping you to make better decisions. That will improve your life in general, and I am sure it will help others to appreciate you even more…

Shifting from having to being

In 1976, an interesting book[1] by psychologist Erich Fromm touched the subject, trying to stimulate readers to understand the consequences of focusing on having instead of being.

The surge and growth of materialism has stimulated intense rebellions and a new way of seeing the world. Not new in the sense that never has happened before; it is new in terms of occurrence as nowadays people are questioning what they are doing and why they are doing it.

And the consequences are clear when we see or hear about climate change or the effects of greed in humanity.

But the desire of having makes us keep on increasing and accumulating possessions. What is the solution? More protests? More laws?

Maybe, reflecting and refocusing could be a shift point in our civilization. For instance, instead of valuing people who attained things like big cars or jewelry, let's value people who ARE.

We could start from ourselves and value more the experience of being well, happy and peaceful, instead of valuing having the last cell phone in the market.

We could start by being an example to others and inspiring them to focus their energy in being instead of just having.

Then, one day we will be able to give more importance to what we really are…

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[1] To have or to be? 1976, by Harper and Row.

BEING is so magical...

There are 4 main verbs in relation to spirituality: TO BE, TO BE (I will explain…), TO HAVE and TO DO. The idea is all your states - profession, family situation, socioeconomic position - come from who you really are, and everything you have and do is aligned with that.

So the most important verb is TO BE. Do you know how to conjugate it?

• I am... Who are you really? If you identify with your profession, age, gender, whether you are a mother or single, that means your identity will fluctuate when you retire and cannot practice, or when you change your age, even if you have a gender identity crisis or worse, when your children leave your house or get married. Reply “who are you really?” and that is the beginning of a fundamental change.
• I am, my state, is what I am... In many languages, TO BE splits in two: to be works with the essence of the person - the former example - and to be works in relation to a person’s state, which means my job, roles and responsibilities come from my internal qualities and values, from my unique perception of the world. There is no state without me really being.
• I have what is aligned with who I am... All my possessions, physical or subtle, are directly related to me; through my clothes, the way I handle the cell phone or even my sense of having in relation to my relationships, they must be directly aligned with my values, qualities and my spirituality.
• I do what I am… I only do what is related to me, my values ​​and principles, everything that corresponds to the being that I am. It is my call in practice, the best of who I am placed in action.

When I conjugate accurately the 4 verbs, huge changes will happen in life and I will experience the true magic of simply BEING.

This is a series of posts on MAGIC…

Gratitude as a key to a great life

Life is great. That is the basic conclusion I reach at this point of my existence.

Only a few years ago, I wouldn’t say this, at least not loudly or writing for the public, but now, yes, I realize how great life is.

And because of that, I feel so grateful for everything I have and for all that I don’t have. After all, those things I have, I try my best they reflect who I AM.

About those things I don’t have help me in two different ways: on one hand, they support my humility so I don’t ever think I am what I am not. On the other hand, they stimulate me to work harder to get them, if they are necessary.

See? Be grateful is important for your own development. There are so many things to be grateful for: your body, the computer you have, internet, family, friends, neighbors, governments, people, life… It does not mean you love that fully or you agree with it.

Just the other day, someone gave me and a friend a wrong information, but she did it with a good heart and certain effort. I said thank you because I meant it. What is the logic behind? It was not a big issue, we could fix it very easily and the person will feel happy in her heart because she helped someone, one of the most wonderful feelings the soul can have. By not saying thank you or even reproaching her for a wrong information, nothing of that would be attained.

If I may suggest you: Just sit quietly somewhere, just let your heart opens, just smile genuinely, and say: THANK YOU! Say it with words or thoughts, feelings or emotions, actions or reflection…