This forum offers a platform for a wide-ranging exchange about what we encounter in the field of spirituality in our time. What experiences do you have? What encounters do you have? What do you notice?

And what does it mean to be spiritual?
What might prevent and hinder spirituality?

The topic, which is close to my heart, is a serious one, but should be treated with a pinch of humor and a good dose of self-criticism, in which I include myself. For most of us, acting for constructive change in the world is an urgently felt necessity – in the direction of peace, health, a healthy economy and ecology, relational skills, humanity and empathy. Where do I stand in the midst of this desire and where do I want to move?

Wilhelm Busch already delved deeply and with a sharp pen into the subject of the life and death struggle of the human soul, its joys and abysses. So that I can ask myself, loosely based on Busch:

that finally descends to hell?
Uncle Nolte is worth these words:

“Oh yes, I’m really glad!
Because, thank God! I’m not like that!!!”

“Because thank God! I’m not like that!” – Perhaps a mistake? If I am the good guy and take my place at the right hand of God without hesitation, then the others are necessarily the bad guys; but who knows how things really are with me?

“Rudolf Steiner and I” – how does it work when someone acts as a representative of a spiritual science teacher, so to speak? Can I understand what the teacher is and was, do I explore him or do I only connect with him intellectually or emotionally and have no real relationship to him and his work? It is not uncommon for an antipathetic aura to emerge, almost an elitist appearance, which is not at all attractive to interested seekers.

I had a disconcerting encounter in this direction many years ago as a young woman in an anthroposophical reading circle. One of the ladies, I learned a little later, was not happy about my appearance because I was, so to speak, an “uninitiated person” and then the “anthroposophia” could not descend on the group. I didn’t want to stand in the way of the work of “Anthroposophia” any longer…

On a first-name basis with Jesus – I have also experienced this at a lecture by an esoteric speaker who entered into a dialog with Jesus several times during her presentation. It was an almost crazy, at least very strange experience for me.

Struggling to be close to the spiritual teacher – I visited the well-known spiritual teacher or guru, as he is called in India, Sathya Sai Baba and his place of work in Puttaparthi several times. Sai Baba was a dainty man in an orange robe and his darshans – which translates as “God’s show” – were of fascinating intensity. What happened when he walked through the ranks? Why did he accept some letters from his students and why not others? Later I learned from various visitors to his ashram that Sai Baba accepted the letters with sincere requests and goals for others, and usually ignored the self-serving ones asking only for personal welfare. The stays for visitors were very well organized. An unpleasant impression was often left by western “devotees”, worshippers who lost all consideration and reverence in the fierce battle for places in the front rows, close to the spiritual man. An obvious expression of spiritual egoism. Sathya Sai Baba was also subjected to the most denunciatory accusations and attacks, probably launched by jealous devotees. He died on Easter Sunday in 2011.

And then there are the countless beliefs of our time –

“I have to be well myself first before I can do anything for others.”

“Listen to your gut feeling!”

“Everything is energy and I send light and love to everyone” and much more.

None of this can be good. Hence this forum – put an end to self-centered spirituality!

How do you see it? What are your experiences on your spiritual path?

Feel free to post on this topic in the forum and we will enter into an exchange: discussion forum.