Are you as good as dog?

If you can start the day without caffeine or pep pills
If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains.
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it
If you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time
If you can overlook when people take things out on you, when through no fault of your own, something goes wrong
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment
If you can face the world without lies and deceit
If you can conquer tension without medical help
If you can relax without liquor
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

…Then, you are almost as good as your dog.

Many people lead a life which is worst than animals. And if we have not developed certain habits like taking liquor then we feel we are much better. Actually that is still as good as just animal. Not having habit of liquor is not a quality; it is merely a foundation for higher qualities to develop.
Only a human being can realize that there is a higher possibility then just mere natural, animal existence. When one starts to lead a natural life then one comes to the level of animal, but the higher dimension is of the super natural.
Super natural life is not anti-natural. It is perfectly natural, plus, the consciousness – awareness – love – ecstasy. So there is no need to ‘try’ to effort fully be un-natural to lead a spiritual life.

Also to lead a natural life like an ignorant cowboy or a tribal is also not spiritual life. That kind of existence may be better than normal city dweller’s chaotic life but it is still not the optimum human existence. Probably man has come out of such tribal existence only to explore further dimensions, but forgetfulness has descended man to this morass.
If one understands that being natural is not anti-spiritual then one can come out of one’s present un-natural life through spirituality. Through meditation, initially one may come to the level of a natural, animal existence and slowly the power of meditation will pull him further upwards to the highest dimension.