Flakey Spiritual Practices - Discussion
Im in the process of planning some content with the aim of promoting the benefits of meditation for stress reduction and beyond. One of the rough topic categories is "what to learn" which would include things like a plain english guide to various types of meditation that I feel I know enough about to comment on.
An obvious counter point is what NOT to spend time on. i.e. "flakey spiritual practices" aka "the low arts". I have procrastinated over whether "slagging off" other types of practice is a) good for readers, b) good for my own sila and c) good for business (i make cushions and benches, so do I really want to piss off potential customers?) I've come to these tentative conclusions:
What has really amazed me in the last 6mts or so is the sheer volume of these practices I would categorise as flakey! Once you start looking the entire web is full of them! (im sure many if not most here know this already..) What do I mean by "flakey"? Stuff like "channeling angels" and "5th dimensional divine feminine healing" etc. It seems that there is this whole industry of nonsense "preying" on peoples existential crises, grief, depression and stress. I find it quite appalling, and also sad for the people so wrapped in this junk that they start teaching it to others.
Mental.
I guess there is no real point to this post other than to invite criticism of my own views. If you think any of this stuff has true value I would really appreciate hearing about it. If you have your own experiences with "flakey spiritual practices" I'd love to hear that too!
An obvious counter point is what NOT to spend time on. i.e. "flakey spiritual practices" aka "the low arts". I have procrastinated over whether "slagging off" other types of practice is a) good for readers, b) good for my own sila and c) good for business (i make cushions and benches, so do I really want to piss off potential customers?) I've come to these tentative conclusions:
- Yes it's good for people doing their first bit of research into meditation,
- It wont damage my own sila if I am careful not to hurt individuals doing "flakey spiritual practices" but instead talk more broadly about the distinctions between worthwhile practice and "mucking around". Or maybe just let the omission of such practices speak for itself...
- It may very well piss off potential customers, but 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Its not like I expect to become rich with my little business after all
What has really amazed me in the last 6mts or so is the sheer volume of these practices I would categorise as flakey! Once you start looking the entire web is full of them! (im sure many if not most here know this already..) What do I mean by "flakey"? Stuff like "channeling angels" and "5th dimensional divine feminine healing" etc. It seems that there is this whole industry of nonsense "preying" on peoples existential crises, grief, depression and stress. I find it quite appalling, and also sad for the people so wrapped in this junk that they start teaching it to others.
Mental.
I guess there is no real point to this post other than to invite criticism of my own views. If you think any of this stuff has true value I would really appreciate hearing about it. If you have your own experiences with "flakey spiritual practices" I'd love to hear that too!
Jason:
I sympathize with your view, but I wonder what you hope to accomplish by dividing good practice from bad. I think somewhere there is a description of right speech to the effect that, if something is true but doesn't benefit the listener, the Tathagata is silent. So, why mention it?
I get your point. Though I think it could be argued that steering clear of 'fluff practices' would be to the benefit of the reader...
Ona:
-how many of the "flakey spiritual practices" could be just as well termed "comfort-seeking practices" - they appeal to people who feel unsafe, unconfident, fearful, alone, etc. They describe methods (of whatever worth) that suggest the person can find comfort, safety, confidence and not-aloneness in a way that is non-threatening, doesn't require significant renunciation or hardship, etc. Like pony rides for children these practices give a sense of doing something bigger and more exciting without much actual danger.
I love the term "comfort practice". It's much more diplomatic than "flakey" and a more accurate too. You are right of course.
Ona:
how many of these practices are aimed at women? what does that say about the accessibility of "hardcore" practices to women? the number of women on DhO or KFD, for example, is miniscule. I would guess the number of men showing up at a "access your inner 5th dimensional inner angel via crystal waving" classes is probably low.
From what I have seen, all of them. You're right about the ratio of men:women here and KFD but Im not sure if this place counts as inaccessible? The obvious appeal to men is the technical nature of the discussions. Whereas "finding your inner heart through crystal wiggling" makes my stomach turn just thinking about it. (I'm a tom cat..)
Ona:
-it is useful to point out to people who are milling around looking for a productive spiritual practice that practices that only offer comfort are, well, comforting. But the real work gets done by moving into territory that makes us uncomfortable, through loss of things we are attached to and so on. So, just like a person can become a jhana junkie and bliss out for 20 years while gaining little insight, a "5th dimensional angel" junkie may find comfort and solace in their practice in a way, but is unlikely to move into deeper territory.
I think this is how I will frame my argument. It's makes much sense and is quite inoffensive. Thanks
Ona:
-of course it is quite likely that those who "need" to do some deeper work will eventually stumble upon a practice that will offer that. They may need to start out piddling around reading books on Buddhism for five years before they sit down to meditation; or they may need to diddle around with crystal waving for five years. I wouldn't necessarily disdain the diddling around - it may be the stepping stone some people need to find their way across the river.
Well I certainly don't disparage Yoga practice for this very reason. Apart from the physical benefits of practice, or the benefits of practicing within a buddhist context, pretty much all the yogic meditation stuff I've seen just looks weak, incomplete, superficial, tacked-on. From experience of talking to many customers over the last year and a half though I've confirmed at least anecdotally that these lightweight practices are indeed often a stepping stone to more serious investigation.
Even in the context of a stepping stone I would find it hard to condone, even indirectly, "channeling angels"...
Great points Ona, thanks so much for sharing them!
Fivebells:
There is no need to bring these practices up at all, and doing so is just asking for unnecessary conflict. Just talk about the benefits of the practices you will be teaching. That will provide the most benefit to your audience. If someone brings up a specific practice which you happen to have specific reason to believe to be harmful, slag away. Otherwise, steer clear. "I don't know anything about that and as far as I know it's not related to MBSR (or whatever you're teaching)" is almost always a good answer.
I agree that naming specific practices would not be helpful. Hell, who'd hae the time to track them all down to start with? Excluding such things from a list of "worthwhile" practices seems the way to go. I am not proposing to actually teach anything by the way. Though Im no doubt pretty advanced compared to your average lay person, I know enough to know I don't know much! Maybe some basic anapana instructions on the site with pointers to more detailed references at most. Im proposing to write a guide, specifically to point people to what I think is worthwhile, and away from what I think is a waste of time, or harmful.
The Xzanth:
For better or worse we are conditioned at least in part by accepted gender roles. I can't imagine being a dark night primary care giver.
Actually I've found it kind of nice and good for my practice, applying the same lessons that were obvious interpersonally between my infant and myself to myself and myself
Fitter Stoke:
Both of my dharma teachers have been women. One woman guided me through the first two paths, and another guided me through the remaining two. If I didn't post here, I wouldn't even know there were men doing this besides me.
Maybe women have better things to do than post on DhO?
More serious thought: Women seem to be expected to take up the burden of interconnectedness, being nice, that sort of thing. This is especially burdensome in geeky or technical fields, where the men are often even more socially clueless than elsewhere. Also, the way we practice awakening is very much as a solo sport. I could see how that might attract more men than women.
I still think it's more a feature of this particular online community than the institution as a whole, though.
Maybe women have better things to do than post on DhO?
More serious thought: Women seem to be expected to take up the burden of interconnectedness, being nice, that sort of thing. This is especially burdensome in geeky or technical fields, where the men are often even more socially clueless than elsewhere. Also, the way we practice awakening is very much as a solo sport. I could see how that might attract more men than women.
I still think it's more a feature of this particular online community than the institution as a whole, though.
You've definitely brought up some good points. I think I may have been generalizing too much in my last post, but I guess the idea that I was trying to get at is this:
How does someone's personality and background experience effect the way that they go spiritual practices?
It's a huge topic, I know, and it could go way beyond just Buddhism.
In regards to the women on DhO bit, it could be that there -are- more women, but they just aren't posting. Or, for whatever reason, they haven't found or sought out this community... in which case it probably is related to the whole solo vs team sport mentality. It's not really possible to know precisely unless we can actually seek them out and ask.
In regard to the bit about social connectedness and the like: yes, you are probably on to something there. I used to post on an autism forum and there was a similar discussion there once about women, empathy, and social skills. Very interesting stuff. Notably, the women tended to go undiagnosed for longer and they also tended to be perceived much differently despite identical symptoms. Behavior that is considered normal in males, like preferring alone-time or having strong hobbies or interests, was considered abnormal or unfeminine. It could be that these same social pressures are one component of why women tend to be more "group" oriented or more likely to take up the "be nice to everyone" mentality. I know I do it to varying degrees. But this is all just speculation...
I guess in the long run it doesn't really matter.
All roads lead to the same destination, if the intent and dedication are there.
