The reality-based sense of cosmic significance needs to be distinguished from this-worldly, here-and-now importance - especially in this world where cosmic significance is not just denied but regarded as a literal impossibility.
There is a corrupting snare for anyone who discovers the reality of his own spiritual significance; which is in becoming convinced that he can promote the same insights in others "if only" he had more influence, wealth, status or whatever. The vision arises are parlaying worldly- into spiritual-success.
This is also a problem for genuine feelings of cosmic significance - in that they seem often to lead to worldly grandiosity - such as when the spiritual becomes worldly, when the spiritual leader develops a business, a following, formal disciples, a "cult", or even a religion.
This was not always a wrong turn; because in the past there was not such a strong distinction between institutional and spiritual reality - but now the institutional is inexorably mundane, and powerfully corrupting; as may be observed in all of the Western churches.
4 comments:
It is possible to spiritually awaken others to their true natures, and it is a good thing to do, but: Every organisation that becomes big enough these days, eventually becomes corrupted in one way or an other. I don't know exactly how or why, but it is observably the case. Beware of that when striving for any kind of profane victory
@H "I don't know exactly how or why" - If you have ever operated in a bureaucracy, you will know why - the answer is expediency - primarily your own personal expediency, but also any institution is part of the system, which makes many demands, and includes many incentives and punishments.
"Cosmic significance versus personal worldly significance"
One of the major issues of life. Our lives do have significance, we're not just widgets in a social engineering program. But how to put that significance into practice? That's what everyone has to find a way to do.
@NLR - Yes indeed. And, I would say, the practice into which significance must be "put" is our own thinking.
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