Recipes of the ancients.

[Kuba Powiertowski]

This is very interesting. The fundamental difference between ancient and modern spirituality can be summed up in one expression: the quality of the process. The way of the ancients is in fact the path of the spiritual samurai. No amount of mental gymnastics can undermine the quality and durability of the effects achieved in this way.

[SSSanity]

The ancients lived and operated in cultures with home grown spiritual methods, understanding, and comunity which shaped and were shaped by their cultures. In a lot of places monks were even given money and support from the state or community. I reckon for us living in a culture and mentality quite divorced from spirituality, we're practicing and reviving this spiritual stuff with nothing really to stand on or operate in except for what we can learn from ourselves or try to apply from different times and cultures. Not to put down the insane efforts and achievements of the ancients but I think kinda need mental gymnastics and bullshit philosophy (so that maybe our great grandkids can be spiritual samurai lol). To be fair though I'm sure it's not impossible

[Kuba Powiertowski]

@SSSanity I don't think you need mental gymnastics or bullshit philosophy to follow this path. If you dedicate yourself to this path with all your heart, the first effects you never dreamed of will come relatively quickly. However, there is a real possibility of serious consequences if you are not consistent on this path. You climb high up a sharp rock pillar. You must remain focused and calm. It's very difficult living in the Western world. Despite a relatively normal life (wife, no children, own business, passion for sports), I have been trying hard to follow this path (yoga kundalini) for several years. I've already been beaten up a lot, but what I experienced is indescribable. Nothing more is needed than the heart's burning need to fly.

[SSSanity]

That's a really beautiful message and quite inspiring. I've actually bookmarked it to come back to.

I find it's very easy to fall into the trap of mental gymnastics and bullshit philosophy as a substitute for the hard work of spiritual practice. I of course am biased cause I do love the thinking and searching like it's very fun in itself but I am very aware of that trap which I find myself in when I try to find happiness through it.

The way I justify it is that unlike yourself, I am quite early in life - still in education and the spitirual search for me seems to be analogous to a search for meaning and purpose in my life like if I can find some kind of answer to my mental state and search for direction then I can base my life around it. What I really am looking for though is my "heats burning need to fly" as you've said.

As a conventionally successful person (for want of better phrasing) who later found spirituality, do you have any advise for someone interested in spirituality looking for direction or passion in life through it? Your original message has already been helpful though, so thank you so much either way