Faith and Facebook: The Spiritual Pitfalls of an Online Existence

spnadmin · #1 (**permalink**) 05-Mar-2011, 07:50 AM

Yasmin Mogahed

Yasmin Mogahed is an internationally published writer and instructor of communications.
Posted: February 28, 2011 10:00 PM

We live in an iWorld. Surrounded by iPhones, iPads, MYspace, YOUtube, the focus is clear: Me, my, I. One need not look far to see this obsession with the self. In order to sell, advertisers must appeal to the ego. For example, many ads appeal to the part of us that loves power and being in charge. DirectTV tells you: "Don't watch TV, direct TV!" Yogurtland says: "You rule! Welcome to the land of endless yogurt possibilities, where you rule the portions, the choices and the scene."

But advertisers aren't the only ones who appeal to our ego. There is a global phenomenon that provides a breeding ground and platform for that ego. And it's called Facebook. Now, I'll be the first to assert that Facebook can be a powerful tool for good. It is, like many other things, what you make of it. A knife can be used to cut food which feeds the hungry, or it can be used to kill someone. Facebook can be used for great good -- after all it was Facebook that helped facilitate the toppling of a dictator. Facebook can be used as a powerful tool to organize, call, remind and unite. Facebook can also be used to strengthen our connection to God and to each other ... or Facebook can be used to strengthen the hold of our ego.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/scitech/34728-faith-facebook-spiritual-pitfalls-online-existence.html

The Facebook phenomenon is an interesting one. In each and every one of us is an ego. It is the part of ourselves that must be suppressed (if we are to avoid Anakin's fate of turning to the dark side, that is). The danger of feeding the ego is that, as the ego is fed, it becomes strong. When it becomes strong, it begins to rule us.

The ego is the part of us that loves power. It is the part that loves to be seen, recognized, praised, and adored. Facebook provides a powerful platform for this. It provides a platform by which every word, picture, or thought I have can be seen, praised, 'liked'. As a result, I begin to seek this. But then it doesn't just stay in the cyber world. I begin even to live my life with this visibility in mind. Suddenly, I live every experience, every photo, every thought, as if it's being watched, because in the back of my mind I'm thinking, "I'll put it on Facebook." This creates a very interesting state of being, almost a constant sense that I am living my life on display. I become ever conscious of being watched, because everything can be put up on Facebook for others to see and comment on.

More importantly, it creates a false sense of self-importance, where every insignificant move I make is of international importance. Soon I become the focus, the one on display. The message is: I am so important. My life is so important. Every move I make is so important. The result becomes an even stronger me-focused world, where I am at the center.

As it turns out, this result is diametrically opposed to the Reality of spiritual existence. The goal of that existence is to realize the Truth of God's greatness and my own insignificance and need before Him. The goal is to take myself out of the center and put Him there instead. But Facebook perpetuates the illusion of the exact opposite. It strengthens my belief that because of my own importance, every inconsequential move or thought should be on display. Suddenly what I ate for breakfast or bought at the grocery store is news important enough to publish. When I put up a picture, I wait for compliments; I wait for acknowledgement and recognition. With the number of likes or comments, even physical beauty becomes something that can now be quantified. When I put up a post, I wait for it to be 'liked'. And I am ever conscious of -- and even compete in -- the number of "friends" I have. (Friends, here, is in quotation marks because many people don't know 80% of their "friends" on Facebook.)

Facebook also strengthens another dangerous focus: the focus on other people, what they're doing, what they like. What they think of me. Facebook feeds the preoccupation with others' assessment of me. Soon, I enter the orbit of the creation. Inside that orbit, my definitions, my pain, my happiness, my self-worth, my success and my failure is determined by the creation. When I live in that orbit, I rise and fall with the creation. When the people are happy with me, I'm up. When they're not, I fall. Where I stand is defined by people. I'm like a prisoner because I have given up the keys to my happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and disappointment to the people to hold.

Once I enter and live in the orbit of the creation -- rather than the orbit of God -- I begin to use that currency. See, the currency of God's orbit is: His pleasure or His displeasure, His reward or His punishment. But, the currency of the orbit of creation is: the praise and criticism of people. So, as I enter deeper and deeper into that orbit, I covet more and more of its currency, and I fear more and more of its loss. While I'm playing Monopoly, for example, I covet more and more of its' currency. And it feels great to be 'rich' for a moment. But when the game is over, what can I buy in the Real world with Monopoly money?

The human currency of praise is Monopoly money. It feels great for a moment to collect, but when the game is over, it's worthless. In the Reality of this life and the next, it's worthless. But the deeper and deeper I enter into that orbit, the more I become consumed with gaining human praise, approval and recognition. The more I enter that orbit, the more I fear loss -- loss of face, loss of status, loss of praise, loss of approval.

But the more I fear the people, the more I become enslaved. True freedom only comes when I let go of the fear of anything and anyone other than God.

In a profound Prophetic teaching, a man came to the Prophet and said: "O Messenger of God, direct me to an act, which if I do, God will love me and people will love me." He said: "Detach yourself from the world, and God will love you. Detach yourself from what is with the people, and the people will love you."

Ironically, the less we chase after the approval and love of the people, the more we gain it. The less needy we are of others, the more people are drawn to us and seek our company. This teaches us a profound Truth. Only by breaking out of the orbit of the creation, can we succeed with both God and people.

So while Facebook is indeed a powerful tool, let it be a tool of your freedom -- not a tool of your servitude to yourself and the assessment of others.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yasmin..._b_828928.html

spnadmin · #2 (**permalink**) 06-Mar-2011, 06:28 AM

I was extremely moved by a comment just posted by a new member. I will not divulge the identity of this individual because he was only stopping by and only wanted to leave some thoughts for us to ponder. But I find them truly relevant to what the article above is asking all of us to think about, before technology gets in our way. Here are his thoughts.

Quote:

I believe that all religions are aimed at each individual "returning" to a deeply precious aspect common to us all -- the essence of which is a deep non-judgemental love. Religions fail in that to the extent that they assume they have THE truth, and indulge in negative judgement of others. The path of return involves our learning the more subtle ways we individually err in that way. A path to unconditional compassion, knowing that my understanding of that is only partial at best.

jsingh03 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-Mar-2011, 07:55 AM

wow great post!

ravneet_sb · #4 (**permalink**) 06-Mar-2011, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spnadmin

we live in an iworld. Surrounded by iphones, ipads, myspace, youtube, the focus is clear: Me, my, i. One need not look far to see this obsession with the self. In order to sell, advertisers must appeal to the ego. For example, many ads appeal to the part of us that loves power and being in charge. Directtv tells you: "don't watch tv, direct tv!" yogurtland says: "you rule! Welcome to the land of endless yogurt possibilities, where you rule the portions, the choices and the scene."

but advertisers aren't the only ones who appeal to our ego. There is a global phenomenon that provides a breeding ground and platform for that ego. And it's called facebook. Now, i'll be the first to assert that facebook can be a powerful tool for good. It is, like many other things, what you make of it. A knife can be used to cut food which feeds the hungry, or it can be used to kill someone. Facebook can be used for great good -- after all it was facebook that helped facilitate the toppling of a dictator. Facebook can be used as a powerful tool to organize, call, remind and unite. Facebook can also be used to strengthen our connection to god and to each other ... Or facebook can be used to strengthen the hold of our ego.

The facebook phenomenon is an interesting one. In each and every one of us is an ego. It is the part of ourselves that must be suppressed (if we are to avoid anakin's fate of turning to the dark side, that is). The danger of feeding the ego is that, as the ego is fed, it becomes strong. When it becomes strong, it begins to rule us.

The ego is the part of us that loves power. It is the part that loves to be seen, recognized, praised, and adored. Facebook provides a powerful platform for this. It provides a platform by which every word, picture, or thought i have can be seen, praised, 'liked'. As a result, i begin to seek this. But then it doesn't just stay in the cyber world. I begin even to live my life with this visibility in mind. Suddenly, i live every experience, every photo, every thought, as if it's being watched, because in the back of my mind i'm thinking, "i'll put it on facebook." this creates a very interesting state of being, almost a constant sense that i am living my life on display. I become ever conscious of being watched, because everything can be put up on facebook for others to see and comment on.

More importantly, it creates a false sense of self-importance, where every insignificant move i make is of international importance. Soon i become the focus, the one on display. The message is: I am so important. My life is so important. Every move i make is so important. The result becomes an even stronger me-focused world, where i am at the center.

As it turns out, this result is diametrically opposed to the reality of spiritual existence. The goal of that existence is to realize the truth of god's greatness and my own insignificance and need before him. The goal is to take myself out of the center and put him there instead. But facebook perpetuates the illusion of the exact opposite. It strengthens my belief that because of my own importance, every inconsequential move or thought should be on display. Suddenly what i ate for breakfast or bought at the grocery store is news important enough to publish. When i put up a picture, i wait for compliments; i wait for acknowledgement and recognition. With the number of likes or comments, even physical beauty becomes something that can now be quantified. When i put up a post, i wait for it to be 'liked'. And i am ever conscious of -- and even compete in -- the number of "friends" i have. (friends, here, is in quotation marks because many people don't know 80% of their "friends" on facebook.)

facebook also strengthens another dangerous focus: The focus on other people, what they're doing, what they like. What they think of me. Facebook feeds the preoccupation with others' assessment of me. Soon, i enter the orbit of the creation. Inside that orbit, my definitions, my pain, my happiness, my self-worth, my success and my failure is determined by the creation. When i live in that orbit, i rise and fall with the creation. When the people are happy with me, i'm up. When they're not, i fall. Where i stand is defined by people. I'm like a prisoner because i have given up the keys to my happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and disappointment to the people to hold.

Once i enter and live in the orbit of the creation -- rather than the orbit of god -- i begin to use that currency. See, the currency of god's orbit is: His pleasure or his displeasure, his reward or his punishment. But, the currency of the orbit of creation is: The praise and criticism of people. So, as i enter deeper and deeper into that orbit, i covet more and more of its currency, and i fear more and more of its loss. While i'm playing monopoly, for example, i covet more and more of its' currency. And it feels great to be 'rich' for a moment. But when the game is over, what can i buy in the real world with monopoly money?

The human currency of praise is monopoly money. It feels great for a moment to collect, but when the game is over, it's worthless. In the reality of this life and the next, it's worthless. But the deeper and deeper i enter into that orbit, the more i become consumed with gaining human praise, approval and recognition. The more i enter that orbit, the more i fear loss -- loss of face, loss of status, loss of praise, loss of approval.

But the more i fear the people, the more i become enslaved. True freedom only comes when i let go of the fear of anything and anyone other than god.

In a profound prophetic teaching, a man came to the prophet and said: "o messenger of god, direct me to an act, which if i do, god will love me and people will love me." he said: "detach yourself from the world, and god will love you. Detach yourself from what is with the people, and the people will love you."

ironically, the less we chase after the approval and love of the people, the more we gain it. The less needy we are of others, the more people are drawn to us and seek our company. This teaches us a profound truth. Only by breaking out of the orbit of the creation, can we succeed with both god and people.

So while facebook is indeed a powerful tool, let it be a tool of your freedom -- not a tool of your servitude to yourself and the assessment of others.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yasmin..._b_828928.html

sat sri akaal,

if we understand the creation
no thing existing as absolute positive or absolute negative

like a coin
it has both head and tail
like any atom
it has equal protons and electrons
and if not it is unstable

so be it any thing/thought/ it exists as both negative and positive

to live co existence of positive and negative is required
what is required that balance needs to be maintained to have stable life

this is way of life
understanding of this creation leads to balanced life

it's foolish to seek all positive or feel all negative
existence is both

bigger the positive, bigger is negative
be it ego or any e motion

humans blame others for negative and "i" am positive
simply impossible

"i" am both positive and negative
"tu hi savare tu hi bigare"
is jag ke saare kaam

"hey ram hey ram"
ultimate balanced state of mind

if negative is not there positive will never be appraised

"waheguru ji ka khalsa
waheguru Ji fateh"

Ambarsaria · #5 (**permalink**) 06-Mar-2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spnadmin

I was extremely moved by a comment just posted by a new member. I will not divulge the identity of this individual because he was only stopping by and only wanted to leave some thoughts for us to ponder. But I find them truly relevant to what the article above is asking all of us to think about, before technology gets in our way. Here are his thoughts.

spnadmin ji thanks for the wonderful effort to bring thought provoking writings into view for spn'ers.

I take the "Mool Mantar" as follows and suggest a practical interpretation for thought,

Quote:

ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

ArQ:- Akwl purK ie`k hY, ijs dw nwm 'hoNd vwlw' hY jo isRStI dw rcnhwr hY, jo sB ivc ivAwpk hY, BY qoN rihq hY, vYr-rihq hY, ijs dw srUp kwl qoN pry hY, (Bwv, ijs dw srIr nws-rihq hY), jo jUnW ivc nhIN AwauNdw, ijs dw pRkwS Awpxy Awp qoN hoieAw hY Aqy jo siqgurU dI ikrpw nwl imldw hY[

God is one and is known as the truth, is the creator of all, present everywhere, without fear, without animosity, is timeless, is not guided by life cycles, is a self creation and is realized through its own (Guru/God) blessing.

So if God (embodiment of an understanding of the truth as to all) is everywhere and in each of us are we wrong or should we be aspiring to understand and acts as,

God is one and is known as the truth
- So we should say what is on our mind to be true to ourselves and God within
- As our understanding of God improves, we will continue to be transparent and better in our dealings
- No double talk will help
- You won't carry the burden of double-speak which entails 1000's more double speaks to camouflage the first (you have to tell a thousand lies to cover one lie)
is the creator of all
- No one is good, bad or evil by birth or origin
- We are all the same
- Its only our deviations from the truth that will see us perceived or recognized as different
- But in spite, each retains the potential at all times to be like anyone good, bad or ugly
present everywhere
- Compassion and understanding of all is the universal truth to recognize this
- As in each it is the same
without fear
- With truth the grounds for fear disappear as it is an affect more potent than untruths
- With truth one needs to stand and deal with fear of consequences
- A compromise in fear will only weaken the sustenance of truth inside
without animosity
- Speak and actions shall be directed by truth
- Actions and behaviors should be impartial
is timeless
- Time has no meaning in spirituality or understanding of truth
- Truth cannot change and it is good to understand rather than wish it would
is not guided by life cycles
- As the infinite source of all continues and prevails, one's birth or death is irrelevant
- You are related to all living and all dead
- You will be related to all to be
- A selfless view will remove hindrances towards living the truth
is a self creation and is realized through its own (Guru/God) blessing.
- In life activities will continue for the oneness and truth
- Different activities or relationships will prevail now from the past into the present and forward onto the future

Just some thoughts.

What you think?

Regards,

Sat Sri akal.

darredondo · #6 (**permalink**) 06-Mar-2011, 10:48 AM

Facebook is an Illness, an addiction. People have started putting it ahead of everything else. I have logged on at odd hours of the night to check for new posts. My co-worker does 2 hrs days work, and six on Facebook. Ahankar will consume us, if we are not careful. Just like the drugaddict lives for his "hit", so will Facebook Addicts live for your approval.

Will we be faithful enough to overcome our addiction?

Ambarsaria · #7 (**permalink**) 06-Mar-2011, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darredondo

Facebook is an Illness, an addiction. People have started putting it ahead of everything else. I have logged on at odd hours of the night to check for new posts. My co-worker does 2 hrs days work, and six on Facebook. Ahankar will consume us, if we are not careful. Just like the drugaddict lives for his "hit", so will Facebook Addicts live for your approval.

Will we be faithful enough to overcome our addiction?

There is a border line between medicine and poison! Show me a drug today, one day there will be a good use for it and vice versa.

Internet itself can be mother of all drugs, forget the Facebook, Twitter, MSN, Net Games, Net Poker, and the like.

Sat Sri Akal.

spnadmin · #8 (**permalink**) 06-Mar-2011, 11:29 AM

I cannot disagree with darredondo ji. in fact that is in big part the message of the author of the article. The author does not plumb too much into the other side of this story. The search for approval is accompanied by its underside, fear of exclusion and disapproval. So one rushes to advertise oneself as admirable lest one be found defective in some way. But she starts to get at it in these words:

Quote:

In the Reality of this life and the next, it's worthless. But the deeper and deeper I enter into that orbit, the more I become consumed with gaining human praise, approval and recognition. The more I enter that orbit, the more I fear loss -- loss of face, loss of status, loss of praise, loss of approval.

But it is her message of spirituality lost that really struck home with me. This is too much to give up, too much to throw away.
That motivated me to post the story:

Quote:

Ironically, the less we chase after the approval and love of the people, the more we gain it. The less needy we are of others, the more people are drawn to us and seek our company. This teaches us a profound Truth. Only by breaking out of the orbit of the creation, can we succeed with both God and people.

So while Facebook is indeed a powerful tool, let it be a tool of your freedom -- not a tool of your servitude to yourself and the assessment of others.

Thanks for your response.

spnadmin · #9 (**permalink**) 06-Mar-2011, 11:37 AM

Ambarsaria ji

It is wonderful how you managed to give such a rich antidote to cure the rash of self absorption, the illness that social networks offer in such a tempting way. Maybe this is our veil of illusion for the 21st century which we must tear away. The mool mantar is the scaffolding, and within each layer are many reminders from Gurbani as to how each step is achieved. A real gift you have given to put it all together the way you did. Just one example,

Quote:

s not guided by life cycles

* As the infinite source of all continues and prevails, one's birth or death is irrelevant
* You are related to all living and all dead
* You will be related to all to be
* A selfless view will remove hindrances towards living the truth

Facebook is only one place where one can either find or lose one's soul (a figure of speech). As long as we form communities in the electronic world, even on a forum like this one, where tragedies become spectacles where blaming goes on, we are not using the technology to connect but to disconnect, especially from whatever resources we have within. The article really excited me for that reason.