Understanding Spirituality

The word “spirituality” holds a different meaning for every individual. For some people the word has religious connotations, while to others spirituality may mean going beyond the boundaries of their religion. So, what really is spirituality? The answer lies somewhere in the middle of the concepts of religion and the spirit of humanity.

Religion and Spirituality

Our religion helps us focus beyond the material world. It helps us traverse through some of the roughest patches on the road of life by giving us the strength of faith. We humans may follow different religions and may pray to different gods, but what’s common to all religions is the belief in a supreme power.

We may give different names to this supreme entity, but all of us believe that our god (s) exists beyond the physical realm. All religions prescribe a certain way of life that can help its followers reach closer to finding god.

The problem with religion, however, is that it creates boundaries between humans. It creates an "us vs. them" mentality, dividing humans into several sub groups based on the god(s) they worship. This is where religion differs from spirituality, because spirituality is all encompassing.

Humanity and Spirituality

Humanity is the spirit that keeps us alive as a race. It’s the natural compassion we feel for another human being. Humanity means valuing life in the physical realm, and love, kindness, and empathy, are all offshoots of the spirit of humanity.

The beauty of humanity is that it binds us together because we are all humans, children of the universe, or offspring of a supreme entity. A humanitarian does not differentiate between people because of their religion, color, or race, because humanity is all encompassing like spirituality.

The difference between humanity and spirituality is that humanity restricts itself to the physical realm while spirituality means going far beyond it.

What Is the Meaning of Spirituality?

Spirituality means understanding life is not just about material wants and physical desires; rather, it means looking for the true meaning of life. A spiritual life is one in which we nurture our soul and not just our bodies, so a spiritual person believes in the existence of a supreme power but doesn’t believe in the differentiation imposed by religion. Spirituality means valuing life in the physical realm and loving fellow humans because we all share a common bond – that of existence.

Spirituality means keeping an open mind and being willing to explore and understand the mysteries of life. One could worship in any religion and be spiritual, just as one could be secular and still be spiritual! Spirituality’s link to religion lies in the belief in that our life does not end with the physical world; that is, faith is what connects spirituality to religion.

There are several paths that lead to a spiritual way of life; for instance, meditation, studying mysticism, prayer, etc., are all good examples. The beauty of spirituality is that there are no required doctrines or correct paths. As long as the intention is to search for the absolute or god and the heart is filled with love and compassion, whatever path you may choose is the right one.

Until next time, embrace your inner wisdom.

Namaste,
Karen