People who are on the path of spiritual growth are sometimes perplexed and don’t know what to do. They want to advance on the spiritual path, but they cannot devote all their time to this quest and abandon the material world. Most of them have responsibilities and duties they feel they cannot ignore, and have material needs they have to take care of.

This is an excerpt from the article "The Spiritual Path and Material Life" at http://www.successconsciousness.com/blog...rial-life/

What do you think about living both spiritual and material lfe at the same time? What is your opinion and experience.

I personally see absolutely no conflict between the two. In fact, as a useful "side effect", pursuing a spiritual life can help greatly on the way you deal with daily life situations.

Also, if you are serious and committed to your spiritual goal you'll find that outer people and situations pose no obstacle to your inner quest. Spirituality does not mean going to a cave and living like a hermit.

By fully participating in daily life you can actually become stronger than a person that has renounced everything. At least this is how I see it.

Moreover, if for example you regularly do a concentrative meditation you can extend your practice to daily life and try to concentrate on what you're doing at the moment. If you like mindfulness, you can try to be mindful amidst daily life. If you practice Vichara, you can turn your attention within at all times. And so on...

Having a clear purpose and firm commitment will beautifully blend the two and no conflict will arise between material and spiritual life...

Here's a video about the Indian sage Ramana Maharshi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvWkOLvy2Wo

Listen to the first two minutes where he explains the proper attitude to deal with this apparent paradox.

Pursuing the spiritual path in a materialistic world is an interesting paradox. In essence we are trying to transcend the world of form and get back to our natural state which is "oneness" with God.

I think I could safely say that my spiritual pursuits help me navigate the world more peacefully. I am learning to go within for answers and support, and I'm allowing worldly goals to take a backseat to spiritual endeavors.

It is not always easy as the world is full of endless distractions, but doing the workbook lessons in A Course In Miracles has helped me more easily integrate spiritual concepts into my daily activities. My perspective has changed over time to one that is more loving, generous and kind towards myself and others.

I used to think that spirituality and materialism were diametrically opposed. Now I see the world as a huge opportunity for spiritual growth and an endless platform for the practicing of forgiveness.

We live within a so-called material world, and not everyone wants, can or is able to leave it and pursue a completely spiritual life. Actually, it is not necessary. It is possible to go on living the same kind of life, and at the same time lead an intensely spiritual life.

For anyone, who really wants to progress on the spiritual path, there is much he or she can do, without changing one's external life.

One can decide to wake up one or two hours earlier every day, and have time for meditation, concentration or reading. It is possible to arrange the day so as to have one more hour in the evening. That's 3 hours a day.

In time, as one gains experience and inner strength, it is possible to use every free moment for practicing concentration exercises and meditation. If one plans his or her time and the desire is strong, one can devote a lot of time to spiritual practices and awakening and expanding the consciousness every day, totaling together to a few hours

This is of course a gradual process and takes time, and there are many distractions on the path, but with earnestness, self-discipline and perseverance one can reach far, without changing the external life.

This is an excellent topic, and I agree with at least some of what each of you has said. In Western society, much of our life is modularized, or sectioned off. There is a time for work, a time for fun, a time for prayer (meditation is not commonly considered), etc., so the idea of spiritual and material being necessarily separate seems to be natural.

In addition, it's very easy to get caught up in the activity and 'stuff' of day-to-day living, and neglect the spiritual side of our beings. I am personally struggling to find time/energy/location to meditate, and would very much like to spend more time doing it. Any reasons I might give would only sound like excuses, so I'll spare you.

The idea of being consciously aware of the spiritual nature of things as we go thru the day is foreign to most (Western) people, I think.

(12-23-2009 12:20 AM)tstar Wrote:  The idea of being consciously aware of the spiritual nature of things as we go thru the day is foreign to most (Western) people, I think.

Since Western life is so busy, and it is not very practical, and almost impossible to devote certain times of the day to spiritual pursuits, it would be a good idea not to make any separation between material and spiritual pursuits. One can meditate or concentrate while walking, traveling by bus or waiting in line. In this way one can use time in a more profitable way.

(01-06-2010 09:57 PM)Remez Sasson Wrote:  

(12-23-2009 12:20 AM)tstar Wrote:  The idea of being consciously aware of the spiritual nature of things as we go thru the day is foreign to most (Western) people, I think.

Since Western life is so busy, and it is not very practical, and almost impossible to devote certain times of the day to spiritual pursuits, it would be a good idea not to make any separation between material and spiritual pursuits. One can meditate or concentrate while walking, traveling by bus or waiting in line. In this way one can use time in a more profitable way.

Yes indeed... Blending the two is a much better approach with wonderful results in both areas...

Excellent question, and it is one I pondered for a long time, until I found a way to bring it all back into balance and integration. Spiritual practice is now for completely integrated into "material life", a bit like using different senses at the same time, being able to see, hear at the same time. I believe this is why we came down on earth, to fully experience the physical. I used to feel a bit disconnected, spending a lot of time in meditation, a bit cave like. A few things I did to boost my spiritual practice were:
- to clean up my mind and emotional body of all extraneous "broken records" thoughts, emotions that derail us during meditations, so that we can actually feel peaceful all the time, and at one with the universe
- to clean up my diet and exercise, so that my body became stronger, lighter, not weighted down by numbing foods and more able to handle the influx of spiritual energy
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I fully agree with lots of what have been said earlier and this is such a rich topic. I believe we are spiritual beings in physical bodies and although there appears to be lots of distractions, it is the dual nature of the human mind that makes us believe that material and spiritual things are separate.

One can remain deeply spiritual and also successfully pursue and achieve the 'material'. I think where some people perceive a struggle is in not knowing or understanding the relationship a 'spiritual' person has with the material world or material things. For example, many 'deeply spiritual' people have amassed lots of material wealth and gave them all away to those who need them.

The very essence of our spiritual nature affords us a limitless supply of anything we want, spiritually and materially but the problem arises when we are disconnected with the Infinite and instead believe/accept we have to struggle to have what we want.

Getting connected with our spiritual side and starting to reduce the duality our mind perceives are crucial. As Remez suggested, meditation practice is very important and serves as a platform to commence the spiritual journey and connectedness.

Even the most spiritual person cannot stay away from material life... he/she has to at least sleep. In fact, the more spiritual you are, the more material wealth you can have, but the more detached you feel from it. Personally, I cannot separate the material from the spiritual. They are sides of the same coin.

If all life could be summed up in a single word it would be distraction. It is the anti-thesis of thought and the creator of materialism and sensuality. To be successful in any given goal you must avoid any distraction even though the goal itself will be a major distraction in itself. Thus a goal achieved will be perceived as an insubstantial shadow and not the jewel you imagined it to be from the distance, viewed as it was thru the mists of desire and excitement.

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Actually coming to this forum gave me the idea to set up a forum as well. Its strange the things which steer you in a different direction.
http://www.bozzle.com/forum

There's nothing wrong with being aware of, wanting and having material things. The question would be why you want those things. What's the goal for having them?

For instance, I wanted a new computer awhile ago. I needed it for work. Work is what I enjoy, so having a good computer to work on is necessary for furthering my goal.

I know other people who want to get the latest phone or iPad or whatever. Sure, all that stuff would be cool, but what's the reason for having it? If I traveled a lot and was constantly on a plane, getting a kindle or an iPad or whatever, would be reasonable because I love to read and reading is important to me, so having something to read on the plane would be a good investment. Since I don't travel, I don't need one. I don't need a smart phone because I'm at my computer a lot and it would be an unnecessary expense.

So looking at the material world is a simple problem. Do you need it? Does it further your spiritual and emotional growth? Does it fill a need that will further a spiritual goal? I take martial arts, so for me, to take a trip to further that goal is a worthwhile material expense. To take a trip so you can tell people you took a trip or to show off that you have a bigger car than your neighbors is not a valid reason (or at least not a spiritual one).

So, as with all things, it's all about motivation.

Some of us are called to renunciates and some of us are called to householders. The key is in skillful action. If you are a householder and living in a material world, execute your duties and responsibilities in a skillful way. Don't be attached to the world, but enjoy what comes your way. If you are called to be a renunciate, be focused and skillful in your pursuit of that path. It isn't easy to follow either path, but strive to be more skillful each day.