THE BUSINESS OF SPIRITUALITY
This seems like a good moment to publish a first post on Respira, a collection of stories, ideas, and concepts that I bookmark for myself, my children, and whoever else resonates.
I’ve always loved to curate stuff and to bring people together but I am just discovering that now as I am starting to pay more and more attention to myself, something that I’ve gracefully managed to run away from in the last years by telling myself that I have much more important things to do, like making a living, earning enough to afford the lifestyle we want as a family, etc…
If you’re reading this you have probably subscribed to this newsletter since before it ever existed, since
recommended it in his, at some point. Thank you for being here and allowing me to (re)start my own journey, a man’s journey towards the sovereignty and clarity of the Heart.I can see how writing can be a good form of therapy and I am excited for this new chapter of this journey. I remember once writing in a notebook something along the lines of “…I have nothing to write, no words to express anything, I am just writing this because I want to write but I have no idea what to write about but something will come out of this…. Hmm, I wonder if my kids will find this notebook one day? Ah, that’s fine they cannot read, ah but what if they find it after they are able to read, I better write good stuff here, or at least things that might be useful or amusing”….and so on.
So here I am, writing.
And I feel so many stories wanting to come out, but also a restless inner judge asking me who am I writing this for, nobody needs to read all this, people have their own lives, they don’t need another newsletter.
But then again, as long as I am writing just for myself, with no expectations, it’s just exercising a muscle, and getting better at something.
So, in the spirit of curation, I paste below a text that landed deep within my own journey. If you know the original author, please comment so I can credit her or him. The text below was translated from Spanish using ChatGPT.
What is even more serendipitous is that the text that calls out spiritual bypassing and consuming spirituality like any other product is signed ABRAXAS, which is linked to extremely mystical concepts.
THE BUSINESS OF SPIRITUALITY
Many people in pursuit of spirituality try to present a clean and perfect image. They speak softly to appear to have inner peace, follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, or live on pranic or solar energy to feel more connected. They wear exotic clothes to feel different, or smoke whatever herb they're given, consume mushrooms, peyote, Ayahuasca, and desert toads, and attend courses on Yoga, biodance, oriental meditations, the Law of Attraction, prosperity, family constellations, Temazcales, Akashic Records, Future Sciences, or Fifth Dimension to feel more spiritual. But the reality is that all of this has nothing to do with spirituality. We have turned spirituality into a consumer product.
We seek spirituality in religions, courses, and workshops..., and associate it with incense, candles, smudges, astrological charts, mats, bowls, Buddhas, chillout music, and linen dresses. True spirituality has nothing to do with the things you can buy or have externally. You are not more spiritual and conscious because you have more money or carry a mat on your shoulder. You are not more spiritual by considering yourself a being of light unless you integrate your shadows and darkness. Nor are you more spiritual by saying "Namaste," "God bless you," "prayers," and sending greetings to the planet and others through Facebook and social networks.
As long as we continue to seek spirituality in a religion, a guru, ritual, or teaching, we will be seeking a spirituality of marketing and consumption. No religion, guru, or teaching will be able to give you what is already inside you. But if what you want is to join a spiritual trend, then go to an ashram, join an esoteric group, give spiritual talks, and do all the trendy workshops you can, and over time you will discover that you have only changed on the surface.
Most people do not want to be responsible for their spirituality and give that responsibility to a mentor, coach, guru, or teacher to guide them and lead them to full realization or to "the best version of yourself" as it is often said. That's why there are so many gurus today. There have never been so many teachers, gurus, specialists, and graduates in spirituality as there are today. How many of those titles hanging on your wall define you? How many of those courses and workshops have shown you who you really are? How many of those diplomas will you take with you when you die? None. But the game of disciple-master, mentor-follower, expert-initiate, and seller-buyer has been accepted.
YOU CONSUME SPIRITUALITY.
Someone tells you they have the truth and you try to buy it from them. Books, courses, workshops, and conferences that the trendy master sells you are business. You buy everything because you are used to buying and believe that by buying you can be spiritual. You live in a spiritual business. Merchant buyer. Seller customer. I sell you some ideas about what spirituality is and you buy them from me. But those ideas will be prefabricated, second-hand, not original, not yours, not true. All the truths you buy from others will be lies.
How to get out of this trap? Stop consuming spirituality and drugs, if you still can... seek the truth of your heart. And ask yourself, how can I reach it? What do I have to do? How can I achieve it? First of all, STOP ASKING OTHERS HOW TO ACHIEVE IT. Stop searching and consuming spirituality and recognize that what you seek is already inside you, and no religion, guru, or teaching can give it to you.
I'm going to tell you something that's going to tear down all your consumer spirituality. What you're looking for, YOU ALREADY HAVE IT! You don't need to do anything or get to any special place or activate the kundalini or the third eye. YOU ARE. YOU ARE COMPLETE. YOU ARE ENLIGHTENED. YOU ARE FULFILLED. Stop wasting time with little games. Nothing and no one is going to be able to give or sell you your being. It is a personal self-discovery. It's your adventure. Your journey. But as long as you keep playing the game of spirituality and keep doing spiritual courses and workshops to entertain yourself mentally, you will be moving away from the true spirituality that resides in your heart.
Stop buying and consuming spirituality. Spirituality is free. It's in the air you breathe, in the sun, in the stars, and in your heart.
ABRAXAS