What Spirituality Is NOT

A Warning to the Sincere Seeker

I have a heart for truth seekers, still seeking for the Truth - without knowing it’s in Jesus Christ. I was one of them, until Jesus find me.

Right after that, I was led to write this post (originally in Portuguese) describing this little big journey of mine. It is not meant to be a theological treatise (far, far away from this!), but rather a record of my own search.

I pray more people find The Truth.

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Over the course of several years searching, a few things have stood out:

Spirituality is not a means to an end

To be very direct, spirituality is nothing like a means to achieve something in this material reality. Simply understanding this alone would already eliminate half the world of pseudo-spirituality. But let me try to explain it better.

Spirituality is not a means to achieve a material, physical, or psychological result. What does that mean? It means spirituality is not a technique, a method, or a therapy. Every tool you use to obtain psychological well-being, physical well-being, material comfort, and even self-knowledge may be very valid tools in the process of human self-development — and even prerequisites for the spiritual path — but none of that is spirituality itself.

In the early 1980s, psychologist John Welwood coined the term “spiritual bypassing” to refer to the use of spiritual practices and beliefs to avoid confronting uncomfortable feelings, unresolved wounds, and fundamental emotional and psychological needs.

There is plenty of pseudo-spirituality out there — or pseudo-science mixed with mysticism — and I could name several examples: things like, “I had a supernatural experience and developed a method.” There is a lot of nonsense being sold, decorated with beautiful and sophisticated words.

Spirituality has nothing to do with causing changes in reality. It has nothing to do with “manifesting the life of your dreams” or “co-creating with the universe.” And yet, when one reaches this new dimension, one’s life and all material reality are transformed.

Simply put, do not call “spiritual” what is nothing more than an illusion meant to comfort the ego.

Many people think they have discovered methods and processes when, in truth, they are merely ignoring ancient wisdom that has already done so. Others, even worse, take a little from each ancient tradition, toss it together into a salad, and present it with a new face. And yes, many people are buying into these ideas.

Which brings us to another point:

Spirituality cannot be bought or sold

You can buy meditation classes, yoga classes, theology courses, philosophy courses, kabbalah lessons, astrology lessons — whatever you want. These things may give you knowledge, but none of them are spirituality.

Rick Baldwin cartoon

Someone once asked the Peace Pilgrim: “Why don’t you accept money?”

Peace Pilgrim:
“Because I speak about spiritual truth, and spiritual truth should never be sold — those who sell it harm themselves spiritually. I do accept money that arrives unsolicited through the mail, but I do not use it for myself; I use it for printing and postage. Those who try to buy spiritual truth are trying to obtain it before they are ready. In this wonderfully ordered universe, when they are ready, it will be given to them.”

Look, people commercialize products and byproducts derived from spiritual teachings: books, lectures, retreats, classes. I am not here to judge those who turn this into a business, nor whether it is right or wrong. On the other hand, I also would not expect to take someone’s time without offering anything in return. Common sense is necessary. Use that as a measure and learn to recognize signs of abuse or distortion.

If you are unsure, begin with the classics. You will find all the necessary foundations in the major sacred texts. And do not worry — spirituality is the one thing that cannot be given to you or taken away from you by anyone.

“You yourself must strive.
The Buddhas only point the way.”
— Dhammapada

Jesus said to him:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
— John 14:6

I sometimes imagine the great masters and gurus of the past creating a method, stamping it with a trademark, and selling it as an online course…

Spirituality does not remove you from your center — nor make you the center of your life

Be careful. On your path toward spirituality, you will encounter harmless things and people willing to guide others even though they themselves still cannot see clearly. But at the same time, remember that sects, cults, and ill-intentioned teachers have always existed, causing harm to those who followed them.

To find true spirituality, you do not need to abandon critical thinking. On the contrary, you will need it greatly until your discernment matures.

According to integral psychotherapist Robert Augustus Masters, spiritual bypassing causes us to distance ourselves from both ourselves and others, hiding behind a kind of spiritual veil made of beliefs and metaphysical practices. He says it “not only distances us from our pain and difficult personal issues, but also from our own authentic spirituality, leaving us in a metaphysical limbo — a zone of exaggerated niceness, kindness, and superficiality.”

Also remember that if you remove the Divine from the center and place man in His place, do not later complain to Him that things are not going well for you. This means that if you place yourself at the center — “my desires, my plans, my dreams, and my will come first” — or if you place another person at the center of your life by blindly following the latest fashionable guru, then there is very little room left for a higher order or genuine spirituality to enter your life.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
— James 4:8

Spirituality is not hype or a trend

Do not try to measure spirituality with comparative statistics: “everyone is talking about it,” “he/she has hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers,” “he/she is on the New York Times best-seller list.” Do not be deceived by metrics. Many times, the best teachings and insights will come from unknown people, hidden corners, and unpretentious conversations. There is far more genuine work being done for spiritual awakening away from the spotlight and big numbers than most people imagine.

Above all, in my search I distrust everything presented “en masse.” I prefer what is “handcrafted” over what is mass-produced for large audiences — though this is not a rigid rule. I remain attentive to recognizing truth no matter the form in which it appears.

“Test all things; hold fast what is good.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Finally, and no less importantly, understand that for every true path or legitimate knowledge, there is a shadow counterpart. In other words, you will encounter things that look very similar, filled with lies and ideologies disguised with half-truths convincing enough to deceive you and even make you doubt the truth you had already found. Persist: to find diamonds, you must remove a great deal of dirt.

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
— 1 John 1:7

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Translated by AI
Original date of publishing: March 10, 2021