A Metaphysical Musing: What Is Spirituality?

A Metaphysical Musing: What is spirituality? Part I of many….

“We are part of a glorious cosmic dance which is always going on. It beats in the life blood of all of us even if we do not know it. The purpose of the spiritual life is to help us to learn how to remove the obstacles that stand between us and the union we already have with God [good; source of all; etc.]. This means that we don’t search for something that is foreign to us, but uncover that which we already have.”

An Invitation to the Spiritual Journey, John P. Gorsuch

When asked to define elusive terms such as spirituality, we have to rest on the shoulders of the inclusive world religious traditions, just as we have to take personal responsibility for shaping and mining modernity for new ideas, and courageously investing in and exploring new working paradigms. Here is a first attempt, a brief synopsis, of what can be meant by spirituality.

To be spiritual, at its root meaning, is to be vital to possess and express life. The origins of the word, spirit, are intimately connected to breath, wind, energy, creativity and movement.

(Ruach; Pnuema; Spire; inspire, respire, aspire, expire, etc.)

In that regard, we can call spirituality a non-mechanical and unconfined energy; a freely expressive, compassionate way of living; an active orientation toward the deep self and the gracious affirmation of the connections to the deepest parts of all humanity and the all of Creation.

As expressed in our humanity, a spirit filled life is one that is inner-directed; one that moves us from the busy, often preoccupying external, imposed or superficial demands of our lives, into an abiding regard and a ongoing respect for our inner wisdom, our soulful dialogues, our interior truths.

Whenever we learn to listen to the stirring of wisdom and conscience, and then connect our actions to these guiding principles, we make progress in embodying and understanding the spiritual approach to life.

Spirituality, is the motive power behind and within our lives that moves us toward a deeper consideration for who and what we are, and toward an affirmation of our place in the Cosmos.

World spirituality teaches that our rightful place is not in differences and contradictions based in ego or culture; Our place side by side equal with all other humans, as a caretaker and preserver of eco-justice, personal dignity, freedom, and acting as if we committed to an inclusive or universalist point of view: we are all saved or nothing will be saved; all life is holy or sacred; or none is; that all life is sacramental worthy of our compassion, and care.

Spirituality is often defined as being different, even opposed to religion. Part of this adamant distinction comes from equating religion with rules and regulations of belonging, with ascribing to and asserting certain theological beliefs, and condoning certain practices while excluding all others. Many people define or at least associate spirituality with a more free flowing personalized search for one’s answers. However, a mature or a more complete spirituality contains a deep resonance with ethics and justice; spirituality also holds us accountable. One cannot be a superficial follower, a dilettante or an impostor and truly be connected to an authentic spiritually inspired life.

Spirituality is intimately connected to our sustaining sense of community. If there are no shared ideals, nothing held or believed in common, community disappears and spirituality is understood as absent. While as individuals, we often will insist on granting each person sufficient autonomy to seek out their own individual expressions, answers, their own sense of purpose and meaning, etc.,

The increased societal and cultural interest in spirituality has given rise to an expanded understanding that any rampant expression or any excessive license in individualism can rob any group of its common intent; the common good, or the common wealth with all of its shared responsibilities; To become a community requires that we willingly and as consistently as possible model those virtues and values that we want to see be manifested in our world, and as a community see actively expressed through our actions and understand the consequences of our spiritual and ethical choices and their impact on the generations to come after us.

Spirituality propels us on our individual quest; it also forms the feelings bond of affiliation and affection that hold communities together. That which is of the Spirit, then, can be defined as whatever is deemed sacred, true, love and respect worthy for the individual, for their community, and for their world. To be spiritual is to pay reverent attention to the holy within, between, among and beyond us all.

Definitions: (From my book, Spirit, Time, and The Future)

 

Spirit is the vital and visceral animating energy that activates and sustains consciousness from birth to death. Spirit is the presence and the inspirational deepening and enrichment affirmed and synergized through ritual that grows and ripens our identity and our relationship to God.

Spirit conspires between people for personal and social transformation. Spirit compels ethical growth and evolutionary change in and through human community interactions. Spirit, acting globally, directs or inspires the values necessary to promote a Council of all Beings on Earth.

Soul is not Spirit, but depends on Spirit for its manifestation.

Soul is the entirety of our awareness it is our consciousness, both awake and asleep that comprises our psyche or mind. Soul is the sum total of all our sensory-motor input and the cellular correspondence among all our physiological processes. It is our “psychic container.” Soul is the result of all our socio-cultural training and programming necessary for all our interaction and adaptation needs.

Soul is the total composite of who we are; what we are aware of or what we know, what and how we reason, relate and respond to life itself.

Spirit activates and animates Soul. Spirit inspires the origins of life and oversees the processes of consciousness, and governs its ultimate expressions and its realities.