To Sustain Ones Self

Both the writer and the Yogi strive for clarity. As Hemingway stated - there is no point writing it unless you can say it better - the aim of prose should be to eliminate the clutter, not compound it. This perhaps is never more true than today, in the age of pervasive information.  Not only are we inundated with ideas, half truths, opinions, propositions, and theories, the misinformation is a self sustaining organism; google searches unearth rumours and polish them as jewels; the modern day gold rush is for fame, notoriety, and the opportunity to escape oneself in the attention of another. Thus, we have variations claiming to be originals, in the name of sales, ambition, and escape. 

Hardly differentiated products are lauded for their supposed uniqueness, musicians parade gimmicks and master the art of catchiness, and words and ideas are reused, redoubled, and spread indiscriminately.  To write, then, is to not write, turning words transparent, so the reader sees life, not language.

Spiritual wisdom nourishes and inspires and in doing so cures, in part through prevention, sustaining our mental health and thus avoiding illness; however, we see now a tendency to treat this wisdom as a pain reliever, rather than a life concept. If an idea is a seed, too often we nibble and taste, forgetting to plant it. This is problematic for spiritual concepts are reservoirs for our consciousness; they provide a place for the mind to flow into, a reservoir we can tap and replenish, with each directed act of will. The goal of a spiritual practice is the practice, to be aware, engaged, and liberated.