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Thu 25 Aug, 2005 07:35 am
For some of us, spirituality is considered a religion, and for some it is not. For some spiritualists, we still see them dealing with their spiritual belief and see them stuck between two worlds. One world is the "new belief system" based on our personal growth, soul growth and our evolution, and their second world is also attached to one, or some part of, religion that makes it a hard time to let go regardless of the reason, but still wants to move beyond that belief system. That will create a conflict that when we decide we want to grow sometimes we are not allowed to bring the old system with us. That will slow us down. Think about it!!!
What do I mean by a "new belief system"? For many belonging to spiritualist temples, churches or even centers, the "new belief system" plays a big part and is proof of the existence of a Soul after its departure from this plane. That is very good and an important thing to do or prove. I believe that by doing this we are emphasizing an important factor, but at the same time somehow disregarding an even more important part, which is our (in this lifetime) Soul existence and why we are here in the first place.
A person called a spiritualist is a person that outgrew all the issues of hate, anger or frustration of traditions that are attached to a specific set of morals or values. That spiritualist's concern is for his or her own evolution first and then for the love and compassion that he or she can bring to the world by respecting another human Soul instead.
How do I define spirituality or being spiritual? In reality, it is very simple and defies all the laws that our society has dictated to us for many years. Spirituality is not a belief system, not based on morals and values but more on understanding and consciousness of our existence and people should try to distinguish the differences.
Spiritual is simply a way of living. That's all! What do I mean by this? Being spiritual is being free and basically living by your own values, which assists in the growth of your own Soul and at the same time helps us to respect a human being as a human being. You can belong to any religion while still being spiritual.
Spirituality is not a threat to anyone in reality but is the next step up for the growth of the Soul. Just think about it from that angle!!! So we are here is grow and be in our spiritual path of understanding.
Being associated with another Soul on your spiritual path does not really mean you have karma to deal with that person, but in effect you are receiving a gentle push, or being provided with a little help, to go forward in your own personal growth.
Life is simple so let's not complicate it further regardless what our lessons and experiences are in this lifetime.
Alap, welcome to A2k. You sound like an intelligent and kind person, and I look forward to your imput on future threads.
The definition of spirituality vs religion has always been in contention here, and the definition of "spititual" itself is vague, as you suggest.
I have just about come to the conclusion that the importance of belief systems is the effect they have on the individual believer subjectively. Does a personal belief system put the person at peace with himself, with other people and societies, and with the natural environment, that is, all other living beings animal and plant.
Some belief systems put the person at peace with himself but in conflict with all other people outside that belief system, societies, and all other so called "lower animals."
Perhaps most people in the U.S. are at peace with themselves and other people and societies, but in conflict with other "lower animals." I think Christians have inherited this feeling from the anachronistic view of geocentrism, which still persists vestigilly, and supposedly was dispelled over 350 years ago when Galileo discovered that the Earth wasn't the center of the universe and, therefore, wasn't created solely for humans.
Under that belief system, the soul shot down from heaven and entered the body of the infant at birth, the goal being to live in accordance with Church laws and be rewarded with the ascention of his soul back to heaven everlastingly after the death of the body.
This gave the Church almost totalitarian control of the individual.
The burning question is whether there is a center of being or soul, or whether this center is an illusion caused by short-term memory and is the price we pay for consciousness. Is the soul nothing more than an extention of the illusion of ego building an elaborate defense against its own reveletion?
Does belief in a personal soul put one in opposition to and above other "lower beings", that is, plants and animals, which lack souls, and, therefore allow and encouage for their wholesale destruction?
In short, I believe that belief in a personal soul is just another impediment to the achievement of the ultimate human spiritual potential.
I believe that enlightenment is not the attainment of a higher plane of existence but the freedom from the burden of concepts of self.
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