Best Of

I think this is more an opinion about spirituality than fact. Like more a belief of how we should be in the world rather than a delusion.

1. An excessive love of peace and quiet, to the point of no longer being able to function around ordinary people.

Speaking for myself, my experience is that people have a hard time being around me more than I do them because I don't fit the mold. Occasionally I'll find myself at a party and get in a conversation, everyone is in an excited sort of mood and then the vibe settles down and it gets weird.

2. An unwillingness to engage in society, to the point of refusing to work together for political issues, doing charitable work, or, being a useful member of the community.

Sure, yeah we are always tied in with society and its important to give back. During Buddha's time he had his monks go to society to collect alms and offer teachings.

3. A belief in the ultimate metaphysical importance of “spiritual things”: for example, believing that simply meditating for long periods of time makes the world a better place all by itself.

"All by itself" does a lot of work here. Doing spiritual work is like filling the cup, creating a place from which to operate. Not sure how many people have been to a monastery that radiates peace, where the feeling is palpable? My view is that these sorts of places are important to spread the value of spirituality.

4. Becoming obsessed with teaching what you have learned through meditation to other people,
5. whether or not they are capable of, or even interested in, learning it.

Yep, its important to meet people where they are. I think about planting seeds or offering information that may help move someone one inch closer to a healthy life than convincing them right now to drop everything and become a monk. To walk a spiritual path people need to come to it of their own accord through understanding or hope. By letting our own light shine we give others permission to do the same. And social effects transfer not only to people we directly interact with, studies of this effect show it passes as much as twice more, three degrees of separation. By offering our own drop and through the collective effort of others walking a spiritual path an impact is made.

5. Becoming addicted to altered states of consciousness and losing the ability to function in the world of ordinary people.

Addicted, what does that mean in this scenario? Is a hermit addicted to spirituality? It doesn't seem like enlightenment is a thing in the author's world. A difference in metaphysical world view about what is and how it all works. Like a monastery radiating peace, I've met spiritual teachers who do the same. These sorts of beings impact the world in a positive way that the kind person working at a food shelter doesn't.

@Lionduck said:
@Vastmind:
You are correct. Life is balance or more often, the attempts to create and maintain balance. I find myself in not so much an altered state as an enhanced state. A "Heightened Awareness" without being firmly grounded is delusion. Thus does an altered state, become illusion. When meditation become escape, it is no longer purposeful. It becomes the goal, the purpose for it's own sake. That leads to delusion,arrogance false awareness, frustration, and burnout.
Approach any endeavor the must be approached with a fresh, open mind. No matter the form of meditation , be it silent, walking or chanting . Instead of "Clearing our minds of thought or desires", we should endeavor clear our minds of clutter, or at least mute them. The random thoughts and monkey mind will come and go. The focus should remain on the purpose, the reason of our activity. And give ourselves grace. No one is perfect. Everyone, even the "Masters" slip from time to time. When we slip, step off the path fall down, we get back up, get back on the path and take the next step. Remember, when you fall, you are still advancing - falling forward.

Peace to all

This made me think of how I thought about arhats vs bodhisattvas when I got into the path and was forming my views. The arhat turns away from the world while the bodhisattva turns towards the world. They both pursue liberation, the path of the Buddha takes so much longer because they encompass the whole world within their spirituality.