Here is a short excerpt from my new book Pocket Peace: Effective Practices for Enlightened Living published by Tarcher/Penguin in February, 2010. It addresses the concept of spiritual practice as a daily activity that can have great meaning in our lives.
The key to the value of the pocket practices is understanding them as practices. They are not something to believe in, as a religion or a spiritual tradition, nor are they a panacea, a cure-all to eliminate personal issues or the ills of the world. A practice is something we do. It’s not about codes, philosophies, or dogmas. A practice can never be assumed to be learned. We may get better at it, but we must always practice the practice if it is to be useful, just as we must walk the talk if it is to be meaningful.
An advanced spiritual practitioner can still become sad, angry, ill, and disappointed. We cannot change much of what comes at us in life, and we don’t try to eliminate feelings and emotions, but we can change our responses to, and experience of, life’s situations. The importance of this type of practice is understood when we realize that the very quality of our lives is determined by how we experience the events, situations, and conditions within and around us.
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