Words and their influence in Spirituality

It is unfortunate that we need to use words to try to explain what cannot be explained. What we call “spirituality” or living Life, is beyond the realm of words and therefore the understanding of those come by assimilating an experience and not by intellectual understanding.

On the internet, I see plenty of information about anything and even about “spirituality.” There are plenty of quotes from masters, gurus, saints, etc. However, many of those quotes are out of context and even the words used are not the exact words uttered by those individuals.

For instance, take the words of Tao Te Ching. Many individuals will only recite them and use them out of context. When the idea behind those words of the “Tao” are understood, that is because of the living experience we have had. That realization can seldom be put into words to explain to another without those words being misinterpreted.

That is why we end up with “easy” religion and “spirituality for all,” as the words used to explain their ideas and philosophies are only behind the general ideas of “good” and “evil,” that is the antagonism of good vs. bad.

Thus, something “spiritual” or “religious” just supports the ideas of what is “good,” “moral” and “acceptable” by the majority and easily denies and condemns those other words representing what is “bad,” “evil,” “immoral.”

As I am here writing these words, I wonder then: “What is the point of sharing through words many things which will be misunderstood by many?”

The answer for me at this point is that “few” will identify something positive since they had similar experiences. That is the end of it.

Truly, I see the need of words to inspire others and those words need to be “black” or “white.” Easy to digest without much trouble. However, do not hope to find something deep in those words. For example: “Perseverance is the glory of Christ.” That is a thumbs up for Christians as it is the meaning of the words “Yoga with Baba” for BK followers. However, what do you mean by perseverance? How do you act when you believe that your action demonstrates perseverance? Is it only perseverance what you believe to be or there are other forms of it? Can perseverance ever be detrimental?

Nevertheless, the word perseverance has a wide positive connotation. It has good social marketing. Can we teach someone to be perseverant? The short answer is “No.”

The long answer is that perseverance cannot be taught when there is the purpose to teach it as it is with any other so-called “virtue.” We need to BE the ideal to teach it, that is the ideal of perseverance and someone else who is watching us, the student; should be able to detect that. It is said that “when the student is ready the master appears.” Well, ready means when the student is observant and has done his “homework” in Life to get to that point where he will see someone in action and “get it.” The student recognition is merely the perception of a reflection of the mirror of Life. In that case, the “master” could be anyone. This act of recognition is true knowing that it is free of any sort of intellectual cultivation, or effort to achieve something.

In this world of technology where we could get plenty of information to “become better,” by signing up to many websites and face to face classes, or even in planned retreats, all we can hope for is “inspiration” which is important but superficial.

In the past students and masters used to live together, that is how the student used to learn from the master. I wonder how that changed into a mere transmission of words and fancy terminology?