A sheep without a shepherd in a world inundated with information.

[an anarchist]

How is it that they are in need of such a teacher?

I think I feel like I observe a general emptiness and lack of purpose in people I talk to in my community. As if we are all just waiting for the inevitable end and trying to hasten its arrival by chain smoking cigarettes and binge drinking. A general depressive state if you will. Perhaps it’s just my perspective and me projecting, but I worry I am observant.

Many individuals will ask, 'Who did you learn from?'

If you answer, 'I read these books and found all the essential knowledge,' hardly anybody would be interested because they could just do the same thing for themselves.

Ideally, individuals would. But many would rather and only listen to someone who has read the books and can regurgitate it in a familiar manner. Reading is on the out nowadays and people’s attention spans are short. This shortened attention span I feel is calculated by ill forces, so I don’t necessarily blame people for not having the focus to read. And when I read, I learn practices and practice them. So it’s more than just taking in knowledge, I get experience in using the knowledge which itself is new knowledge which I can then share.

Monasteries and temples are not only found in Asia.

I’d have to leave my hometown, that’s for sure. I can stay in state though, just gotta go to the big cities. I’ve seriously considered it in the past and I am beginning to consider it again.

 

[mangalavara]

I think I feel like I observe a general emptiness and lack of purpose in people I talk to in my community.

If the people who you talk to are in their late teens and early 20s, single, divorced, have no children, have no career, there is a good chance that they feel they have no purpose and that life is meaningless. The three things that Americans mainly find meaning in are family, career, and money. About a fifth find a lot of meaning in religion and spirituality, and that tends to be in a Christian context.

As if we are all just waiting for the inevitable end and trying to hasten its arrival by chain smoking cigarettes and binge drinking.

That is likely because those people are not getting off the couch and making themselves useful and looking for somebody to marry. If one has nothing going on in one’s life, one will just wait for that inevitable end while ruining one’s health.

A general depressive state if you will.

Definitely.

Perhaps it’s just my perspective and me projecting, but I worry I am observant.

Before I did something to improve my life, I thought the same thing—everybody around me lacks purpose and they are all empty. It turns out that I was wrong. What I was doing was projecting what was my inner state onto everybody else. These days, I no longer project that onto everybody because my inner state is different.

But many would rather and only listen to someone who has read the books and can regurgitate it in a familiar manner.

I agree with you on that. People tend to be that way. However, the spiritual seekers love to read (I might be projecting here. ).

This shortened attention span I feel is calculated by ill forces, so I don’t necessarily blame people for not having the focus to read.

A short attention span is caused by bad practices such as overuse of digital devices and not getting quality sleep. I’m not sure if this is calculated by ill forces, but it’s not as if Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Google, etc. are going to discourage screen time considering that they want to make optimal profits.

And when I read, I learn practices and practice them. So it’s more than just taking in knowledge, I get experience in using the knowledge which itself is new knowledge which I can then share.

I like that you put into practice what you learn. In scriptures such as Dhammapada and Bhagavad Gītā, much of what we read is how to live as a master over our minds, senses, etc. and how to deal with what comes our way. When you adopt the perspective that the Buddha or Sri Krishna teach, and you get good at mastering the mind and senses, there will be śānti or tranquility and dispassion within yourself, and other people will notice it. That might be when somebody who seeks it asks you how you have attained it.

Speaking of practices, I have learned that spiritual practices such as meditations or chanting need not be many in number. There is a quote by Bruce Lee that applies in martial arts but also in spiritual practice that I think you might appreciate…

‘I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.’

Many Hindu scriptures talk about various spiritual practices that lead to mukti or liberation from the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. They talk about mantra japa or chanting a mantra, nāma japa or chanting a divine name, adoring an image, listening to stories of a deity, or doing some kind of yoga such as karma yoga or jñāna yoga. Each spiritual practice is a boat that one travels in across the ocean of life, death, and rebirth. How many boats does one need to travel in across that ocean? Only one: the one that suits that individual.

 

[Sinful Hypocrite]

It feels like so many people are just coasting through life, stuck in their routines and not really connecting. It’s like we’re all waiting for something to happen instead of going out and making it happen. I think when people start sharing their experiences and really engaging with each other, that’s when things begin to change. Whether it’s through a book club, a community project, or just having deeper conversations, finding those connections can help break that cycle of emptiness.

 

[an anarchist]

The three things that Americans mainly find meaning in are family, career, and money. About a fifth find a lot of meaning in religion and spirituality, and that tends to be in a Christian context.

And only a tenth of people said that “learning” was how they found meaning in life. “Learning” is what motivates me to keep going throughout all of these years. I think “spirituality” and “learning” should be linked but they are separate categories for many.

Imagine a world where “learning” is number one on that list…

 

[Balthazzar]

The only spiritual teachers where I live are Christian pastors. So I find myself without a physical spiritual teacher in my offline person to person life.

I have my books. I have the words of the great Buddha and the great Krishna sitting on my bookshelf. Is that all the modern man needs now?

The world is inundated with information. There is such an information overload that what is important gets drowned out. But if I can sift the important information out of all of the stimuli, do I move beyond the need of a physical teacher? A sheep without a shepherd?

I have no teacher. I see all around me a community in need of a great spiritual teacher. If I am to be that one, I am not that one yet. So I am left to wonder, do I require a teacher myself? If so, then I gotta start looking abroad!

Advice? I am a lost pupper.

My teacher is always here and never here simultaneously. He said he wouldn't leave them as orphans, so I decided to be adopted and incorporate the Spirit of Truth into my daily life journey.

John 14:18-31

 

[Secret Chief]

The only spiritual teachers where I live are Christian pastors. So I find myself without a physical spiritual teacher in my offline person to person life.

I have my books. I have the words of the great Buddha and the great Krishna sitting on my bookshelf. Is that all the modern man needs now?

The world is inundated with information. There is such an information overload that what is important gets drowned out. But if I can sift the important information out of all of the stimuli, do I move beyond the need of a physical teacher? A sheep without a shepherd?

I have no teacher. I see all around me a community in need of a great spiritual teacher. If I am to be that one, I am not that one yet. So I am left to wonder, do I require a teacher myself? If so, then I gotta start looking abroad!

Advice? I am a lost pupper.

I don't feel the need for a physical teacher.

 

[Balthazzar]

I don't feel the need for a physical teacher.

I'm similar, but I can learn something from almost anyone. My better guide is simply an honest spirit with aim to be accurate in my educational pursuits. I never approached theology as an academic until it became an academic, at which point it became less about dogma and doctrine and more so about truth and becoming better equipped.

 

[wellwisher]

The only spiritual teachers where I live are Christian pastors. So I find myself without a physical spiritual teacher in my offline person to person life.

I have my books. I have the words of the great Buddha and the great Krishna sitting on my bookshelf. Is that all the modern man needs now?

The world is inundated with information. There is such an information overload that what is important gets drowned out. But if I can sift the important information out of all of the stimuli, do I move beyond the need of a physical teacher? A sheep without a shepherd?

I have no teacher. I see all around me a community in need of a great spiritual teacher. If I am to be that one, I am not that one yet. So I am left to wonder, do I require a teacher myself? If so, then I gotta start looking abroad!

Advice? I am a lost pupper.

Spiritual learning is a lifetime commitment and not just a weekend course or a one hour internet survey. This is why the good spiritual teachers you will find, are those who commit their life to God, spirituality, or one of the churches, temples, mosques, or some form of monastery, etc. Atheist are not that committed to spiritual things, but may be in their chosen professions.

At the same token, people who are that committed, and who could be good spiritual guides, will not want to waste their time on a student who is just passing through. They will try to get you to commit to see where you are. Even a master carpenter will teach an eager apprentice, but will hesitate to teach quickie courses on hammer holding. The master carpenter will not show his best tricks until the student demonstrates their desire to learn and shows their commitment to the profession. There may even be hazing to test the loyalty of the student.

There will also be those who understand that not all people have the endurance and they will offer a quickie course. But it will not be deep or long enough to make any fundamental change. It can only point the way. This is why people still go to church each week over their entire life; like a refresher course.

One could find a self help course, that may go over a weekend. Some can make you aware, teach you some skills, and help motivate you, until you feel like change is occurring. But without the teacher, in the long term, you can slowly go back to where you were you started, unless you use that push to start your own journey.

There is another way. Most people are not aware that the human brain has two centers of consciousness; ego and inner self. The inner self is much older in terms of evolution and is what all animals have as their only center of consciousness. This center is connected to the DNA and the unconscious mind, and it contains firmware that define the behavioral propensities of each species. The inner self in humans defines our collective human propensities; collective human nature. This is the same for all humans, independent of culture, since we are one species. Religions are based on these natural and collective human propensities that can bind us all as one.

The second center or ego, is quite new to nature, and is only common to humans. This is the center of the conscious mind and what most people assume is the only center. The ego is what differentiates us into cultures, different religions, and even down to just us. It is what can make you feel isolated. That spiritual need comes from the inner self, so you can feel whole and connected via common human propensities. In my experience, the inner self is the interface to spirituality and is knowingly and unknowingly used by all masters in all forms of religion and spirituality; inner voice or inner man. It is the same place that all faiths seek. It is part of our collective human propensities; natural man. Spirituality is about finding the inner self, since that is the interface to nature. We can see output from the inner self in dreams.

My path to spirituality started with dabbling in a wide range of religions, as well as occult and mysticism. It was because of some unique experiences, with meditation, that I shifted to psychology in an attempt to explain what I had experienced. Jungian Psychology worked best for my needs. Jung made me aware of the inner self. Buddha left the world of the outer man; ego and pride, and found enlightenment in his inner man or inner self. The data processing of the inner self is like organic AI, and it can be used for problem solving including spirituality, and science, with spirituality and reason both needed to harness its powers. It can be dangerous.

A good primer book is "The Undiscovered Self" by Carl Jung. Jung was the star pupil of Sigmund Freud; best student and his Master. Jung filled in the detail of what Freud called the "id," with the inner self being the center of the id.

• According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy, making it the primary component of personality.1
• The id is the only component of personality that is present from birth.
• This aspect of personality is entirely unconscious and includes instinctive and primitive behaviors.

The most popular religions are old and go back to a time when psychic energy was higher and instincts and primitive behavior was more conscious; ego and inner self were both more conscious. The gods of mythology were good and evil. This is where the danger lies. Like computer AI, the inner self can draw both or either and then animate.

 

[JustGeorge]

If the people who you talk to are in their late teens and early 20s, single, divorced, have no children, have no career, there is a good chance that they feel they have no purpose and that life is meaningless. The three things that Americans mainly find meaning in are family, career, and money. About a fifth find a lot of meaning in religion and spirituality, and that tends to be in a Christian context.

Its hard, too, if you find you have that religious 'drive'(forgive my lack of proper terminology, I'm just waking up and I don't feel well) and you're in a country that's main religious beliefs don't necessarily line up with yours.

That is likely because those people are not getting off the couch and making themselves useful and looking for somebody to marry. If one has nothing going on in one’s life, one will just wait for that inevitable end while ruining one’s health.

I have to say that if one has too much going on in one's life(whether one's choice or not), it can be easy to fall into that 'waiting' trap, too.

Before I did something to improve my life, I thought the same thing—everybody around me lacks purpose and they are all empty. It turns out that I was wrong. What I was doing was projecting what was my inner state onto everybody else. These days, I no longer project that onto everybody because my inner state is different.

That's interesting! Do you find you ever project your new inner state onto anyone?

I agree with you on that. People tend to be that way. However, the spiritual seekers love to read (I might be projecting here. ).

I love to read!

It feels like so many people are just coasting through life, stuck in their routines and not really connecting. It’s like we’re all waiting for something to happen instead of going out and making it happen. I think when people start sharing their experiences and really engaging with each other, that’s when things begin to change. Whether it’s through a book club, a community project, or just having deeper conversations, finding those connections can help break that cycle of emptiness.

Yeah, I would agree that sharing life with others(as opposed to just living next to them) is vital for me, too.

 

[mangalavara]

Its hard, too, if you find you have that religious 'drive'(forgive my lack of proper terminology, I'm just waking up and I don't feel well) and you're in a country that's main religious beliefs don't necessarily line up with yours.

I know the feeling. It can also make one feel lonely.

I have to say that if one has too much going on in one's life(whether one's choice or not), it can be easy to fall into that 'waiting' trap, too.

This is good to know.

That's interesting! Do you find you ever project your new inner state onto anyone?

Yes. I tend to assume that everybody is busy and happy.

I love to read!

That makes two of us.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

The only spiritual teachers where I live are Christian pastors. So I find myself without a physical spiritual teacher in my offline person to person life.

I don't know what's right for you, but I never looked to others for life advice. I didn't listen to my parents, but neither one had much to offer in the way of life advice apart from my mother instilling in me the idea that I needed a university education. The best teachers would be people that you admire, and you learn from them by seeing what matters to them.

I'd offer Keanu Reeves and Jerry Garcia as people to emulate, and even one fictional character: Caine from Kung Fu. From people like that, one can learn to avoid strife and desire, keep life simple and uncluttered, be a person of integrity, meaning your words and deeds match, discover what makes you happy, read the words of smart people (I liked Alan Watts, but you can learn from the people I just named; Buddha is also a good source, but by the time I read him, I had already arrived at much of the same philosophy), and learn how to treat other people, especially a life partner.

Ask yourself repeatedly what's in it for the other person and why should they stay with you. This became an issue for me upon retirement, when I met so many unattached women who didn't want a man in their life, or who didn't seem to grieve much when their husbands died. The phrase I'd hear is, "He's just looking for a nurse with a purse." And I realized that my wife didn't need me for anything anymore. I was once her protector and provider as well as a good decision maker, but now, we don't work and she doesn't need money, our lives are safe, and we aren't making many decisions beyond where to go for dinner. What I am is a companion and somebody she leans on for emotional support, so I needed to find other ways to make myself valuable to her.

This is a good habit of thought that can't be developed too early. What's in it for the other guy to know and be with me?

Anyway, live mindfully. Think about what you are doing and notice whether it generates the desired results. Be connected to nature and life, which connection is the source of authentic spirituality. Avoid gaslighters ("I was just joking. Why can't you take a joke?"). Be playful. Embrace art - actively, if possible, as with playing a musical instrument or drawing. And laugh and love. You don't need a guru. Life will be your teacher, but you need to be mindful (observant, contemplative) to learn her lessons.