Doug Anderson: A Spiritual Practice

The word “spiritual” is problematic and yet we use it as a place holder for those things as yet untouched by metaphysics, and I dare say untouchable, or those things outside the material — the love that is not just the body and all other mysteries that can only be approached mythopoeically — and the problem of death, which we all face and must come to terms with in our heart of hearts.

My own spiritual practice is eclectic and admittedly ignorant, I dare say creatively ignorant in that answers come to me in the particular and usually in retrospect after having come through some difficulty better off than I anticipated, and these answers do not remain answers beyond their period of usefulness. They have a shelf life. There is no dogma. I have no interest in what happens after death because no one knows in spite of the various religious constructions.

My “spiritual” practice is only valid in the particular day, that is right now, one day at a time. Nor do I have any illusions that I am some kind of evolved person. I am content in my own infinite imperfection. I am full of angers and griefs like most people and I manage them by attempting to open my heart, to let in forgiveness (of myself and others), and to let go of resentments. I try to begin the day reset to zero — impossible of course; we are not, Mr. Locke, tabula rasa even at birth — but we must, I think, try to be open to things before our perceptual lens clouds up with the day’s distortions.

I honor all great spiritual teachers and perceive them to be imperfect, but less so than the rest of us. I do not, however, honor the perversions of their teachings that various religions have made of them. Today I’m celebrating an anniversary: 27 years ago Christmas day was my last hangover and the beginning of the healing of things that were queued up waiting for the fog to lift so that I might see them.

I wish all of you the very best and much love to come, a cessation of hurt and loneliness, and gentle healing.

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copyright 2014 by Doug Anderson writing for Vox Populi