Spiritual Matters

I don’t know if I am a spiritual person, that is someone who has developed their spirituality or is innately spiritual, but I have been spending more and more time involved in study of spiritual matters.

            Recently, it was prodded by the Santa Cruz group, the PD Recovery therapists. When I visited them in 2010 the spiritual aspect of healing was pervasive in their approach, particularly from JJ who has a wide-ranging knowledge of religions and spirituality. Two of the fundamental instructions they gave me were to meditate and pray daily, and I have tried to do so, with varying regularity.

            But earlier in my life, beginning in the mid 80’s, I was part of a study group that discussed the writings of George Gurdjieff, whose teaching is called the Fourth Way. The Fourth Way is a system of self-development. I also met privately with the group’s teacher who did bio-energetic work based on the psychotherapist/researcher Wilhelm Reich’s ideas. I still highly respect all of these teachings, but I don’t know that they took me very far in my own development. Perhaps I was just dabbling, or something kept me from truly absorbing and healing from the teaching and therapy. Reich would say it was “armoring.” 

            Adding to my list of spiritual explorations, I have for the past two weeks gone to Sunday meetings of the Buddhist Meditation Group in my town. I know and recognize one person only - Linda is in my clay class and told me about the group. Who they all are and where they come from I have yet to learn, but I met with them in the living room of an ordinary house for meditation and chanting. Last time we also watched a video with Anam Thubten Rinpoche, the guru I assume, for this group. Whether I will persue this long term or drop it as I have so many other practices remains to be seen. 

            Exploration continues.