In my point of view, Spirituality is the level of connectedness with the self. It has nothing to do with the beliefs of religion & God. It has more to do with one’s inner self.
- It has nothing to do with materialism. When we don’t have any motive for ourselves behind something that we are doing for others, it enters the domain of spirituality. It doesn’t count materialism (such as gaining power, prestige & money) with it.
- Another example of spirituality is when we perform activities for our personal growth; like- reading, building perspectives, self-care, etc. Looking out for peace and satisfaction in what we have is spiritual, rather than demanding more & more.
- •Anything which makes us a better human being in generic terms is Spiritual. If you worship regularly, chant mantras, sing hymns, and read scriptures, you’re definitely religious but even after being so deeply involved in your religion doesn’t make your heart melt over the sufferings of the less fortunate, then you’re not spiritual. Spirituality is having pity in the heart, care & love for every particle on the earth, feeling of oneness as well as totally determined in taking proper self-care.
- • Another aspect of spirituality is rationality. Finding out the truthfulness of the matter rather than being dependent on others’ perspectives is what makes us rational human beings. If we rise above the narrow dogmas created by others and find out the meaning of life; that is spiritual.
Nothing material in this world could exist without matter in it. Take the simple example of a car, it cannot run without fuel in it. Sugarcane has no use without sucrose in it. Similarly, the body has spirit in it.
So, just as a house has a family which makes it home; milk has clarified butter (ghee) in it which makes curd, similarly a living being’s body has spirit in it which makes it conscious. Spirit resides in our body and its effect flows in the form of consciousness in our within.
The spirit cannot be felt or touched physically but it could be realized by having proper knowledge, education, and self-realization. Just as a surgeon cannot perform surgery without having advanced knowledge about Anatomy & Morphology, similarly, one cannot realize the spirit without spiritual discipline. Meditation, Pranayam, Yoga, being close to nature as well as oneself are some forms of spiritual discipline.
A self-realized, or in other words, a spiritual human being could be recognized just by observing them and getting one-on-one with them. There is no high-level course you have to perform for being spiritual. Spirituality lies in simplicity and awareness.