sravna
Well-known member
Spirituality derives from the word "spirit" which also means the soul. So spirituality has to do with the soul. The concept of soul is central to many religions and is supposed to represent the inner and the most real self of a person.
The concept of spirituality is often contrasted against materialism where materialism is excessive attachment to things external to the inner self i.e., to the external reality such as the body and other physical things. So we can consider spirituality as something that teaches us to think beyond the external reality and focus on elevating the inner self.
One concept of inner reality is that there is an entity called jivatma which is attached to a body. The jivatma is the veiled Atman or Brahman, the supreme God which is residing in every person. The veil is the ignorance due to not being able to understand the real self or reality. As long as the ignorance exists, an entity called mind is projected from it and that is what interacts with the external world and goes through the various experiences in a birth.
The experiences form the basis of the jivatma's evolution. The evolution represents how veiled the jivatma is. When we realize the timeless truths finally through innumerable births, the ignorance disappears and the veil is lifted. The mind becomes one with the soul which is now the pure consciousness or God and the person attains Moksha or liberation from the physical world.
Being spiritual does not mean one has to give up worldly activities. It only means the ability to exercise self control when required. So one can lead a normal worldly life and still be spiritual. Spirituality just as the word suggests is practised more in spirit than in the form or methods.
However, it is not an easy task to practise spirituality. In my view it is the most intellectually demanding task because it means one has to go beyond understanding and actually live the truths. But once a person is able to do that after sincere and continuous efforts, he is most likely to possess a very peaceful inner existence which would also reflect in the happiness in external interactions.
To sum up, spirituality deals with the theory and practices of how to remove one's ignorance of timeless truths, by evolving one's inner self, attaining peace and eventually becoming one with God.
The concept of spirituality is often contrasted against materialism where materialism is excessive attachment to things external to the inner self i.e., to the external reality such as the body and other physical things. So we can consider spirituality as something that teaches us to think beyond the external reality and focus on elevating the inner self.
One concept of inner reality is that there is an entity called jivatma which is attached to a body. The jivatma is the veiled Atman or Brahman, the supreme God which is residing in every person. The veil is the ignorance due to not being able to understand the real self or reality. As long as the ignorance exists, an entity called mind is projected from it and that is what interacts with the external world and goes through the various experiences in a birth.
The experiences form the basis of the jivatma's evolution. The evolution represents how veiled the jivatma is. When we realize the timeless truths finally through innumerable births, the ignorance disappears and the veil is lifted. The mind becomes one with the soul which is now the pure consciousness or God and the person attains Moksha or liberation from the physical world.
Being spiritual does not mean one has to give up worldly activities. It only means the ability to exercise self control when required. So one can lead a normal worldly life and still be spiritual. Spirituality just as the word suggests is practised more in spirit than in the form or methods.
However, it is not an easy task to practise spirituality. In my view it is the most intellectually demanding task because it means one has to go beyond understanding and actually live the truths. But once a person is able to do that after sincere and continuous efforts, he is most likely to possess a very peaceful inner existence which would also reflect in the happiness in external interactions.
To sum up, spirituality deals with the theory and practices of how to remove one's ignorance of timeless truths, by evolving one's inner self, attaining peace and eventually becoming one with God.