Understanding Spirituality

‘Spirituality’ is without question a subject that fascinates many people in our contemporary age. It is a word that is frequently and increasingly used, yet its meaning is often ill-defined, and confused with religion, beliefs and traditions. So, what exactly is spirituality? The truth is, we are spiritual regardless of our religious beliefs or lack thereof. Teilhard de Chardin, a French philosopher and Jesuit theologian, famously wrote: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience.”

The word ‘spirituality’ pertains to the Spirit; our permanent, ever-present life force which is the essence of our existence. Spirituality encompasses a non-physical, immaterial reality sometimes described as the unmanifest. Spirituality is about being aware of our consciousness and our life energy that connects all living things in the universe. It is also our sense of awareness that we are part of something that is much bigger than ourselves. When we search for meaning in life, we become drawn into a sense of purpose for our own individual journey, as well as the greater plan for all of mankind.

The core of our energy is known under many different names such as God, the Holy Spirit, Consciousness or Divinity, and is the source of all life in the universe. One way to look at it is to think about it is in terms of an ocean. Each individual being is like a drop of water out of the ocean. The water droplet appears to be separate from the ocean, but through condensation and precipitation, will return back to the ocean; and was therefore always a part of the ocean.

If we cause suffering to another, we, ourselves will suffer. If we destroy the earth, we are destroying ourselves. To be able to love and nurture others, we must live and nurture ourselves. To love and nurture ourselves,  we must love and nurture all living things. Believing that you harm another without harming yourself is no different to thinking you can pee in a swimming pool without affecting the whole pool!

There is no end to spiritual growth. It is centered in the expansion of our being, which occurs through the lessons that we learn during our time here on earth, and our gradual awakening, both individual and collective, of who we really are and why we are here. There are many unanswered questions about spirituality, and there are many varied perceptions that contribute to the richness of this intricate web of energy that we call life. The mystery is what forms part of the fascination of this ever-unfolding gift, and the more we open our mind to the true nature of Spirit, the more we allow our lives to be touched by its magnificence.