This was inspired by Tommy Elf’s recent post – https://tommyelf22.wordpress.com/2016/10/10/going-deep-or-swimming-shallow/
What makes a spiritual practice deep or shallow? It’s no doubt easier to judge others from the outside than it is to make a fair assessment of our own spiritual paths. On reflection, what I have is odd, to say the least…
When I was trying hardest to be ‘deep’ I was at my most obsessed with surface and appearance.
When I tried to be important, I was at my least spiritual.
When I tried to teach others, I did a great deal of learning.
When I stopped striving and started seeing what happened, more happened.
When I was kinder to myself, I found more reasons to practice gratitude.
When I went to the woods for the sake of the woods, and not in search of anything sacred, I found something sacred.
When I let myself enjoy the surfaces of things, it stopped feeling like something shallow.
When I stopped trying so hard to seem deep, I learned how sacred mirth can be.
I suspect I could go on with this almost indefinitely. Spirituality is paradox. It’s the learning that teaches you how little you know. It’s the wisdom to realise you are an idiot, and the devotion to be able to handle things with a light touch. But beyond that, it’s whatever makes sense to us, regardless of what sense, if any, that makes to anyone else.
Druid Life 
October 11th, 2016 at 11:49 am
Thank you for expressing this. I’ve also found that learning to dive deeply comes from not trying to dive deeply. Just experiencing it. There’s a lot more to be said about getting deeply into one’s own Spirituality….the methodology for getting there is as varied as all of us. 🙂
October 11th, 2016 at 5:11 pm
This is so true. Exploring the balance between yearning and searching and stillness and opening up can be so enlightening.
October 12th, 2016 at 5:54 pm
This has been my experience as well. Thank you for finding these words and sharing them
November 25th, 2016 at 8:40 pm
Great perspective…Thought-provoking and inspiring. My favorite…”When I stopped striving and started seeing what happened, more happened.”
November 28th, 2016 at 9:13 pm
Sounds like the essence of Taoism. Appreciate opposites. Allow the universe to flow on its own without interfering. Thanks for contributing to my learning curve as I research my next book, tentatively titled: Transformational Awakening
November 29th, 2016 at 7:24 am
That may not be wholly accidental, I’ve spent a fair amount of time with different versions of the Tao Te Ching 🙂 Best of luck with the book, I’m delighted to be a pollinator!