When trying to understand one's situational experiences, often the mind, which operates in polar relationships, tends to color something spiritual (usually because it feels uplifting) and some other element as carnal, profane, or somehow less important, perhaps void of spiritual content. However, while the mind may enjoy this sort of categorization, clearly such comes from getting stuck in the small picture. Remember, things are often not what they appear to be to the mind.

The term "spiritual" is really a term to denote the true nature of something. As you know, often the true nature is hidden under the powerful force of appearance. This can be confusing at first, since the mind may not yet be trained to look beyond the obvious. Whatever arises to the mind, is how something appears. For example, if you pass someone on the street, nod your head and say "Hello" to them and all you get back is a frown, it may appear that the person is angry at you. You see the signals that the face of the other is putting out, and the mind thinks, "Well, obviously, this person is angry. Otherwise he/she wouldn't frown at me that way."

What if the person you just passed was so preoccupied with some bad news that he/she just got that he/she didn't even hear your "Hello?" In this case, what seemed obvious does not reflect the true nature of what is going on for the other person. Perhaps that other just learned that a dear friend was killed in a car accident. Or, perhaps s/he just learned that their job was being eliminated. While many other scenarios could exist that could cause the person to frown and maybe not hear your "Hello," none is obvious in the moment you experience the other person. The best you can do is acknowledge what appears to your mind to be transpiring in the moment.

Indeed, since every being came forth from the Source of All Being, and since that Source is Infinite Light, then everyone you meet is encoded with a spark of the Divine within them. Now such is not always obvious when observing (and perhaps judging) the other individual. That is because the mind can at first only grasp at the appearance that arises before it. But as you know, two individuals can look at the same thing (say, a car accident) and give two completely different descriptions of what happened. You can readily account for this by recognizing the two observers were observing from two different experiential vantage points. That means that what appeared obvious to one may have been completely hidden from the other, and vice versa.

Most of you have heard Me say that it may not be so important to figure out what is "right" and what is "wrong." Rather, if one can simply determine what is, that one is actually much further ahead in the game of life. Anything that helps you come a little closer in contact to your true nature is, for you, "spiritual." For many, living on Earth is not particularly spiritual. But when one can live in accordance with his/her true nature, that is living a very "spiritual" life.

The whole idea of spiritual growth is learning to see through the conventions of mind to which one has become accustomed. Such changes the way in which one actually perceives his/her experiential realm. Thus, you recognize that something which appears only temporarily is most precious simply because of its temporary nature. As you learn more and more to see through appearances and touch the true nature of everything that arises, you cannot help but see you are spiritually engaged with everything you experience, literally all of the time.

Bearing this in mind, you also become aware of how totally useless it is to designate anything as "more spiritual" than all else. Rather, it would actually behoove you to just look carefully into all that arises in the realm of appearances, recognizing things are likely not just as they appear. Knowing that the mind, when left to its own devices, will not try to see beyond the appearance, you drop the appearance and try to go deeper into the mystery of what is actually arising versus what appears to be arising. The real question is not "What is this appearance before me?" Rather, the real question is, "What is Life asking of me in this very moment?" When you learn to ask that question, you lead yourself into a different kind of seeing, and bit by bit, you instruct the mind to become less and less fascinated with appearances.

As far as what it looks like to see everything as spiritual, you need to know that this cannot be so easily and glibly answered. When you actually see everything as "spiritual," they do not look "spiritual." You are simply aware of their true nature, and the impermanence of how they now appear. Therefore, their momentary arising becomes very precious to you. In a word, they seem supremely, exquisitely, magnificently ordinary.