Being Spiritual
What makes a person 'spiritual'? Joining a meditation group and doing chanting once a week doesn't make one spiritual; running off to an ashram in India or taking on a Swami as guru doesn't make one spiritual; going to the church on Sundays or joining a religious organization doesn't make one spiritual. Putting on an orange robe or white garment doesn't make one spiritual.
I think to be spritual, one has to honour that life force within our very body; honour Heaven and Earth for giving rise to and nurturing all life forms; grateful for the Sun and Moon to make life possible on the planet; and live a simple life by being here and now; be quiet and still. Spiritual path starts from this very body and mind; it cannot be found anywhere out there.
Anyway, being spiritual is not some demeanour one puts on to show other people. On the contary a lot of Buddhist and Taoist luminaries in the past had to conceal their luminance by living as recluse or even playing daft and mad. Hui Neng, the sixth generation Zen lineage master had to live with a group of hunters in a mountain in south China for 16 years to avoid being persecuted by rivals. Great Taoist luminary Chang San Fen (the patriach of Tai Chi Chuan) was nicknamed 'Chang the bedraggled' because he was seen wearing the same dirty old cloak all year round. To use the words of Chang himself, a spiritual person is someone 'who has the most ordinary demeanour but the most extraodinary mind'. [picture shows portrait of Chang San Feng]
I think to be spritual, one has to honour that life force within our very body; honour Heaven and Earth for giving rise to and nurturing all life forms; grateful for the Sun and Moon to make life possible on the planet; and live a simple life by being here and now; be quiet and still. Spiritual path starts from this very body and mind; it cannot be found anywhere out there.
Anyway, being spiritual is not some demeanour one puts on to show other people. On the contary a lot of Buddhist and Taoist luminaries in the past had to conceal their luminance by living as recluse or even playing daft and mad. Hui Neng, the sixth generation Zen lineage master had to live with a group of hunters in a mountain in south China for 16 years to avoid being persecuted by rivals. Great Taoist luminary Chang San Fen (the patriach of Tai Chi Chuan) was nicknamed 'Chang the bedraggled' because he was seen wearing the same dirty old cloak all year round. To use the words of Chang himself, a spiritual person is someone 'who has the most ordinary demeanour but the most extraodinary mind'. [picture shows portrait of Chang San Feng]
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