I’m fascinated by the visual tropes of spiritual materialism which almost always accompany or illustrate books, blogs, talks, retreats etc.

The visual language employed is mostly confined to some variation of pristine nature, evoking purity, clarity, beauty, colour and, above all, light. Lots of light. Sunrises, sunsets, the colour spectrum refracted through drops of dew, perfectly smooth polished stones, light reflected off mill pond still water.

All this beauty and perfection seems to perpetuate the myth of the spiritual goal as some eternally bright place out there somewhere in which we can dwell if we just follow this or that method.

Anyone who has really practiced any form of spiritual meditation, inquiry or contemplation for a significant period of time can attest to the vast spectrum of experience that constitutes one’s ongoing practice. To deny or avoid the inevitable and necessary murk and darkness is to deceive oneself and others. It is literally the case that without the dark there is no light.

Of all the traditions, I have always found myself drawn to Zen and its associated art seems entirely appropriate. Simple, ordinary and modest. Promising nothing yet evoking the inevitability of the present moment – whatever, however that may be.

This refreshing book cover avoids most of the usual clichés.

Peter Brown’s Dirty Enlightenment.

I love the title for a start. The only gaffe is the circular rainbow motif but I appreciate the rest of the image – ordinary, everyday, and relatable.

Practice includes everything, nothing left out. If we are honest we can come to accept the entirety of our life which, if we’re being truthful, rarely features an impossibly radiant sunset or mirror still water, even metaphorically.