*Each story will contain links to every story in the category, and to every other category
Besides all the other ways we could describe the Internet, we could certainly say it is a treasured tool for the super-inquisitive. Curious about something? Have you checked to see if it’s on the Internet? Wondering about future trends? How about
Well, if you are one of the super-inquisitive, why not go after some BIG questions?
The last time I typed the "meaning of life" into a search engine, the results informed me that I had 139,000 Web sites to visit. So, I could start surfing or I could try through some other means available on the Internet to learn
the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything
One could try a more "personal" approach rather than random surfing: meaning, one could begin at some Web site that already appeals more to oneself, personally, or one could try and contact some person out there via the Internet. The research for this article falls into both of these categories.
Over the years, I, personally, have become more familiar with the work of Eknath Easwaran and the Blue Mountain Meditation Center in Tomales, California, and I was wondering who answers the spiritual questions that the Center receives via email. I sent a few emails to the Center’s general email, and I received an email back from Mr. Robbie Nichols. He is one of the people at the Center who are responsible for replying to such emails and he was kind enough to answer my questions about how the Internet has impacted his work.
Mr. Nichols answers around 5 to 10 emails per day from a variety of people inquiring about the spiritual life and the Center. He also helps manage the Center’s administration, fundraising, retreats, presentations, and public programs the Center around the world. Since all of these responsibilities make him cover a lot of different "bases" in a day, Mr. Nichols compares himself with a "utility infielder" and admits: "Basically, I do what needs doing."
About half of his day is devoted to meetings, workshops, or other preparations, and then he typically spends the other half with the computer. He often uses the Web to research prospective sites for regional retreats, or to read articles on current events in religion and spirituality.
Mr. Nichols finds that his workdays are pretty similar to those before the Internet. He is pleased, however, that he can keep in touch with a wider circle of contacts through email, and that the Center can coordinate activities much more efficiently for about a hundred small groups following the Center's program. He also appreciates that he has gained a certain modicum of efficiency through using the Internet to do various researches.
"The Internet has provided some nice opportunities for us to make contact and keep in touch with people interested in spiritual growth. Several people have come to our retreats -- and turned out to be quite serious about meditation -- simply through finding our Web site."
"The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."
Albert Einstein
When asked about his experience with sharing spiritual beliefs via email, he describes it as essentially positive: “I love to
When asked about his experience with sharing spiritual beliefs via email, he describes it as essentially positive: “I love to do it -- it is a great and undeserved honor to be able to communicate some spiritual truths as I have heard them from Sri Easwaran. People are usually deeply grateful and there is a marvelous warmth that characterizes most of the correspondence. It's one of the most satisfying and meaningful things in my work."
When questioned about the efficacy of offering spiritual instruction online, Mr. Nichols replied that he finds it “usually effective.”He believes that 90% of the inquiries concerning spiritual matters that he receives via email can also be satisfied with an email.There are some cases, however, where the written word just doesn't provide enough of the human context.A few times, he has found that an email sounded alienated or hostile, when, in fact, it was just confused. When this happens, he makes it a point to call the person (if he knows them) right away.
“I think this should be a general rule with email: Don't get offended by what you read in an email -- if it sounds weird, take the time to follow up by phone or in person to make sure you haven't misread it.Because email is so quick and easy, people sometimes don't give it the thought it deserves, or they send something without reflection. This is a danger I'm always reminding myself about and trying to avoid."
Mr. Nichols sees the emails he sends along the same lines of the letters that have been used ever since ancient times to convey spiritual messages to earnest seekers.He is heedful; however, of how this sort of electronic correspondence could become overly facile and shallow because of the relative ease involved in its production.Therefore, he constantly reminds himself that spiritual letter writing is an ancient tradition with standards of people such as St. Paul, Maimonides, St. Theophan, and Mahatma Gandhi.These figures are his guides as a spiritual email writer, even though they themselves never even imagined the world of email.
Balancing out the appreciation that Mr. Nichols has for computers is his belief that the Internet has not made any significant change in the basics of spiritual growth. He purposes that people have experienced several problems due to the speed and artificial nature of Internet culture.He finds that this technology encourages society to move even faster, so any group that wants to affect society also has to keep up -- at least to some degree. Since slowing down is one of the Center’s points, and one of their goals is to help people slow down their minds, he has deep reservations about the Internet. He finds that it can be used well, but as a whole, he is not sure that it is an entirely positive development for our civilization.
"The spiritual world never changes -- the truths are timeless, and if one is to do a good job conveying spiritual advice the correspondence must lift the medium up towards the timeless, rather than dragging the message down to fit the medium."
