Simplicity and Spirituality... is there a link?

[Din]

Many people feel the need to simplify their lives, to gain some sort of control over the complexity of modern living.

The Buddhists call "the world" the "ten thousand things", it's almost as if simple people are trying to shave that number down to a manageable few.

As Henry David Thoreau would say, "Our life is frittered away by detail. An honest man has hardly need to count more than his ten fingers, or in extreme cases he may add his ten toes, and lump the rest. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail."

Many people involved with simple living begin by decluttering their home, reducing the number of possessions to a an amount that is more in line with their way of thinking.

And that is exactly what I wanted to talk about today, the inner space of mind or thinking and the outer space of our home or environment.

We tend to feel the need to declutter our homes, but give much less attention to the need to declutter our mind.

There is a spiritual saying that trying to change something "out there" in the environment, is like a person not liking a movie and so trying to wash the screen on which the movie is appearing in order bring about change.

So, feeling the need to declutter externally, in our environment or home, may be missing the mark of what's really wanted or needed.

Simplicity starts at the heart of the matter, in the consciousness of the person feeling the need for it.

So perhaps decluttering the mind, as well as the home may be a more complete remedy of the situation.

Decluttering the home is simple enough, going through all of our possessions and choosing to keep just those that we really want and need.

But what about the mind?

What about thoughts?

How does one go about decluttering the mind of all extraneous thoughts that are no longer wanted or needed?

When decluttering a home, you throw out an item and once it's thrown out it's gone for good, not so with thoughts.

Thoughts tend to be repetitious, you can throw one out one moment and it's back the next moment or day!

So what to do?

If you were to read the book "As a man thinketh", you would realize that what you think is what you become, so whatever thoughts you are entertaining, or identifying with in your mind, is what transpires in your reality.

So, it's pretty clear the first order of business, is becoming AWARE of what thoughts you ARE thinking and deciding whether those thoughts are meeting your needs or not.

Eventually, you may come the insight that you don't really need any thought, especially to know who you are, and in that case... simplicity reigns supreme!

[catherine]

Gee, my first thought was, there's not only a link--they're one and the same! True spirituality is simplicity.

What came to mind for me was the Shaker song, 'Tis a Gift to be Simple" So I looked a bit on the internet and found this interesting interpretation (http://shivadam.net/SimpleGiftsInterpretationbyShivadam.html), which I think you'll appreciate. Even though it is written from a Sufi perspective, it also speaks to mysticism and ego abandonment and and certainly speaks to the link between simplicity and spirituality:


"Simple Gifts"* an interpretation from the perspective of a Sufi mureed
The lyrics of this "simple" song, from my point of view, encompass much of the promise that the Sufi path represents for its followers, and likewise for those who may explore any path of mysticism.

'Tis the gift to be simple
The Hindu deity, Shiva, is called "Bhole." This Sanskrit name denotes one whose nature is simplicity, pure, guileless, childlike, fully aware but innocent of agenda. This is not the simplicity of the "simpleton," but of the genuine, the one who lives contentedly without desire for the unnecessary. Shakers, as well as many Sufis and other mystics, live lives of material simplicity with a correspondingly uncomplicated lifestyle and practice.


'tis the gift to be free
All spiritual disciplines point to an ideal: Liberation; freedom from that which complicates, loosening the grip of the ego that clamors for attention and demands fulfillment of its multifarious cravings and reacts to countless aversions. Moksha, nirvana, samadhi describe the state of liberation from karma, the causality that rules the world of duality. The simple life is oft prescribed to assist in disencumbering a life's worth of habits, desires and fears, and to help unburden a future life of further complications, leaving the ego aside.


'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
The destination or the goal which becomes increasingly clear along the mystic's path is not illumined by the machinations of the mind. It is seen through the mist by the view of the clarifying heart. The movement of the path is downward from the confused ego mind into the heart where true wisdom resides. We come down, as it were, from the head to where we ought to be: alive in and identified with the awakened heart. The Gift is the very life lived according to the pull of the wise heart's intuition.


And when we find ourselves in the place just right
The heart confers infallibly justice and rightness, where the mind cannot. And when we identify as the heart, we find our true home, so that no matter where we find ourselves in the world, abiding in that inner home is the right place to be.


'Twill be in the valley of love and delight
Heaven is not some remote place; it is evident here on Earth in its natural abundance, surrounding the one whose awareness is not informed by the senses alone. Heaven on earth is that rarefied Valley inhabited by those who see no hell but who enjoy the inner radiance and love that make Heaven the delight it becomes.


When true simplicity is gain'd
One who ascribes to a Sufi path is not a Sufi, per se. The Sufi is one who has uncovered the inner reality and has opened the eyes of the heart and, seeing through those eyes, no longer beholds the illusory, the only landscape the ego can see, and yet embraces all. The life then lived is a natural and harmonious life, a simple life.


To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd
The ego by definition is self-conscious and unpleasantly so. It feels embarrassed to move, to sing, to speak or to dance in front of others. Those ruled by ego may bow, but this reverence does not sink into complete surrender to that which is worshipped, and the attitude remains inflexible. As the Tao reminds us, it is the supple reed that bends, while the stiff reed breaks. Once we have identified with spirit, we may detach from our fixed notions and move freely, unashamed, when we dance to the call of the heart's music.


To turn, turn will be our delight
Historical evidence has revealed that this song is a dance song and that the inclusion of "turn" is a direction for the dancers. But there is more. Here we have the sense of the Hebrew "thsuva" and the Arabic "tawwab," whose shared meaning includes the sense of turning, always toward the light of the Beloved, offering up our flawed selves in the purifying presence of the One who does not turn or turn away, but who sees, accepts and forgives all. Our joy is enlivened by the love flowing ever toward us and fanned by the flames of the divine light with every turn.


Till by turning, turning we come round right
The path is simply to continue to turn toward our Ideal again and again, or perpetually, until a permanent resonance with it is established as our identity, and therewith, our intention and every action. Thus merged with the One, we become the axis mundi, the intersection between Heaven and Earth. Dervishes who turn do so to set themselves and the universe aright, to cast off the unreal until they become the Real. We are right when we assume our right place relative to or indistinguishable from the Divine that is the true Source; we claim our birthright as a living manifestation of the One. - Shivadam Adam Burke 11/19/2010

[Xmac]

As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen....I second that motion!:laff:

It's a brilliant read, not too long either. I've got it as an app audio book.
Here's a couple quotes I liked:

"Men are anxious to improve their circumstances but are unwilling to improve themselves."

"The man who does not shrink from self crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set."

"Men do not attract that which they want but that which they are".

"Change of diet will not help a man who'll not change his thought".


When I think of simplicity lately, I think of a story Deepak Chopra told in an interview:

He was told by his guru (I forget who it was) that if he was to continue his spiritual path and education of healing he would have to go back to India and study the ancient medicine of India. His wife asked, "where's the money going to come from?" The guru replied, "where ever it is now".

The question seemingly came from a complicated belief system of scarcity and difficultly. The answer cut through the confusion like a razor. It reminded me of the kind of answer Byron Katie would give. I think it's an excellent example of what's possible when the mind is not carried away by the spell(ing) of the matrix: fictions of symbology, as if the written music or the recipe were the experience of sound and taste.

[catherine]

I love James Allen. I've read As a Man Thinketh and have given it to my kids as graduation gifts.

Also love the Deepak Chopra story! That's great.

Richard Foster is another spiritual leader that speaks profusely on simplicity.

[Bootsie]

Yes, my simplicity is part of my spirituality, and I do indeed think in terms of decluttering my activities and my thoughts along with decluttering the material items in my life. It all goes hand-in-hand. A complicated, cluttered life and mind keep me away from myself and my god. It's sometimes a struggle for me to be simple in my thoughts, but I am striving for that self-discipline and I notice some improvement. I see the process as learning how to care deeply and yet remain detached at the same time. Simple, but not easy.

[MamaM]

Big YES for me. I like tready lightly and leaving enough for others. I do feel simple leaving fits right in with my religious/spiritual ideals.

[Yossarian]

It can be, but I don't think it is exclusive. For years we have lived in a small house, but have recently moved toward buying something bigger. Not because we want a big house, not because possession will matter one iota, but because it's a tool to help create the type of community we want to foster. Having extended family stay with us. Being able to help create social occasions with friends. Providing a place where our children can spend time with thier friends. None of those things will make our lives any more simple, but we hope it will make them richer and fuller. And I think friends and family and community can in a sense be part of a spirituality, even if they aren't remotely simple. We strill try to pursue those things in a simple way, but won't sacrifice them to simplicity.

[citrine]

I agree as well...when I used to go shopping all the time to buy things that I hardly ever used, my mind was so chaotic. Nowadays, I don't shop that much, donate what is not being used, question what we bring into the house, and wait patiently until we can find something cheaper or come up with a plan to build it ourselves. Our house is peaceful and welcoming....so much so that I hate leaving it at times ;)

[Spartana]

For me there is no link at all as I am not a spiritual person. However, living a simpler life often gives you the free time (both mentally and physically) to contemplate or engage in spirituality.... Or play volleyball on the beach :-)!

[Tussiemussies]

I love James Allen and a new book came out recently with all of his works, he has quite a few books and wrote poetry. Too...

Yes, mind is the cause and our circumstances are the effect!

[Ahh The Simple Name]

Yes, I think there is. In this blog post "Mindfulness Plus Compassion Equals Happiness" I have this diagram.
The post explains how I see these fitting together. If interested, read is here: http://www.ahhthesimplelife.com/mindfulness-plus-compassion-equals-happiness/
http://www.ahhthesimplelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/9/13/5idraw_18_10_53.png

[happystuff]

I also agree. I have found that when my mind is free of clutter, it is easier to free the rest of my life (material and otherwise) of clutter. I've recently "let go" of attitudes/thoughts/expectations/etc. at work and had the best work-week ever!