The Spiritual Seeker

Primer on starting to seek spiritual understanding. A helpful guide for those who want to enter into a deeper knowledge and want to learn how to listen to their heart. Some practical advice on what to look for and what to avoid.

Salaam Alaykum, murids, seekers, curious and interested listeners,

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Transcript

BismillahRahmanRahim, 

TheWiseSpiritualSeeker

shaykh ibrahim ansari

Nasruddin, in attempting to cross the river, had fallen in several times. His attempts seemed fruitless. He was soaked, hungry and irritated. A fellow on the other side of the river, seeing someone had made it across, yelled, “Hey! How do I get to the other side of the river? ”

Nasruddin yelled back, “You are on the other side! ”

I would like to talk about being a spiritual seeker. And, because I am a Sufi, I will be giving you a Sufi point of view.

The quest is worthy and will alter your life. But entries to that world are many and confusing. Do you know what direction to go? What your destination is? To know where you are going you need to know where you and others have been.

A heads-up for those interested in psychedelics, drugs, magic, ayahuasca and magic mushrooms. Nothing is free. Not even in spiritual studies. There is always something that must be exchanged. First law of thermodynamics: 

Energy cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system. 

So if you want an ecstatic or mystical experience, there will be an exorbitantly high price to pay. You may suffer mental, physical or other problems. Why? Because following an established spiritual path means it prepares you gently and appropriately for such experiences, you understand them in context. You are prepared to meet any experience with a strong foundation. 

Not following an established spiritual path means your destination is unclear, your intention is conflicted, the purpose is vague, and there are no supports or safe- guards. 

Just like entering a new city, you want to have some idea of the territory. You don’t want to accidentally stumble into the dangerous areas. Having a guide, someone who has been there before, will give you both security, confidence and the ability to return on your own.

Heading untrodden blindly into what you hope is spiritual understanding will inevitably take you to the opposite site to where you think you should go, or drop you in unknown and gorgeously compelling but fruitless places. 

To move forward wisely, I recommend (after trying many other ways) to observe, stay objective, and keep the focus on your heart. The trick is to not get distracted or drawn into action you will regret. 

There is a glut of social media, and shiny, pretty things we are attracted to. I was. I wasted a lot of time, but it taught me the difference between the true and false gold. I would like you to succeed in your spiritual seeking smarter than me. So I am going to talk with you about some of the things I have learned. Everyone will have different opinions and experiences. I can only speak of my own dead-ends, failures and unintended success. 

For those of you asking where I ended up, I now teach Sufism, under the guidance of my Shaykh. If you want to know more about my path, there are podcasts, or you can read my book Getting Out of the Way: Living Sufism at AnsariPublications.

I often refer to the heart in a spiritual context: it is not an idea, a concept or a mental construct. I am talking about feeling  the presence of your heart viscerally and physically, as well as spiritually. Howt o experience that is your job, to learn how to process the information and experiences efficiently and appropriately with your heart and your mind. 

If you are a seeker for spiritual understanding, you will need a tool kit to balance, weigh and assess the flood of continuous information. In your research you will come across outrageous claims, promises, paradoxical statements, conspiracy theories, even offers of gifts of powers. Some will say ‘It will all be better in the next world’ or worse: 'The Truth'. Please be wary of anyone preaching their idea of 'The Truth'. You are the arbiter of what you take in and what you keep out. Learn to use that filter intelligently. 

So let’s power up our intelligences and see if we can find a healthy way of setting up some sign posts for mapping the spiritual paths. 

First: it should accord with science, and if it is not provable through observation and experimentation, then you should at least be able to test the teachings at some point. Questions are encouraged. 

For example: the concept of Creation. Science has proven through DNA and fossil evidence that this world was created approximately 4.54 ± 0.05 billion years ago (4.54 × 109 years ± 1%). This dating is based on evidence from radiometric age- dating of meteorite material and is consistent with the radiometric ages of the oldest-known terrestrial and lunar samples. There are holes in the time line, but even a rudimentary understanding of life must include dinosaurs, and explain the existence of trilobites and shells found on mountain tops.

Second, denying obvious reality indicates a serious lapse in intelligence and reasoning. Faith is important, but it needs to be linked with reality and science. If a holy book says something not physically and verifiably true, perhaps it is speaking in a metaphorical or allegorical sense, requiring some deep reflection. We are usually reading translations of sacred texts, and the one speaking is inspired and trying to convey ideas that rarely fit into the tight little corsets of words and phrases. 

Third, to be an effective spiritual seeker, one must learn how to ask the right questions. So let’s talk about how to ask ‘good ’ questions. There are questions which will address and lead you towards what you are looking for; and then there are questions which will take you in circles, and make your journey more confusing. 

Four: this material world is a living metaphor for the spiritual world. On this side of the divide we must make a living and provide for ourselves and others using barter, favors and money. In the spiritual world there is also a cost for everything. You have to decide how much you are willing to give up to go forward. We can talk about this later.

To keep moving forward, you will pass through various veils of understanding. What you don’t understand now may eventually become clear later. Trust that the journey will make sense later. Your path is unique and all your own. Do not bother comparing. Learn to listen closely and objectively. 

I started college as a Philosophy major. And if you take a philosophy class and study Western philosophers, their questions and reasoning are generally off the mark because the philosophers themselves are confused and get easily distracted by their thinking. When starting to seek spiritual answers, I suggest avoiding German, French and English philosophers like Kant, Sartre, Nietzsche and Hegel. Compared to Asian and middle eastern thinkers, western philosophy appears childish and ill-prepared to follow through in reference to the Big Picture. They seem to enjoy hearing themselves spinning little spirals without evolving. Why? They make too many assumptions. They are ignorant in some basic spiritual concepts and miss many basic points, thereby bypassing the important and relevant questions. One must begin simply, quietly and allow time for reflecting and testing. I have found western philosophy a dead end. It has not been around long enough and thus its questions and answers seem infantile, compared with eastern thought. The Greek philosopher Politinus is inspiring if you are looking for western thought, though he was probably also influenced by eastern teachings. 
Better questions might be:

     Who am I?

     Why is there suffering? 

     Why am I here?

     What do I know?

     What is our purpose? 

     How can I achieve fulfillment? 

Much of the wisdom of the east is now available in every language, as is the profound and practical teachings of indigenous nations from around the world. So, as a seeker of spiritual wisdom, there are some other traps I have experienced that I would like to share with you. Perhaps where I got lost you will notice, and so avoid falling in. One trap I got stuck in was believing – or at least being attracted to – charismatic gurus and teachers. Almost every faith, sect, cult and religion has them. Very often they are subtle manipulators, sales people who suck your energy rather than caring about you. Some are aware of what they do, others do it because they can – and because we let them. 

No major, creditable spiritual path will or should advocate: success, sex, money, power or fame. Each one is a trap and a dead end. If someone says they will make you successful or rich or loved, is not going to end well. This also goes for ‘channelers ’, palm readers and astrologers. 

There are all manner of spiritual abuses, usually disguised as spiritual advertisement hooks. Be on the lookout for verbal, emotional, manipulative, passive-aggressive 'teaching'. Learn how to be aware of them. Remember: Anything can be a trap if it distracts you from learning to know your heart. 

I am not saying you should not explore. Once you begin to look for things of a spiritual nature, the sky will open up and you will be amazed at the massive amount of information. As a spiritual seeker you are welcome to poke your fingers in as many pies or, to mix metaphors, window-shop as much as you like. Taste all that is out there. However, when you do not wish to waste any more time, that is when you will realize that the most important thing you can do is to learnhowto listentoyour heart. When you know that, then you are ready for the next phase of the journey. You will know and appreciate that your heart is your greatest asset.

     How do I know when I am hearing my heart? 

Now we are talking about the Real Work. The spiritual path is about learning how to listen to your heart, and not your attachments, desires, culture, family, religion,  books, teachers, wishes, etc. The ability to distinguish between the 'small' self and heart requires a sound and practical spiritual path. Any teaching that advises or condones shortcuts, or claims to make you rich or powerful, is one to avoid. 

     Why avoid the shortcuts? 

It always makes me think of how trees can live for so long and tall. It is the roots. Without those deep anchors, the first storm will knock it over. We need those moorings to keep us steady and clear-headed when the next storm strikes. 

A spiritual path needs to be applicableindailylifeand help you maintain a connectionwiththe divineorsacred.

Whatever you call the Intelligence in this universe: that is what your heart is truly connected to.

Awakening and opening that connection should be the ultimate goal of your life. It is what makes life fulfilling. It gives us purpose and meaning, as well as profound gratitude and love.