As we drove
back to Canada from Cleveland, Ohio in the USA, the day after the El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio mass
shootings in August 2019, I had 8 hours of listening to
various radio stations from news, talk shows, Christian stations and every host
honed in on one question - “what can be done to avoid another shooting like
that?”.There were various pundits who spoke of gun control, mental illness, video games, white supremacy and on Christian radio many spoke of their thoughts, prayers and trusting in Christ through all these tragedies – but there was not one mention of 'spirituality' or the sacred nature of life. Why are we avoiding this word?.
The word 'spirituality' or what is sacred to us - to be awed by the miracle of life, to be humbled by the uncertainty and impermanence of it all, to have faith being vulnerable to the mystery of the universe, to be good to self and one another, to trust nature to take its course - has got a negative connotation in mainstream western life and I am still trying to fathom why.
Is it because the 500 year science based narrative of the modern techno-industrial complex has made us arrogant to think and we can alter nature using material outside ourselves?.
How can we do that when we are a part of nature?.
I do not see why having the word 'spirituality' evokes so much emotion - when it merely opens the door for a more holistic conversation about what makes us human - to balance the spirit or the soul of who we are as sentient beings, entwined in nature with what is material and physical.
An Encounter of Resistance
I faced this resistance in 2012 as I facilitated my first conflict resolution course for Canadian government officers in Ottawa when I wrote on the white board - IQ, EQ and SQ.
In dealing with difficult situations, I explained the importance of finding balance between our IQ - analytical reasoning skills; EQ - emotional intelligence to understand and manage own emotions; and SQ - spiritual intelligence to grounds us in our common humanity with loving kindness, compassion and empathy.
I faced this resistance in 2012 as I facilitated my first conflict resolution course for Canadian government officers in Ottawa when I wrote on the white board - IQ, EQ and SQ.
In dealing with difficult situations, I explained the importance of finding balance between our IQ - analytical reasoning skills; EQ - emotional intelligence to understand and manage own emotions; and SQ - spiritual intelligence to grounds us in our common humanity with loving kindness, compassion and empathy.
A hand went up immediately and a participant said, “we are not allowed to use the word spirituality in government”. As I inquired further, no one else confirmed whether this was true or not, but a few seemed uncomfortable while others were indifferent.
Then I asked them to write down what the word 'spirituality' meant to each of them.
As they shared them with the class, I wrote the statements on a flip chart;
- Meaning and purpose to life
- Faith in life and beyond
- Mystery of life
- Religious beliefs
- Love and compassion
- Peace and harmony
- Ethical behavior and our moral compass
- Integrity
- Gratitude and generosity
- Life after death
- Sense of community
- Oneness with nature and all beings
I was curious as I wrote these - there
was a clear disconnect with the reasons for the list of expectations the
participants had articulated at the beginning of the course.
Expectations from the program stemmed from issues and challenges they faced due to bad behavior – the violence, aggression and bullying by their managers, colleagues and clients.
This behaviour tends to manifest from a lack of 'spirituality' if we went by their own definitions.
I asked them a simple question – “do you see a link between the lack of 'spirituality' as you perceive it and the victimization you face in your workplace?”.
The penny dropped.
Expectations from the program stemmed from issues and challenges they faced due to bad behavior – the violence, aggression and bullying by their managers, colleagues and clients.
This behaviour tends to manifest from a lack of 'spirituality' if we went by their own definitions.
I asked them a simple question – “do you see a link between the lack of 'spirituality' as you perceive it and the victimization you face in your workplace?”.
The penny dropped.
 |
| The Performance Pyramid - Loehr and Schwartz - HBR |
Harvard
Business Review paper published in January 2001 "Making of a Corporate Athlete" depicted a “High Performance Pyramid” where
Spirituality was at the top.
The authors, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz wrote[i];
"In recent years there has been a growing focus on the relationship between emotional intelligence and high performance. A few theorists have addressed the spiritual dimension—how deeper values and a sense of purpose influence performance."
The authors, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz wrote[i];
"In recent years there has been a growing focus on the relationship between emotional intelligence and high performance. A few theorists have addressed the spiritual dimension—how deeper values and a sense of purpose influence performance."
The authors recognized that the word “spiritual” prompts conflicting emotions and does not seem immediately relevant to high performance in an organizational setting. By spiritual capacity, they mean the energy that is unleashed by tapping into one’s deepest values and defining a strong sense of purpose.
One cannot speak of values without linking it to good behaviour, as most organizations list 'respect' and 'integrity' as core to ground their culture in.
This capacity then serves as sustenance in the face of adversity and a powerful source of motivation, focus, determination and resilience.
This capacity then serves as sustenance in the face of adversity and a powerful source of motivation, focus, determination and resilience.
For this, we all have to do our inner work to put a mirror on ourselves mindfully to constantly check whether our conditioned worldviews and mental models fit the situation we are in.
Richard Rohr, a Franciscan contemplative and a mystic in his description of spirituality is apt for these times;[ii]
Richard Rohr, a Franciscan contemplative and a mystic in his description of spirituality is apt for these times;[ii]
 |
| Fr. Richard Rohr |
"By allowing
inward change, while at the same time simplifying our external life,
spirituality serves as our greatest single resource for changing our
centuries-old trajectory of violence and division. Spirituality is profoundly
transformative when it inspires in us the attitude of surrender to the mystery
in which 'we live, and move, and have our being,' as the New Testament reminds
us [Acts 17:28]. . . . People’s hearts must change before structures can
change. This change is the basis of genuine reform and renewal."
Rohr’s wisdom points to us as agitated individuals where violence erupts first in our own heart and mind being separated in conflict and doubt, especially as the modern world is perceived as dangerous, scarce and competitive.
Rohr’s wisdom points to us as agitated individuals where violence erupts first in our own heart and mind being separated in conflict and doubt, especially as the modern world is perceived as dangerous, scarce and competitive.
We have to take responsibility for ourselves to do the inner healing work to put these externally conditioned notions into perspective to realize much of these perceptions may not be real. 
In Vedic and Chinese practices, the heart and the mind come together through a focus on the breath – 'prana' or 'qi'.
In Vedic and Chinese practices, the heart and the mind come together through a focus on the breath – 'prana' or 'qi'.
The Buddhist
meditation practice with a focus on the breath is a way to tame the mind of its conditioned ego driven
thoughts. This enables unconditioned awareness without judgement – which can
be liberating. With a sustained practice of focus on the breath, one may find peace and unity to heal a conflicted mind.
We become aware our spirituality through this inward gaze by quieting the mind through meditation and prayer to reflect on our reptilian and potentially violent nature for survival and our other nature to love, be compassionate, have empathy, be happy for other’s success and on a much grander scale, celebrate the mystery – to be at peace with the impermanence and the uncertainty of life.
We become aware our spirituality through this inward gaze by quieting the mind through meditation and prayer to reflect on our reptilian and potentially violent nature for survival and our other nature to love, be compassionate, have empathy, be happy for other’s success and on a much grander scale, celebrate the mystery – to be at peace with the impermanence and the uncertainty of life.
Being Spiritual
Being spiritual helps us to
find meaning in life through this roller coaster of the good and the bad that
happens to us with a certain equanimity.
It manifests when we anchor on our moral compass and basic values to
guide us in the way we behave with self, others and the world around
us.
Spirituality is a way of facilitating a dialogue
between reason and emotion, between mind and body.
Spirituality helps us
grow and transform from our ego-centered reptilian material self to an active,
unifying, meaning-giving center driven by our other ability to love
unconditionally - hinges on dignity for self and others anchored on respect,
integrity, kindness, compassion and generosity.
Acknowledging our spirituality allows us to discuss the above as it relates to us as individuals – to put a mirror on ourselves as we show up and impact the world.
As we move away from organized religions which provides an anchor for some still, we need to have faith that our future is safe and secure, meets our needs for belonging and love, and that we are not alone as we belong to this earth’s community. Our spirituality is what helps us to be responsible and accountable within this community, as we are one.
The Great Separation
The separation between spirituality represented by the church and objective science which threatened the church’s dominance happened with the 500-year Cartesian project.
The catholic church’s resistance to scientific discovery – Copernicus was fearful to unveil his discovery of the heliocentric universe, Giodarno Bruno was burned at the stake in 1600 for spouting that science and Galileo was jailed for it in 1633.
Philosopher Decarte was watching all this unfold and helped to move rational reductionist science away from religion with a call for objective evidence for revelations made by anyone.
This separation has been dominated by scientific achievements as it has provided many a quality of material life and prosperity.
On the other hand, it has left us rudderless with a life without much meaning and little appreciation for the inherent goodness of what it means to be a spiritual human being.
We then follow a Dean Martin style of spirituality when he said in jest; "I do not drink alcohol, I drink distilled spirits, so I am not an alcoholic, I am spiritual".
This delusion through a mastery of the material half defined by money and drunk on power has created competitive and reptilian structures in the world, which do not truly reflect the human condition – our emotional and physical needs for survival which is founded on a loving union of two human beings by becoming vulnerable to each other. Therefore, trust is the foundation.
Ignoring this and being deluded by the superficial and material denies the modern industrial human the wisdom of nature’s interconnected and interdependent universe, which is spiritual, sacred and mysterious.
Acknowledging our spirituality allows us to discuss the above as it relates to us as individuals – to put a mirror on ourselves as we show up and impact the world.
As we move away from organized religions which provides an anchor for some still, we need to have faith that our future is safe and secure, meets our needs for belonging and love, and that we are not alone as we belong to this earth’s community. Our spirituality is what helps us to be responsible and accountable within this community, as we are one.
The Great Separation
The separation between spirituality represented by the church and objective science which threatened the church’s dominance happened with the 500-year Cartesian project.
The catholic church’s resistance to scientific discovery – Copernicus was fearful to unveil his discovery of the heliocentric universe, Giodarno Bruno was burned at the stake in 1600 for spouting that science and Galileo was jailed for it in 1633.
Philosopher Decarte was watching all this unfold and helped to move rational reductionist science away from religion with a call for objective evidence for revelations made by anyone.
This separation has been dominated by scientific achievements as it has provided many a quality of material life and prosperity.
On the other hand, it has left us rudderless with a life without much meaning and little appreciation for the inherent goodness of what it means to be a spiritual human being.
We then follow a Dean Martin style of spirituality when he said in jest; "I do not drink alcohol, I drink distilled spirits, so I am not an alcoholic, I am spiritual".
This delusion through a mastery of the material half defined by money and drunk on power has created competitive and reptilian structures in the world, which do not truly reflect the human condition – our emotional and physical needs for survival which is founded on a loving union of two human beings by becoming vulnerable to each other. Therefore, trust is the foundation.
Ignoring this and being deluded by the superficial and material denies the modern industrial human the wisdom of nature’s interconnected and interdependent universe, which is spiritual, sacred and mysterious.
We then continue on this treadmill of mindless
conditioned thought and life, with our egos driving us not to acknowledge
spirituality and the sacred as a core part of our being.
As many people live in a spiritual desert - rudderless, disconnected, in despair and separated from nature and other living beings, we wonder why some pick up guns and shoot their fellow human beings.
As many people live in a spiritual desert - rudderless, disconnected, in despair and separated from nature and other living beings, we wonder why some pick up guns and shoot their fellow human beings.
Dedicating Time to a Daily Practice
Spiritual capacity developed through;
- reflection, prayer and contemplation;
- sharing in community with gratitude and generosity;
- mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga;
- reflective writing like Haiku;
- music, dance and the arts
- a ritual of daily exercise and breathing well; may help us go inward to find the inner power to serve as sustenance in the face of adversity.
A dedicated practice with focus and perseverance will be a powerful source of motivation and determination to become resilient through the 'roller-coaster' of life. This way we realize our power within to accept our trials and tribulations, take responsibility and not blame others.
It is time to bring back the word spirituality and the sacred into our vocabulary. It may mean different things to different people, but at the core - Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives and practices.
Being immersed in a spiritual practice provides a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. As such, it is a universal human experience—something that touches us all.[iii]
Encouraging spiritual and sacred practices in our homes, schools and communities, we may become whole as a human being to be comfortable in the 'grey zone' that we need not always seek absolute solutions as we feel safe in our oneness with nature.
This spiritual grounding may stop the despair of some to reason and realize rather than be misguided towards extremist violent action that does not serve any purpose.
Spiritual capacity developed through;
- reflection, prayer and contemplation;
- sharing in community with gratitude and generosity;
- mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga;
- reflective writing like Haiku;
- music, dance and the arts
- a ritual of daily exercise and breathing well; may help us go inward to find the inner power to serve as sustenance in the face of adversity.
A dedicated practice with focus and perseverance will be a powerful source of motivation and determination to become resilient through the 'roller-coaster' of life. This way we realize our power within to accept our trials and tribulations, take responsibility and not blame others.
It is time to bring back the word spirituality and the sacred into our vocabulary. It may mean different things to different people, but at the core - Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives and practices.
Being immersed in a spiritual practice provides a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. As such, it is a universal human experience—something that touches us all.[iii]
Encouraging spiritual and sacred practices in our homes, schools and communities, we may become whole as a human being to be comfortable in the 'grey zone' that we need not always seek absolute solutions as we feel safe in our oneness with nature.
This spiritual grounding may stop the despair of some to reason and realize rather than be misguided towards extremist violent action that does not serve any purpose.
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