SPIRITUALITY AND MEDITATION ; JUST A TREND OR A LIFE CHANGING HABIT?

 SPIRITUALITY AND MEDITATION ; JUST A TREND OR A LIFE CHANGING HABIT

“Spirituality” is a word that defines our era. The fascination with spirituality is a striking aspect of our contemporary times and stands in stark contrast to the decline in traditional religious belonging in the West. Although the word “spirituality” has Christian origins it has now moved well beyond these – indeed beyond religion itself.

spirituality and meditationWhat exactly is spirituality? Unfortunately it’s not easy to offer a simple definition because the word is now widely used in contexts ranging from the major religions to the social sciences, psychology, the arts and the professional worlds of, for example, healthcare, education, social work and business studies. Spirituality takes on the shape and priorities of these different contexts. However, in broad terms “spirituality” stands for lifestyles and practices that embody a vision of how the human spirit can achieve its full potential. In other words, spirituality embraces an aspirational approach to the meaning and conduct of life – we are driven by goals beyond purely material success or physical satisfaction. Nowadays, spirituality is not the preserve of spiritual elites, for example in monasteries, but is presumed to be native to everyone. It is individually-tailored, democratic and eclectic, and offers an alternative source of inner-directed, personal authority in response to a decline of trust in conventional social or religious leaderships.
If we explore the wide range of current books on spirituality or browse the Web we will regularly find that spirituality involves a search for “meaning” – the purpose of life. It also concerns what is “holistic” – that is, an integrating factor, “life seen as a whole”.  Spirituality is also understood to be engaged with a quest for “the sacred” – whether God, the numinous, the boundless mysteries of the universe or our own human depths. The word is also regularly linked to “thriving” – what it means to thrive and how we are enabled to thrive. Contemporary approaches also relate spirituality to a self-reflective existence in place of an unexamined life.

How is spirituality to be supported? The great wisdom traditions suggest the adoption of certain spiritual practices and it is this aspect of spirituality that attracts many contemporary people. Forms ofspirituality and meditation meditation physical posture or movement such as yoga, disciplines of frugality and abstinence (for example from alcohol or meat) or visits to sacred sites and pilgrimage (for example the popular practice of vipassana are among the most common. The point is that spiritual practices are not merely productive in a narrow sense but are disciplined and creative. A commitment to the regularity of a spiritual discipline like meditation gives shape to what may otherwise be a fragmented life. Many people also experience their creative activities in art, music, writing and so on as spiritual practices. Classic practices are all directed at spiritual development. It follows from this that, as the great traditions emphasize, spirituality is actually concerned with cultivating a “spiritual life” rather than simply with undertaking practices isolated from commitment.

But sometimes I feel that the ‘spiritual tourists’ that are coming to India have the feeling that they need to show everyone that they are spiritual. However if you are really comfortable with yourself and your spirituality, you don’t need to let others know about it all the time. I anyway don’t think that you need to convince others of what you believe. It is your thing, your belief and if they ask you can talk about it but if nobody asks, if you are just going to the market to go shopping just like everybody else, it is okay if you just do it in the way that others do it, too. Isn’t that your ego saying that you want the shopkeeper to notice that you are different, that you are devoted and connected to God? Do you think they would think better of you then? Does that make the others less spiritual because they are not praying while shopping?

showing off spirituality
Spirituality is something very personal and individual. You don’t need to connect with a sect or join a group for living your spirituality. Unfortunately you nowadays have to make this comparison of deeply felt spirituality and show-off spirituality. Be natural about your spirituality. This means that if you really have this feeling of love and devotion, then pray. Or take your time to only pray to get back into this feeling. Don’t do things by correspondence. Fully be in your prayer, in your meditation.


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