Spirituality to me means knowing that our lives are important in a context that goes beyond the everyday existence of the biological needs that drive selfishness and aggression. It means knowing that we are an integral part of a meaningful life in our universe.
For me, spirituality doesn't mean going into the woods, living a lonely life, doing a huge jumbo of prayer, going out and drinking, beating, raping, and abusing women violently. It doesn't mean going to war. It simply means being a good person in your normal life. Spirituality consists of love, compassion, wisdom, and truth. It is being good to people. This is God's wish.
An understanding of spirituality and how to lead a spiritual life of compassion and love among living people is highlighted with the thought that some enlightened individuals have achieved and manifested higher levels of development than ordinary people
1. Values:
Spirituality shows you the thread that connects your life. It's a vision of values like compassion and love.
2. Spread Happiness:
You are the same person and enjoy life. God has given you life, and it must live with joy. But your joy should bring joy to others. You should try to touch people's lives with love.
3. Have Compassion:
If you are reading the scripture, doing multiple religious movements, praying at your home, but not compassionate. Perhaps you leave oppress the weak. Or you get angry with the poor and try to indulge in things like rape and murder. You are not spiritual. There must always be compassion for spirituality to exist.
Overall, spirituality means that each of us is self-determined, empowered, and proactive to bring us together and define this time as an opportunity for positive change and healing in the world.
It also means sharing a common belief about possibilities, and appreciation, spreading joy and sharing love.
In summary, I firmly believe that spirituality can bring many benefits to our lives, both emotionally and physically. Developing our spiritual life gives us meaning and helps us identify where we are most passionate about in our professional, social, and personal lives.
For a Christain like me, one can become spiritual and live a spiritual life simply by living in and with God. Just as the life of the body begins when the heart of the body begins to beat, the life of the spirit begins when the heart of the spirit begins to beat.
In particular, our spiritual life begins when we are 'born again'.
John 3 tells of a conversation Jesus had with a religious leader named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was of course physically alive, but even though he was the leader of a religious community, he was not yet truly spiritually alive (ie, this tells us how being religious is not spiritual). This story gives us the key to understanding how to live a spiritual life. Read the conversation:
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. [John 3:1-8]
Jesus told Nicodemus that a person born of flesh only has physical life. But there is another kind of life-the eternal life that God himself has! To live this spiritual life, you must be born again. It is the second time of the Spirit of God. This may sound very complicated, but John 3:16 breaks it down and keeps it simple so that even children can understand and accept it.
God loved the world so much that he gave him his only son. For everyone who believes in him can have eternal life without perishing [John 3:16].
In his book Beyond Personality (later integrated with "The Cases of Christianity and Christian Behavior" to form classical pure Christianity), CS Lewis describes the biological life he calls bio. It distinguishes the spiritual life he calls Zoe. He defines Zoe as "a spiritual life that has been in God from eternity and created the entire natural world." He uses the metaphor of those who own only Bios as a statue.
A man who changed from having Bios to having Zoe would have gone through as big a change as a statue which changed from being a carved stone to being a real man. And that is just precisely what Christianity is about. This world is a great sculptor’s shop. We are the statues and there is a rumour going round the shop that some of us are some day going to come to life (C.S. Lewis, Beyond Personality).
JESUS WAS SPIRITUAL. We as Christains need to do same. He wasn't a religious man who wasn't concerned about others. That explained His selfless and loving attitude.
All in all, by spirituality I also mean when we come together and all share a common belief in the potential of each one of us to become self-directed, empowered, and active in defining this time in the world as an opportunity for positive change and healing, and for the true formation of a culture of peace by giving thanks, spreading joy, sharing love, seeing miracles, discovering goodness, embracing kindness, practicing patience, teaching tolerance, encouraging laughter, celebrating diversity, showing compassion, turning from hatred, practicing forgiveness, peacefully resolving conflicts, communicating non-violently, choosing happiness and enjoying life.
In conclusion, it is my firm belief that spirituality can offer many benefits to our life, both emotionally and physically. Developing our spiritual life can give us a sense of purpose and help us figure out where we are most passionate in our professional, social, and personal life.