What does Spirituality Mean to You?

Senthil said:
For me, 'spirituality' the word means absolutely nothing. It's a vague catch-all phrase that gets tossed around a lot, and I suspect means something different to each person using it, with many not really knowing what it even means to them. I've even asked people, 'What exactly does that mean?" to get sort of blank stares.
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Yes, it tends to mean whatever one wants it to mean these days. It's defined according to one's own opinions.

In the religious dialogue of the West, it's a post-Enlightenment term, in that before then, 'spirituality' and 'religion' meant the same thing. In the East it still does, they don't see any distinction.

In the West the impetus was to separate one from the other under the anti-religious/anti-tradition imperative.

The phrase, 'spiritual but not religious' has even less meaning to me personally.[/QUOTE]
 
Thinking further ...

Surely the content of any 'spirituality' is derived from a system? It's a component of, rather than the thing in itself. Jewish spirituality differs from Christian differs from Moslem, although there will be correspondences, as man is the common element. Same, I would have thought, for Hinduism or, as has been pointed out, different schools within Hinduism.

In the RC Tradition, for example, one can speak of the distinct spiritualities of the monastic orders; in the Orthodox worlds we have heysychasm, for example ... in Buddhism you have Zen or Jodo, etc.

So spirituality was always within a system. Once people separate themselves from the Traditions, the definitions become vague and the word loses shape and meaning in this pick 'n' mix world.

People use the term without really knowing what it means, other than its sentimental appeal — spiritual people are always nice ...

It makes me smile when people scoff at the idea of religion, but defend their 'spirituality'.
 
I once heard it taken to another more simplistic notion that I liked that made sense: A 'spiritual' person is one who can lift the spirits of others.
 
Thomas said:
Thinking further ...

Surely the content of any 'spirituality' is derived from a system? It's a component of, rather than the thing in itself. Jewish spirituality differs from Christian differs from Moslem, although there will be correspondences, as man is the common element. Same, I would have thought, for Hinduism or, as has been pointed out, different schools within Hinduism.

In the RC Tradition, for example, one can speak of the distinct spiritualities of the monastic orders; in the Orthodox worlds we have heysychasm, for example ... in Buddhism you have Zen or Jodo, etc.

So spirituality was always within a system. Once people separate themselves from the Traditions, the definitions become vague and the word loses shape and meaning in this pick 'n' mix world.

People use the term without really knowing what it means, other than its sentimental appeal — spiritual people are always nice ...

It makes me smile when people scoff at the idea of religion, but defend their 'spirituality'.
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I'm totally with you. I do question, though not in an arrogant way, the rising of religion and the desire for religion. Of course, in Christian terms, God handed down religion to an unruly, and often disobedient, created man. In my imagination, there exists a "chicken and the egg" conundrum. Did God create the conditions under which man began to see the need to go beyond his natural desires? Did God, on the other hand, as many say, see how delinquent man could be and simply laid down the law? I like to think that the need for religion began within man's heart/mind, and being intrinsically motivated rather than extrinsically motivated, began the early traditions.
 
alright ok... so god created man to create gods... do we have enough yet?

The difference between spirituality and religion... one tells you what to believe...
 
A Cup Of Tea said:
The other is making stuff up yourself?
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exactly!! Not really... Well sort of... It amounts to following your experiences...the culmination of what has happened to you and others, what you've read and discussed, what you've seen and heard, and then choosing which of your perceptions of all of the above and anything else...choosing which you believe...

Pick a card.... any card... and I'll show you some magic.
 
Nasruddin said:
I do question, though not in an arrogant way, the rising of religion and the desire for religion...
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Man always seeks that which lies beyond ...

Nasruddin said:
Of course, in Christian terms, God handed down religion to an unruly, and often disobedient, created man.
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I tend to see it as God, from the outset, invited man into a union with Himself. We over-stepped the mark, and the rest is history ...

Nasruddin said:
Did God create the conditions under which man began to see the need to go beyond his natural desires?
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I like to think God created man with the capacity 'to go beyond'.
 
Thomas said:
Yes, it tends to mean whatever one wants it to mean these days. It's defined according to one's own opinions.

In the religious dialogue of the West, it's a post-Enlightenment term, in that before then, 'spirituality' and 'religion' meant the same thing. In the East it still does, they don't see any distinction.

In the West the impetus was to separate one from the other under the anti-religious/anti-tradition imperative.

The phrase, 'spiritual but not religious' has even less meaning to me personally.
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Along those lines, a recent (2007) edition of the standard prayer book used by the U.S. Jewish Reform movement uses the term "Eternal Spirit" in place of one of the traditional names for G-d. "Eternal Spirit" is a vague term that even an atheist could accept.
 
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Dan0813 said:
Along those lines, a recent (2007) edition of the standard prayer book used by the U.S. Jewish Reform movement uses the term "Eternal Spirit" in place of one of the traditional names for G-d. "Eternal Spirit" is a vague term that even an atheist could accept.
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Are you an atheist? Why would an atheist accept 'eternal spirit'?
 
wil said:
Are you an atheist? Why would an atheist accept 'eternal spirit'?
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No, I'm not an atheist.

"Eternal Spirit" could be interpreted as human spirit. It's disconnected from any assumption that there is a G-d.
 
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Spirituality is fundamentally a rejection of materialism, there is no other way to know it.

Neither stance is accurate, but this is how mind works.

Always moving to some polarity, missing the reality.
 
Francis Earl said:
Spirituality is fundamentally a rejection of materialism, there is no other way to know it.

Neither stance is accurate, but this is how mind works.

Always moving to some polarity, missing the reality.
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Shhhh, you're going to give away the game! :)
 
Dan0813 said:
No, I'm not an atheist.

"Eternal Spirit" could be interpreted as human spirit. It's disconnected from any assumption that there is a G-d.
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The atheists I know would reject any notion of anything that needed to be 'interpreted' eternal spirit would not bode well with them... Can you use it in context, in sentences that the reform movement uses it, and find any atheists that have any need for it?

As an aside I do find it interesting...what atheists are jelly of beleivers most is the camaraderie, the regular meetings, the cohesiveness of group support for common beliefs. They are attempting to duplicate this...
 
Nasruddin said:
I'm totally with you. I do question, though not in an arrogant way, the rising of religion and the desire for religion. Of course, in Christian terms, God handed down religion to an unruly, and often disobedient, created man. In my imagination, there exists a "chicken and the egg" conundrum. Did God create the conditions under which man began to see the need to go beyond his natural desires? Did God, on the other hand, as many say, see how delinquent man could be and simply laid down the law? I like to think that the need for religion began within man's heart/mind, and being intrinsically motivated rather than extrinsically motivated, began the early traditions.
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Even today, in many people, enlightenment happens spontaneously - even for those uninterested in religion.

I think this is a hint as to how religion really got started, people recognized something had happened in these people and wanted to know what...

Of course, we decided to organize that, which created authority figures and eventually an all powerful authority in the sky.

I think, though, that this is simply a natural evolution of consciousness...
 
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