What is a spiritual practice ?

[Majed]

I've been contemplating this question, and i think i came up with an answer: spiritual practice is whatever is in alignment with ultimate reality. 

So for example meditation can be a spiritual practice when it involves solitude, because ultimate reality is one and solipsistic. 

Contemplation can be a spiritual practice, because it involves the mind, and ultimate reality is mind. That's one perspective, another perspective is because it is truth seeking, and ultimate reality is truth. 

Exploring diverse perspectives becomes a spiritual practice because it aligns you with infinity. And ultimate reality is infinity. 

Going out and doing activities alone, can be a spiritual practice, because it aligns with solipsism. 

psychedelics can be a spiritual practice, because they change your state of consciousness, and ultimate reality is consciousness. 

Self love can be a spiritual practice, because it involves love. 

Prayer can be a spiritual practice, because it is a communication with God, and ultimate reality is God. 

 

[Ziran]

This is how I break it out: 

1. Matter and spirit exist in contradistinction to each other. 
2. Matter exists in a specific place and breaks down over time. 
3. Spirit is omnipresent and eternal.   

A spiritual practice engages with aspects of reality which are omnipresent and eternal.    In each of the examples above, whether or not the practice is spiritual is a function of whether or the not the individual is engaging with the eternal and/or omnipresent.

2 hours ago, Majed said:

for example meditation can be a spiritual practice

Meditation, in my observations, most often intend to cultivate an awareness of either the infinite spark within ( aka soul or God-consciousness ) or some form of awareness of the nearly infinite negations without ( aka neti-neti or chaos-and-void ).  Both the infinite spark and the collection of nearly infinite negations are omnipresent and eternal.

2 hours ago, Majed said:

Contemplation can be a spiritual practice

Contemplation, as I understand it, is becoming aware of specific types of insights and associations which develop from "one-to-many" relationships.  Each new revelation produces many more unanswered questions.  As the individual contemplates, level to level, their awareness expands to include more and more at a geometric rate.  The rapid inclusion approaches a sensation which the mind interprets as infinite.  Then this accurate conception is like a spring-board for the mind.  While it, the mind, is "springing", for lack of better words, it is engaging with a medium which is omnipresent and eternal.  Many describe this medium as a field of infinite light or perfect resonance.

2 hours ago, Majed said:

Exploring diverse perspectives becomes a spiritual practice

Exploring diverse perspectives = Experiencing diversity

It's the same underlying mechanism as contemplation, but, more accessible if the aspirant pushes beyond their comfort zone in the right ways and at the right times.  Intellectual contemplation requires accurate conceptions in the mind.  This accuracy is not easy for some, and requires an education or access to reliable resources.  Exploration develops insights and associations which are often "one-to-many", but the awareness that expands is in the metaphorical heart not the mind.  Because exploration, as a spiritual practice, is heart-work, is cultivating an understanding within the emotional construct, and emotions are always accurate and true, it's much easier for most to progress personally through exploration rather than contemplation.

2 hours ago, Majed said:

Going out and doing activities alone, can be a spiritual practice

This one sounds like a bit of a stretch to me.  Going out and doing activities alone can be a spiritual practice.  It can also be superficial vain temporal nonsense.  Maybe ask yourself?  When does solitary activity feel like a spiritual practice.  Let your own heart and mind guide you.  Cultivate a sensitivity to your own spirit.  What makes your heart go pitter-pat?  What makes your mind swoon in awe of it all?

2 hours ago, Majed said:

Self love can be a spiritual practice, because it involves love. 

Love is the quintessential and most often used example of a spiritual aspect of reality.  Does it break down over time?  Or does absence make the heart grow fonder?  Anything which regularly engages with love can be developed into a spiritual practice.

2 hours ago, Majed said:

Prayer can be a spiritual practice, because it is a communication with God

 Prayer, when it's honest, includes elements of all three, contemplation, meditation, and love.