Spirituality, religions and fundamentalisms

"Spirituality is awareness of the water in the ocean, and religions are the currents in the ocean that fish can choose to swim in to go faster and further than they otherwise could. Fundamentalisms are aquariums that keep fish confined." – Roger Wolsey

I think it is an apt description of the nature of spirituality, religions and fundamentalism. It reminds me of a similar parable by Anthony de Mello about a fish wanting to find the ocean, and going about asking where the ocean is, until one day it realises it is already in the ocean. That is to me spirituality - an awareness of the water in the ocean. 

Religions to me, on the other hand, are subjective mental constructs and spiritual practices meant to help people become aware of the water in the ocean - to realise God or Divine is already in us, with us, around us and as us, in the here and now. 

Finally, fundamentalism is creating walls of an aquarium, as the quote says, and limiting the divine to a particular time and space and to a particular creed for an elect group of fishes that like to feel exclusive to experience that oh-so-elusive divine that comes once in a while and disappears when they think they miss it.

 

Don't let others try to dictate that path to you, no matter which label they currently subscribe to

"Be careful when you leave the herd that you don’t simply find a new one that suits your opinions better. You haven’t really changed. You’ve only switched.
Tweaking is the favorite pastime of the spiritually discontent.
Switching is the hobby of ego enthusiasts.
Waiting patiently, alone, to find your own self and path… now that takes courage!"
~ David Hayward

 Isn't there such a thing as social liberation?"
"Of course there is," said the Master.
"How would you describe it?"
"Liberation from the need to belong to the herd."
~ Anthony de Mello

It takes courage to find our own self and path because it can feel lonely at times. But it is worth being true to ourselves as no one else can walk our path, and the answer to our life's mystery lies in each of us, and we understand and experience it in our own way. Being free from the need to belong to a herd allows us to continue to find our own voice, and find our place in the universe - that is the university of life, as I learnt from Matthew Fox. We can enjoy communing with those whose paths may coincide with ours for a season, and we can continue to eke out our own paths when it diverges from theirs, without feeling obligated to belong to their group or any other group.




I read a post recently from a Facebook inspirational page that says when we follow the crowd, we will never be able to go further than the crowd. But when we walk our own path, we find ourselves going places where no one has been before. Indeed, we are designed to be eagles traversing the endless skies from horizon to horizon, and a chicken coop or aviary is too small and limiting for us. I learnt that each of us is born with our own spiritual DNA and we are meant to soar in our own paths, even as we exchange notes and learn from one another and encourage and build up one another in love along our journeys.