‘To be conscious in this world is a prerequisite to be conscious in others.’

In recent years many people have ‘awoken’ to spirituality. Perhaps this from a rejection of religious dogma and the availability of spiritual ideas via the internet.

But what it appears to me is often missing in this spiritual revival is an emphasis on materiality. This may sound contradictory but read on.

In many spiritual traditions, one of the first realisations for the aspirant is how important the physical world is. The physical does not cancel out the spiritual and visa versa. From a non-dualistic perspective, the two are complementary, not mutually exclusive.

So before heading down the yellow brick road on one spiritual path or another my personal advice would be to take time to embrace everything practical and become healthy, wealthy and wise in the process. Controversially, I will say that to aspire to physical poverty as do many monastic traditions, is to aspire to spiritual poverty, as in the Hermetic law of ‘as above, so below.’

For me, aestheticism is a poor role model for those seeking enlightenment. Nevertheless, monasteries and nunneries in many countries are occupied by people who avoid being ‘in the world’ presumably in the belief that this puts them ‘on a path to enlightenment’. In practical terms, it is substituting difficulty with institutional routines. The intention to ‘be spiritual’ is sometime the root cause of never finding spiritual meaning in life.

In the Zen Buddhist stories from the East, a young person enters a monastery with an expectation to become spiritually enlightened, perhaps in the first few months or a year or two! Spotting this, the Zen teacher sets them to work in the monastery kitchen. When the meals are over and before the preparation of the next, the novice is given a broom and told to start sweeping. This carries on for years. If the aspirant’s ego gives in after years of being excluded from the spiritual rituals and routines of the monastery, they are appointed Abbot. The teaching was and is, learnt in the kitchen and dusty hallways, not the temple.

It is easy to take physicality for granted, but this three dimensional ‘reality’ is a place where spiritual beings are sent to learn faster and more profoundly than it is possible in other dimensions. This process is known by Christian gnostics as ‘the Creator self knowing’. Certainly, physicality is not a life of ease. Whilst there is beauty and happiness, there is also ugliness and despair.

We would do well not envy the lifestyles of the wealthy and powerful in society who appear to have an easier life than those who have little money or power.

The love of money, as is said, does not bring happiness. Often we see that the poor have a much better chance of growing spiritually than the rich. Possessions are supposed to be bad for spirituality but the benefit is more in your attitude towards possessions and how this is reflected in yourself. Dressing up as a spiritual person, does not make you one. The best philosophy is to be in, but not of, this hologram of physical illusions.

For a person living in our time in a ‘developed’ country, what could be a rewarding spiritual path? As a perhaps unexpected metaphor, consider the ‘boot camp’ style of military training. This starts with the aim of breaking down the ego of the recruits with repeated humiliation. Only after weeks of physical and mental ‘beasting’ is the pressure reduced and replaced with constructive learning. This focuses on polishing boots, pressing uniforms, and keeping personal space clean and orderly, to a level of almost impossible perfection. The point is clearly not the physical tasks but mental resilience in order to excel in an endless cycle physical challenges. What is life if it is not a similar tumble drier of trials?

Members of Royal families face similar challenges, but in contrast to most of us, in an environment of opulence and wealth. Royal children are brought up to serve their nation within the parameters of strict protocols, not personal desire. In return, their every physical need is gratified by servants. Running the bath and cleaning up after the Corgis, royals do not learn. Here, ironically, having few or no physical challenges can be as spiritually disruptive as having too many.

A similar regime of service combined with wealth, governs the lives of high ranking officials in industry, government, and even religious orders. Wealth and power, can become an enormous distraction and many fall from office and spiritual grace through selfish greed.

So what of the ordinary human being who is not wealthy or powerful?

We might start with two aspects of our lives. Consider the physical body and the environment in which the body lives.

The human body is a miraculous and superb creation. You are only given one per lifetime so in my view it is important to treat it with the deepest respect. Jumping from aeroplanes and bridges for excitement is in my view disrespectful to your most sacred gift. Surely, we should be treating our body as if it were a prize race horse?

For the same reason, every aspect of the physical world is important to the spiritual aspirant. Simply put, every life lesson learnt in a human body, is a lesson that can be applied to the astral or spiritual body.

At the present time there are many ‘spiritual advisors’ advocating moving from this present three dimensional ‘reality’ into a fourth dimension or ‘new Earth’. Dolores Cannon had many insights on this process when she was alive. It is held that those not ready for this transition will not notice any change, and those who are prepared will move quietly ‘on’.

If this is possible and if this is what they want I wish them well. However, personally I regard the greatest challenges and rewards to be firmly here on Earth. Changing the scenery in a theatre does not change the characters or the plot.

In my view, having a deep respect for nature is probably the most important spiritual quality for individuals and human collectives at this time. To watch forests and animals and precious ecosystems be destroyed to support human ignorance and greed is heartbreaking. Similarly, war against one’s brothers and sisters on earth is anathema to spirituality.

We occupy the human learning fields in the present time. To leave this full-on learning environment at the time of it’s greatest need, is to leave an unpaid debt to future generations. I suggest that if we cannot master the fine balancing act between physicality and spirituality, we should at least give our children a chance to do so. Nature rebuilds eco-systems without help from humans, it is all a matter of how much damage has been caused and will an ethical case be made for protecting nature whilst it recovers?

To stroke an elephant or watch a lion sleeping in a tree are both physical and spiritual blessings; one gives life to the other.