Our Search For Spiritual Depth Part 1

'The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated'

Mark Twain       

The above, well known , quote is both amusing and accurate. We live in a world where rumour and cynicism can spread like wildfire. In our modern world, with its 24/7 communication, we have drifted into a very consumer driven age where greed not need is often our first response and reaction. This is particularly true in the Western world and is growing in other parts of our human family. Many argue that Religion is dead and that human beings do not need the straitjacket of religion.  Many others, in reaction to this cling to a very fundamental and exclusive view of their religion. However, perhaps like Mark Twain, the reports of religions demise may be both premature and exaggerated. Now arguably, religion is in decline in the Western World but not necessarily so in other parts. Whether or not this is true is not as important as facing the question ' Is Spirituality Dead ? '

Our human family is relatively young compared with the age of our Cosmos. Everything we can see, feel, touch and know of , has come from one source. This is often  referred to as ' The Big Bang Theory' . What is this theory ?

Put simply , it proposes that  the universe started out as a ball of mass. The mass exploded and sent all things in the universe expanding outwards over 13.7 billion years (which is the estimated age of the universe in its expanding state). The theory further estimates that at some point the universe will either stop expanding and slowly collapse on itself until it is once again a giant mass, then explode again. Forever repeating this process. Or that it will not stop expanding and slowly die out as stars burnout and create more and more black holes.

Now all the above is merely theory but it is the best idea we have. Who, how and what started or created all this is a mystery. Those of us who believe that there is a  Source to this Mystery - propose that this Source is  God - called by many names - Ultimate Reality, Brahman Yahweh etc.  Others, do not believe in a Source and contend that the origins are unknown or a mystery. Whatever our beliefs or understanding , what we can all agree on is this ; the source of this wonderful and complex Cosmos is an awesome mystery.

If our Cosmos is almost 14 Billion years old , our Solar System 5 billion and human species measured in the millions of years; then our recorded history in a minute portion of this time. We have evidence of human development in the hundreds of thousands of  years and of spiritual practices for about 70, 000 years. Now organised religions are merely 5000 years old. So what can we deduce from all these massive numbers ?

*      Firstly , our recorded history is hardly measurable

*      Secondly , religions have been around for 5 millennia and have survived previous crisis 
*      That Spirituality is much older than religion

Even as fire without fuel

 finds peace in its resting-place,

when thoughts become silence 

the soul finds peace in its own source.

Maitri Upanishad

I have always found solace and depth in the above quotation from the Maitri Upanishad , a classic of the Hindu Vedas. It speaks the inner hunger and search of the human soul for solitude, meaning and relationship. The Mystical Traditions of all the Faith Traditions suggest that there is an inner fire or hunger within the heart of all . This hunger and fire seeks deep meaning.  


Regardless of our belief in the existence or otherwise of a SOURCE or MYSTERY at the heart of creation, a renewed interest in Spirituality is becoming ever more evident in this new millenium. People are living in a world where there is increasing dis-connection between their inner self and the world. Many believe that humanity, particularly in the Western and  ( so-called) Advanced world have become estranged from the Earth, their environment and each other. Yet within everyone is a hunger and natural drive to seek meaning. Modern psychology  names this 'drive' as ' SELF- ACTUALISATION ' Viktor Frankl, the father of Existential TheraTO py, goes one stage further and proposes that , not only  do people seek meaning but they have a drive towards SELF-TRANSCENDENCE. In other words we can only begin to find MEANING when we rediscover our true self. This , paradoxically, requires us to rise above our self-centred ego , to transcend our ego with its false self-image and thus become connected with our deeper self, our environment and each other.


The Mystics of all the great Traditions have left us 'signposts' that can help us on this Journey into Self-Transcendence. This is a journey without end and a journey of a lifetime. The received wisdom is that one of the main 'doorways' into self-transcendence is SILENCE. This brings me neatly back to the quote from the Upanishads.

Even as fire without fuel

 finds peace in its resting-place,

when thoughts become silence 

the soul finds peace in its own source.

Maitri Upanishad

Now I am by nature, personality and inclination a typically emotional, outgoing, and , at times, a noisy Celt. Therefore when I first started my own mature and serious attempt at journeying into greater self-awareness, I never thought that I would either value or belief in the importance of silence, and particularly inner silence, in true , deep and compassionate relating. Yet, my experience , both as a Member of the International Satsang and as a Counselling Therapist, has readily shown me the value of silence. For it is indeed only ' when thoughts become silence that the soul can find peace in its source. As one who intuitively believes that there is a SOURCE or MYSTERY at the heart of creation, I find that SILENCE allows :deep to speak unto DEEP and my source to speak unto the SOURCE.

These reflections will continue in Part 2.