Healing and Hypnotherapy Volume 5, Issue -2, 1 August 2020 | Page 20

7. The trap of avoiding everyday responsibilities
Some people get so infatuated with the spiritual path that they avoid dealing
with ordinary, everyday affairs. This form of escapism can lead to leeching
off others, not paying bills, evading taxes, obsessing with “living off the
grid,” etc. When avoiding everyday responsibilities is worn as a badge of
being consciously elevated or “more spiritual” this too is a form of egotism in
disguise. Avoiding ordinary responsibilities which are not perceived as being
“spiritual enough” can also be a form of distraction that the ego uses to limit
spiritual growth. The more concerned and obsessed you are with living an
outwardly “spiritual” looking life, the more distanced from your inner work
you become. Sometimes we need to feed the sharks to keep the calm and
live balanced lives.
Remember the old Zen saying: “Before Enlightenment: chop wood, carry
water; after Enlightenment: chop wood, carry water.” We need to be humble
and recognise that ordinary daily life is the perfect place to spiritually grow
and mature.
8. The trap of self-victimisation
Soon after we experience a spiritual awakening and wake up to the insanity
of the world, it is common for us to get stuck in self-victimisation. We may
start to perceive the world as a “prison” and other people as the “captives”
or even “capturers.” The shock of awakening may send us spiralling into
anxiety and paranoia. Inevitably, we may start feeling like victims resulting
in us blaming other people and the higher powers for how we feel.
The spiritual trap of self-victimisation can be seen a lot on social media
which often tends to become a pity party for spiritual fledglings. At the end
of the day, we need to see that it is actually our thoughts that cause us to
suffer, not other people or situations. Once we can take self-responsibility