Spirituality
The meaning of spirituality has developed and expanded over time, and
various connotations can be found alongside each other. Traditionally,
spirituality referred to a religious process of
re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape of man", oriented
at "the image of God" as
exemplified by the founders and sacred texts of the religions of the world. The
term was used within early Christianity to refer to a life oriented toward the Holy
Spirit and
broadened during the Late Middle Ages to include mental aspects of life. In modern times, the
term both spread to other religious traditions and broadened to refer to a wider range of experience,
including a range of esoteric traditions and religious traditions. Modern
usages tend to refer to a subjective experience of a sacred dimension and
the "deepest values and meanings by which people live", often
in a context separate from organized religious institutions, such as a
belief in a supernatural (beyond
the known and observable) realm, personal growth, a quest for an ultimate or sacred meaning, religious experience, or an encounter with one's own "inner
dimension". This section is about spirituality,
spiritualism, spiritual life, awakening, mysticism, divine qualities, and higher
consciousness. Spiritual effort in most religions is based upon three main
basic beliefs: 1. Our present state of reality is ridden with problems and
suffering. 2. We can overcome the suffering and impermanence to which we are
subject and 3. Through spiritual effort and discipline, it is possible for us
to transcend our limitations and experience higher states of consciousness and
even discover the inner self that is hidden in all of us. Spiritualism elevates
our thinking and behavior. It is more than simple religious practice and can be
a good cure for the petty and narrow-minded thinking that often people
cultivate because of their excessive attachment to religion. Religions divide
people into groups and communities, whereas spiritualism helps us to see the
world as the manifestation of one Supreme Reality. Our spirituality takes us
beyond dogmatism, fundamentalism, and obscurantism which are responsible for
divisions and disunity between nations and peoples. The need of the hour is the spiritual growth of human beings, and this section will help you know more
about this subject.