What Is Your Definition Spirituality?

[Michael569]

Let's say you were to explain to a person who has never done any self inquiry and personal development, what spirituality is and why it is important. Not talking about religion or the standard understanding but about practical and conscious spirituality practice. How would you define it? 

 

[Prabhaker]

@Michael569

Spirituality is an inner revolution

Religiousness means the circumference, and spirituality means the center. Religiousness has something of spirituality, but only something - a vague radiation, something like a reflection in the lake of the starry night, of the full moon. Spirituality is the real thing, religiousness is just a by-product. And one of the greatest misfortunes that has happened to humanity is that people are being told to be religious not spiritual. Hence they start decorating their circumference, they cultivate character. Character is your circumference. By painting your circumference, the center is not changed. But if you change the center, the circumference automatically goes through a transformation.

It certainly affects your behaviour, but only as a by-product. Because you are more alert, more aware, so naturally your action is different, your behaviour has a different quality, a different flavour, a different beauty. If your body is healthy then your lips are red, but you can paint them with lipstick and they will look red - and ugly. People are living with painted faces, wearing masks. These people are called religious. Spirituality belongs to your essential being, and religiousness only to the outermost actions, behaviour, morality. Religiousness is formal, going to the church every Sunday is a social affair.

Spirituality is not morality

Spirituality is not a question of morality, it is a question of vision. Spirituality is not the practicing of virtues - because if you practice a virtue it is no longer a virtue. A practiced virtue is a dead thing, a dead weight. Virtue is virtue only when it is spontaneous, virtue is virtue only when it is natural, unpracticed - when it comes out of your vision, out of your awareness, out of your understanding.

[Michael569]

@Prabhaker thanks man, that was beautifully written. 

When you say that practices virtue becomes a dead weight. How about cultivating your virtues to become a better human? Let's say one of my virtues is mindfulness. There are techniques and practices to improve it, yet I would say it does not become a dead weight, far the opposite and it makes you more spiritual because it is not a moral value.  

Or if truth is one of my virtues and I would organise my life to seek for truth in my chosen field. Would that become a dead weight and a "spiritual trap"? 

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding the second paragraph that you wrote. 

 

[Prabhaker]

8 minutes ago, Michael569 said:

if truth is one of my virtues

How can you know what is truth and what is untruth in your unconsciousness ? In your unconsciousness whatever you do will become sin, anything you do consciously, with awareness becomes virtue.

[FirstglimpseOMG]

I disagree. You may consciously, with awareness, choose to be a dick-head on Sunday, and on Monday act lovingly without trying. 

[electroBeam]

@Michael569 Spirituality is simply the act of avoiding delusion

Its what science tries to be, the act of understanding what realness, truth, empirical evidence truly is. While its beautiful for relieving suffering, its primary aim is truth.

But of course Spirituality cannot be defined. Its so deep and revolutionary, that its definition cannot be compartmentalized into a dualist language and way of thinking. 

[cetus]

How would I define spirituality?

As the realization that there is no individual self inhabiting a body but rather one omnipresent sprit  that has no beginning and no end..

[Shin]

Personally, I wouldn't even mention the word spirituality, I would talk about meditation and its benefits, and would gives personal exemples of why it has been the most important habit in my life.

Edited March 31, 2017 by Shin