The Importance of Spiritual Boundaries

Send us Fan MailThe spiritual path asks you to open up, and the more you do so, the more you feel everything: your tenderness, things you’ve been avoiding, your deepest longings. It’s important to stay open to all of this but being open takes judgment. I know people say you shouldn’t judge but I say, hell yes, you’ve got to judge. The deepening vulnerability of the journey requires discernment and self-protection.In this episode, I explore the fourth principle from my new book, Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics: We Are Boundaried. I discuss healthy boundaries, the importance of relying on teachers who can introduce you to your own wisdom (not theirs alone), and a traditional teaching called the Seven Treasures that help us establish protection, agency, and trust in our knowing.Highlights• Why boundaries matter• Meditation as ground, path, and fruition• The three qualities cultivated through practice: compassion, clarity, and courage• Three teachers: outer, inner, and secret• The line between a community that supports you and one that seeks to take you over• The Seven Treasures as a framework for protection and self-trust• A listener's question about progress in meditation, and where to actually look for signs your practice is workingMusicFor the after party I'm playing "Who Do You Love" by Bo Diddley. It's deep and full of swagger, from one of the true original rockers.Have a listen.My new book is now availableInexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics, is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which go counter to conventional wisdom. Learn more and buy your copy here.Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Send me your questions: You can keep the conversation going or send your reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.New 7-Day ProgramA new 7-day programSeven Days of Inexplicable Magic is an immersion into what happens when practice gets off the cushion and into the rest of your life. It follows the arc of the new book, and I'm co-leading it with my friend, Crystal Gandrud.Come find out more.Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat Come practice with me at Drala Mountain Center, up in the Colorado Rockies, for a retreat on the bodhisattva path: what it takes to live with real courage and an open heart in the middle of our ordinary, chaotic, beautiful lives. We'll talk honestly about how to recognize and rouse basic sanity right where we already are. Everyone's welcome, and you don't need any experience to come.Learn more and register.Learn more and register here.If you enjoyed this episode:Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path.For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me.If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project