Yes, basic, nerdy, and overall, very, very incomplete. Its a vanity piece, All The Way. This list doesn't address any of the milestones of a spiritual journey, especially the continuing expansion of the identity, and subsequent dissolution of the small ego. It just throws out a list that anyone with a couple years of any meditation under their belt, could have written.
This writing is just crap. She is no more liberated after having written it, than she was before. It doesn't point in the direction of liberation - it is a back-patting essay, designed to emphasize her wisdom, in the face of so many obstacles. It stinks badly, and I am embarrassed for anyone who sees it as some sort of pinnacle of spiritual wisdom. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <authfriend@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" <rick@> wrote: > > > > Having interviewed about 180 people now, and Mariana twice, > > I think she's spot on with these observations. Of course, > > it's very difficult to perceive one's own infection by one > > of these diseases. > > It's not that she's *wrong*, Rick, it's that this is such > elementary stuff posing as deep insight. > > And calling it "Spiritually Transmitted Diseases" is so > pretentious and coy. > > How does Mariana rate herself with regard to these points? > Does she consider herself free of "infection"? > > > > From: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com] > > On Behalf Of turquoiseb > > Sent: Monday, July 08, 2013 4:00 PM > > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: 10 Spiritually Transmitted Diseases > > > > > > > > > > > > Good one, Rick. THIS should push a few buttons. :-) :-) :-) > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com <mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com> > > , "Rick Archer" wrote: > > > > > > > > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mariana-caplan-phd/spiritual-living-10-spiri_b > > _609248.html > > > > > > 10 Spiritually Transmitted Diseases > > > > > > It is a jungle out there, and it is no less true about spiritual life than > > > any other aspect of life. Do we really think that just because someone has > > > been meditating for five years, or doing 10 years of yoga practice, that > > > they will be any less neurotic than the next person? At best, perhaps they > > > will be a little bit more aware of it. A little bit. > > > > > > It is for this reason that I spent the last 15 years of my life > > researching > > > and writing books on cultivating discernment on the spiritual path in all > > > the gritty areas--power, sex, enlightenment, gurus, scandals, psychology, > > > neurosis -- as well as earnest, but just plain confused and unconscious, > > > motivations on the path. My partner (author and teacher Marc Gafni) and I > > > are developing a new series of books, courses and practices to bring > > further > > > clarification to these issues. > > > > > > Several years ago, I spent a summer living and working in South Africa. > > Upon > > > my arrival I was instantly confronted by the visceral reality that I was > > in > > > the country with the highest murder rate in the world, where rape was > > common > > > and more than half the population was HIV-positive -- men and women, gays > > > and straights alike. > > > > > > As I have come to know hundreds of spiritual teachers and thousands of > > > spiritual practitioners through my work and travels, I have been struck by > > > the way in which our spiritual views, perspectives and experiences become > > > similarly "infected" by "conceptual contaminants" -- comprising a confused > > > and immature relationship to complex spiritual principles can seem as > > > invisible and insidious as a sexually transmitted disease. > > > > > > The following 10 categorizations are not intended to be definitive but are > > > offered as a tool for becoming aware of some of the most common > > spiritually > > > transmitted diseases. > > > > > > 1. Fast-Food Spirituality: Mix spirituality with a culture that celebrates > > > speed, multitasking and instant gratification and the result is likely to > > be > > > fast-food spirituality. Fast-food spirituality is a product of the common > > > and understandable fantasy that relief from the suffering of our human > > > condition can be quick and easy. One thing is clear, however: spiritual > > > transformation cannot be had in a quick fix. > > > > > > 2. Faux Spirituality: Faux spirituality is the tendency to talk, dress and > > > act as we imagine a spiritual person would. It is a kind of imitation > > > spirituality that mimics spiritual realization in the way that > > leopard-skin > > > fabric imitates the genuine skin of a leopard. > > > > > > 3. Confused Motivations: Although our desire to grow is genuine and pure, > > it > > > often gets mixed with lesser motivations, including the wish to be loved, > > > the desire to belong, the need to fill our internal emptiness, the belief > > > that the spiritual path will remove our suffering and spiritual ambition, > > > the wish to be special, to be better than, to be "the one." > > > > > > 4. Identifying with Spiritual Experiences: In this disease, the ego > > > identifies with our spiritual experience and takes it as its own, and we > > > begin to believe that we are embodying insights that have arisen within us > > > at certain times. In most cases, it does not last indefinitely, although > > it > > > tends to endure for longer periods of time in those who believe themselves > > > to be enlightened and/or who function as spiritual teachers. > > > > > > 5. The Spiritualized Ego: This disease occurs when the very structure of > > the > > > egoic personality becomes deeply embedded with spiritual concepts and > > ideas. > > > The result is an egoic structure that is "bullet-proof." When the ego > > > becomes spiritualized, we are invulnerable to help, new input, or > > > constructive feedback. We become impenetrable human beings and are stunted > > > in our spiritual growth, all in the name of spirituality. > > > > > > 6. Mass Production of Spiritual Teachers: There are a number of current > > > trendy spiritual traditions that produce people who believe themselves to > > be > > > at a level of spiritual enlightenment, or mastery, that is far beyond > > their > > > actual level. This disease functions like a spiritual conveyor belt: put > > on > > > this glow, get that insight, and -- bam! -- you're enlightened and ready > > to > > > enlighten others in similar fashion. The problem is not that such teachers > > > instruct but that they represent themselves as having achieved spiritual > > > mastery. > > > > > > 7. Spiritual Pride: Spiritual pride arises when the practitioner, through > > > years of labored effort, has actually attained a certain level of wisdom > > and > > > uses that attainment to justify shutting down to further experience. A > > > feeling of "spiritual superiority" is another symptom of this spiritually > > > transmitted disease. It manifests as a subtle feeling that "I am better, > > > more wise and above others because I am spiritual." > > > > > > 8. Group Mind: Also described as groupthink, cultic mentality or ashram > > > disease, group mind is an insidious virus that contains many elements of > > > traditional co-dependence. A spiritual group makes subtle and unconscious > > > agreements regarding the correct ways to think, talk, dress, and act. > > > Individuals and groups infected with "group mind" reject individuals, > > > attitudes, and circumstances that do not conform to the often unwritten > > > rules of the group. > > > > > > 9. The Chosen-People Complex: The chosen people complex is not limited to > > > Jews. It is the belief that "Our group is more spiritually evolved, > > > powerful, enlightened and, simply put, better than any other group." There > > > is an important distinction between the recognition that one has found the > > > right path, teacher or community for themselves, and having found The One. > > > > > > 10. The Deadly Virus: "I Have Arrived": This disease is so potent that it > > > has the capacity to be terminal and deadly to our spiritual evolution. > > This > > > is the belief that "I have arrived" at the final goal of the spiritual > > path. > > > Our spiritual progress ends at the point where this belief becomes > > > crystallized in our psyche, for the moment we begin to believe that we > > have > > > reached the end of the path, further growth ceases. > > > > > > "The essence of love is perception," according to the teachings of Marc > > > Gafni, "Therefore the essence of self love is self perception. You can > > only > > > fall in love with someone you can see clearly--including yourself. To love > > > is to have eyes to see. It is only when you see yourself clearly that you > > > can begin to love yourself." > > > > > > It is in the spirit of Marc's teaching that I believe that a critical part > > > of learning discernment on the spiritual path is discovering the pervasive > > > illnesses of ego and self-deception that are in all of us. That is when we > > > need a sense of humor and the support of real spiritual friends. As we > > face > > > our obstacles to spiritual growth, there are times when it is easy to fall > > > into a sense of despair and self-diminishment and lose our confidence on > > the > > > path. We must keep the faith, in ourselves and in others, in order to > > really > > > make a difference in this world. > > > > > > Adapted from Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path > > > (Sounds True) > > > > > >
