The Basis Of Spirituality

In approaching the subject of spirituality, we come to realize that this subject seems to lack a singleness of nature. Some individuals think of spirituality as phenomenon unique to the human race; others consider it to be of supernatural origin, a divine efficacy. Then there is the rationale that spirituality is psychological, objective and subjective experiences .

       There is however, the strong suggestion that each of these differing ideas regarding spirituality can be integrated into a single idea. In other words, spirituality embraces, in part at least, some quality of each of these different concepts. An eminent philosopher once said; "you are never an isolated individual cast off from the rest of the universe; you are always in relation to the world about you. The whole of man is greater than its part. The reality in which man finds his own realization is always above and beyond him."

         This realization that we do not stand alone in existence, that in some way we have an affinity with all else, can well form the basis of what is termed spirituality.But while we exist to ourselves, what we experience has reality as well. These other things of this external world which we perceive can, in various ways, affect us; sometimes beneficially , and at other times causing fear and distress.


           At this point we may assume that primitive man, long ago, began evaluation was based upon an innate sensitivity. This sensitivity has but two qualities to measure the value of all sensation: pain and pleasure.

             Everything we experience has its final value determined in terms of the pain or pleasure accompanying it. But such sensations are varied in their cause and intensity. While some of our pleasure arise from the physical gratification of the appetite, we also have the more abstract pleasure of the intellect. There is also that mysterious and exotic pleasure which is experienced as the harmony of the whole self. it is a state of euphoria, a freedom from all irritability, and yet its sensations cannot be related to any of our peripheral sense; it seems to transcend them all. Achievements in aesthetic and cultural pursuit can often produce a state approaching that rapture of the whole self.

                                           WHAT IS GOOD?
Humankind however, has arbitrarily and collectively assigned the quality of good to all the pleasure which  have been and still are experienced.Whatever satisfactorily fulfils the expectation of pleasure, whether from a physical or mental pursuit, is said to be good. For example, a good craftsman is one whose work is well performed; a good citizen in one who conscientiously abides by the requirements of good citizenship.

           What impression did the phenomena of nature have upon the mind of early man ? Among our early ancestors the concept of hylozoism prevailed, namely the notion that all celestial phenomena were imbued with life. Heavenly bodies, such as the planets, were said to be animate, thinking, superior beings. Some wee given imagined characteristics that were perceived as being good and beneficial to humanity; while others their opposite;evil. It was reasoned that the idea of good naturally suggested an opposite that was not good. So that which was adverse and distressed humankind in some manner and was associated with pain was thought to be harmful and evil.

         it would appear that at some point in our intellectual and emotional evolution it was thought best to emulate the behavior of the gods and goddesses that, it was believed , possessed the quality of goodness. The question was asked, what benefit did these beings representing immanent goodness derive from their benign acts? Since humankind experienced this goodness as varying kinds of pleasure. by comparison then, what was the pleasure of goodness experienced by these heavenly entities? Was it through the acquisition of a  material substance, or the successful completion of some act of other?

           It was thought that heavenly entities performed good deeds for mortals, and humanity benefited from such acts. But did these celestial beings also experience a personal gratification from what they had done? Let's for a moment follow the reasoning process of early man in that stage of his inquiry into the nature of goodness. Quite clearly the goodness that was experienced when one person aided another in distress would be retained in the collective memory. The responsive display of gratitude from the person being aided was strongly felt by its  recipient. This sensation of pleasure was one of emotion and unlike any  that satisfied  the physical craving of the body.


                                The Heart-Centre of Goodness

this sensation experienced after committing an act of goodness seemed to permeated the whole of man's being. The anger, fear and other forms of emotional response seemed to centre in the heart. We only have to reflect on how our own heart speeds up or palpitates at times of stress as well as pleasure. Was the pleasing sensation of goodness also centred in the heart? Since the heart was at one time consider to be a source of life, could not the impulsive act of goodness and its senation of pleasure be likewise centred in the life?

          The conclusion, over aeons of time, was that the finer perceptions of life were immersed in the infinite ocean of the cosmic realm. There was an invisible power, a something that flowed from this supernatural realm to humanity. The experience was one of goodness and it was pondered upon what thoughts and human behavior would represent it . This impulse and motivation, of which humanity became conscious of , was the spiritual.
 
           Yet this divine power infusing humankind had to be given an identity, a firm that the human mind could realize. It was thought to be conveyed by the breath, with which life enters ans departs. Thus the word spiritual, in one of its original meanings denoted the breathing of air.


                               The Concept Of Soul
Yet it came to be thought that air was not the essence of this spiritual quality; it was only the medium for transporting it to humans fro  the cosmic realm. This gave rise to what theology and related subject designate as soul. The idea of soul went through a raft of changes as to its nature and function in man.The most prominent and persistent concept is that the soul is a kind of ethereal substance implanted in man by the spiritual or Divine Source which itself also became subject to various human interpretations.

          The incorporeal substance concept of the soul, however, has associated with it the belief that can corrupt it by our behavior or we can regenerate it; returning it to its original spiritual state. Consequently, according to this notion, the quality of soul can very.

        There is also the particular metaphysical and mystical concept , a belief held by mystics from the east and  the west alike, that what is traditionally termed 'soul' is a super state of consciousness,in other words a higher manifestation of the stream of human consciousness. The attribute of consciousness pervades the whole force of life and exists in each living cell and, as an attribute of vital life force, resides in every human being. There is no distinction in its quality in humankind. To the extent that we each become aware of this exalted state of consciousness, we exhibit that goodness which is know as spirituality .


                                      Individual Spirituality
But what should represent this spirituality, this oneness which is experience as the Absolute, or the God that we conceived of ? Man's reason struggled to reduce to common and comprehensible terms those rules of self-discipline by which we might become aware of our indwelling spirituality; simply , it was an attempt to establish a mortal goodness corresponding to true spirituality .

              However, the conclusions of human reasoning are not universally alike. Those who had this revelation and attained a personal enlightenment felt an obligation an their part to assist others to experienced it also. They attempted to reduce a state of ecstasy to common words and actions, which formed the nucleus of their religious beliefs and practices . Although carried out in good faith, this process often engendered dogma and practices which were not truly spiritual and resulted in intolerance, bigotry , and a false sense of devotion .

           There is no single road which leads directly to spirituality by its material aspect and its interpretation of the spiritual good, There are indeed many such road whose guidelines to spirituality deviate from what it really is. Goodness, which is true spirituality , cannot be realized by argument or the compulsory acceptance of a dogma. The realization of the goodness of spirituality must be a subjective attainment . If , for analogy, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then certainly spirituality is likewise wholly individualistic .

          If we have the benevolent wish to assist others to attain the ultimate experience of spirituality, we may introduce them to mystical procedure by which this self-realization can be attained,either through a religion that teaches the fundamentals of mysticism, or through an organization which traditionally perpetuate those teachings. We should allow ourselves to learn the meaning of spirituality through the sphere of our own understanding, whether it is alignment with that of others or not .

         After all, no particular description of a sunset can ever equal one's personal perception of it .