Spirituality is often defined as “the search” for something greater in our lives. More than a set of rituals and traditions, spirituality is a transformative journey that awakens the deepest aspects of our beings.
Here are 26 ways (from A-Z) of thinking about spirituality in your own existence:
A: AwakeningOur spiritual journey begins when we open our eyes to the nature of our searching.
B: BuddhaBuddha taught self reflection to grow in spiritual wisdom: “The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.”
C: CompassionCompassion is a universal practice of love that requires nothing more than a desire to help others.
D: Dalai LamaThe Dalai Lama teaches self acceptance and understanding: “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
E: EnlightenmentEnlightenment begins with our thoughts and actions. It is not a destination, but rather a path in itself on which we journey.
F: ForgivenessForgiveness is a major element of many spiritual traditions – and that means forgiving ourselves as well as our fellow beings.
G: GandhiGandhi spoke of spirituality starting with the self: “Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”
H: Human Experience“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
I: Inner PeaceSpiritual evolution occurs deep inside of us, sparked by the desire to be something greater than ourselves.
J: JoyThe human spirit is driven by acts of great love: “When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” – Rumi
K: KarmaKarma is the belief that our actions have universal meaning, greater than what we can understand in this lifetime – every good deed builds you into something more.
L: Looking WithinAll of the answers rest within us: “Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.” – Marcus Aurelius
M: MeditationMeditation is more than sitting in silence – it is learning to use silence as a way of connecting with the deepest parts of ourselves.
N: NamasteNamaste means “the divine in me honors the divine in you!”
O: OnenessSpirituality helps us realize that we all originate from the same source.
P: PassionPassion lives in the human heart, the source of our spiritual quest.
Q: QuestionsSpirituality is a way of approaching all of the questions we have about the universe and our place within it.
R: ReverenceReverence deepens our respect for others and ourselves: “Reverence is the nature of my love.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
S: SeekingOur search begins here, in the present moment: “That which you seek is already here, but you do not recognize it.” – The Gospel of Thomas
T: TranscendenceSpiritual practices like meditation and yoga lift us above the ordinariness of our lives, reminding us of the existence of something more.
U: Universal LoveWe respect all beings, all forms of life: “If your love does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” – Buddha
V: VenerationSpiritual practices help us honor the sources of guidance within our lives – friends, parents and teachers included.
W: WonderSpiritual nature restores the awe of the natural world that we experience when we are young.
X: eXistenceExistence is here in the present moment, in this moment, in this breath.
Y: YogaBeyond physical benefits, the most meaningful aspect of yoga may be the growth of your own human spirit.
Z: ZealZeal is the fire inside that moves us from day to day, from life to love.
Nice article. Please keep more posting about Spirituality.
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