Gambling And Spiritual Awakening

The Oxford Dictionary defines religion as “belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power… a particular system of faith… a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.” Technically speaking, gambling is not a religion, but in principle it certainly apes one.

Spiritual Though not scientifically understood, the phenomena of having a “spiritual awakening” can be a powerful force in relapse prevention and improving clients’ general quality of life after leaving treatment. To nurture our clients’ spirituality, we hold weekly individual spiritual counseling, group study of spiritual texts. One of the problems with the idea of a spiritual awakening, however, is the lack of a clear definition. According to Deepak Chopra, awakening happens when you are no longer living in a dream world where you filter everything through your ego and focusing on the future and the past. A spiritual awakening is what happens in the period of heightened awareness right after a soul growth period. The journey towards a place of clarity and truth in the soul is often marked with stepping stones and shifts in your overall state of inner being and external environment.

Lady Luck is its superstitious deity. It is not in God that the gambler trusts, but in money. Gambling is borne of covetousness, which the Bible says is idolatry. Gamblers love gaming and practice it with intense devotion.

In Seducing America: Is Gambling a Good Bet, Rex M. Rogers insightfully writes:

“It’s Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. People by the thousands from all walks of life are worshipping at the First Church of Hucksterism. They’re setting aside the problems of life, looking for hope and a sense of well-being. They gamble religiously. Money goes into slot machines rather than offering plates.

“The casino is more economically and racially diverse than the typical church. No one is turned away. Gender doesn’t mean much at the roulette wheel. People ‘pray’ together in small groups around the blackjack or poker tables, or they express themselves singularly at the slots or sportsbook monitors. The ‘communion wine’ is free and flows freely.

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“From Atlantic City to the Mississippi coast, from Midwestern riverboats to Las Vegas, Sunday morning at the casino is no different than any other daybreak.”

Gambling also has its prophets. These prophets are lawmakers, directors of charities, business interests, and the media. They earnestly and boldly proclaim gambling’s promises of salvation. With oratory as fabulous as any televangelist who preaches the Gospel, they proclaim:

Do you feel overburdened with taxation? Gambling is a practical political means for raising revenue without taxation. It will save us in our hour of need. Gambling is neutral and completely voluntary. It’s a matter of free-will. The choice is up to you. But if Lady Luck smiles on you with fortune, a mansion and a paradise of treasures unknown can be yours. Legalized gambling advances the virtuous cause of charities. It assists the government with cutting back the costs of law enforcement and the courts by eliminating illegal forms of gaming driven by formidable sources of corruption. Legalized gambling is a great provider of jobs. It can inspire a depressed and broken economy. O the blessed wonders and unsearchable riches of gambling.

Somebody say Hallelujah! Not!

The conversion rate to gambling has been astounding. It’s difficult for younger generations to comprehend that less than 50 years ago, the public generally rejected it.

Rogers notes the way things were.

“You had one of three choices: Either you got involved in some kind of illegal gambling, you traveled to Las Vegas or scattered racetracks, or you participated in some social or friendly gambling in a variety of competitive games. Today that’s not the case,” says Rogers. “Beginning with lotteries in the sixties and followed by casinos in the nineties. Americans have plunged headlong into legalized gambling in virtually every form. Gambling that was once a social taboo, or at least limited to certain leisure expressions in restricted areas, is now an accepted part of everyday life. It’s as easy as buying milk. Just pick up a lottery ticket at the convenience store.”

While preachers were reaching out – live streaming and putting their sermons online because of COVID 19 prohibitions on mass gatherings – the Raleigh News and Observer reports the gaming industry was also reaching out – providing ways for people to wager their earnings from home. You could bet on Russian table tennis, soccer in Belarus, rugby in Australia, the number of page views for a porn site, and even camel races in Mongolia.

And there was no lack of attendance or participation. Dave Mason, the brand manager for BetOnline.ag told the N&O, “Our casino and poker [internet] room numbers are through the roof. They are breaking records.”

There is no insistence by government officials on separation of church and state when it comes to the religion of gambling. There is no hostility or tension between the two. Forty-five states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have state-sanctioned lotteries. The government welcomes, loves, and partners with gambling.

Would that America experienced a great spiritual awakening as pervasive over the culture as wagering has become – a movement of God so powerful that government embraced Christianity like it has gambling – as a trusted friend and not an enemy – a movement so profound that our houses of worship were overflowing with congregants who took their faith as seriously as the compulsive gambler does his next bet.

Gambling is a false religion. Its prophets tout a message of false profits. Its social costs are always higher than its tax revenues. Gambling is not merely a voluntary matter, for its success in billions of dollars is dependent upon enslaving millions, robbing them of their psychological and financial freedom. It draws money away from businesses which provide a better return for the economy than what they take out of it. Legalized gambling doesn’t reduce corruption but supplies it with respectability, and thereby enables it, increasing law enforcement and welfare costs. And while it may provide jobs, it also works as a disincentive to industry, a strong work ethic, and personal savings. Worse still, whether one is a winner or a loser, gambling dissuades one from a life of faith in God.

What kind of religion takes more from its adherents than it gives? – a counterfeit religion – a devilish one – a misguided faith.

Don’t be deceived. Gambling serves as an evil substitute for true religion.

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Rev. Mark H. Creech is executive director of the Raleigh-based Christian Action League of North Carolina Inc.

Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth.

—Adyashanti, American spiritual teacher, author, speaker

Enlightenment is defined as 'the state of having understanding'; consciousness as 'the state of being aware.'

Enlightened consciousness, then, is a phrase that might be interpreted as 'the understanding of awareness.' The term—and the philosophy itself—carries infinite layers of meaning. Each layer adds depth, nuance, shades of meaning that vary among individuals.

The definition varies because each of us is a spark in an infinite universe, unique and shaped by our experiences.

But it is also true that our Selves (intentionally capitalized!) are interconnected in a cosmic weaving beyond comprehension.

That very incomprehensibility forms the path to awareness of the infinite. It's a journey of spiritual growth that fundamentally changes who you are.

Because the journey inward and the resultant expansion of consciousness are inherently individualized, let's examine some of the commonalities, some of the sights, and some of the rewards.

Let us seek not the what but the how and why. Then you can decide if you're ready for an awakening like nothing you've ever experienced.

Fear nothing.

What is the Self?

You may be wondering about your 'Self' as opposed to the infinitely more common 'yourself.'

Your Self, on the other hand, is a tributary of the energy of the collective consciousness that exists in your physical form and mind. It's the sum of your

• experiences
• successes
• failures
• triumphs
• fears
• morality
• beliefs
• perspectives
• creative energy
• awareness

It's what makes you, you.

It's the Self, capital S, that's the subject of our conversation here.

Your Self and my Self are separate, but they're also joined. The concept may sound simple to you or it may sound terribly complex. That journey toward understanding is what matters.

As soon as you tell yourself, 'I have arrived. I am enlightened' you've lost something.

That seems rather mysterious and grandiose, doesn't it? Let's for the sake of simplicity accept the absence of a finish line in this quest and press on.

Separating Self-Help From Enlightened Consciousness

The self-improvement industry is a $9.6 billion market. Surely we can agree that anything—book, seminar, movie, website, coaching—that encourages you to look inside yourself is of great personal benefit.

But the lion's share of self-help devotees seem to be looking for business success, physical beauty, a can't-miss gambling method, more friends, financial gain: external improvements that contradict the self of the label.

This focus, skewed as it is toward tangible stuff, is shifting as people are more and more looking for change within themselves.

The search for enlightened consciousness—or living deliberately, spiritual awakening, aligned living, conscious living: call it what you will—is an intensely personal walk. It is, in fact, a journey of discovery that is its own prize.

To view enlightenment as a destination rather than a gloriously wandering odyssey of continuous self-discovery is to make the journey much harder for yourself than it needs to be.

Because we all have a different starting point, we all travel a different path. But as with many activities, there are similarities that, when recognized, help us along the way.

Words of Caution, Words of Encouragement

Someone who mocks your declared objective of enlightened consciousness is probably someone you should shed from your life. Negativity must be expunged.

It's possible this person considers his or her motivation purely selfless. If this turns out to be true, you may realize the very person trying to stop your growth needs your help.

Opening yourself to this possibility is in itself a step toward awareness. It is a symptom, if you will, of the beginnings of intentional release into the infinite.

There's a very real red flag you must watch out for. It's not at all uncommon, and once you recognize it, you can make a conscious choice to buckle down and reset your priorities.

The danger is becoming that person who, desperate to quit smoking, chooses to instead wear an armload of nicotine patches for forty years.

The danger is becoming addicted to self-help. To read book after book; attend seminar after seminar; watch video after video; study under master after master—

—But to never apply what you've learned!

In other scenarios, the condition is sometimes known as analysis paralysis. You find yourself incapable of moving forward until you feel you've researched every atom of every how-to in existence.

It's fear that drives this, but it's in no way an irrational fear. Think about it:

Change is hard. Starting a new job, buying a new car, or worst of all, moving house, are external changes.

How much harder, how much more frightening, is the change within?

It takes great courage to bare your Self so you can scrutinize the most hidden bits. By deciding to embark on a journey into the unknown, you have already displayed more power than you know.

Spirituality ≠ Religion

It's important to understand a fundamental truism here. When we use the term 'spiritual,' we're not referring to any divinity of any polytheistic, monotheistic, agnostic, or even mystic system of religious expression.

Instead, we are referring to that eternal ocean of higher power from which all universal energy flows. If it helps, you can call this divinity, or Divinity, if you prefer.

The important point is to separate the idea of the truly spiritual from 'organized religion.' Though these aren't always mutually exclusive, it's critical to comprehend them so in order to begin work on spiritual consciousness.

The Road to Spiritual Awakening

Before you can begin the inward-directed examination necessary for enlightened consciousness, you need tools for your travel bag.

You need access to an appropriate vocabulary to describe, even if only for yourself, what you experience.

You need to know what to expect.

Most importantly, you need to learn how to get your house in order before you seek to knock down all its restrictive walls.

In short, you need a guide. You probably need a guide. Farbeit from me to say you can't auto-enlighten.

But like almost any endeavor that involves leaving a here to journey toward a there, a partner who has been there before and notched some trees along the path can be an enormous asset.

Baby Steps

The many and varied benefits of meditation are well documented.

But not all meditation is the same.

Gambling And Spiritual Awakening Spiritual

The emptying of the mind, releasing yourself into the limitless divine, is fundamental in the journey toward enlightened consciousness.

Gambling And Spiritual Awakening Quotes

This involves non-physical perception intended to still the mind. Only in this boundless quietude are we able to master the mind.

Gambling And Spiritual Awakening Definition

In this way, we are able to recognize, and if necessary, reinterpret, events in our lives that have shaped our thinking.

In the re-examination, then, we can dispose of judgments, prejudices, and opinions that distract us from taking positive control over our lives.

Conversely, the conduit between our Selves and the universe opened by absolute stillness may lead you to relinquish that same control in favor of the peace, compassion, and love of the effortless state of being.

Now What?

The spiritual awakening of enlightened consciousness is an ongoing pilgrimage along an ever-widening spiral of awareness. It connects you to your newly discovered deepest Self, to the universe, and to the rest of humanity.

And remember: Your journey and your awarenesses will look different than those of fellow seekers of deliberate living.

Are you ready for the journey?