Traps and Diversions on the Path to Spiritual Awakening

Traps and Diversions on the path to spiritual awakening:

  1. Quick Fix spirituality – believing that spiritual awakening can be obtained quickly, with less effort and without having to make any real changes.
  2. Confused motivations – while seeking true realization, using spiritual growth as the means to fill the need to be loved, fill an emptiness, feel special, avoid suffering and depression and fulfill the need to achieve a goal.
  3. Overshadowed by spiritual experiences – ego identifies with experiences causing us to believe we are enlightened when these are only experiences and not the real deal.
  4. Spiritual ego – getting deeply distracted by all the right spiritual concepts and practices. Having a false sense of pride, that having put in the effort means you are somehow better, more wise and above others because you are more spiritual than others.
  5. Finding the “Right” spiritual teacher – the answer is “out there” and the next teacher or practice could probably be the one that will do it for you.
  6. Fake spirituality – talking, dressing and acting like you believe a spiritual person would do. Mimicking spiritual realization through only acknowledging blissful experiences. Distracted by the illusion of what you believe spirituality is and how you should be.
  7. Group mind – ashram disease – agreements regarding how to think, feel, act as part of a spiritual group consciousness. Rejecting others who do not conform or fit in. Feelings like “we are the chosen people”.
  8. Mistaking an experience for being a genuine realization. This creates a false belief that you have arrived and are done with spiritual growth and evolution. Now you can just check off awakening on your list!

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