By Stephen Russell-Lacy.
Many people find that their religion both guides and strengthens their lives. Prayer, ritual and faith for them are crucial components of their journey. Others speak of a non-religious inner path to meaning and happiness.
Universal spiritual ideas
Professor of psychiatry, philosophy and anthropology, Roger Walsh has observed a common way of thinking across all the world’s major spiritual traditions. Belief in:
- Two realms of reality – a realm of physical objects and a realm of consciousness or spirit, not limited by space or time.
- A divine spark within us usually said to be inseparable from the source and foundation of all reality
- The improvement one’s spiritual nature as the greatest aim of one’s human existence.
- Our ability to recognise these claims testing them against our direct experience.
I would say that both religious and non-religious alike can be on a common inner path of personal growth. One that can end individually in finding one’s place in a greater whole. Furthermore, although this potential state of mind includes a sense of self and pleasure, it also goes beyond them to embrace the universal source of compassion and wisdom.
“Spirituality means knowing that our lives have significance in a context beyond a mundane everyday existence at the level of biological needs that drive selfishness and aggression. It means knowing that we are a significant part of a purposeful unfolding of Life in our universe.” Dr Maya Spencer (Royal College of Psychiatrists)
Across the world we differ as to how we think of this purposeful unfolding Life – this universal source of compassion and wisdom. But the person who follows an inner path recognises that there is something bigger than oneself and something more to being human than just the bodily senses.
Picture of our destination
Those who think in terms of a universal spiritual destination say this can be a state of beauty, compassion, peace and justice.
It would be like being on a high mountain above the clouds directly receiving the warm and bright rays of the sun. At the summit people feel the Source of higher consciousness and directly perceive its life. However, lower down the slopes, the warmth of love and light of wisdom from the sun’s rays can be somewhat obscured by clouds.
Notice, although we all potentially reach the same summit, we have to set off from different points on the perimeter base. The outer pathways can’t be the same because we each begin from a different place. Each person sets off with their own inherited pre-disposition, home upbringing, social background, religious culture.
However, if we fully ascend, according to this picture, we reach the same high summit. In other words the ascent from lower to higher ground reflects a common process. The external routes may differ but the inner path is the same.
If we are indeed on the same journey, no matter what our culture or religion, then how do we each develop inwardly? What does this inner path involve?
Common stages of personal growth
One way of understanding the inner path is in terms of Swedenborg’s idea of personal growth. He calls this ‘regeneration’.
He says that of ourselves there is no good in us. This is because like the teaching of theistic religion, all that is good is said to come from our spiritual Source.
Swedenborg’s account also assumes we embark on our inner journey being born with a common flaw. This he says is a continuing tendency towards self-orientation. The position he takes is very different to that of conservative Christian theology, which sees human nature as totally depraved and steeped in sin.
Instead he maintains we do have naturally occurring good individual inclinations that sit aside a tendency to behave in self-serving ways. We remain incomplete in spirit if we do not begin to resist self-centred inclinations. Personal growth (he calls this regeneration) is thus the on-going unceasing process whereby our character transforms. I see regeneration as the inner path we need to take if we wish to reach the mountain peak.
Our personal journey is of course a cyclic process of ups and downs that we all experience in life as we go through troubles, deal with setbacks, and face our personal demons. However, my understanding of his books is that this cyclic process has three general stages.
- Head change
- Hands change
- Heart change
Head change
The first step on the inner path is acknowledging as true what is good in life. This may involve interest in learning about ethical and spiritual principles.
Swedenborg refers to this as a reformed understanding of what is good and true. He suggests that we all do this because as humans we have the faculty of rationality which allows us to see things in a higher light.
Hands change
The second general stage is trying to live one’s life differently according to our new lights as well as in line with any good natural inherited disposition. So, this means looking out for the needs of others in line with one’s understanding of what is good and true. Consequently, this is doing useful things at work and in the home because of what one conscience tells us: sacrificing time for a good cause: learning self-discipline by following a regular spiritual practice.
Swedenborg says we can exercise personal choice within limits due our human faculty of liberty of intention due to free-will.
Heart change
Being close to the source of universal love, compassionate concern for others motivates one’s actions. This heartfelt state automatically comes with wise intuitions. It is a higher state of consciousness that requires no religious faith to guide conduct. A conscience for what is right is any longer necessary because one has a direct perception of what is good and true in any circumstance.
Summary
As the person applies their understanding of truth then a divine power from beyond themselves can gradually improve their character. It results in less signs of egoism, greed, avarice, vanity and more signs of humility, thoughtfulness, care, and contentment.
There are thus three universal stages of ascent up the mountain of universal spirituality which Swedenborg describes as ‘degrees of regeneration’.
“He is first in truth and not in any good of life from truth; next he is in the good of life from truth, but not yet from good; afterward, when he has been regenerated, he is in the good of life from good, and he then perceives truth from good, and multiplies it in himself; these are the degrees of regeneration.”
Copyright 2021 Stephen Russell-Lacy
Author of Heart, Head & Hands Swedenborg’s perspective on emotional problems
