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what is spirituality?

Forums: Spirituality And Religion
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kim1
 
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 03:29 am
hello to all the forum members!

I am new to this forum, and this question may have been debated in the past.
nevertheless, I would like to hear your views.
thank you,
Kim
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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 2,456 • Replies: 64
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Cyracuz
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 05:19 am
Welcome Kim.

You are right. The topic has been debated, is currently debated, and will be again in the future. That's the beauty of A2K. Nothing is ever resolved. There's always room for more debate.

Anyway, spirituality is a very broad term. In my mind the term means everything that has to do with our mental capacities. Spirit is an abstract idea, and we cannot seem to agree on what it is exactly.

For some spirituality is directly linked to religion. For others religion has nothing to do with spirituality. I am of the latter opinion. It is my view that religion is man's invention, a result of flexing the spiritual muscles. Religion is an attempt to solidify something that can never be solid.

But what do you put into the term spirituality?
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Ragman
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 05:21 am
Re: what is spirituality?
kim1 wrote:
hello to all the forum members!

I am new to this forum, and this question may have been debated in the past.
nevertheless, I would like to hear your views.
thank you,
Kim


How about leading off with what is spirituality to you? That would start the discussion off in a direction that could help you most.

Also, while you are new to A2k, you came right into the proper spot --the Religion and Spirituality forum. Why not take a look around here as there are 100s of topics discussions on Religion and Spirituality, People have written volumes about their thoughts on the subject. Have you seen some of them yet? People have spent much time with very detailed posts. That's the best way I can think of from learning on this forum.
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rockpie
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 05:38 am
i believe that spirituality is simply your conscience and emotions. as a Christian i know that may sound weird from me, but i honestly do think that your spirit is just a combination of whatever emotions you are feeling at a time. for example, i went to a Christian concert recently and hundreds of people went out to the stage to be filled by God's holy spirit, but subconciously all they were doing was being filled with a sense of meaning or purpose that they couldn't find anywhere else. there is a fine line between God's spirit and human emotion. so fine that i personally can't tell the difference, maybe they are the same thing, i don't know. i guess that is my view on this. hope it helps, and i also advise you to have a look around. this is the best forum. you'll learn a lot. welcome.
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kim1
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 07:14 am
spirituality
thank you all for taking the time to commnet.
I will surely look further into the forum, to see other people opinios and views.
first of all, I am a Buddhist, so probably my point of view comes from there. of course I am not trying to influence anyone, only hear what you guys have to say.
I think that being a spiritual person, one that spirituality guiding his life, is about the way I live my life. I want to wake up in the morning with a smile, go through my day calmly, and go to bed without any bad thoughts or feelings about the day I had. this is the kind of life I am trying to get for myself.
I think that is it, basicly...
what do you think?
thank you all,
Kim
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rockpie
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 07:20 am
are you saying that spirituality is the drive in you to live a decent life and accept your lot? i think it should at least drive you to be more successful or to aim higher. that is, after all, basic instinct.
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Cyracuz
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 02:05 pm
Rockpie

A problem with your 'basic instincts' is that few of us know what constitutes success, and even fewer know up from down.

To someone it is success to earn lots of money. To aim higher is to earn bigger chunks in one go. For me that is not so, and I am betting that I am not alone.
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fresco
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 02:29 pm
rockpie,

You seem to be unaware that a Buddhist is likely to see this "striving to become" as the antithesis of "spirituality". When the "self" is transcended, that which "strives" has dissipated.
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Cyracuz
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 05:08 pm
Fresco

What you say is true. But there is a trap in it. In the effort to trancend self a buddhist may preform exersizes that advance his ability to do this. While his skill may improve, there is always the danger that his pride will take refuge in how good he is at forsaking all he would crave were he to indulge these urges, thus keeping him from true elevation.

Self is a tricky thing to elude.
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fresco
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 11:24 pm
Cyracuz,

Yes ..,this is why writers like Krishnamurti say "striving to transcend" is a contradiction.....i.e. all aspiring transcendent authoritative systems including organized religions fail in that respect.
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Cyracuz
 
  1  
Reply Thu 19 Oct, 2006 04:58 am
Bummer Smile
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kim1
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Oct, 2006 05:53 am
rockpie wrote:
are you saying that spirituality is the drive in you to live a decent life and accept your lot? i think it should at least drive you to be more successful or to aim higher. that is, after all, basic instinct.


rockpie,

I agree with Cyracuz and fresco.
what is decent? what is success? what is higher?
there is always more, and there is always a higher place.
by leading a spiritual life, I am trying to get to a point in which I will be content with what I have. that does not mean I sit around and do nothing, just waiting to be content.
if I don't go to work, I will have no food.
in the mean time I live my life with "enough mind" like one Zen master called it, a mind that has enough.
my teacher says -do not climb the wall, do not shout at it, do not turn your back to it, and don't try to brake it. simply go through it. happiness is waiting on the other side.
Smile
Kim
0 Replies
 
Cyracuz
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Oct, 2006 05:58 am
Quote:
my teacher says -do not climb the wall, do not shout at it, do not turn your back to it, and don't try to brake it. simply go through it. happiness is waiting on the other side.



In my stupidity happiness sometimes eludes me when I fail to make a loved one understand the truth of that statement. But she needs the experience, I guess. It's the only way to learn. But it's hard to just stand by and watch.
0 Replies
 
kim1
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Oct, 2006 06:01 am
well you can not always act.
sometime the only thing you can do is being there.
time has its importance...

Kim
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Cyracuz
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Oct, 2006 06:12 am
I am constantly reminded Smile

Another thing that it reminds me of is the nature of love. I believe that it is possible to love unconditionally without the attatchments that inevitably bring us misery. I don't know how though...
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Doktor S
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Oct, 2006 05:17 pm
Quote:

what is spirituality?

A catch-all word to describe the fuzzy feeling stupid people get whilst pondering the universe.
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Cyracuz
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Oct, 2006 06:07 pm
Let us just let the implications about the speaker of those words speak for themselves... :wink:
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echi
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Oct, 2006 06:38 pm
Cyracuz wrote:
In my mind the term means everything that has to do with our mental capacities. Spirit is an abstract idea, and we cannot seem to agree on what it is exactly.

Doktor S wrote:
Quote:

what is spirituality?

A catch-all word to describe the fuzzy feeling stupid people get whilst pondering the universe.


I somewhat agree with Cyracuz, but then I also somewhat agree with Dok (but in a less Satanist kind of way).

I used to consider myself a very spiritual person. Recently, I have begun to move away from that word. It just seems to be not very useful, plus it makes me feel like a New-Ager.
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Cyracuz
 
  1  
Reply Fri 20 Oct, 2006 07:03 pm
Doc is talking about inspiration, not spirituality. People who call the "fuzzy feeling" a spiritual experience would by the same logic call the buzz you get from alcohol "beer".

Spirituality is not something supernatural. Of course, you can define it to be that if you wish, making it easier to believe or disregard the term according to your wishes. But there is a spiritual aspect to everything, and acknowledging that can help us get more out of experience.
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Doktor S
 
  1  
Reply Sat 21 Oct, 2006 08:10 am
No, I wasn't talking about 'inspiration'. I don't mince my words.
Inspiration' is something totally different, ie the feeling of being inspired in one way or another. Wholly different than 'spirituality' which deals with the nebulous non-entity known as the 'spirit'.
The 'fuzzy feeling' one gets from the 'spiritual experience' is the spiritual experience.
A misinterpreted, wholly physical sensation which erroneously and unjustifiably has 'magical' properties ascribed to it, by those lacking the mental capacity, or too immersed in fantasy, to realize what is actually happening.
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