Spiritual growth has long been an important part of a person's sense of wellbeing, even before man has conceptualized the word and broke it down in many ways in which it eventually ended up in different methodologies on how one can build upon it. You name it - yoga, karma, or perhaps reincarnation. There are so many that they range from the most mystical to the most practical. But even if you are treading your own "spiritual path", or in deep need for spiritual fulfillment, an in-depth understanding of what spirituality is can be quite useful in more ways than one.
To ensure that we completely understand what spirituality is, maybe it is important that we discuss the meaning of the root word itself; Spirit is an intangible property, one that refers to something incorporeal, something mysterious and never bound by the material world. The most acclaimed scholar and physicist, Albert Einstein, referred to spirituality with these words: "The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious - the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science". This brings us to the 2 things that he pointed out - science and art. Both of these have dominated human's awareness while achieving answers to the mysteries that have confounded us about the world. These two indulgences, polar opposites as they may be, have paved the way to the development of technology and human awareness.
The search for answers is deeply rooted to our innate need to gain knowledge about ourselves, and how we are connected to everything around us. Mundane activities like fixing a car engine or observing an ant farm are unconscious manifestations of that need, and in consequence, related to spirituality. You only have to read Robert M. Pasig's magnum opus, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, to understand what I'm talking about. While this contradicts the idea of spirituality as something not bound in the material world, these physical avenues are helpful channels that allow us to achieve that transcendence, and in turn present to us a peek into the mysterious.
Some individuals achieve spiritual sustenance through the means of meditation. Meditation is a process of serious contemplation, or turning inward to reach a profound state of peacefulness, focus and awareness. The practice of meditation has originated from the Eastern cultures, and has been adapted by the West in the form of prayer. Buddhist monks are astute in their belief that meditation is the way to Enlightenment, which explains the sanguine temperament by which they deal with other people.
A common misunderstanding most people make is having the idea that spirituality is exclusive to religion. While it is true that religion has aided many people to lead spiritual lives, it only signifies a few aspects that constitute the entire meaning of spirituality. Spirituality is a confluence, a heightened understanding of what we are and how we're connected to the whole spectrum of existence, and the foresight that everything little thing is equally important and dependent on each other.
To ensure that we completely understand what spirituality is, maybe it is important that we discuss the meaning of the root word itself; Spirit is an intangible property, one that refers to something incorporeal, something mysterious and never bound by the material world. The most acclaimed scholar and physicist, Albert Einstein, referred to spirituality with these words: "The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious - the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science". This brings us to the 2 things that he pointed out - science and art. Both of these have dominated human's awareness while achieving answers to the mysteries that have confounded us about the world. These two indulgences, polar opposites as they may be, have paved the way to the development of technology and human awareness.
The search for answers is deeply rooted to our innate need to gain knowledge about ourselves, and how we are connected to everything around us. Mundane activities like fixing a car engine or observing an ant farm are unconscious manifestations of that need, and in consequence, related to spirituality. You only have to read Robert M. Pasig's magnum opus, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, to understand what I'm talking about. While this contradicts the idea of spirituality as something not bound in the material world, these physical avenues are helpful channels that allow us to achieve that transcendence, and in turn present to us a peek into the mysterious.
Some individuals achieve spiritual sustenance through the means of meditation. Meditation is a process of serious contemplation, or turning inward to reach a profound state of peacefulness, focus and awareness. The practice of meditation has originated from the Eastern cultures, and has been adapted by the West in the form of prayer. Buddhist monks are astute in their belief that meditation is the way to Enlightenment, which explains the sanguine temperament by which they deal with other people.
A common misunderstanding most people make is having the idea that spirituality is exclusive to religion. While it is true that religion has aided many people to lead spiritual lives, it only signifies a few aspects that constitute the entire meaning of spirituality. Spirituality is a confluence, a heightened understanding of what we are and how we're connected to the whole spectrum of existence, and the foresight that everything little thing is equally important and dependent on each other.
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