Seeking & the Spiritual Buffet
Due to various causes and conditions in one's life, be it trauma, a drug-induced spiritual awakening, a close-to-death experience, fond religious experiences from childhood, or natural karmic unfolding, a person may come to realize there is something more to life than the mainstream approach to happiness through accumulating accomplishments and momentary sensual pleasure. At this point, this person becomes what many call a Spiritual Seeker. Seekers often try out a variety of spiritual and religious groups, artistic modes, and outdoor experiences; this is commonly called the Spiritual Buffet: a person tries a little bit of everything, pulling from the top of the pile. Reading often includes a similar type of variety. This is an extremely enjoyable approach to spirituality, though something underneath nags and feels incomplete.
The Spiritual Patchwork
For those whose search does not feel satisfied with the buffet, the seeking penetrates more deeply. They whittle down the variety of activities into a few primary ones and build relationships with communities and sets of teachings and methods. The reading about and practice of contemplative methods increases in priority and one may develop a daily routine of meditation, reading, Yoga, hiking, etc.. A spiritual mentor may be found and there are occasional check-ins of a casual sort.
Commitment
For many religious and spiritual people, one primary set of teachings, a community, and a spiritual mentor(s) will be found. The seeker has found their place, their home. In this realm of commitment, spirituality ceases to be a purely pleasurable experience and one's commitment to their path includes being willing to face the darkness that arises when one's shadow self is reflected in their interactions with the community, the teachings, and the teachers. Many resistances arise and these are spiritual challenges laid before the student to overcome with great faith, great doubt, and great determination. Here, other spiritual activities may accompany the primary path, but their prevalence is minimal in comparison.
Devotion
Very few on the spiritual path are called to or are willing to give up everything in order to find their true nature. This is the realm of surrender, continuous practice, dissolution of all false identities, and many dark nights of the soul. The relationship between teacher and student is paramount. One's relationship to the phenomenal world and the activities of mainstream life are in perpetual flux. The student will have to face many uncomfortable experiences as the ego fights to maintain its place in the world; or in other words, as the individual releases emotional baggage and the defense structures that suppressed those buried emotions are allowed to dissipate. One's priority in life is spirituality, so much so that even the word spirituality no longer makes any sense, as life and spirituality are synonymous.
