Daft Question, maybe... what IS spirituality?

RE: Daft Question, maybe... what IS spirituality?

Wow, damn fine questions Darren! This should get the pot boiling...can't wait to read those answers!

Must admit I had to think about this...duh. I consider myself a spiritual person but what is spiritual? Hmm... [sm=scratchchin.gif] Speaking from my pov, spirituality is being deeply aware of how everything and every person is connected; being aware of the God Within and how that aspects in all things; being able and willing to delve into deepest compassion and unconditional love and to share that, with the community and the world at large as well as your family and friends. Spirituality is being aware of all this and more... and of acting to develop that sensitivity and understand it in others as well as yourself. Spirituality is the act of shedding the negative, 'me' ego and growing into the compassionate, 'we' ego.

Mind, body, spirit... yes, you use your mind and intellect... but you also use your emotions and your imagination... at the prompting and with the guidance of the spirit!

Just my tuppence worth...

Moonfeather

RE: Daft Question, maybe... what IS spirituality?

Very thought provoking!!

I always think of Spirituality as a "third Dimension"
there is the normal everyday "two dimensional " life we all lead, then if you look beyond that , spirituality is something that is the basis of everyhting, it`s the feeling you get when you look beyond the ordinary and see the wonder behind it.

The beauty in a flowering tree, more than just pretty blossom - but the awe when you think of the life force in the tree that makes it blossom every year.

When you see a stone and realise it is completely different from any other stone - and truly beautiful because of that.

The uniqueness of everything - whether conventionally beautiful, or beautiful because different, which can be more beautiful.

It is also the force that turns mundane actions into spiritual experinces, walking along a road, and noticing the beauty that is surrounded by the concrete and pollution.

Also the feeling that you are not alone, a life force surrounds, encompasses you and protects.

To me Spirituality is totally to do with nature Mother Earth and the Universal Spirit who both provide life and death (hence rebirth) to everything.

I also find children to be very Spiritual beings as they are much more "intouch" than grown ups tend to be, until we stop and re learn how to be Spiritual again.

Well there you go!
I was only going to type a one liner! Where did all that come from!!??

Love SarajoXXXX

RE: Daft Question, maybe... what IS spirituality?

Hi Darren and all,

Yes, it is a good question - not a daft one at all!

I love all the replies you've had and certainly resonate with them, (and really can't add much more) although I see the material universe as the subjective expression of the spiritual ideas behind what appears to us as matter. Oh dear - that's as clear as mud! To me you see, spirituality is from Spirit (God) and therefore has no material component.

I hope these words of Mary Baker Eddy's will help explain what I'm trying to say:

In our immature sense of spirit-
ual things, let us say of the beauties of the sensuous
universe: "I love your promise; and shall know, some
time, the spiritual reality and substance of form, light,
and color, of what I now through you discern dimly; and
knowing this, I shall be satisfied. Matter is a frail con-
ception of mortal mind; and mortal mind is a poorer
representative of the beauty, grandeur, and glory of the
immortal Mind."

There have been a couple of discussions on Spirituality (related to this new area called Mystical) on the Comments and Suggestions pages. One thing I have often found (though not on this thread so far) is a confusion between the words Spirituality and Spiritualism. Here are two definitions of Spirituality. First, from Chambers Dictionary of Beliefs and Religions:

SPIRITUALITY

The experiential side of religion, as opposed to outward beliefs, practices and institutions, which deal with inner spiritual depths of a person. Spirituality has been present in all religious traditions, including Kabbalah Judaism, Sufi Islam, the yoga tradition within Hinduism, the meditational disciplines within Buddhism, and some strands of Christianity.

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The Merriam-Webster Dictionary online:

SPIRITUALITY
1 : of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit : INCORPOREAL <man's spiritual needs>
2 a : of or relating to sacred matters <spiritual songs> b : ecclesiastical rather than lay or temporal <spiritual authority> <lords spiritual>
3 : concerned with religious values
4 : related or joined in spirit <our spiritual home> <his spiritual heir>
5 a : of or relating to supernatural beings or phenomena b : of, relating to, or involving spiritualism

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I have to say, that my understanding of Spirituality is exactly that of the first definition (coming as I do from a strand of Christianity which has no rituals, clergy or creeds, but focusses on healing through deep affirmative prayer and understanding our relationship - our one-ness - with God.)

Darren, I was given a lovely definition of mind body Spirit (I use Spirit as a name for God, hence the Capital S)

Mind: You are what you think (which is what you were talking about above - what I would tern as mortal mind)
Body: You are what you eat
Spirit: You are what Spirit, (God, divine Mind) knows you are as its image and likeness.

That last one lifts one to a much higher plane and when deeply understood, brings healing.

Love and peace,

Judy

RE: Daft Question, maybe... what IS spirituality?

Thanks for all your replies. Definitely stuff to think about, not to mention helping me to understand where this path is taking me. 🙂