BEING SPIRITUAL

 

BEING SPIRITUAL

Dr M. D. Thomas

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The word ‘spiritual’ clearly negates its belonging to the ‘physical world’. It refers to the world of ‘thoughts, imaginations, perceptions, beliefs, feelings, convictions and experiences’. It further signifies a ‘human consciousness’, which is situated above the material sphere. It implies ‘conscience’ as the divine seat, which governs the entire human person, as well.                                                    

‘Spiritual’ is not all about the ‘other-worldly and life eternal’. It has to do with the ‘life on earth’, here and now, which, for sure, is a ‘blend of body and spirit’. It combines the ‘external’ and the ‘internal’ realms. Only together, they can make real sense. 

Further, the physical and spiritual areas cannot in any way be separated from each other. They are ‘complementary’, one to another. Detached from one another, both body and spirit cease to exist in this world. Therefore, the consideration of the ‘spiritual’ has to be always inclusive of the physical realities and their valid expressions. 

The word ‘spiritual’ would mean ‘having to do with the spirit’. It derives from the Latin word ‘spiritus’, meaning ‘breath of life’. ‘Spiritual’ would mean ‘staying tuned to the spirit within, the spirit in the other and the spirit above’, all in one. These dimensions bring together the ‘deeper, larger and higher proportions’ of life. The connection among these three dimensions of the spirit makes one really spiritual.      

To be ‘spiritual’ is to imbibe the ‘sense and quality of the spirit’. Spirit is like the ‘breeze or wind’. It flows or blows whither it wills. Where it comes from cannot really be determined, too. It cannot be held, stopped or controlled. It is a symbol of what is completely ‘free, natural and spontaneous’.

Besides, spirit is a mark of ‘inspiration, motivation, zeal and commitment’. Spirit ‘enlightens and empowers’ as well as enthuses and strengthens. It is the perennial source of ‘force, power and energy’ for life. To be spiritual is to embody all these features.    

Furthermore, being ‘spiritual’ would mean ‘rising from the barely mundane and material world’. It calls for ‘engaging with the unseen and intangible world’, without canceling out the outer expressions. ‘To be spiritual’ is to keep the head above the temporal world, so that not to get drowned in it. 

The character, quality or nature of being spiritual elevates one to the world of ideals, principles, values and relations that is geared towards a purposeful human life. It would denote being ‘inter-related’ with the humans, the animals, the creation and the planet, in an ‘all-inclusive’ manner.

In other words, ‘to be spiritual’ is a search for something ‘greater and larger’ than oneself. ‘Transcending oneself’ brings a sense of enhanced meaning in life, as one gets linked with one and all. In one sense, it would mean attaining a ‘collective sense’, which is above one’s own self. In another sense, it is more of an individual quality, in opposition to the mass behavior in religion.

Being ‘spiritual’ may involve ‘charismatic’ gifts of vision, wisdom and discernment, along with natural healing of the broken relations with oneself, the other and God. The triangular relatedness gives a spiritual feel to the one in action. It refers to the ‘depth and breadth dimensions’ of human life, well, the magnitudes and the altitudes alike.

In addition, ‘being spiritual’ would mean ‘being conscious of life’, a gracious gift from above. It would imply ‘being aware of the Creating power’ at all times. To have a feel of the Creative power is to have a stable ‘sense of the sacred’ in life. In other words, it would mean being ‘holy’, in the sense of ‘celebrating the sense of the sacred’.

The ‘sense of sacred’, in its turn, will instill in the humans an incessant urge to be always ‘creative’, ‘progressive’, ‘responsive’ and ‘steward-like’ in life. Such a spirit of consciousness, creativity, progressiveness and accountability is the pathway to being spiritual in life, in the real sense of the term. 

‘Human qualities’ are the signs of being ‘spiritual’. It is said, ‘fully human is fully divine’, ‘spiritual’ as well. Spiritual has individual and social dimensions. ‘Being simple, humble, positive-minded, happy, peaceful, harmonious and fulfilled’ are ‘individual’ aspects of being spiritual. This is the deeper or vertical dimension of being spiritual.

Further, feeling united with the humans and the creation, thinking for the other and being responsible for and caring for one and all are signs of being ‘socially’ spiritual. The sense of ‘connectedness with the universe and beyond’ is the final outcome of the spiritual accomplishment or ‘saadhnaa’ in life. This is the larger and horizontal dimension of being spiritual, as well.  

In addition, an engrossing engagement with language, literature, poetry, music, art, philosophy, faith, ethics and culture is sure to make the seeker inventive, reflective and mystic, thus deepening and enriching the spiritual realm. Such an experiential journey takes one to mystical delicacies, in the depth, height and width dimensions, all in one shot.

Climbing up the ladder of being spiritual would mean celebrating health of mind, heart and spirit, along with the body. In other words, being spiritual would imply integrating the emotions, thoughts, perceptions, imaginations and experiences, together with the body.  The collective wellness is geared towards optimal human wellbeing. A sense of ‘holistic balance’ would mean being tuned to the ‘source of universal’ or divine energy’.

Finally, being spiritual would signify celebrating the ‘spirit of social harmony’ with the human world, family, community, nation and society, along with the entire system of creation. Spiritual vibrations, when ethically applied to life or entrenched in ‘universal human and divine values’ are sure to increase ‘positive energies’. The destination of being spiritual is a healthy human life of the divine order, unto eternal human wellbeing.

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The author is Director, Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi, and has been committed to cross-cultural perspectives, cross-scriptural values, constitutional values, interfaith relations, communal harmony, national integration and social wellbeing, for the past over 40 years. He contributes to the above cause through lectures, articles, video messages, conferences, social interactions, views at TV channels, and the like.

He could be viewed, listened to and contacted at the following portals – websites ‘www.mdthomas.in’ (p), ‘https://mdthomas.academia.edu’ (p), ‘https://drmdthomas.blogspot.com’(p) and ‘www.ihpsindia.org’ (o); social media ‘https://www.youtube.com/InstituteofHarmonyandPeaceStudies’ (o), ‘https://twitter.com/mdthomas53’ (p), ‘https://www.facebook.com/mdthomas53’ (p); email ‘mdthomas53@gmail.com’ (p) and telephone 9810535378 (p).

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Published  in ‘The Secular Citizen’ (Weekly Magazine), Mumbai, Vol. 31, Issue No.13, p.10-11 – on 21-27 March 2022