Every now and then, we often wonder why things happen the way they happen, why do we face specific events, who the God really is, how did this existence come into be, do I have control over what happens to me, and so on. These are some of the very few and basic questions, out of many diverse and complex, that make us look beyond the material world we live in.
Many around us appear to take refuge in religions, occult practices, beliefs, or a guru when it comes to being spiritual. On the other hand, a big chunk of people talk about Yoga and meditation to be spiritual. But is this really being spiritual? I find that our society is all over the place when it comes to understanding spirituality and being spiritual. As a result, many keep following practices without realizing the results or making the progress. There is an increasing need to simplify the meaning of spirituality for clear understanding. This blog attempts to do just that.
Spirituality, simply defined, is to be aware of own's existence (read: thoughts and actions) to discern own's true identity.
This simple definition covers the core of spirituality, anything outside of this definition is merely an extension in the form of explanations, reasons, paths, practices, cultures, religions, and so on.
We can talk so much about spirituality but I believe too much too early results in confusion and unrealistic expectations. Our ancestors did a much better job of providing the optimum information based on one's capacity to handle and work on the given information. Our problem is not that there is any lack of information, our problem is that there is an information overload and it is becoming a challenge to distinguish the optimum information to make meaningful progress.
There is a reason I am not getting into further details. If I do that, it will start to make sense to some but confuse or even put off some of the others. Even people who think they know spirituality, I invite them to examine this definition deeply and start with this understanding. This simple definition provides the right first step in the direction of endless possibilities.
How do we be aware of our thoughts and actions? Well, that's a topic for some other day. Till then, please accept my wishes for your spiritual journey.🙏