Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Spiritual High-Horse



Can I be honest? I mean brutally, and very judgmentally honest...

I am tired of online self-righteous spiritualists. I am beyond tired, sick to death actually; I am so weary of people judging everyone, and everything they see and encounter online. I think it's safe to say that a large majority of the new age movement has become quite rude, through the medium of the internet. Twenty years ago we gathered together, in covens, meet ups, local gatherings, and we shared in warmth over a cup of tea, or the peace pipe, and we opened our hearts and minds to one another.

Now we sit anonymously behind our computer screen, and spout a lot of very idealistic rhetoric about how the world needs to {insert idealistic imperative here} or people really should stop {insert judgmental observation here}. The internet has by and large created a smoke screen by which spiritually minded people can feed the ever growing, and ever-elusive spiritual ego. I have been administering websites, forums, and groups online for 12 years now, and I've watched the evolution of this degradation of  spiritual "manners" over time. A decade ago I saw people genuinely reaching out to one another, thrilled to be able to connect with spiritualists from all over the planet; sharing ideals, dreams, and miracles with each other. It was such a beautiful and euphoric way to validate our own sense of spiritual awe and wonder, as we were able to create close friendships with people all over the globe, and create bridges of understanding.

As the years have gone by I have witnessed this phenomena ebbing, and being replaced by what I call the "Spiritual High-Horsemen". These are the people who have no interest in forming relationships, or sharing compassionately with others; these are people who use the internet to build themselves up at the expense of others. I see people wielding their spirituality like a weapon, brandishing "enlightenment" as though it was their soul possession, dangling it over the heads of those they consider to be less enlightened than themselves. It honestly sickens me.

There are still so many beautiful beings online, thirsty for knowledge, joyful in their inner knowing, who want to reach out and make real connections with other people in the spirit of innocence and peace. And yet I see these very types of people being badgered, belittled and knocked down by the spiritual high-horsemen. And I guess today my pot boils over, because I just don't feel like sitting idly by and watching it.

So I'm calling the horsemen out - clearly - verbally - and bluntly. What gives me the right to do so? Well, I was an expert horsewoman for a while, and anyone who's been on the journey of forums and groups with me long enough knows this full well about me. I got on my spiritual high-horse, and rode it well, mistaking my spiritual ego with truth, confusing my righteousness with being "right". And it took a lot of introspection for me to see just how messed up that was. But it is possible to climb down off of that incredibly high horse, and get back to basics - back to reality.

You see, spirituality is not a contest, and there is no prize for showing up early to ascension. There is no reward given to those who raise their hand the most, who sit at the front of the classroom; there is absolutely no grace in trying to be the teachers pet.

The desire to teach is inherent amongst our species; we all genuinely teach what we are learning, whether we identify with that or not. If you are learning about patience, you will most likely see a lot of impatience around you, and then try to help those impatient souls learn patience. If you are learning about forgiveness, you may well witness anger and grudge-holding, which will urge you to watch to help those poor souls learn to forgive. It is simple human nature - we are motivated to give what we have received, and that is one of the most pure and beautiful traits of our species. And yet to teach humbly, without an agenda or a need to be recognized for it is the most pure expression of guide-ship there could be.

So, how do you know if you're riding a high-horse? Let's have fun with this, and compile a check list - answer for yourself alone, and if you identify with this list and it pisses you off - then yes, your horse may have pretty long legs *grin*

Signs that you are on a Spiritual High-Horse:

  • You have your response planned out before it is your turn to talk; you ignore the person you're conversing with because you are already formulating your reply.
  • You know you are right, 100%, and the other person is simply wrong on all counts. End of discussion!
  • All of your statements begin with "you should"... or "you shouldn't"...
  • You ever use limiting phrases like "I feel sorry for you because"... or "if you really understood God"... or "When you awaken you will know"... these statements automatically play polarity.
  • You feel angry or irritated at someone else's belief system and feel the need to disassemble it before their very eyes to prove to them you are right!
  • You have the desire to wake people up from their delusion.
Yes, the last one is truly a sign of spiritual ego. A truly spiritually driven heart does not desire to shake anyone from the slumber of the veil, because they know that each person is perfect in their experience, and is walking in sync with Gods/Universe's plan. 

Sure, we can desire to help others feel the love within them we feel they lack, we can use our compassionate hearts to feel empathy, and to motivate us to sharing the joy we feel within ourselves. Yet we must all be careful to check our agenda, often... if you feel any prickling within your senses at these statements I'm making, I'd advise you to really check your agenda closely - because it's your ego that prickles. The Spirit does not feel the need to be right or wrong, it is at peace within it's own knowledge. Spirit has no desire to change anyone who has no desire to change themselves. It is as simple as that my friends. If someone comes to me seeking advice or council I will gladly offer what I have to give, and yet if they have not solicited my assistance and I offer it, aren't I judging automatically?

We do a lot of judging as a species, some of this judging is beneficial, keeps us safe, helps us make good choices, and yet much of this judging is condemning, and meant to separate us into different categories, such as "enlightened" and "ignorant" and "kind" and "idiotic". We also spend a lot of time assuming and assessing other people based on our own ideas of the world, and as Anais Nin said, "We do not see the world the way it is, we see the world the way we are". Simply stated, we judge people not based on who they are, but based on our own understanding of ourselves, our fears, our insecurities, our ability/inability to cope...

So to all of you lovely spiritual horsemen/women - please come down from that horse now. You've been up there long enough, you're bound to get hemorrhoids! I once used spiritual teaching as a way to feel safe in my own beliefs, as a way to differentiate between those who were ascending, and those who were not; and ultimately it was a way to make myself feel better about the truth. And the truth is, none of us know for certain what comes next, what lays outside of our own perception. Rather than try to fill in those blanks with supposition, try to let it be blank while you work on exercising some peace about it.

The chasm will always be an empty void - the difference between it being a frightful bottomless pit of blackness, and an infinitely potential mystery is simply a slight change in perception.

This is what I know, and how I feel today. I'll get off my own horse now, and go have a cookie :)







6 comments :

  1. Wow Dee, I often don't comment, but this literaly left me speachless....I am amazed at how you can articulate what so many feel so well. I am so glad I met you years ago and glad I am getting to know you again now.

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  2. I loved you a decade ago and I still love you as I love you before and beyond this time. DreamDancer

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  3. Wow! ((Hugs)). The way you express things - it' so pleasant to read and thanks for sharing this.

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  4. Dee, I remember when I started to feel these symptoms in myself some number of years ago and came up with a similar list to work on for myself too. I love love love this article. :o) I think it's always good to have some sort of hypothetical list to counteract our own unintentional actions of ego. This way, we can slowly (or fast, if you like) and deliberately progress and change ourselves and the ways that we interact with each other.

    It was in 5th grade that I started to play with words deliberately and started to notice some effects in myself and others, and so this practice seems to have made it easier for me, as time went by, to look at the words I'm choosing as well as the ways that I express myself. And granted, some seemingly backslides I've experienced consciously knowing at least some consequences but doing it for one accepted reason or another.

    I have been moving into something a lot more simple lately, observing more silence and reflection, and not worrying about "enlightening" anyone with any new information or feeling the need to "teach," but just to simply be in this space and watch. ....as can be evidenced by my long absence. :D

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  5. Wow right on the button, i have a on off relationship with a lovely sexy girl, who is into Shamballa big time, and spends the whole time, telling me this and telling me that, and its not meant to be this or that, she uses it as a excuse all the time, but forgets to take other peoples feeling s into consideration at all... so superior, surely this is not what its all about Love and Hugs

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