> People's self awareness and capacity for genuine introspection is a > completely separate development from any "spiritual" practice. Some > people develop it and some do not. (New improved by FFL version)
Doesn't seem to me that the development of these has anything to do with "spiritual" practice. I like that "spiritual" is in quotes, because that term can mean so many different things. Most of my life I thought I was so "spiritual". I'd go so far as to say I was a "spiritual snob". The longer I live, and the less relevant to a full life and living most spiritual concepts and practices seem to me, the more I discover people whose lives and characters really inspire me who have never done any so-called spiritual practice. I remember once when I was working in a hospice program. I worked with a "patient" (dying man) who had been involved in spiritual pursuits for most of his life. He had put a lot of attention on "spirituality". Yet, of all the people I'd worked with, he had the most fear of losing control and dying. His brother would come to visit and in the course of conversation would refer to the patient as the spiritual one, stating that he himself wasn't particularly spiritual. What struck me, however, was that this brother (the "non-spiritual" one) showed a tremendous capacity for compassion and did a great deal of giving in his life. He was a successful man materially and had a good family life. In every way, he seemed to represent what most people think would be some of the fruits of spiritual practice. Enjoyed the line of thinking in the rest of you post, BTW.
