{"id":20572,"date":"2018-07-25T16:19:11","date_gmt":"2018-07-25T23:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/?p=20572"},"modified":"2018-07-25T16:19:11","modified_gmt":"2018-07-25T23:19:11","slug":"a-zen-priest-suggests-three-rules-of-thumb-for-an-authentic-spiritual-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/2018\/07\/a-zen-priest-suggests-three-rules-of-thumb-for-an-authentic-spiritual-life.html","title":{"rendered":"A Zen Priest Suggests Three Rules of Thumb for an Authentic Spiritual Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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Three rules of thumb for an authentic spiritual life.<\/p>\n

1) You need some shut up time. If you\u2019re making noise all the time it is hard to pay attention, hard to notice the lessons and the lesson.<\/p>\n

2) You need some regularity. Doing it once might open your heart and eyes. Has happened. But most of us need to return and return and return.<\/p>\n

3) You need someone to check you. The brain is a great liar. We tell ourselves all sorts of stories about what we need and deserve, only some of which are true. Also, along the spiritual way we have lots of experiences. Mostly of limited or actually no value on the way. Someone who has walked the way before you, who you have some trust in, and who is willing to say the hard truth now and again, is worth their weight in gold.<\/p>\n