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Does Your Spiritual Compass Point in the Direction You Want to Go?

By Arlene F. Harder, MA, MFT

Page One of Two Pages

You say you want to live a spiritual life. You may want to do that within an organized religion or go on a journey to spiritual fulfillment by yourself, with occasional guidance from others. But how can you know whether the path you've chosen to follow will lead in the direction you thought it would go? When you reach the end of your life, will you be able to say with conviction that you truly were the best you could be?

Unless you join a sect that won't allow you to think for yourself, you can't ever be 100% sure, for doubt and questions are part and parcel of being human. But in the long run I suspect you are most likely to lead a spiritual life if the compass you rely on for guidance is set for the direction you want to go. And one of the best ways you can determine that is to make use of what Sam Keen in Hymns to an Unknown God calls a "Spiritual Bulls__ Detector."

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And boy, do we ever need such a detector today. Just look at what is being offered on and off the Internet. Enlightened master swamis, perfect gurus, reincarnated teachers claiming to be the descendent of the One and Only Truth. In a line of religious leaders who stretch credulity to the breaking point, they stand next to fundamentalist preachers who also claim to hold the only keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Recently my assistant came across the following description of a woman who advertised on the Internet as a:

"Cosmic Shaman; Divine Emissary; Creational Intermediary for the Transuniversal, Intergalactic, Multidimensional Coalition of Lightworkers; As Above So Below Alchemist and Light Matrix Coder; Life Spiral Counselor and Soul Friend; Empath Intuitive and Telepath; Animal Communicator, Astrologer, Writer Teacher, Walker of the Sacred Spiral Pathways; Flower Essence and Aromatherapy Practitioner."

Whew! I don't know about you, but that list of qualifications wouldn't encourage me to follow her advice, even though I might find her charming were I to meet her personally.

So here are questions you can use to set your compass for a spiritual life, to create your own spiritual "bulls__" detector and avoid surrendering to what Keen describes as "something too small, to false gods, gurus and groups." And remember the words of Isaac Bashevis that, "Doubt is part of all religion. All the religious thinkers were doubters."

How well do you know yourself?

Many totalitarian religions and fuzzy spiritual philosophies can be enticing to those who don't have a firm understanding of themselves, especially for those who carry a lot of guilt from the past. You don't have to have therapy, of course, in order to lead a spiritual life. However, it's been my experience that understanding and accepting yourself, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and dealing with issues from the past makes it easier for the Spirit to come in. When you recognize we all have feet of clay, you are less likely to put a religious leader on a pedestal and believe they are above the foibles of ordinary humans.

Do you trust yourself?

In the article To What Should You Surrender? I discuss the choice of remaining in the Garden of Eden or leaving and striking out on your own. Since those who are guarding the garden don't believe it's good to leave, whom should you ask? You. If you know yourself (see question above), then you can play that game we used to play as children, the one where you were told, "You're getting warmer. You're getting colder."

This is not a bad guide to lead you to the sacred. You know in your heart when you are with people who express the qualities you want to express. Keeping an open heart and an open mind can be a fairly good guide to discovering when someone is giving you false advice. Don't leave your brain on the doorstep of the sanctuary or at the temple of an enlightened guru.

Is the religion and spiritual teaching you follow based on compassion?

Although there are complex factors that lead to the establishment of a religion, a primary characteristic of the founders of great religions is compassion. You will never stray far from the path to fulfillment as long as you keep moving toward greater love for all living things, including yourself.

What qualities do the leaders of your religion express?

The hallmark of a spiritual life can be found in expression of the highest qualities to which we can aspire. If you find an abundance of positive qualities—including forgiveness, acceptance, beauty, gentleness, humility, love, joy, hope, wonder, peace, generosity, and kindness—among those who walk with you or guide you along your path, you will know the path is going in the direction of the sacred. If you find an abundance of negative qualities—including pettiness, hatred, fear, competition, criticism, egotism, scheming, a sense of superiority, blame and arrogance—you can be sure that you're heading toward a dispirited life and an unsacred world.

Does the religion you follow, or are planning to follow, focus on sin and the need for salvation, on enlightenment and spiritual insights, or on a combination of both?

In any journey there are bound to be ups and downs. In any spiritual life there will be times when we feel we've reached a peak of insight, enlightenment, and forgiveness. There will also be times when we'll struggle to get out of the valley of self-destructive behavior caused by pettiness, depression, competition, shame, etc. A spiritual guide worthy of the name will lessen the pain of the latter and help you get through the rough times. He or she will help you ascend the sacred mountain, and show you how to be prepared when you descend into the dark valley, as surely you will at some time.

CONCLUDED on Page Two

© Copyright 2003, Arlene F. Harder, MA, MFT