Can spirituality really be taught?

Thanks for the reply Brian. Indeed Krishanamurti would I expect. Of course it all depends on what we mean by enlightenment. But before I go on about that interesting subject. I want to go back to Carlos Castaneda. Yes, he didn't show the note books so we have to presume it was a work of fiction and I have to agree with that presumption. But why don't we put that aside for one moment, forget about whether the works are true or false and actually try out some of the practices in the book for ourselves? Surely that is a wiser approach for people genuinely seeking the truth and wishing to know more about about humankind's possible spiritual or magical reality?

Talking of the enlightenment. I have an understanding of enlightenment as a state of being reached by a soul that no longer needs to reincarnate as it has learned all the lessons needed to be joined with God. An achievement of Nirvana. I also have another understanding of enlightenment as a Zen like flash of understanding or insight. I have yet a further understanding of enlightenment as a freeing of the chains of ego and an experience of human authenticity of beingness. Once achieved whether permanently or impermanently (this depends on how you continue to live your life) the human being now lives in a state of bliss or unconditional love. This was the enlightenment I was referring to.
 
C. Castaneda's works had long drawn the suspicion of them being fictitious at least as to all the stuff related to Don Juan & other characters populating his works. Though as to whether the teachings represented were fictitious, I don't know. Will say that just a few months ago did read a very interesting interview in some alternative mag, (sorry don't remember the mag or interviewee's name right now), with a former student of CC who described him as an enormous con man who ran his inner circle like a cult. Of course, who knows if that was a legitimate assertion, but needless to say if accurate at least calls into doubt how "enlightened" the man was. As to learning "spirituality," well to me spirituality is more a process and a feeling than a subject. There are certainly many techniques or trainings if you will that apply to the many paths of Spirit. But the irony of spirituality is that the firmer we clutch the tools we are using, the more the goal seems to recede form view. Buddha was quite clear that while "upaya," (skillful means) are essential for the vast majority of seekers of enlightenment, if we turn enlightenment into a thing which we then go grasping after, we will be far from it. Along with application of method, there is the equally important aspect of letting go, (particularly of ego-based motivations). If technique alone were enough, (assuming all those shady teachers applied the techniques they hawked), then the world wouldn't have been so populated with true "spiritual materialists/hucksters." Take care, Earl
 
How can we possibly have problems with 'learning' spirituality from books of fiction? Most of us do!

I think that spirituality does come from within, and isn't realy taught, but the books and teachers shine that light within our soul...we shine back...and reflect on everything...some of the stories resonate..some don't...and our spirituality grows out of the contemplation of the confusion that exists in all these wonderful books of historical fiction...

namaste,
 
I believe that spirituality can be taught by the way we live our lives .... we are all role models for those that follow and we don't need to actually "teach", but we need to give breath or life to the values of balance and harmony and love .... by the way we live .... like those ripples in the pond .... he hawai'i au, pohaikawahine
 
The word spirituality encompasses many things. Some of these things, in my experience, most definately can be taught, but not taught in the usual sense of taught. One of these is the experience of an unconditional love for your fellow human beings, an experience of immense peace, bliss and a disappearance of the feeling of seperateness. Many people interpret this as deeply spiritual and it is possible to experience this by taking part in the Landmark Education series of three courses. But of course, the results achieved very much depend on whether you do your 'homework'.

However, what it won't give you is being able to feel awe for creation. Something which I consider very spiritual and something which I feel cannot be taught. Though, somebody I am sure will beg to differ.

The concept of spirituality being elusive is quite correct. When it is grasped for who is grasping? The answer of course is the mind and it is the mind which takes us away from any spiritual experience. A spiritual experience comes from beyond thought. We may of course interpret the experience with thought, but essentially the spiritual experience comes from outside of it.

With reference to Carlos Castaneda being an ego led conman. I think much the same was said of Gurdieff. P.D Ouspensky a long time student of his, came to realise he didn't fully embody the wonderful teachings and practices he espoused.:)
 
why not? the mind of man yearns for it? this need however filled seems to dominate the world .. ie : as we are discussing here>>>:)
 
To be honest, this is a hard question for me because most of us use the term spirituality in many different ways. For me spirituality can be taught from the bible, because the bible teaches the truth and the truth is the word of God or Jesus. When you learn about Jesus then you would become spiritual because when you have truly learn about Jesus would enlighten you. The holy spirit does the teaching, it guides you and inteprets the bible for you so you can learn about the Jesus or God. When you are enlighten by the truth you become spirituality. If you wanted to learn about spirituality or the state of being spiritual you just did. It's the matter of getting into it or not.
 
Just bumping a topic linked to from the main site. :)
 
My question is: is this actually a realistic proposition? Can spirituality be taught and learned the way an academic subject can be?
Click to expand...
No.
One can only be opened up to what they already are.
 
Can spirituality really be taught?
Yes it can.

Its very obvious considering that we live in a material world and nothing around us says in any way that there is more to it. Yet at some point we become aware that we are more.

Consider how a child learns about God, even the Dalai Lama child. He has teachers reminding him, (or parents, grandparents, priests for other children) at least the basics if the current incarnation has a native spiritual connection.

The fall is about this illusion and it, the illusion, has no cracks in it. So yes we have to learn.

How do we learn is rather problematic.

Tradition proposes the Sun model. There is a teacher that spreads the truth. The pupils progress until they eventually find the sun in themselves. However the success rate is pretty low; my explanation is that the Sun model is deficient in propagating the truth because you cannot bypass subjectivity. As you propagate the truth you will modulate it according to your nature. I do believe we are one at a subtle level but we are also separate and distinct individuals. So this modulation of the truth makes it accessible to pupils which resonate with the nature of the teacher (they "like" the teacher, identify themselves with the teacher). To all others the Sun's message is just heat, not light.

Also i do not feel that paying for spiritual advancement has a problem in itself. The oracle of Delphi had the famous "Know thyself and you shall know God" on the FRONT door. Yet people still paid for the oracle's advice. The fact that some teachers are cons, being fooled is a spiritual lesson itself :)
 
No and Yes.....

With this subject, you could have as much knowledge as your brain is capable of handling, but if you dont.."get it"... "feel it".... it means nought.

But if you already "know it" "feel it" etc, you can understand more with more knowledge... if you so choose.

Thats just my two bobs worth!

Love the Grey
 
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