The Great Pursuit

Why >>DO<< many people get "involved" (to some degree) with spiritual teachings: like Fourthway, Buddhism, Advaita, Christianity (not singling them out, there are hundreds of other ones)? It would be natural to think - especially if you'd never really thought about this before - that they do so, because their lives are perceived, either to be, meaningless, or painful in some way, or, they are driven by the pursuit of the unknown.

There are certainly other supposed reasons, but none of them get at the heart of the matter. They are all - just check with yourself - about some kind of "dis-satisfaction", and a desire to "cure it."

People do not pursue spiritual teachings for any reason whatsoever - no matter what they say. They also do not pursue food, air or shelter for any reason whatsoever. People and food, air, and shelter are part of the same thing - and one does not pursue the other, anymore than a fish pursues water. Without "the other" the fish, and the people, simply die off once and for all.

In fact, if one "finds themselves" pursuing a spiritual teaching, then they are absolutely no different - essentially - than one who "finds themselves" pursuing sports, music, politics, science or art. That is, there is no reason behind any of it, whatsoever.

Now, you can certainly disagree with the above, but, really, to what end would you be disagreeing? Would it be to prove the statements ill-conceived, or wrong, or to prove yourself more intelligent than the one who wrote them?

In any case, there is a very definite reason why pursuing any spiritual teaching at all - regardless whether you "think" (which is nothing more than belief, or worse, faith) your particular persuasion is better or more enlightened than some other - is absolutely pointless, and the sooner you get yourself cured from this "malady", the sooner you can start upon the Great Pursuit, which is Man's true destiny.