RE: what does it mean to be spiritual
I think erospirit's words are terrific. Welcome to these forums, erospirit.
Now, this thread is really a response to Sam, who asked the original question, so I sure don't intend for it to go too deep, too intellectual or abstract. All the same ;):
ORIGINAL: DarrenFollowsThePath
There are many different definitions of spirituality but they all boil down to common denominators: be nice to others and aim for peace and happiness.
Hi Darren. I agree that those sentiments are a part of spirituality. Or maybe they are just a part of being a good person? But I don't think spirituality on the whole does boil down to that. Those are IMHO peripheral issues, important though they may be.
Some concept of God by whatever name is involved in spirituality in the way I would use the word - call it Father/Mother, God, Divinity, Higher Self, whatever. But just about everyone I know who is on a spiritual Path doesn't do it from a human-to-human perspective, such as trying to be better to other people. Yes, that does emerge out of it all. But it begins with "looking up" and acknowledging that we are trying to gain union - or we are trying to become, or recognise that we already are - a part of Something Higher than our mortal individual identity.
Does that make sense? It's what most spiritual paths are all about.
V
RE: what does it mean to be spiritual
Yes, of course. I was just trying to be more encompassing as some people may not readily accept anything beyond the self that we see in the mirror. 🙂
RE: what does it mean to be spiritual
Dear Sam and Erospirit welcome to HP, both of you! What a super thread!
Erospirit, like Venetian, I just loved your thread and could really relate to it. I hope you stay around here and join in the discussions.
The way I think about celibacy Sam is to remember when I was a teenager and I was potty about Elvis and had his photos all over my walls. Then the Beatles came along ..
If someone had tried to force me to give up Elvis I would have been very unhappy but when it was naturally outgrown, it was painless and normal. Making love is one of the many forms of communication and at its highest it can say things that perhaps words dont (they should, but dont) Celibacy is something that can be naturally outgrown as we grow in our spiritual awareness and understanding in our one-ness with who we are and ALL that is. But celibacy can never be imposed, especially on our partner who may not be on the same spiritual path. Look at the sorry state of things because of a few individuals within the Catholic Church.
Darren, I'm glad you've come back to qualify, but here is what I wrote earlier:
ORIGINAL: DarrenFollowsThePath
There are many different definitions of spirituality but they all boil down to common denominators: be nice to others and aim for peace and happiness.
You know what I feel it should have been Darren?
..they all boil down to one common denominator: Love.
Love gives us the clearest idea of God. Unconditional and impartial. And when we are expressing love, we are being God-like. Peace and happiness are a natural outcome!
Everyone here is on their own path to reality. With some, its following a teacher, with others, like Venetian and I, the spiritual inspiration comes first from books and then from that connection with ALL that IS that the books help illuminate for us.
My books are the INSPIRED Word of the Bible (I am not a literalist fundamentalist!) and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy. She was once teaching a class metaphysical healing and asked her students what was the best way to heal. After several attempts, she replied for them:
"Just live love - be it - love, love, love. Do not know anything but Love, Be all love. There is nothing else. That will do the work. It will heal everything: it will raise the dead. BE nothing but love."
Today, I had been looking up Pauls words on love in 1 Corinthians 13 and just felt how relevant they were to this thread. This is the end of that beautiful passage:
All gifts except love will be superseded one day
For if there are prophecies they will be fulfilled and done with, if there are "tongues" the need for them will disappear, if there is knowledge it will be swallowed up in truth. For our knowledge is always incomplete and our prophecy is always incomplete, and when the complete comes, that is the end of the incomplete.
When I was a little child I talked and felt and thought like a little child. Now that I am a man my childish speech and feeling and thought have no further significance for me.
At present we are men looking at puzzling reflections in a mirror. The time will come when we shall see reality whole and face to face! At present all I know is a little fraction of the truth, but the time will come when I shall know it as fully as God now knows me!
In this life we have three great lasting qualities - faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is love.
Phillips New Testament http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/CP07Cor1.htm
It is our awakening to the fact that God is Love itself that enables us to give love unconditionally (and be loved in return).
The others who have written here are so right. Instead of struggling to become spiritual through a mortal mentality our need is to begin yielding to the spiritual truth that we are already spiritual because we are the image and likeness, the expression of God, Spirit. It is our awakening to the fact that God is Spirit that enables us to express the goodness and p
RE: what does it mean to be spiritual
Hi Darren,
Thanks, I get your point and understand.
Judy,
So Ringo or Paul are still up on your wall, or is it time for a change? 😀
ORIGINAL: Principled
The way I think about celibacy Sam is to remember when I was a teenager and I was potty about Elvis and had his photos all over my walls. Then the Beatles came along ……………..
RE: what does it mean to be spiritual
You cheekly monkey Venetian! 😀
Actually, I still love the music of both and by an extraordinary coincidence, Ringo used to be my favourite Beatle (can't imagine why now!) and about 24 years ago, we bought a little house (where we still are,) which backed onto a 79 acre estate and guess who lived there - Ringo and Barbara Bach! They used to jog every morning behind our fence.
But no, they haven't been on my wall since I left Singapore in 1966. So there!
Judy