Two Dangers on the Spiritual Path

Danger!  Yes, it’s part of the spiritual path. We often associate a spiritual path with peace, contentment, and fulfillment.  Rightly so.  There are also important dangers when traveling a spiritual path.  In this video, I explore two key dangers and safeguards against them.

The following is a text version of this posting.

What does it take to develop the spiritual dimension of your life?  What’s required?  Perhaps more importantly, what can go wrong? 

A common expression for spiritual development is walking a spiritual path.  It’s an image that’s been used for centuries.  A spiritual path is a concept found in the writings of some of the great mystics like Teresa of Avila and Meister Eckhart.  When we focus on the development of the spiritual dimension of our lives, as we are walking a spiritual path, there are two common obstacles which I refer to as dangers.

The first danger is essentially not having a path at all but thinking that we do.  This frequently occurs among people who have been wounded by traditional religion as well as people who were not part of a religious group.  Not having a path can mean enjoying some spiritual pursuits, like a guided meditation one day and a yoga class a week later, but essentially just trying different selections on the menu of spiritual options.  Often this is viewed as having one’s own path but it’s so free flowing that there’s no path at all.  The result is that there’s no real growth and development because there’s no real path. The danger here is to think you have a spiritual path when all that’s happening is that occasionally you engage in different spiritual practices.

A variation of this danger occurs when people find a practice that’s right for them and learn about it, but just don’t use the practice regularly.  Maybe you like a form of meditation and use it two or three days in a row.  But then you don’t sit in meditation for another three weeks.  Much like going to a gym, spiritual exercises are only beneficial when we do them regularly.

The second danger of walking a spiritual path is essentially 180 degrees from the first danger.  The first danger is to think that occasional spiritual practices constitute a spiritual path.  The second danger is to focus so intently on the path that a person knows all about the path but never has a spiritual experience.  Meister Eckhart stated it this way: “If you focus too narrowly on a path to God, all you will ever find is the path.”  In other words, some people pay close attention to details about the path and never have an experience of God.  This happens in religious contexts as well as contexts that are considered spiritual but not religious.  There’s a sense that one needs to engage in a practice or form of prayer perfectly, following exact steps or a particular formula or ritual.  People can focus on the formula, ritual, or steps to such a degree that they miss the big picture.  In doing so, they become very rigid and perfectionistic. 

Ultimately, we all need to have a regular pattern of spiritual practice, prayer, or meditation that fits well into our lives.  When we have that kind of rhythm, then we find that we are indeed on a spiritual path.  We don’t get snagged into the danger of either extreme.

How do we avoid these dangers?  That’s simple.  Don’t go it alone.  Develop trusted friends who are also on a spiritual path.  Their path may not be the same as yours, but they’ll have an understanding of the process of walking a spiritual path and can be supportive of the steps you take.  Of course, working with a spiritual director can be extremely beneficial for avoiding the two dangers I discussed.  Remember that a person typically meets with a spiritual director once a month or so.  Once you’ve established a spiritual path that’s right for you, you may only meet with the spiritual director once every few months.  But those meetings can help you stay focused as well as understand your own growth.

The journey along a spiritual path is an essential part of our growth and development.  At the same time, it’s important that our spiritual paths lead us more deeply into the depths of spiritual growth.  Avoiding these two key dangers are important in this process.