Reading a Philip Moffat talk from Yoga Journal on Expectations, I came across this little ditty that made me giggle, in a very "ouch" kind of way.

He was talking about expectations in spiritual practice, and what the Vidyadhara called "spiritual materialism"- when we use spiritual practice as a means of securing our ego, and confirming things are what we want/expect them to be, rather than as a way to cut through and let go of that bovine excrement.
Here are some of the signs he has seen of spiritual materialism and expectations invading your practice:
- You find your practice gets really, really nice and stops changing
- you long for special experiences you have heard about or read about, or to attain altered states of mind
- you long to receive some kind of sign that guarantees you are on the "right path"
- you expect to be rewarded, either by people or by the universe, for being such a "good person"
- in the same vein, you secretly desire recognition from your peers or your teacher for your awesomeness
- you think it is unfair that your good karma isn't making it way easier to get by in life
- you feel resentful that you are not getting what you want out of being so moral and good

In every case, I would have to say I have been guilty at one time or another. Mr Moffat's next statement is equally important to the teaching:

If you recognize any of these mental habits going on, the secret is not to judge them or to defend them, particularly, but to allow yourself to see them, experience them with one part compassion and two parts sense of humour, and let them go. Like the Buddha under his bodhi tree didn't fight or grasp. He simply said "I see you Mara." I see you illusion. I see you, and thanks but no thanks.
hearts
Z