2007-12-08 06:07:59 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. The spiritual, involving (as it may) perceived eternal verities regarding humankind's ultimate nature, often contrasts with the temporal, with the material, or with the worldly. A sense of connection forms a central defining characteristic of spirituality — connection to something "greater" than oneself, which includes an emotional experience of religious awe and reverence. Equally importantly, spirituality relates to matters of sanity and of psychological health. Like some forms of religion, spirituality often focuses on personal experience (see mysticism).
Spirituality may involve perceiving or wishing to perceive life as more important ("higher"), more complex or more integrated with one's world view; as contrasted with the merely sensual.
Many spiritual traditions, accordingly, share a common spiritual theme: the "path", "work", practice, or tradition of perceiving and internalizing one's "true" nature and relationship to the rest of existence (God, creation (the universe), or life), and of becoming free of the lesser egoic self (or ego) in favor of being more fully one's "true" "Self".
The spiritual and the religious
An important distinction exists between spirituality in religion and spirituality as opposed to religion.
In recent years, spirituality in religion often carries connotations of a believer having a faith more personal, less dogmatic, more open to new ideas and myriad influences, and more pluralistic than the doctrinal/dogmatic faiths of mature religions. It also can connote the nature of believers' personal relationship or "connection" with their god(s) or belief-system(s), as opposed to the general relationship with a Deity as shared by all members of a given faith.
Those who speak of spirituality as opposed to religion generally meta-religiously believe in the existence of many "spiritual paths" and deny any objective truth about the best path to follow. Rather, adherents of this definition of the term emphasize the importance of finding one's own path to whatever-god-there-is, rather than following what others say works. In summary: the path which makes the most coherent sense becomes the correct one (for oneself).
Many adherents of orthodox religions who regard spirituality as an aspect of their religious experience tend to contrast spirituality with secular "worldliness" rather than with the ritual expression of their religion.
People of a more New-Age disposition tend to regard spirituality not as religion per se, but as the active and vital connection to a force/power/energy, spirit, or sense of the deep self. As cultural historian and yogi William Irwin Thompson (1938 - ) put it, "Religion is not identical with spirituality; rather religion is the form spirituality takes in civilization." (1981, 103)
For a religious parallel to the approach whereby some see spirituality in everything, compare pantheism.-
2007-12-09 04:13:32 · answer #1 · answered by Jayaraman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay.... I'm not trying to be a know it all but I'll give you my opinion because everyone who's spiritual has there own definition of Spirituality... So my opinion is Spirituality means that you develop peace in your life through time and personal transformation through meditation or yoga... Hope this helps! I know it isn't much but I'd suggest watching Eckhart Tolle! He talks more about Spirituality and Living in the now and having peace and confidence in Life!!
2015-03-24 14:10:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Spiritualism means perpetually considering your physical body as perishable and perpetually considering your soul as eternal.
Accordingly and sensibly, one must attach himeself to the needs of the soul than giving undue over attention to the needs of the body. This state in a person is known as adhering to spiritualism.
2007-12-08 17:35:24 · answer #3 · answered by Vijay D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think ven god answered this very well.
Might I add from my own feelings of spirituality....getting closer to God in a spiritual way, realizing what is truly the important things that we should be learning in this life.
Being most humble.
2007-12-08 08:11:18 · answer #4 · answered by carol 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I look at spirituality as a way to get away from the materialistic world created by humans and connect with the supreme beings (Angels and God). It helps spread positive energy in this world and fight evil.
2007-12-08 12:29:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The belief that reverence or honor of the source of all creation (sometimes called God) is important and can be felt, without an egotistical belief that this infinite God can be defined or determined by the finite concepts of religion.
2007-12-08 06:13:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is the Inner Quest- getting to know and understand the I. Once one starts on this path one will begin to understand one's life vis-a-vis the Natural Law and will see glimmerings of a larger purpose, a nobler purpose- not that associated with gross material acquisition. One will measure oneself against a nobler scale of Human endeavour and not against material assets.
2007-12-08 06:32:23 · answer #7 · answered by ven_god_ky 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
spirituality = knowledge of the absolute self, or something like that :)
2007-12-08 15:47:58 · answer #8 · answered by arse 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just as fruits grow on a tree so that is the spirit of that tree.
2007-12-08 06:19:10 · answer #9 · answered by dustylee33 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
spirituality is what give matter/flesh rock anything its quality so that it can be perceive, no spirit =non perceivable
2007-12-08 06:15:40 · answer #10 · answered by gasp 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋