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Save energy, self-discover at home
In the memoir Eat, Pray, Love, writer Elizabeth Gilbert gives up her entire way of life to spend a year traveling the world, finding spiritual enlightenment along the way. Julia Roberts, who plays Gilbert's character in the movie version out this week, apparently found enlightenment of her own through the role, revealing that she has become a practicing Hindu.
As Joan Ball asks in a Guest Voices post, "Is it possible to live a life of deep, transformational faith without dropping everything and hitting the road?"
In your tradition, what is the aim of the spiritual journey?
In the immortal words of that wise mentor Buckaroo Banzai, "No matter where you go, there you are." Words to ponder during a summer when, no doubt, scads of Americans will stream out of the cineplexes eager to do what Elizabeth Gilbert did (and Julia Roberts looked even better doing), even though they can't possibly afford a year off for travel and deep introspection.
I say "deep introspection" because, as an atheist, I don't believe in God or in spirit. To me, the trouble with "deep, transformational faith" is that whatever it is faith in, its object does not actually exist. If there is no God, faith is hollow. If there's no such thing as spirit, then fantasies of spiritual growth or renewal are empty.
What's actually going on when people enthuse about achieving transformational faith or having a spiritual experience? They're actually reconfiguring their view of themselves. While travel can provide a break in routine and a flow of novel stimuli that can open us to new insights, it unleashes nothing we cannot find in ourselves at any time, even during a hectic workday commute. Granted, it doesn't happen often, but it can happen.
Accidental Christian convert Joan Ball hopes for the possibility of spiritual renewal on a "stay-cation," and I think she has the right idea. The benefits of so-called spiritual renewal can be genuine, except that "spirit" has nothing to do with it. It's a question of self-discovery, and those who can muster the centeredness and focus to truly discover themselves -- without signing over their soul to their travel agent -- can find what they're looking for on the front porch swing. Or in the bathroom mirror.
Thinking of an "Eat-Pray-Love" odyssey of your own? Please, think again. Everything you'll discover is already inside you. Save energy, introspect at home!
By
Tom Flynn
|
August 9, 2010; 3:38 PM ET
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Posted by: jsmith4 | August 11, 2010 11:49 PM
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Navin1,
"Sometimes you need to be outside yourself to journey deeply inside."
And, sometimes you need to be sad to be happy.
And, sometimes you need to be short to be tall.
And, sometimes you need to be hungry to be full.
Am I spiritual yet?
Posted by: PSolus | August 11, 2010 10:39 AM
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"If there is no God, faith is hollow. If there's no such thing as spirit, then fantasies of spiritual growth or renewal are empty."
Tom old man, sounds like you're empty and aching and you don't know why. Is it you who may be hollow? Is it you who may be empty?
Posted by: themoderate | August 10, 2010 10:59 PM
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introspection v solipsism. How would you know the difference? Sometimes you need to be outside yourself to journey deeply inside.
hariaum
Posted by: Navin1 | August 10, 2010 4:08 PM
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There are many people these days that have rightfully rejected organized religion but are still in search for some kind of spirituality and/or transcendence. These people often take the idea of a spiritual journey literally.
For some reason, many people seem to think that places are magical and that if they stand in the right spot they will transcend their routine lives and gain some sort of divine knowledge and/or wisdom. The fact is that knowledge comes from vigorous study, experimentation, observation, and critical thinking. Wisdom comes from self-examination and the application of what we have learned through the knowledge that we have gained. We can’t cheat the process by traveling to mystical places or claiming divine knowledge/wisdom without being able to demonstrate such things.
You can read the rest of my response to this topic:
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-8928-Philadelphia-Atheism-Examiner~y2010m8d10-On-Faith-Traveling-in-search-of-transcendence
I will be responding to every issue posted in the 'On Faith' section. If you would like to be notified when my new response is up, please subscribe.
Posted by: dangeroustalk | August 10, 2010 3:00 PM
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Or in the words of Dorohy Gale, "If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't go any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with."
Posted by: lepidopteryx | August 10, 2010 12:47 PM
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The comments to this entry are closed.
YES, sometimes you DO need to be sad to be happy.
Though I am an atheist like Mr Flynn, I do think that most humans are capable of having spiritual experiences.
Pure Buddhists have been refining spiritual experience for 3000 years. And they don't believe in God either.
We have a "spiritual" connection to other humans, to the universe, to beauty, to imagination, whether we admit it or not.
Unless we have no spirit.