A Definition Of Spirituality

1. Spirituality is our conscious aspiration to seek God. Through spirituality we learn God is not a remote figure high in the heavens. By practising spirituality we can begin to feel the presence of God in our own heart.

2. Acceptance of the World. The World has teeming imperfections but spirituality teaches us to neither criticise, nor ignore the world. True spirituality involves accepting the world as it is. Spirituality does not seek to highlight the faults of the world, but to feel a sense of oneness with others.

3. Spirituality believes in tolerance. Real spirituality will never say that there is only one true way to the goal. Spirituality embraces different approaches and traditions; knowing that there are many paths to the goal.

4. Know Thyself. The essence of spirituality as taught by the great Masters and teachers throughout the ages is “know thyself.” It is only by becoming aware of one’s real inner self, that spirituality can become a living reality. Sri Chinmoy suggests:

“A spiritual person is someone who goes to the very root of the Truth, for he knows that if there is no root there cannot be any tree. And the root of the Truth is love.” (1)

5. Live in the Eternal Now. Spirituality does not involve regretting the past and fearing the future. Spirituality is our conscious experience to live in the eternal now.

6. Self Offering. Spirituality encompasses many ideals, but one of the most important is to serve others and ignore the demands of our own ego.

7. Self Improvement. The spiritual approach to changing the world is to first begin by changing ourselves. We cannot influence and inspire others, unless we make improvements in our own life. When we attain our own inner peace, this peace will automatically spread to others.

8. Spirituality does not try to convert others. In the spiritual life we do not seek to influence others, we are concerned only with our own spiritual progress. We offer our good will to others, but know we are not responsible for their decisions.

9. Spirituality deals with the underlying essence of life. Spirituality does not worry about the praise, criticism and material rewards of the world. Spirituality is only concerned with pleasing our inner pilot, our inner self.

10. Spirituality is Joy. The spiritual life is not a bed of roses, but nor is it a field of thorns. True spirituality believes in awakening the inner joy and happiness within. To be miserable is to miss the point of spirituality.

By Ronald Sedgewick

How to Be Enlightened One!

The path to spiritual enlightenment is a razors edge, steep and treacherous to the person who is foolish, on the right hand insanity and the left death.

Simply put, the rational mind thinks, the Soul just knows. The mind presented with this problem says, "Yes, 100+150+235, let's see, that equals 485." The Soul, on the other hand, presented with the same problem just knows, 485. No thinking, just knowledge.

The major problem, as you can readily see, is to keep the 'rational mind' sane while crossing the unknown to the 'All Knowing Soul.' The path requires total dedication, discipline, knowledge and courage.

The path is not a 'Sunday stroll', but rather like a narrow ledge along a cliff face, interspersed with flat rocky plateaus. In the beginning, the path may ascend sharply with great learning but soon the first plateau is reached which seems spiritually barren. These plateaus are places to rest, a place to apply what has been learned and a test of resolve. Resting overlong means to slide back, you must continue to ascend or be dragged down.

There is no fee at the gateway to the path leading to spiritual enlightenment. The key to enter, is the burning desire to know the truth.The materials required can be carried in a backpack: clothes for decency, a towel for bathing, paper and pencils for notes, a couple of books, whatever you need for the trail. The only other burdens you will carry are the truths you realize in your heart and mind as you ascend the path and the dawning knowledge that the earth and it's people are living in almost total spiritual darkness. You must be strong to stay on the path.

You need no expensive spiritual enlightenment workshops or classes, gurus or teachers, correspondence courses, retreats, or trips to India on the path.You the student are your own teacher, you just need to realize the truth and apply it as you ascend the path. You are an individualized conscious part of the 'Whole' all knowledge is within your grasp. All you need to do is to seek the truth, apply it, and with God's Grace you will reach the goal.