Over the years I have come to the conviction that the central truth of and for
spiritual practice has to do with paying attention and to developing the resources
to be with, to be present to, "what is." Central to this spiritual practice is growing
in one's capacity and ability to be non-judgmental.
Let me immediately add that so far in my own practice the best I've been able
to do here is be aware of when I'm being judgmental - which sometimes is a lot. If
we do not develop the capacity to be present, to see what is, to discriminate
between what is wise and useful and what isn't; we become like the captain on
the bridge of the Titanic - we are iceberg bound, headed for destruction. Or,
another way of putting it: we will fail to live the lives we were meant to live and
will live shallowly, out of the ego, directed by the rules and regulations of our
tribe, many of which we are blissfully ignorant of.