{"id":6083,"date":"2015-10-06T12:17:30","date_gmt":"2015-10-06T19:17:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.elizabethbader.com\/elizabethbadersblog\/?p=6083"},"modified":"2022-05-20T13:07:56","modified_gmt":"2022-05-20T20:07:56","slug":"devotion-discernment-cults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elizabethbader.com\/elizabethbadersblog\/devotion-discernment-cults\/","title":{"rendered":"Devotion, Discernment and Cults"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spiritual practice requires commitment and devotion, but the traps posed by cults are very real. Discernment is essential.<\/p>\n

How can we learn to be devoted without being cultish?<\/p>\n

\"Khandro<\/a>
Khandro Rinpoche By Birrell Walsh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tibetan teacher Khandro Rinpoche provides some profound answers to these questions in her talk here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Bader has summarized some but by no means all of the important points below.<\/p>\n

Devotion is Essential for Spiritual Realization<\/em><\/h4>\n

Devotion is essential for spiritual practice. \u00a0Realization can’t happen in a mind that does not have devotion.<\/p>\n

But we must ask what devotion is. Being able to put a spiritual practice into practice is the essence of devotion.<\/em><\/p>\n

Devotion Without Wisdom is Dangerous<\/em><\/h4>\n

Devotion without wisdom or discernment is dangerous. \u00a0Here, the West is correct to emphasize investigation.<\/p>\n

Investigation and discernment are important so that devotion does not give a rise to a cult or just imitating a teacher. \u00a0The wisdom aspect of devotion cannot be omitted.<\/em><\/p>\n

A Map of the Spiritual Path: The Stage of Fascination<\/em><\/h4>\n

In the beginning of the spiritual path, one either doesn\u2019t know something or one questions something, and becomes fascinated when they seem to find answers on the spiritual path.<\/p>\n

This is the time of a big breakthrough. \u00a0You become very excited about spiritual practice.<\/p>\n

Another Stage: Meeting the Resistance<\/em><\/h4>\n

Eventually, you realize that what you were fascinated with actually entails a lot of hard work.<\/p>\n

Now the resistance comes. \u00a0At this point, a person may turn back from the path.<\/p>\n

Another Stage: Inspiration<\/em><\/h4>\n

Sometimes, something happens which inspires a person to go on. This can take many forms, a parent, teacher, or life events, such as a death.<\/p>\n

When something comes at this point to help you continue on the path, this enables you to take a further step and exert much more courage.<\/p>\n

Devotion and Unshakeable Confidence<\/em><\/h4>\n

Then a point may come where one sees that no matter how hard it gets, there is nothing else that makes sense.\u00a0 That is devotion.<\/p>\n

At this point, one may still suffer from fear, hesitation and hope, but one develops an unshakeable conviction that no matter how hard it is, one must continue because that is what makes sense. These are the first stages of devotion.<\/p>\n

At this level, if one meets with a good spiritual teacher or friend, the devotion can begin to flourish or be refined. \u00a0One develops an irreversible confidence which is unshakeable by circumstances or even the teacher.<\/p>\n

Devotion allows one to take what has learned from a spiritual teacher and put it into practice.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Devotion is essential on the spiritual path, but we must also avoid cults and cultishness. 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