What is spirituality to you?
Spirit Being Human is a global network of spiritual communities. Spirituality is the core of the network and every community that joins it. In this context, what does spirituality mean? Spirit Being Human states that I am a spiritual being having a human experience.
There are a probably a zillion variations of spiritual practice and spirituality. My understanding is that every true spiritual way will always find a central point of reference common to all. In yoga philosophy for example, there are the ways of duality and non-duality, each completely opposite to the other, yet they can co-exist on the same page without any conflict.
Similarly in light of Spirit Being Human, I see people of all faiths and spiritual ways, living together in harmony. A community may have yogis, sufis, sheiks et al. and people of all religions and peaceful practices living together without conflict.
How do we create a universal spiritual foundation that clearly says what spirituality in Spirit Being Human is about?
Do you have any thoughts or ideas on this? If your decided to join a community, is it important to you that a community embrace some form of spirituality or have a set of high values based on spirituality?
Let me be clear that this is not a religious or political discussion. I'm looking for your feedback on what spirituality means to you.
[I edited this to be a post from wunluv which is my personal user name here on this site]
philadelphia
What does spirituality mean to me?
Less and less these days.
I would never join a spiritually defined community, I would never join a community that is defined in any way. Kindness, consideration, cooperation – wherever they happen to be, I will gladly go.
I'm not finding it helpful to use sentences that look intelligible on the surface but which really no one (well, no one I've met in person) understands, like the thing about spirit having a human experience.
As far as I can see, the term "spirituality" is rapidly becoming one of the new soporifics of our time.
But, of course: where kindness, consideration and cooperation have a home, it doesn't matter so much what's on the banner. Although I doubt there would be a banner.
"How do we create a universal spiritual foundation that clearly says what spirituality in Spirit Being Human is about?" I don't know and I don't even know what it's for. Is this about developing some spiritual Esperanto? There's no zing in that.
Dear Santhan, I think it is very difficult, too difficult, to speak about yogis and sheikhs and their common spirituality without getting into religious discussion. When it's about world spirituality, human spirituality, it's not about sheikhs; when it's about sheikhs, it can't be about spirituality as such. I honor and appreciate all the shapes spirituality takes, but I believe Heavenletters are something else and that we should be very cautious about discussing things of that kind here.
I see myself in agreement
I see myself in agreement with Jochen.. :)
Hello Santhan,I prefer to
Hello Santhan,
I prefer to state the core belief this way, we are all Children of God –rather than saying we are "spiritual beings having physical experience".
Through experience I've realized that the word "spiritual" or "spirituality" sometimes lead to even deep separation between people. That's why because some people think that "being spiritual" or "spirituality" is something that is not within their reach. They see others engaging in activities they consider as spiritual and then they separate themselves from those. I think there is nothing non-spiritual. The world is a Creation of God and everything, everyone and every act in it, is Divine.
As a Child of God I try to reach that God-Self within me and then help others reach the same within themselves. This can be possible trough many ways, Once I see that God-Self within me… I open my heart to others, look at them with compassionate, appreciate the Divinity within them, I accept and respect them as they are no matter what they practice, how they pray etc. Gradually we reach a point where we can see the Oneness, so we can live in harmony.
Love,
Oldooz
How beautiful, beautiful one.
How beautiful, beautiful one.
Jochen
((hug))...
Very beautiful, Oldooz. I
Very beautiful, Oldooz. I wish I had said what you said.
Oh Gloria, you've been
Oh Gloria, you've been saying many many beautiful things.. :)
Beloved Heaven Admin, The
Beloved Heaven Admin,
The question you ask isn't an easy one! .
At first I was going to say that spirituality is like the motif of the Three Musketeers -- all for one, and one for all. Of course, that Oneness would have to come from a place of Being. Spirituality is more than good deeds.
Consciousness is everything. And then how do we define consciousness?
I suppose three robbers would have a different interpretation altogether of All for one, and one for all.
Spirituality has to go beyond perceived gain, although spirituality itself is gain. And spirituality is also beyond the concept of "the common good,." even when it is for the common good.
Spirituality has a sense of freedom.
Spirituality is more than thinking. Spirituality is beyond words. It is more like the platform you come from. In truth, come from.
Certainly spirituality comes from vast vision. Maybe spirituality is God at play and we're in tune. And yet God is not definable.
I know, Heaven Admin, that you are caring all the time. You made the decision to care beyond yourself, to care for the world that God entrusted to us and to come from the Highest all the time, and God is the Highest. I know you are always thinking of others, and you give much joy.
I am at a loss to define spirituality.
I really like that about the
I really like that about the Three Musketeers -- all for one and one for all! Let me be clear, I'm asking for your understanding, not a definition.
Once a musician was fixing his motorbike in a little town in the mid-west of America. He stopped, looked up at me and asked, "What does God mean to you?" It took a while before I answered him in one, two, three.....eight words. At that moment, I shared what God meant to me. But for Heaven's sake, I made no attempt at trying to define God!
So far so good. Thanks for
So far so good. Thanks for the feedback.
I remember recently reading a lengthy discussion about the overuse and abuse of the word "green" in association with anything related to being kinder to the environment. It appeared that the only people who the subject mattered to, were those who were annoyed by it's overuse, while the rest of the world continued happily using the word "green".
I'm looking for something practical here. For example, if I picked up the yellow pages and went looking for a restaurant I would look for "vegetarian" restaurants. In the same way, when someone goes looking for self-sustaining, intentional, eco-village or co-housing communities they may look for ones that call themselves spiritual.
It's far easier to setup a community with a fixed spiritual practice/faith but that would be exclusive and also very boring.
A Spirit Being Human community is universal. This is a community that celebrates life in silence and in song. The stupidity of separation has long ago been left behind. There is no point to be made in a Spirit Being Human community. Spirit Being Human communities like the green leaves that appear on trees and plants in early spring. This is the springtime of love. Human consciousness blossoms.
Spirituality in Spirit Being Human
- acceptance of a single eternal, all pervading source unifying everything
- that all of life, including you and I, are connected and a part of that source (by default...ha ha)
- all people of all faiths and ways are welcome
Of course there will be generally accepted guidelines which would help one decide if a Spirit Being Human community is their cup of tea and those guidelines will evolve with time.
Keep it coming folk. Your feedback is valuable...and very interesting.
One Love,
Santhan
p.s Spirit Being Human is a phrase that God used in a Heavenletter. That's were I got it from.
p.p.s We're not defining anything here. We're sharing our understanding.
A glimpse of an imagined future
Santhan,
I really enjoy the feel of the questions you are asking. I remember a point in my life, before I had settled down and defined a career and a life path for myself, when I thought it would be wonderful to find a community that put into practice the values I wanted to see develop and blossom in the world. I agree that faith based religious communities are far too constricting. I had heard and read about people “dropping out” of society and forming self-sustaining communities that produced no pollution and existed by a sense of sharing and mutual support. I never did find such a community, but it was stimulating and fun to think along these lines. I seems to me that what you are asking and are in the process of doing is along these lines.
I’m not sure if this is what you have in mind, but I am sitting here contemplating what communities on earth will be like 2 or 3 hundred years from now. I foresee huge changes. I see the abandonment of mass production factories. Our clothing will all be natural fiber and cloth. Our furniture and housing, as well as almost everything else, will be hand made by craftsmen who love their work and feel honored to be able to produce what others need. The feeling of alienation from one’s work will be replaced by a feeling of fulfillment and enthusiasm and pride. Food will be grown locally in farms with small hand tilled gardens possibly supplemented by highly productive greenhouses or aqua culture areas. Beyond eggs and milk, no animal products will be consumed. I imagine that each community would have a kitchen staffed by people who love to cook and look after the culinary needs of their community members, both for their sustenance and their daily enjoyment.
Some will choose to devote their efforts to teach the young while others will learn to play and write music. Some will be actors and writers to further add to the entertainment of the rest of the community. Sports will be even more valued than they are today, just for the thrill of performing physical feats in a superb fashion and watching such performances. I see people fully engaged in their lives and their day to day actions being like a form of meditation or prayer. What we might now call spirituality would permeate our lives and be our main source of sustenance and joy.
This is a bit of a glimpse of where I think we are headed. I think this kind of direction is the inevitable result of forces that are being unleashed within our societies. I also think visionaries like yourself will serve to accelerate our momentum. We cannot move too quickly in this kind of direction. It is time to give up our self-imposed alienation, the hoarding of the world’s wealth and the polluting of our soils, air and waters.
I hope this is the kind of input you had in mind. I have more to say if I am on the right track, here..
Love and peace to all……….Chuck
Very beautiful!.. imagined
Very beautiful!.. imagined what I read and really enjoyed it!... (^_^)
Yes, please continue...and
Yes, please continue...and remember honey! Honey, eggs and milk.
Why did you leave those
Why did you leave out those three?
Include. I was playing with
Include. I was playing with Chuck, because he forgot to mention honey and I love honey. I'm sure there are other things as well, like pollen and wool...
Dearest Santhan, to me God
Dearest Santhan,
to me God and spirituality is love. it is very simple for me. ... and as it takes all kinds of flowers to make a beautiful garden...so...it would be fine just to join and share our love for God....whatever his name or form....expressing the the love for God in whatever ways our hearts can conceive....
much much love
Berit
Simplicity is the key here.
Simplicity is the key here. How do we convey a universal idea of spirituality in a simple, clear and earnest way.
Yes! This is simple and sincere. From the heart.