Spirituality

What is spirituality? If you have been asking the following questions of late, you are already on the path to spirituality:

How can I live the highest life?

What is the meaning of my suffering?

What is my connection to the world around me?

Why I am suffering?

Spirituality concerns with the meaning of life. Human beings are awed by the miracles of science as much as they are fascinated by the powers of spirituality. Science is a discovery of nature’s law: while the spirituality is discovery of one’s self. It also includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves. Spiritual life is connected with the spirit rather than the body or physical thing. Nurses Ruth Beckmann Murray and Judith Proctor Zentor write that,” spiritual dimension tries to be in harmony with the Universe, and strives for answer about infinite, and comes into focus when the person faces emotional stress, physical illness or death.”

Relationship between Religion and Spirituality

It is very important to point out here that spirituality may incorporate elements of religion; it is generally a broader concept. Religion and spirituality are not the same thing, nor are they entirely distinct from one another. The best way to understand this is to think of two overlapping circles like this

 

In spirituality, the questions are: where do I personally find meaning, connection and value? The question in the religion is what is true and what is right?

Deepak Chopra observes, “Religion is belief in someone else’s experience. Spirituality is having your own experience.”

Religion tells you to follow an ideology and obey certain rules. Spirituality lets you Follow Your Own Heart and What You Feel is Right. It sets you free to be what you truly are without bowing to anything that doesn’t resonate as right to you nor to anyone because we are all one. It is all up to you to choose what you will honor enough to make it divine.

Religion Tells You The Truth – Spirituality Lets You Discover It.

Religion tells you what to believe and what is right. Spirituality lets you discover it by yourself and understand it in your own unique way. It lets you Connect with Your Higher Self and see with your own mind what truth is because the truth as a whole is same for each one of us. It lets you believe in your own truth through your own perception.

Religion Separates from Other Religions – Spirituality Unites Them.

There are many religions in our world and they all preach that their story is the right one. Spirituality sees the truth in all of them and unites them because the truth is same for all of us despite our differences and uniqueness. It focuses on the quality of the divine message that they share and not on the differences in details of the story they speak.

Religion Makes You Dependent – Spirituality Makes You Independent.

You are seen as a religious person and someone who is worthy of happiness only if you attend religious methodology. However spirituality shows you that you don’t need or depend on anything to be happy. Happiness is always found deep in ourselves and only we are responsible for it. We are always where we need to be and not just while attending some events or rituals. Divinity is in us and that is why we are always worthy.

Religion Makes You Follow Other’s Journey – Spirituality Lets You Create Your Own. The foundation of a religion is the story that it tells about a God or Gods, their journey of the Gurus/Prophets or Masters towards enlightenment and the truth they discovered. Subsequently mankind follows their footsteps. Spirituality lets you Walk Your Own Journey to enlightenment. Every religion came by spirituality; by the journey through which one person became enlightened. That is why every religion has something true in it, the truth.

Spiritual versus emotional health:

There is a connection between spiritual and emotional well being. Spirituality is about seeking a meaningful connection with something bigger than you, which can result in positive emotion such as peace, awe, contentment, gratitude and acceptance.

Emotional health is about cultivating a positive state of mind so that we can see brighter side of life.

Hence, a spiritual person is more resilient. He is able to take turbulence of life in his stride sportingly.

Spiritual growth

Spiritual growth is only possible when there is a self desire to grow. Quest to correct one‘s behavior is the core of spiritual growth. The birth of Shakyamuni Buddha was to demonstrate the behavior of the Bodhisattva on the Earth.

There is no need to go to the forest or go to the lonely places for the spiritual growth. When there is a commitment of growth for self and the happiness of humanity, the spirit begins to soar.

In the final analysis, I would like to quote Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, “Ultimately we must make a distinction between spirituality and religion, as it applies even in our everyday lives. Religion is like a banana skin and spirituality is the banana. Spirituality is common to all religions. It is what keeps the enthusiasm, courage, confidence and the smile alive in our lives”