If you do not follow a set religion?

Question

What criteria do you use to define your spirituality?I don't mean worship,but your own spirit.Give this some thought before answering please.I'd like serious answers.Spirtuality intrigues me.I'd like to hear some other thoughts.This can be in the form of anything you percieve as spirit.Mind,body,sex or anything.No need to include you orientation.

I'm getting some very good answers.You're not making the selection of a best answer very easy.I intend to leave this question open for a while,but fear not.It will not go to a vote.

Answer 1

I have a certain space around me,call it a security checkpoint if you will,.and I respect others space as well, why am I doing so?; to keep unwanted spirits away from my space, as I first have to check their ID. I believe in the freedom of the individual and they can do as they please in their respective space, when invited I accept or I might decline their invitation.I am so fed up with people who try to invade this belief, with dribbling of death-end thinking and to worsen things, are set and stubbornly defend their views.I do not care who your God is, but I respect it as long as my space isn't invaded, let alone injured. There was a show back when called "Dave Allen at large" I really enjoyed it....but what I liked the most about this persona ,was his ending remark....."and may YOUR God go with you.

Answer 2

Why sure.

I'm a questioner and I like things to follow logically. I spent a few years without any real "spiritual" force in my life, and realized I didn't much like that. I think the whole thing, actually, came from reading Jung. A large part of my view of the world is based on Jung's writings; or, to put it more accurately, he confirmed in a scientific manner much of what I already suspected was true.

Reading Jung renewed my interest in reading Tarot, which I found to consistently work; that made me question why and how it did. I've studied it quite extensively since then, and learned a bit about the Qabalah, the I Ching, and other systems that link together (once again confirming Jung's collective unconscious in my mind), but I went for a scientific explanation. I somehow ended up with Amit Goswami and Brian Greene--physicists who have put the basics of quantum mechanics out there for the layman, and in the case of Goswami, have shown the spiritual parallels. Quantum mechanics could easily be classified under the terms of the supernatural--even a hundred years after its discovery, there's still not a satisfactory explanation for it. Between that and Jung, I've constructed a quite satisfactory spirituality for myself.

Answer 3

Spirituality and religion are almost entirely separate things,

for some people the existance of a soul is as obvious as the existance of the sun, of trees, of rocks... its simply a fact of existance.

if you can only use your organic senses, then the spirit/soul would indeed be mostly a "leap of faith" but remember that many people are able to "feel" and "sense" that theres something more.

Answer 4

In Taoist terms, my understanding of this:

The Tao of Heaven is eternal,
and the earth is long enduring.
Why are they long enduring?
They do not live for themselves;
thus they are present for all beings.

The Master puts herself last;
And finds herself in the place of authority.
She detaches herself from all things;
Therefore she is united with all things.
She gives no thought to self.
She is perfectly fulfilled.

In Buddhist terms, my attainment of this:

He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.
Buddha

In Christian terms, my relationship with God and my understanding of his will for me.

In Islamic terms, my submission to the will of Allah.

They are all the same concept just worded differently.

Answer 5

My belief system: It's rather pantheistic but here it is:

Deity/Force
There is a deity, but it is not a being. It is the collective energy of the universe, the driving force behind it. This force is in all, but transcends all. Matter is only an aspect of it. The force inhabits everything, animate and inanimate. The gods of other religions are only aspects of the force. There is no absolute way to represent the force. It has many different aspects and can be represented in whatever form you wish.

Origin
I believe in an oscillating universe. A universe is born in a big bang, it lives and exhausts its fuel. Once it reaches maximum entropy, it collapses back in on itself and another universe begins. There is no creator shaping things or modeling life in his own image. Only natural forces like evolution are responsible for life. The first prokaryote cell began on primordial earth and snowballed from there. Things evolve and change to become what they are today.

Good and Evil
Good and evil are relative terms. What is good for one person may not be good for another. Absolute good and evil are impossible. The relativity of these terms lead one to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong.

Salvation
The only things to be saved from are in this reality. Disease, starvation, and ignorance are three of the greatest challenges to life. We should embrace our natural instincts, but know when to restrain them. We do not need to ask a higher power to spare us from eternal suffering.

Contemporary Issues
Abortion-Contraceptives are alright and abortion is considered moral, but only before there is brain activity or a heart beat. Divorce and remarriage are allowed. Sex is healthy and normal as long as it is done safely.

Religious Practices
Praying is seen more as a wish or sending your energy to another person or to a specific goal. Prayers to the dead are seen as a way of mourning, and perhaps communication. The positive energy sent to them certainly can't hurt. Ceremonies can be used but rarely are. Almost anything which satisfies our spiritual needs is allowed.

Afterlife
According to the Law of Conservation of Energy, energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed. This leaves two possibilities. Either
A.)The soul is reincarnated after either a set time or immediately into a new body, whether it be in this plane or another, or
B.)The soul dissipates back into the force and the consciousness fades into oblivion.
If the soul survives, then there is a possiblility it can intervene in our existence on this plane. Perhaps not in a grand scale such as causing a building to collapse, but in small ways such as communication or providing for their loved ones in some small way.

Karma
Karma is possible, but no official stance is taken.

Universalism
All other religions are considered equally valid because their deities are just aspects of the force. Other religious teachings (such as the afterlife, salvation, karma, etc.) are not necessarily valid, but are seen as different ways to honor the force.

Human Interaction
Everything is an aspect of the force so we interact with the force constantly. Interacting with a god-like force is does not generally occur (at least on this plane) but a guiding force can sometimes be felt. Prayers are about as useful as crossing your fingers because no supreme force would want to hear every whine and complain from us lower creatures. Prayers/ceremonies/rituals for a specific goal, such as wishing for a loved one or ensuring good fortune are believed to be somewhat effective.

Empirical Structure
Everything at its most basic level is energy radiated from the force. All subatomic particles are tiny vibration in space (string theory/M-theory). Matter is the direct result of the force radiating on a certain frequency. Solid particles are only an illusion. Everything is motion in its most basic form. The force controls these vibrations, which interact with each other at different frequencies. A higher plane is simply the force radiating out of phase with our normal world. Everything is in constant motion, and without it there is nothing.

The Natural Cycles
The universe has a cyclic nature which repeats from the largest to the smallest levels. Human history repeats itself, the cycle of life repeats, the rain cycle provides us with moisture, and the universal cycle recycles our universe after it reaches maximum entropy. Everything happens goes in a circle and nothing stays the same forever. The orobouros is seen as a sacred symbol as it reflects the nature of our cosmos.

Ethics
We should treat others well, unless they don't deserve it. Everyone is born with certain rights, but when one commits a horrible crime against humanity,(child molestation, unjustified serial murder, etc.) those rights are negated. We should behave as a civilized society, but the laws of the jungle still apply. Self-defense is necessary and should not be punishable. If you are attacked you should have the right to fight back without facing an assault charge. War is often necessary. One's duty should first come to one's children, one's self, one's family, and one's country, in that order. Capital punishment is often necessary. Corporal punishment is very effective but should not be used for minor offenses (such as traffic or drug.) The environment should not be ignored. Animals should be treated with dignity and respect, but we still require meat to survive.

Purpose of Life
We were not sent to accomplish a certain task. Our purpose is to make our own purpose. We are here to make our own way in the world and accomplish what we can. In the end it has whatever meaning you give it.

Answer 6

I am not sure I understood your question.

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/spirit;_ylt=Ah..5pVf_l8N6tFapjwkqT2sgMMF
Definition 12:

Spirit is the actual though implicit sense or significance of something