Does Spirituality reject the physical plane?

[Robert222]

Hey! I've just started my spiritual path and all I have to say is that I'm getting more and more confused by the day...I've watched many spiritual teachers giving their talk on Spirituality, and all of them say that Spirituality is all about the realisation of our true nature and the detachment from the false identification with the body and the external world. Given that, does that mean that Spirituality ultimately rejects the physical plane/body? Does that also mean that Spirituality goes against Science and Empiricism? If we are not our physical body and we're something else, then does that mean that Spirituality doesn't count the body as something that exists? Secondly, (please correct me if I'm wrong) Spirituality is about this Oneness and inter-connectedness of all beings. However, how is it possible for us to be 'God'/'Consciousness' and be separate physical identities at the same time? It's just the way these teachers talk...as if they're rejecting this world, science etc. It's really causing me a lot of distress and confusion. What do you guys think, am I getting the wrong message here? I would greatly appreciate your take on this, Leo, since you've been researching this subject for many years.

Edited December 19, 2018 by Robert222

[Arhattobe]

The traditions that lack nuance might say the physical doesn’t exist and end it there, but in reality. Reality is more nuanced. Such simplistic statements do not reflect the actuality.

More advanced traditions see, accept and talk about that. Binary thinking is not helpful on the path. 

[Sahil Pandit]

@Robert222 Hey Robert.

I just wanted to say that the confusion you're experiencing is a good sign. Why? Because you are learning new information that is conflicting with how you used to think reality works. Give it some time, and insight/clarity will emerge  Trust the process.

Spirituality doesn't "reject" the body/physical plane per se, but it goes to address your existential role in it.

What are you, actually? 

Getting to the bottom of this is a Spiritual Path. 

 

[zambize]

Yeah don't worry, I think you're on the right path but that's up to you to decide what you want and whether you are going in the right direction.  I'll talk about one of your points because I'm pretty heavy into science.

"Does that also mean that Spirituality goes against Science and Empiricism?"

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, it does not.  It would be more accurate to say spirituality transcends science and empiricism.  I think it's common to ignore the very practical benefits of science in curing diseases, modeling solutions, increasing life expectancy and health, finding out what things apply to humans in general, what is placebo and isn't the list goes on.  These things are all great, nothing wrong about science and empiricism unless you try to use them for everything.  The problem is that people try to overuse science and run into a wall when they try to write the science of subjective experience and reality.  Can you imagine how hard it would be to use science to verify the fabric of reality, it's not something you write down, it's something more than that, science won't help you discover what you are, and even if it could, would you be satisfied with some infinitely intelligent computer printing out a statement that says "you are one/god/everything/consciousness" or whatever answer it prints out?  I wouldn't, I'd rather experience that, but people who are too into using science and cling to it as a tool of understanding reality will spend all day writing equations to an answer that is all around them.  On the other hand, there is a lot of ignorance on the other end of the spectrum in terms of believing science has absolutely no value to it.  Science is a tool, use it when it helps you understand yourself and reality better, to reduce your suffering and the suffering of others, drop it when it's a limitation to your exploration of your own inner reality, it's a tool.  

[YaNanNallari]

Spirituality makes you a lot more aware of the physical plane. Are there certain things and phases in spirituality and meditation and all kinds of things that make you pay less attention to it? Surely so

2 hours ago, Robert222 said:

the detachment from the false identification with the body and the external world

Detachment should make you see something more clearly. There is a difference between dissociation and detachment.

[Leo Gura]

Spirituality does not reject anything. It is nothing other than looking at whatever is true. If something is false it will get revealed as an illusion in the process.

Physical and spiritual are actually identical. The physical and spiritual world are one and the same.

[ground]

9 hours ago, Robert222 said:

... Given that, does that mean that Spirituality ultimately rejects the physical plane/body?

Some spiritual teachings do and others do not.

 

9 hours ago, Robert222 said:

Does that also mean that Spirituality goes against Science and Empiricism?

Some spiritual teachings do fabricate a contradiction between spirituality and Science and Empiricism and others do not. Some even outrightly reject Science and Empiricism.

 

9 hours ago, Robert222 said:

If we are not our physical body and we're something else, then does that mean that Spirituality doesn't count the body as something that exists?

Some spiritual teachings assert non-existence of the body and others do not.

9 hours ago, Robert222 said:

Secondly, (please correct me if I'm wrong) Spirituality is about this Oneness and inter-connectedness of all beings.

Not all spiritual teachings assert 'Oneness and inter-connectedness of all beings'.

9 hours ago, Robert222 said:

However, how is it possible for us to be 'God'/'Consciousness' and be separate physical identities at the same time?

If a spiritual teaching asserts that you are 'God'/'Consciousness' then you should investigate how this teaching answers your question.

9 hours ago, Robert222 said:

However, how is it possible for us to be 'God'/'Consciousness' and be separate physical identities at the same time? It's just the way these teachers talk...as if they're rejecting this world, science etc. It's really causing me a lot of distress and confusion. What do you guys think, am I getting the wrong message here?

I think you should ask yourself why you are interested in spirituality at all and why you are focusing on a specific spiritual teaching if this teaching causes you distress and confusion. I mean are distress and confusion compatible with the reason why you initially were interested in spirituality?
Having said when thinking about a spiritual teaching you should always consider the possibility that you are simply getting it wrong if it causes you distress and confusion.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2018 by ground

[Aaron p]

@Robert222 ok, confusion is not a bad thing. Confusion is a sign of growth (apparently). *Simplicity* is your highest friend. Enlightenment is FARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR more simple than you think. 

 

This is tricky, because the easiest way past this is to trust your instincts. So much different advice, this person says to do this....and this person says to do this. The only way you will see is by opening your eye(s). Logic cannot carry you to this place.

 

Spiritual progress is completely backwards compared to worldly progress (like college or uni). The further you go into spirituality, the more simple your understanding will become. Purification. The ONLY thing...I repeat.....THE-ONLY-THING you need to do, is get familiar with self enquiry, and meditation, but mostly self enquiry. 

I myself have only been on the path for 4 months, and I know that within my first 2 months I had to just surrender to the confusion and hold onto self enquiry and meditation. 

 

"There is no teaching, you are only here to find out who you are." If remember this, the early confusion will be a lot more tolerable. You just have to show your subconscious that your not what you thought you were, after a few months of doing self enquiry and meditation every day you'll begin to realise how something so simple could affect so much. It's...unspeakably simple and yet undeniably emense. You are, in the most literal sense possible, the entire universe. This is waiting for you to find it.

 

Remember, there is no teaching AT ALL. Only find who/what you are using self enquiry. This is harder to stick to than you might think.