Independent spirituality...is it actually New Age?

There is a new movement in spirituality that I wouldn’t call new age but it is a new idea somewhat.
It is known as Integral Spirituality. en.wikipedia.org...

The main guy in this is the Philosopher and pandit Ken Wilber, though there are other kinds of IS. www.amazon.com...

In fact I consider myself an Integral Spiritual practitioner. I have written essays on this practice.

Basically we believe in the truth in all religions and try to practice from them what we think is best for our spiritual growth as we see it at any given time and place. An IS practitioner is non sectarian. HE MAY PRACTICE Buddhist modes, along with Hindu practices, or Sufi practices and ideas, Mystic Christian and of course mystical Judaism and or Kabala all the way to shamanistic practices, and Hermetic philosophy.

Or one can adhere to one particular school of thought for a time.

The important thing is that truth is dynamic and universal so one religion alone isn’t going to have all the truth and additionally some distortions over the years might creep into some modes of religions that one needs to stay away from: fundamentalism and dogmatic certainty and coercive religious institutions are avoided

reply to post by Willtell


Ken Wilbur is a sharer of 'non duality'.
Non duality is another name for 'Advaita Vedanta' - it means one without a second - it is not a new idea.
I did not know Ken was calling it another name.

Here is a video of Ken Wilbur.

There are loads of videos on youtube of Ken Wilbur - he is very good.

Thank you for bringing this to attention.

Advaita Vedanta is the root of all religions - it shows how there is nothing separate - it is all one.

AnnieWolf19
I can speak my mouth "yes" on your words and other people, who say "All we need is love" or "Listen to your heart, follow your heart", but my HEART bleeds, because of people ignorance on real Christ's Gospel about accepting Him as a Savior or waiting for condemnation.

So then, Annie, are you saying you cannot be happy until other people change? That everyone in the whole world must first convert to Christianity before you can be happy? And is it enough that they are Christians or must they also be the same KIND of Christian that you are (the same church and worship in the same way) because many, many Christians consider other Christians to be "the wrong type" and therefore also doomed to hell.

Do you see what I am saying, Annie? If you are making what other people believe to be your problem then you have a lot of problems. 7 billion problems, in fact! :-)

My friend... what if others are finding God in ways that just don't make sense to you? What if others need to go though the roughness of separation from God so that they can see how that doesn't work for them so that they can turn to Him in divine right time?

What if... what if...

The point I am making is that you don't know about other people. And it is not your job to know about them. It is your job to take care of YOUR soul. And for so long as you spend all this time and energy on what they are doing and believing, you are taking your eyes off of your own soul's progression. You are not moving closer to God while you are judging his other creations as faulty.

Annie, each MUST find his own path. Each is totally unique and different. No one can dictate another's path. If you accept this, YOU find greater peace. You begin to focus on your own path. You get closer to God.

AnnieWolf19
But what with psychopaths or people from disfunctial families, who's desire is to revange...should they follow their hearts?

Yes!

If they could be helped to TRULY find their hearts... if they could be helped to REALLY listen to what their hearts would say then they would find their way to forgiveness, love and healing.

Annie, a client of mine works in the field of criminal rehabilitation. She works mainly with children that grew up in desperately bad, hard situations where crime is the norm. As these kids grow up they have been so abused and traumatized that they just hate and hate and hate. In her work she says there are some of these children that can still be reached. If you can connect with them and point them to their hearts... if you can help them to find compassion and forgiveness then amazing things happen. These children become healthy, whole, productive adults. One of them, for example, now runs a program in the ghetto to reach out to kids just like he was. He is changing lives in the same way his life was changed: with love and patience. By teaching others to find their way through the hate to connecting with their hearts.

You see, Annie, following your heart is not the same as "doing whatever you feel like". Not at all. It is the same as doing what God/ the Holy Spirit / Love / The Highest Good... calls you to do. Your heart is a portal. If it is closed by fear then you cannot hear. Then you just see wrong in every other. Then you judge and hate. If it is opened by love then you can hear. Then you connect with the Eternal and Divine and you see the beauty and perfection in creation. It is where you connect, right there inside yourself, to God!

So what happens, Annie, if someone is following their heart and is connecting with the Divine and is doing exactly what they should be doing... but just doesn't feel called to believe the same as you do?

Are you qualified to judge them as deficient in the eyes of the Lord? Of course not! Neither you nor I not anyone alive on the planet is qualified to render judgement upon another!

So really... the best we can do is to share with each other what we know to be true IN LOVE. In other words tell others what works for you but don't insist that they must change or agree with you. Let them be who they are. Let them find their own path. Perhaps they are exactly where they need to be and perhaps God is using their lives exactly as He sees fit. You don't know and I don't know. So we should each focus on our own relationship with the Eternal and Divine.

No?

reply to post by Bootifool


When I have the opportunity to share the Gospel with people I do not do it violently and in judgemental way.
I know that I can share with them what I believe in and what I accepted and show them some points, but God actually knows if the word that was planted in their hearts will grow in a short time or they will remind it after few years or before their death or it never happens.

In my spiritual way I definitely should care of daily prayer and my relationship with God to be ready to share love with others. But very often it happens that I fail.

Of course when someone is nice to us and likely to teach us something we naturally are nice to them too.

Thank U Bootifool for your analysis of my spirituality and share your views in understandable and kind way.

and

Thank U ALL for leaving in this thread your informative comments and the way U understand independent spirituality.