It’s probably not since the combination of widespread literacy and mass-produced books that we’ve had such a huge surge forward in accessible information, including spiritual information. Seriously. Go to YouTube right now, search a spiritual topic, and dozens of teachers, healers, and helpers will pop-up. It’s a lot!
And it’s too much.
While it’s great to not be stuck with whatever spiritual teacher/tradition was locally available and have no other choice, now we have too many choices. And as I discussed in a recent newsletter, not all spiritual teachers, traditions, and helpers are the same. This leads to all kinds of mixed messages and confusion.
So for this very short blog post, my tip is simply:
Choose 2 to 3 teachers/helpers/traditions maximum to follow and apply their teachings in your daily life
Stop listening/reading/interacting with the rest
Obviously, this choice doesn’t have to be a choice for life. You can change who you follow/listen to, but I recommend making a serious commitment to whatever teacher or tradition you choose. And I encourage you to take your time in making that decision to commit. Going from one teacher and tradition to the next is just spiritual tourism, and that doesn’t get you anywhere.
Who you choose is purely up to you. I can only encourage you towards spiritual freedom teachers because ultimately that path is about embracing reality.
Those who promise you safety, happiness, and healing are pointing you towards temporary experiences. Yes, healing is important! I help people heal all the time, but health and well-being come and go. Happiness and the feeling of safety come and go (although they leave a lot less when the ego isn’t wrecking the party). And the reality of safety is that we can never be fully assured of physical safety in this world. In trying to find unending safety, we generally cause ourselves all kinds of suffering.
Here are some more posts to help you in choosing a few teachers as well as understanding spiritual awakening so that you can have more consistent and useful spiritual support:
