There are lots of blogs that explore topics related to optimal living — experiments in health, fitness, and productivity. I thought it would be interesting to explore pathways to a meaningful life by looking at the ideas of wise men and women, ancient and modern using that same experimental mindset.
I want to explore spiritual practices and habits that have demonstrated success in building joyful, meaningful, moral, good human lives.
I intend to look for people and communities who are exemplary, and then I want to work backwards to the lives practitioners have lived, the practices they used, and the beliefs and principles underpinning them.
I’ll unpack what each of the words — joyful, meaningful, moral, good —means for me. These are the foundation, but there will be aspects of spirituality I will look at, too, like care of the body, foodways, community, beauty, history.
Over the years, I’ve found useful teachings from all of the major religions. That means, inevitably, I’ll run into practices that are tied to specific belief systems that I don’t share. I intend to bring an open mind to each new tradition. I want to understand how those beliefs came to be and why they are meaningful to the people, traditions, and communities I profile.
Most of us are raised in a tradition of some kind without exposure to the rich diversity of spiritual practices in the world. You, like me, may have grown apart from the tradition of your upbringing. If so, you probably feel the absence that comes without grounding in ritual and community that connects us to our better selves. My experience is that most people need a spiritual practice. We need, as adults, to rediscover the tradition of our upbringing and make it new, or we need to find a new path … or make one.
I want to help you build your own spiritual life and practice by exposing you to the many practices in the world.
What traditions do I bring to the table? I’ve been a spiritual experimentalist for most of my life. I was raised in the Catholic Church, but my family wasn’t particularly devout (other than my grandfather, an amazing person I will write about here at some point). As a high school student, I read Roshi Phillip Kapleau’s Three Pillars of Zen, the Dhammapada, the Upanishads, Lao Tzu, Confucius, and parts of the Koran. These books opened my mind to people and ideas that shook me out of my sheltered Minnesota worldview and invited me to move beyond books into practice. I’ve practiced meditation and prayer with Jewish people, have dined with Hare Krishnas, have attended mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, debated with Unitarians, and have sat with Zen and Tibetan Buddhists. I was starting down a path I’ve never left, trying to answer two questions:
- What is the purpose of a human life?
- What is the best way to live?
What I’ve learned so far is that there are many really good answers to these questions. There are many paths that lead to a life well lived, a meaningful life, and there are more to be created. Religions are spiritual but also human, and they evolve over time. I hope you’ll join me on, let me know what you think, and offer me your own suggestions.
A final note: This blog is not cultural tourism. I have found the many communities I’ve been a part of over the years to be welcoming to those who come with sincerity and respect. I hope to bring sincerity, respect, and curiosity to every post. Also, gratitude.
Patrick O'Kelley 