What is considered "spiritual"?

An interesting question for the ATS community...

Google says this...

Web definitions
spiritualty: property or income owned by a church.
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn





Wikipedia...

The term spirituality lacks a definitive definition,[1][2] although social scientists have defined spirituality as the search for "the sacred," where "the sacred" is broadly defined as that which is set apart from the ordinary and worthy of veneration.[3]

The use of the term "spirituality" has changed throughout the ages.[4] In modern times spirituality is often separated from religion,[5] and connotes a blend of humanistic psychology with mystical and esoteric traditions and eastern religions aimed at personal well-being and personal development.[6] The notion of "spiritual experience" plays an important role in modern spirituality, but has a relatively recent origin

Spirituality has almost become its own religion while those who claim to be "spiritualists" reject the idea that it is a religion... Yet with no definitive "doctrine" can it be defined as such?

So what is spirituality?

What is spiritual?

Is it within a book or a set of documents?

Or is it something that must be experienced... perhaps a personal journey?

What say you?

I say its subjective and comes down to individuals, one persons spiritual is another's crazy, and to another its wisdom.

reply to post by benrl


fair enough...

IF you believe in it... define it...

Spirituality is religion without the formality, the buildings, the books, the tithing and the specific description of what a higher power is.

Spirituality is a belief specific to the individual.

Spirituality is what brings peace to a person without judgement.

Heaven is peace of mind.

Hell is personal confusion, the constant questioning of one's own worth and the general discontent with ones' self and the world in which they live.

Just a few things I've learned to believe during my years of being spiritual.

Just my 2 cents.

reply to post by Akragon


Spirituality is the spiritual development of an individual.
That requires discipline in the original sense of that word which means to learn, not to be taught how to conform to a doctrine with punishment and reward, so religion as we understand it today is not spirituality.
But religion in its original sense is a spiritual journey, what is meaningful in life.

reply to post by Akragon

So what is spirituality?

I'm sure the definition will differ from person to person, but if we tried to sum it up as a whole, I would say it's anyone who believes in spiritual entities that are capable of existing outside of the physical or the unseen, or even have their own spirit that is capable of existing outside of their current physical bodies.

reply to post by Akragon

Or is it something that must be experienced... perhaps a personal journey?

That. Nothing else will do.

Those that have experience need no proof.

Imagine going back in time and trying to explain the modern world to those that lived back then...


lots of luck.

reply to post by earthling42


Can you give us some more on your views?

After reading your post, your answer made me rethink what some people may define as spiritual. Your post kind of made it sound more like a philosophy. Can Buddhism be considered spiritual? In my opinion, it's considered more of a philosophy, since it focuses more on thoughts than an actual separate spiritual life.

reply to post by Akragon


Spiritual by my definition:

invisible, yet living and conscious

To me the definition of Spirituality is any belief system which consults the soul.

A spiritual belief system must consult both a persons mind and matters of the heart and defines their position within their environment governed by a set of laws which enable an individual to justify their reason for living and/or their reason for killing, while offering a conclusive theory to the question of divinity thus justifying any actions which must be carried out in their name.

I believe my definition is broad enough to cater to devout religious zealots and hippies in a commune.

I prefer the early etymology: to breathe, the breath of life, to live, living, alive, to be animated. Spirituality sounds so much more beautiful when it involves real things and not mystical abstractions.

You could define it, succinctly, that spirituality is that which exists outside of or other than materialism.
you could say, equally spirituality is consciousness, other than physical.

a spiritual person is convinced that there is a unseen, supernatural world existing side by side with the mundane, practical natural world in which we physically live

that there are conscious entities without a physical body, which neither heat nor cold nor gravity is of any consequence
and that prayer or meditation is a portal for communication with these energy entities

spiritual is that part of ones mind-brain-heart that exists beyond the confines of physical reality...
it is the realm of hopes, dreams, awe, inspiration, love, eternal life, heaven, reincarnation, karma, luck, hall of the Akashic records, the human soul apart from all other animals 'spirits'...the spirit realm is also home to Poetry,and other abstractions

although sometimes spirituality can be 'Jihad'

From my perspective and definitions:

Religion - Rituals, Beliefs, and Holy Books

Spiritual - Rituals, Beliefs, and Nature (without the strict following of a Holy Book)

Philosophical - A way of looking at life; a perspective which may or may not include a few belief systems.

I am more philosophical. I don't like rituals. If I do any "spiritual" practice, it will be in the moment and not a routine or ritual. I don't have "beliefs", I have "experiences" and therefore knowledge of what I've experienced. I do however, have perspectives of the things I've experienced, as well as perspective about life. But I don't have beliefs ("faith" - hope that something is true).

Originally posted by Deetermined
Can Buddhism be considered spiritual? In my opinion, it's considered more of a philosophy, since it focuses more on thoughts than an actual separate spiritual life.

A true Buddhist sought nothing and found nothing and knows nothing.
Nothing is the spiritual and it is not a religion - nothing is what this is.

Too me anyone who doesn't spend their entire life glued to a TV watching sport 24/7 is spiritual minded.

Now why are British football hooligans knocking at my door ?

reply to post by Itisnowagain

A true Buddhist sought nothing and found nothing and knows nothing.
Nothing is the spiritual and it is not a religion - nothing is what this is.

Thanks for confirming that Buddhism is not spiritual and that everything it stands for means absolutely nothing, since nothing exists.

Originally posted by Deetermined
reply to post by Itisnowagain

 

A true Buddhist sought nothing and found nothing and knows nothing.
Nothing is the spiritual and it is not a religion - nothing is what this is.

Thanks for confirming that Buddhism is not spiritual and that everything it stands for means absolutely nothing, since nothing exists.

Nothing appears to exist and continually appears different.
Nothing is happening.

Originally posted by Deetermined
reply to post by Itisnowagain

 

A true Buddhist sought nothing and found nothing and knows nothing.
Nothing is the spiritual and it is not a religion - nothing is what this is.

Thanks for confirming that Buddhism is not spiritual and that everything it stands for means absolutely nothing, since nothing exists.

Did I confirm that Buddhism is not spiritual??

The Buddha knows nothing and nothing is spirit.

reply to post by Itisnowagain

The Buddha knows nothing and nothing is spirit.

You seem to be dancing around the bush with your strange "nothing", assuming wrongly that we know what you're talking about. Does this statement have any meaning? Or are you saying Buddha is nothing and spirit is nothing?