What is spirituality

[thelerner]

What is your definition of spirituality?  Its sign posts and goals?  

What is a spiritual person?  

 

 

On my phone now so I'll answer later. 

 

 

[Marblehead]

For me, spirituality points to my inner essence, my state of mentality regardless of external conditions.

 

 

[Nungali]

Spirituality , is practising, advocating and exploring systems that develop our spirit.

 

Now, all we have to do is define 'spirit'  .

[rideforever]

The Source as it manifests pours outwards ... over time this outward flow creates structures and regions, evolving over billions of years, these structures develop the ability to question the flowing, they develop individual intelligences,  and eventually they may look in the direction of the Source and understand what is happening, then they experience the "subject" or what it is in and of itself ... they have come full circle and feel-understand what they are from the vantage point of that structure (being).  And that is the beginning of spirituality.

[sustainablefarm86]

666

Edited December 2, 2018 by King Jade

[Geof Nanto]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality  has the whole topic covered.  Here's the opening paragraphs.......

 

Quote

 

The meaning of spirituality has developed and expanded over time, and various connotations can be found alongside each other.

 

Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape of man", oriented at "the image of God" as exemplified by the founders and sacred texts of the religions of the world. The term was used within early Christianity to refer to a life oriented toward the Holy Spirit and broadened during late medieval times to include mental aspects of life.

 

In modern times the term both spread to other religious traditions and broadened to refer to a wider range of experience, including a range of esoteric traditions and religious traditions. Modern usages tend to refer to a subjective experience of a sacred dimension and the "deepest values and meanings by which people live", often in a context separate from organized religious institutions, such as a belief in a supernatural (beyond the known and observable) realm, personal growth, a quest for an ultimate or sacred meaning, religious experience, or an encounter with one's own "inner dimension".

 

 

For me, spirituality is the inner essence of true religion. It's unfortunate that this central aspect has been virtually lost from the contemporary meaning of religion because of the disconnection of the mainstream religions from underlying spiritual reality. Hence the very notion of religion has become toxic for many people. This is unfortunate as this observation from Carl Jung makes clear....

 

“Of all my patients past middle life, that is, past thirty-five, there is not one whose ultimate problem is not one of religious attitude.  Indeed, in the end every one suffered from having lost that which living religions of every age have given to their believers, and none is really cured who has not regained a religious attitude, which naturally has nothing to do with creeds or belonging to a church.” 

[doc benway]

1 hour ago, Yueya said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality  has the whole topic covered.  Here's the opening paragraphs.......

 

 

For me, spirituality is the inner essence of true religion. It's unfortunate that this central aspect has been virtually lost from the contemporary meaning of religion because of the disconnection of the mainstream religions from underlying spiritual reality. Hence the very notion of religion has become toxic for many people. This is unfortunate as this observation from Carl Jung makes clear....

 

“Of all my patients past middle life, that is, past thirty-five, there is not one whose ultimate problem is not one of religious attitude.  Indeed, in the end every one suffered from having lost that which living religions of every age have given to their believers, and none is really cured who has not regained a religious attitude, which naturally has nothing to do with creeds or belonging to a church.” 

 

Jung’s observation puts me in mind of an insightful quote from Dag Hammarskjöld: “God does not die on the day when we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason.”

 

Spirituality for me means discovering who I am and allowing myself to manifest in the most spontaneous and authentic way possible.

[Fa Xin]

8 hours ago, Marblehead said:

For me, spirituality points to my inner essence, my state of mentality regardless of external conditions.

 

 

 

Well put. 

 

Spirituality for me is the shifting inward, and the exploration therein. 

[manitou]

 

 

doing one thing at a time  

[Aetherous]

2 hours ago, steve said:

Dag Hammarskjöld

 

I love his quotes. Really interesting guy, too, if you haven't looked into his life.

 

...

 

For me, spirituality is something I currently aspire to. I'm only aware of the realm of the spirit in terms of feelings...maybe also a vision every once in a while, or having insight. From this perspective, for me, the spiritual is something which exists, but not so much materially. Like love, peace, etc...we can be very aware of these things, but we can't weigh them. I'm aware of the presence of God as a feeling, or as newage people would put it, the divine...I just think about God and my admiration (some would call bhakti), and then experience elevating feelings that surround and envelop me.

But I think there's more to it than what I'm personally aware of...I think my spiritual senses are dim and very average. So I study this stuff, explore different traditions and methods constantly, and do daily practices, in the hope that one day I'll become attained and actually know what I'm talking about.

[liminal_luke]

Whatever spirituality is, I`m pretty sure we all have it.  My mom once told me she`s not a spiritual person -- but I think she is.  Perhaps my mom meant that she didn`t go to church or believe in God.  Or perhaps that she`s not the kind of person that feels comfortable chanting OMMM in a yoga class or who would find much interesting to read in a New Age bookstore. To me, none of that stuff matters.  The world is full of secretly spiritual people whose spirituality doesn`t fit into the conventional molds.  

 

I think of spirituality as that force in my life which is drawing me towards being my best self.  It`s the force that is drawing me towards wholeness, towards integration.  It`s the inner tug that pushes me to be who I really am.  When I`m avoiding what I need to be doing in life, my spirituality can make me anxious or depressed.  Sometimes it tells me to meditate.  Just as often it nudges me to pay my taxes or clean the bathroom.   

Edited December 2, 2018 by liminal_luke

[Gerard]

Being aware (and connected) of the greater picture, the inner world/order (the entire reality itself of which you are a mirror)...and live accordingly.

 

Chop wood, carry water is in fact the hardest part in this whole business!! I wish I didn't have to cook like monastics do. Aren't they lucky?

 

Edited December 2, 2018 by Gerard

[Nintendao]

"Chop wood," and "carry water." These are euphemisms, that means to cut down on masturbation, and to circulate energy?

 

I think joking is prevalent in spiritual pursuits because it opens us up to embracing absurdity without threatening our perception of reality. The thing is, sometimes a seriously real experience will stand in clear defiance of conventional explanation. Stay curious and maintain faith that everything really is going to be okay.

 

A signpost could be whenever something previously thought of as far fetched becomes commonplace.

 

A goal is to gain freedom to do whatever comes to mind, so long as it does no harm.

[Nintendao]

13 hours ago, thelerner said:

What is a spiritual person? 

[silent thunder]

full, authentic presence

complete release in the now... as it is

 

playful bouyancy... blissful loss of self in action and raw connected presence

 

a softening of the notion of a boundary between a self and an other

a dissolving of certainties

 

a sense of awakening after a long nap

[Aetherous]

8 hours ago, Nintendao said:

"Chop wood," and "carry water." These are euphemisms, that means to cut down on masturbation, and to circulate energy?

 

What an interesting idea. And also pretty humorous.

Edited December 2, 2018 by Aetherous

[manitou]

Some really great responses here!

[Nintendao]

Are they spiritual, who having known pain, loss, betrayal, unfair evisceration of beauty, when face down in a puddle of tears, suddenly catch sight of the sun's rays shimmering upon the wavering surface, and still manage to crack a smile?

[manitou]

16 minutes ago, Nintendao said:

Are they spiritual, who having known pain, loss, betrayal, unfair evisceration of beauty, when face down in a puddle of tears, suddenly catch sight of the sun's rays shimmering upon the wavering surface, and still manage to crack a smile?

 

 

They understand the unreality of it.

[thelerner]

Spirituality to me, is a many faceted thing.

 

It takes me away from the tic toc world, or else lets me see an inner brilliance to it. 

 

my spirituality is quiet and silent

a small smile and simple sigh. 

 

It can be sad,

but that too

is part of the orchestra of life.

[Gerard]

16 hours ago, Nintendao said:

"Chop wood," and "carry water." 

 

In other words for those who are a bit 'short' or like to argue for the sake of it (which I believe is your case):

 

LIVE LIFE.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2018 by Gerard

[windwalker]

The understanding of self, by the self, in pursuit of the understanding of self..

 

Any practice that can lead one to this,  can be said to be spiritual in nature.

 

Whether one can be said to be spiritual or not, might be said to be how well they are in tune with what their own inner practice is really about.

 

Not all people who practice spiritual practices are spiritual.

 

Not all practices are spiritual. 

 

For those awakened to it.

 

Anything they do is spiritual.

 

 

Edited December 3, 2018 by windwalker

[wstein]

On 12/1/2018 at 12:11 PM, thelerner said:

What is your definition of spirituality?  Its sign posts and goals?  

What is a spiritual person? 

Spirituality is the relation of self to non-self.

A spiritual person is a person that explores or seeks to understand the relation of self to non-self. By implication also explores the issue of what is self anyway.

[thelerner]

A wise man once told me, 'Sacred is what you make sacred'

 

Perhaps its not the most toys, but the person with the most sacred things who 'wins' in the end.

 

Similarly, seeing others as sacred is probably a plus.  After all, they tend to be our mirrors.  

Edited December 3, 2018 by thelerner

[manitou]

1 hour ago, thelerner said:

 After all, they tend to be our mirrors.  

 

 

They tend to be Us.