Slogan Twenty-nine

Abandon poisonous food.

            This slogan is a warning that what appears as appealing may instead be contaminated. Self-centeredness is the poison that taints what might otherwise nourish us. Like a picnic spread left too long in the sun, virtuous thoughts and actions can become spoiled. Rather than enjoying the natural gratification that comes from an act of kindness, we ruin it with selfish motives. Our spiritual practice becomes spiritual narcissism, separating us from others. As Judy Lief explains, such egoism is “a form of ingesting experience to fatten our own self-absorption.”

Photo: Amanita sp. - a genus that includes some of the deadliest species in the world and accounts for over 90% of mushroom fatalities.

            I remember the first yoga class I ever attended. My doctor had suggested I find a better way to handle the stress in my life, so a friend introduced me to her teacher. As I attempted to learn to the poses, it was obvious I wasn't very flexible or coordinated. I became agitated that older women in the class seemed to be more advanced than I was. As a result I pushed myself beyond what was physically comfortable or safe, because I didn't want to look like a novice. I paid for it the next day with sore muscles, but even more insane was that I’d defeated the purpose of going – to unwind and relax. In the same manner, I can reverse the good that might come from spiritual practice when self-centeredness breeds arrogance or a competitive attitude. That poisonous food is what my ego craves, yet it is devoid of spiritual nourishment.