How does nature impact spirituality - and the solution

The 3 Situations

1) illusion (maya): knowledge, even spiritual is still of the mind therefore is just personal & subjective belief based on separation. It is open to interpretation and perception as per experience, culture, attitude, and perspective. 

Even though everything is actually same (ever fluctuating, interdependent, temporary, and changing energy that seems solid, separate, permanent, and unchangeable), it will look different to each person therefore create attachments, disagreements, and conflicts of interest. Besides, everything, including language has changed (and still will change) many times over.

2) instinct (ego / anava): people are primarily animals with instincts, and they rather not put effort unless they can renunciate, which is not easy. The world is meant to function in a certain predetermined way, and everyone including humans are like puppets when lacking spiritual awareness.

3) herd-mentality (karma): people are primarily animals with herd mentality. This applies be it by copying one another therefore creating norm or culture therefore families / tribes / neighborhoods / towns / cities / countries / continents / empires with underlying customs / languages / religions, or by such groupings teaming up against each other. 

This effect comes from the cause (both of which are one). For example if someone has luxury and comfort then they all will want the same and therefore look almost identical in the same neighborhood; keeping up with the Joneses.

The 3 Manifestations

1) Problem: modified religions (especially westernized ones) are dogmatic, exclusive, and focus solely on worldly successes from an "us vs them" mentality. This makes them combative and destructive thus creating war zones where leaders compete with each other for the "harvest" of souls.

2) Reaction: most modern spirituality is a reaction to modern religion, thus hates the word religion. They do have a point... but run so fast past the center towards the other extreme that avoids facing the world. The more abused people were when they were in the folds of modern western religious ideologies, the more woozy or hippie they may become. They are like lost children that avoid the frying pan to jump into the burning fire when they find a fake guru. From one cult to the other...

Hippies.. all they know is shiny colors, (smoking) nature, and "love and peace" avoiding work and responsibility. I have heard of them being called gypsies in Serbia, seen some of them (mostly "crack-heads") in Portugal, and other manifestations in Emirates who are too laid back to take care of their bodies by any form of sacrifice or austerity, fully vegan regardless of health, and charge for playing some rosey touchy feely music then sleep in outdoor concerts with participants in the desert.

3) "Solution": cult gurus (or senseis / sifus / imams / priests / sayas / shamans / etc.)... master salesmen who'll pick a concept then convert it to culture if it seems like a best seller and throw it on those poor kids who are running away from dogma. Their intention is is not genuine. Both leaders of dogmatic religions and fake gurus have one aim: (selfish) control.

The Left Hand Path (originally anti survival instinct) has therefore become pro survival chock-full of competition, deception, and violence. Meanwhile the highest Right Hand Path (originally anti pleasure instinct) has become pro pleasure chock-full of comfort, luxury, and "love & peace" ✌️ ☮️.  

But talking about extremes i.e. dogmatic westernized religions and present day shenanigans that pass for spirituality may ruffle so many feathers that it'll look like an emu vs emu battleground.

Most so-called atheists and agnostics may agree with the extremes part but they may not agree with The Dharma as they have hopped on their "everything is random" wagon.

The - Actual - Solution

While The Dharma (the universal anti-drama in all cultures regardless of time and place), with its millennia old tried and tested concepts say in one (ascending) line: kama (emotional desire - survival / ego 🌎 & pleasure / ego 💧), artha (economic wealth 💰 / ego 🔥), dharma (moral righteousness / ego 🔥 & 💨), and moksha (Spiritual Liberation / awareness / 3rd 👁)... the 4 purusharthas (soul's object) of completeness / union between manifest (lower desires / desires) and unmanifest (higher desires / aspirations).

union of Kama & Artha (manifest) with
Dharma & Moksha (unmanifest)

They all come from The Dharma, so you can't quite go wrong. Find wealth, enjoy desires, but all from a humble, happy, thankful perspective knowing they are transient and decreasingly enjoyable. Everything has a price, if we pay attention (be aware) to how we feel and with how life unfolds.

Feminine outer manifest / body-mind (therefore feminine concept bad / pain / falling water & earth / lower kama & artha) can never be separated from ...

Masculine inner unmanifest / soul (therefore masculine concept good / pleasure / rising fire & air / higher moksha & dharma).

In other words, desires better be contained by aspirations. Ironically, desires are outside (feminine manifest) while aspirations are inside (masculine unmanifest).

This is illustrated by the Shiva Lingam symbol below, representing the union between Yang / Shiva (unmanifest masculine Phallus / rising fire & air) and Yin / Shakti (manifest feminine Yoni / falling water & earth).

(the ancient Shiva Lingam, symbol of
Yoga / Union)

Artha: rightful wealth. The route to moksha is aided by dharmik (🔥 & 💨) wealth-building. Wealth (even knowledge itself) is meant to be shared. A Vaishya (Merchant of the 4 Varna) is advised to build temples, water tanks, and fund others, even the king in times of need (Karma Yoga 🔥). There's an upper limit for the profit percentage he's supposed to keep (Raja Yoga 🌎).

Kama: wholesome desires. Same with Artha, through balance (e.g. fast and practice physical arts for detox and calorie / fat burning: Karma Yoga 🔥 & Bhakti Yoga 💧) and moderation by placing higher limits on quantity: Raja Yoga 🌎 (e.g. eating out once a week at most) & lower limits on quality: Jnana Yoga 💨 (e.g. a healthy vegan diet that ensures some healthy fats). A time and place for everything so that a slice may add some spice to life and be delightful yet healthy (as natural as can be; not painful & destructive, which is often the case) especially without attachment, honoring one's age and stage in life, never forgetting the true Ultimate goal: Moksha.

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