Spirituality means different things to different people but almost all definitions point towards the connection with something bigger than our body and mind and beyond the physical world we inhabit and experience.

The individual interpretation of spirituality fundamentally depends on the cultural background one comes from. For those coming from religious family backgrounds, spirituality is inherently blended with organized religion and faith in God. For others from a religion neutral background, spirituality is mostly the Mind Body Spirit connection and may or may not involve the concept of God and religion in some form. In fact there is a new generation of millennials falling under the category of Spiritual But Not Religious (SBNR) where it is purely the Mind Body Spirit connection with no affiliation to any kind of religion or religious beliefs.

We could view life in several ways:

1. One is the purely materialistic view where life begins at birth and ends at death. Everything in between is a series of disconnected, random experiences and happenings, with no apparent consequences and death is the end of this journey.
2. The second view is that we are created by a higher power, God or the Absolute Power and are eventually answerable to this higher power for all our actions and deeds. The code of conduct is spelt out by the religious books, which act as a guide for our actions and behaviours so that we do not face retribution when we eventually face God after death. The concept of going to heaven or hell is a part of this belief system.
3. The third view is that there is a larger purpose to our existence – the idea that we are all connected in this Universe and there is some pattern to the seemingly random events and at times unfair and unpleasant circumstances in our lives. The objective here is understanding the meaning and purpose of our existence. There are diverse approaches to this aspect of spiritual seeking. These could be through religion, through philosophies, spiritual teachers or a journey of self discovery by simply questioning our experiences – why we experience what we experience and the deeper question of who is it that is experiencing all that is experienced.

Irrespective of how we may view our life journey, in most cases our spiritual quest generally starts when we are discontent with life. The exceptions are those fortunate few who dedicate their lives to selfless service and those who renounce the material world in their quest for God and realizing the truth.

Unfortunately, for most of us, the catalyst for this inward journey is Suffering. We never question our experiences when these are happy, loving and joyful. We feel we deserve the happiness and love, almost take it for granted. It is only when life is thrown off gear somehow, when there is intense discomfort, unhappiness or pain – physical or emotional or both – that we ask “Why me?” and begin questioning everything we have been taught to believe in. This leads to an intense desire to bring in meaning and peace in our lives. We are propelled into seeking answers and this in turn opens up the world of self discovery. And as we go on this journey we begin to realize that the answers to all problems, the antidote to all our sufferings has one common destination – a journey within ourselves. Irrespective of which path we may to choose to take, whichever teachings we may choose to follow; it ultimately leads to one path – inwards.

My questions started when I was a young girl. I felt so insignificant – I was not even a speck on this planet called earth with its billions of human beings and animals and plants, not to mention the added much bigger and grander kaleidoscope of the planets and galaxies and the universe beyond that. Why was I here? What was the purpose? What difference would it make if I was not here? And as intense as that may have sounded, it took many years and several extremely uncomfortable circumstances in my adult life for me to very firmly but surely embark on my inward journey. Yes, it has been a bumpy and disruptive ride, and is still work in progress but is a worthwhile and immensely satisfying one.

Spiritual growth is not just about creating that life of perfect happiness, relationships, experiences and wealth. It is also not just about having joy and peace. Spiritual growth is ultimately a quest to realize the truth about who we are. For us to realize that WE are the happiness, peace, love we seek – this is within us, not outside. That is our true self. Welcome to the journey of self discovery and transformation! Do watch out for my next post where we will explore the various stages of spiritual growth…

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Love and light