Black Spirituality Religion : Do You Seek Personal or Collective Returns ?

[Destee]

Peace and Blessings,

As a result of this thread, Does The Return Justify the Investment, i'm thinking ... we might want to share with each other ... what kind of return we are expecting from our investment.

Over the years, my perspective has broadened considerably. I now tend to automatically think of the collective, over my own self. For truly, when i think of my own self, that includes my children, their children, and all who's gone before us, instantly going from self, to the collective. It has been a journey getting here, and i don't imagine everyone has traveled the same road, so i don't expect the same from all of us. I'm just saying, this is how i think, and thinking this way, makes me think of our collective contribution to "religion / spirituality" ... our expectations of it ... our collective return on the investment ... as it stands right now.

Yes, i have my own personal returns that i can speak of. God has blessed me abundantly. I often say, i am blessed beyond compare. I could list hundreds of things, even thousands, proving that i am highly favored of God.

But that does not speak to, or change, the current collective condition and mistreatment of my people, around the world.

So when i think on collective return vs collective investment, it appears that we are coming up way short.

So it makes me begin to question, if "religion / spirituality" is meant to be the answer for us collectively ... since it has not done that as of yet ... and ones much greater than i, more committed than i could ever be, gladly shedding blood for, killing for, and dying for, "religion / spirituality" ... have gone before me ... and even still ... our collective condition is dire.

Maybe "religion / spirituality" is meant only to be personal ... since we all have personal testimonies.

What do you think ... what do you expect ... personal or collective returns ... and are you receiving that?



Destee

 

[anAfrican]

the problem stems from attempting to lump them together.

"religions" seek personal returns. awareness of "personal" attainment of "Spirituality" brings the realization that the return is Collective. it also expands what one considers to be "the collective" to include all Life ... even that which knows not itself to be Life. (for is it not said that "all things come from the Divine Night/Black"? which definition of "all things" excludes anything?)

working only for the Collective automatically includes me, so there is no longer any sense in seeking "personal" stuff.

So it makes me begin to question, if "religion / spirituality" is meant to be the answer for us collectively ... since it has not done that as of yet ... and ones much greater than i, more committed than i could ever be, gladly shedding blood for, killing for, and dying for, "religion / spirituality" ... have gone before me ... and even still ... our collective condition is dire.

Spirituality would preclude this shedding of blood and such; religions allow this mistaken perspective to flourish without the awareness, or acknowledgement of one's awareness, that such negates all that "religion" supposedly stands for.

Maybe "religion / spirituality" is meant only to be personal ... since we all have personal testimonies.

the "practise" of "religion" also blinds us to the actuality of "collective" since it is a "personal investment". Spirituality is the collective. it's just that it is not real "popular" because it would mess up the "leaders'" "control" of things when all individuals KNOW that there is only the Collective. without the "personal" touch, folks would know that "dog eat dog", "get mine FIRST" is not the way it works.

What do you think ... what do you expect ... personal or collective returns ... and are you receiving that?

"expect"? maybe, "prayerfully" my next breath. again, i, "personally" subsume any "personal expectations" in KNOWing that such will be automatically taken care of by fully devoting myself to the Spirituality of the Collective needs.

oh YES!! i'm receiving all that with every breath!! the Growth and Healing of this Collective Community is only a small bit of the Blessings that i get on a regular!!

 

[anAfrican]

well, fine:

"in my humble opinion, of course."

 

[yohance]

Whether you seek only personal or only collective returns, I think there is no right or wrong about that.

I don't think spirituality is the et al for all of us. Some people aren't cut out for spirituality.

Collective returns serve their purpose, but personal returns are most important for me.

 

[Bootzey]

I expect a personal dividend. Not because I'm antisocial or selfish, but because what I'm looking for is not what the majority is looking for. I seek enlightenment, not lottery numbers. Before I beseech the Energy for anything I do it for myself. I don't wait... I work.