Defining Spirituality.
This rather nebulous term can be defined as methods for overcoming ‘the inevitable suffering of existence’. Suffering seems unavoidable – we can try as much as we like, but death, disease, wanting (famine) and violence (war) await us all, like the infamous horsemen of the apocalypse. Spirituality can mean many things, but let me share with you a succinct and pragmatic approach.
All is mind.
All suffering arises in the mind. This is why we anaesthetise folk when we subject them to painful procedures. Without consciousness, suffering cannot arise. The key therefore is consciousness.
The Anatomy of Awareness.
All moments of consciousness, which are created by the mind, are two-fold. There is always an ‘object’ of consciousness; which is perceived by a ‘subjective’ awareness. It is how the mind reacts to this object that creates the different types of consciousness. Some objects are desired by the mind, which creates a grasping type of consciousness, along with things like greed, envy and addiction. Other objects are feared, which creates hatred, jealousy and ill-will. The remaining objects are considered neutral, that is, the mind neither desires nor fears them and is considered ignorant of them.
Three primitive mental responses.
When we are spiritually ‘undeveloped’ there are only three ways in which our minds can react to the myriad of objects that arise through our senses or imagination. We are without any control and entirely at the whim of our external worlds and inner imagination. Some objects we desire and cannot get enough of, and we find ourselves in states of wanting. Other objects cause us fear and we react with anxiety or aggression. The remaining objects, we have a mental ignorance towards, we neither desire nor fear them, although at anytime this can change and we can develop future desires or fears, depending on how we experience them.
Spiritual Training and the Horsemen of Suffering.
All spirituality, at its core, involves developing these three primitive responses. Until we embark on the often difficult and lengthy path of training our minds we remain passive and at the whim of these three primitive responses. Untrained, our suffering is inevitable, and this is where the symbolic Horsemen of the Apocalypse become relevant. Uncontrolled greed leads to uncontrolled wanting, which is represented by Famine – the embodiment of unfettered greed; aggression leads to hostility and War; ignorance, when present, leads to disease (Pestilence); and whilst these qualities remain undeveloped we remain spiritually empty and are bound to suffer the nihilism of mortal death.
Is suffering and death not inevitable?
This, in part, is the Spiritual Quest. One must challenge the established paradigm that there is nothing we can do about our primitive responses and recognise that through training we can really take steps to avoid the inevitability of these modes of suffering. Remember, all suffering occurs at the mental, not physical level.
Spiritual Development.
All spiritual training involves transforming these basic and impulsive mental reactions into their counterparts. It takes time and some faith to do this. But not necessary any faith in an external God, simply the recognition that it is our own minds that hold the key. Through spiritual development it is possible to overcome the grasping nature of the mind and eventually eliminate the mental attachments to these objects. When developed this eliminates needs and wants, which are common causes of mental suffering.
We can eliminate our mental fears, along with anxieties and hostility with spiritual training which eventually allows us to feel peaceful and kind. And through the development of wisdom we counteract the natural ignorance that creates sickness.
This training is initially difficult – here we encounter temptation which is often personified as a Satan-like figure – Satan literally means ‘adversary’. Our habits are so ingrained that mentally we continue to grasp or react with hostility and it can take time and effort to overcome these habits, which manifest as temptations.
Faith.
I cannot tell you that developing generosity, kindness and wisdom will eventually allow you to transcend all forms of suffering, including ‘death’. However, I’m hoping that you will recognise these are common themes that form the basis of all spiritual practices. Faith is required as one cannot be shown how developing the basic qualities could thwart the arrival of the horsemen, however, the faith required is minimal and it is quite logical to appreciate that embracing generosity, kindness and wisdom might have positive effects on one’s life. It is recognising that all suffering arises in the mind and therefore might be amenable to change or even transcendence through persistence and effort.
It takes time to fully appreciate, although some results will manifest almost instantly. Consider actively trying to respond with generosity rather than greed, kindness rather than hostility and before long wisdom will manifest to replace ignorance. Recognise that the difficulty in overcoming habitual responses is a kind of temptation, simply smile when you recognise this and know that this means you are making progress.
