dwai

Being a Spiritual Mutt with a pedigree - Mixed Spiritual Arts (MSA)

Are you a Purist or a Spiritual Mutt?  

13 members have voted

  1. 1. What Do you primarily practice?

    • Buddhism (one or more than one sub-schools there-in)
      2
    • Vedanta (Hinduism)
      1
    • Tantra (Hindu or Buddhist)
      1
    • Daoism (Practical - Spiritual/Philosophical/Ritualistic)
      5
    • Other Mystic tradition (share in a comment below)
      4
    • A mix of Many systems (You are a spiritual mutt)
      7


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Many of my practices and understandings are of Daoist influence, though I find as I broaden my perspective to include other "dharmas," that daoism has not kept itself separate from these influences. This lack of walls is allowing much to fall into place, perhaps mostly because I am ready for it to.

 

Ultimately, I don't really think I am practicing any particular modality other than: Human.

(Which I hear is very similar to Tree, etc.)

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Thank you for sharing your story and your thoughts.

 

Far as I'm concerned, the mutt is not a bad thing at all unless he or she proclaims muttdom to be the only true religion.  Too many newagers not only do but are fundamentalists in this -- they actually consider muttdom superior to traditionalism (which they have developed a party line to condescendingly berate), and themselves to lineage followers and to people who tend to stick it out rather than smorgasbord it and then move on to something new.  It all depends.

 

Also, I tend to think that it's age related (spiritual age, not necessarily biological.)  The young and inexperienced need to experience stuff for themselves -- in fact it is often counterproductive to jump to conclusions about what you're going to be cultivating too soon.  I've heard more than once from people who started out like that, "took me thirty years to find the teacher/practice/the real thing I've been looking for."  The danger here is to gradually and inescapably turn this eclecticism into the perennial dabbler's "Jack of all trades, master of none" outcome.  The remedy, from my perspective, is the taoist approach -- whatever you undertake as a pursuit on the side, you don't mean to dabble in.  You mean to match or surpass those for whom it is the main thing.  Or as an accidental "side guru" of mine says, "Take very good care of what you care for, and get rid of the rest."

 

 

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I am a polyhistor and my personal belief system or worldview is a product of that.  My current "spiritual practice" is nominally a combination of Daoism, Buddhism, American Indian"ism" (whatever that might be called) & shamanism but its roots are ancient and I have come to realize the authentic threads of all traditions are part of a shared tapestry.

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Being a well rounded practitioner is of great value IMO. By well rounded i mean you can look at other techniques from different traditions and see the underlying "science" behind them. This is of great value IME as it gets you a broader view of the path and all of the different roads the student can take. 

 

It is the mut that i think has a higher probability of gaining this knowledge if he is able to experiment with many things while still practicing intensively in what he's doing (to much knowledge without practice is not good). I think this can be of value if one ever becomes a teacher because instead of just giving a student techniques you learned.....you can look at what "science" the person in front of you needs and create the techniques that will give him the most bang for his buck.

 

Were all muts energetically speaking as we have different powers and qualities of chi that we gravitate towards. This is something to be mindful of IMO.  

Edited by OldSaint
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When I was in my teens, I dabbled with Christianity and wanted to be an exorcist after watching that movie :D 

Why Christianity? Well, mainly because I had designs on a school mate's sister, and showing a fervour for Yahweh gave me the excuse to be close with her via bible study sessions and prayer meetings, camps and flag days (we sold tie pins shaped like a flag with a big cross in the middle). She was rather cool (and hot at the same time), come to think of it. The secondary reason, I guess, was simply to act rebellious - I grew up with a dad who practiced Theravadin Buddhism and a mom who devoted her spiritual self to Guan Yin and other Daoist saints and sages. Amazing how well they got along :) 

 

I grew out of that phase eventually, and gave up hopes of realising my rather dismal (so my folks said) career choice. 

 

Returned to studying Buddhism and works of some prominent teachers from other Eastern traditions in the late 80s, and took up serious Buddhist practice early '96. Of all the writings i had access to at that time, the ones by J. Krishnamurti impacted my thinking the most. His words challenged me, and formed the early catalyst that radically shifted me from under a coconut shell and made me want to explore greater mental and spiritual possibilities. 

 

I am always open to what others choose to practice (or not practice), so i wont really consider myself fundamentalistic, although at times I can catch some subtle dialogue going on in the background while in discussion over something or other. My reactions no longer prompt needs to argue or engage in conflicting debates. Work in progress... 

 

thats about it i guess.. thanks. 

 

 

 

 

 

edit/typo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by C T
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 "I am not altogether on anybody’s side, because nobody is altogether on my side, if you understand me: nobody cares for the woods as I care for them, not even Elves nowadays. Still, I take more kindly to Elves than to others … And there are some things, of course, whose side I am altogether not on; I am against them altogether" 

;)

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2 minutes ago, Stosh said:

 "I am not altogether on anybody’s side, because nobody is altogether on my side, if you understand me: nobody cares for the woods as I care for them, not even Elves nowadays. Still, I take more kindly to Elves than to others … And there are some things, of course, whose side I am altogether not on; I am against them altogether" 

;)

Trees are funny like that.

 

:)

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From the tears of samsara and never ending machinations,even then the young Buddha awakes telling of a path with all might such path is both easy and hard to find wrong turns and thorn brambles exist then stop searching and you have found it

The path belongs to the Tao the path of life in the company of Krishna Jesus and Buddha then in such company what else matters

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On 5/26/2017 at 9:40 PM, dwai said:

Love and gratitude,

 

Dwai

 

What is of first importance dear dwai -and more interesting that my spiritual life- is... where does your picture come from ? 

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3 hours ago, CloudHands said:

 

What is of first importance dear dwai -and more interesting that my spiritual life- is... where does your picture come from ? 

:)

Gratitude is born from love. So Love is of first importance, imho.

 

My picture is an ancient seal found at one of the so-called Indus Valley Civilization Sites...you can see more here -- https://www.harappa.com/category/slide-subject/seals

BTW: I call it the "so-called Indus Valley Civilization" because it really is the Saraswati Vedic Civilization

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9 hours ago, dwai said:

:)

Gratitude is born from love. So Love is of first importance, imho.

 

My picture is an ancient seal found at one of the so-called Indus Valley Civilization Sites...you can see more here -- https://www.harappa.com/category/slide-subject/seals

BTW: I call it the "so-called Indus Valley Civilization" because it really is the Saraswati Vedic Civilization

 

I was very intrigued because I thought the position was horse stance. 

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