Spirituality is a brave search for the truth, existence, fearlessly peering into the mysterious nature of life.
-Elizabeth Lesser
Spirituality is a subject that is interpreted differently by people. For a few, it is something that defines your heart and soul, while some believe that it is a waste of time and distracts you from your worldly tasks. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear this word? Religion? Leaving all worldly pleasures? These are only a few of the many interpretations of spiritualism!
What Is Spirituality in Real Sense?
Spirituality can be defined broadly as a sense of connection to something higher than ourselves. Many people search for meaning in their lives. The sense of transcendence experienced in spirituality is a universal experience. Some find it in monotheistic religion, while others find it in meditation. This is the formal definition of spirituality.
Did you know this? Probably no! Because we are surrounded by multiple myths and to an extent, we end up believing in them.
Myths Around Spirituality
Below are a few misconceptions and myths that are commonly held around “Spiritualism”:
Escaping Worldy Pleasures and Responsibilities
From time to time, we have heard about great saints leaving behind family life in pursuit of higher realities. Gautam Buddha, Swami Vivekananda, and many such people had left their families to be enlightened. Due to these examples, the common man is mistakenly led to believe that spirituality is about escaping family responsibilities.
Nothing can be further than the truth. Spirituality teaches us about performing all our worldly responsibilities and giving our 100% in whatever we take up. Additionally, family life is perfect for practicing spirituality. It is so much easier to maintain your peace of mind in solitude when there is no one around to push your buttons. Hence, the real test of spiritual growth happens only in family life!
Similarly, people tend to believe that staying away from things like alcohol, non-vegetarian food helps one achieve the best of spirituality. Instead, it is better to eat healthy and organic when possible and enjoy what we love in moderation, being mindful of any personal addictions. Eating or drinking is not something that distracts people from their goal or makes them impure.
Hence, spirituality is not about escaping the world. It teaches us skills that help us perform our responsibilities in a more efficient manner. Spirituality is not about ignoring our work or responsibilities! Serving man is the way to serve God and you certainly don’t have to go to the Himalayas to find Him.
Spiritual People Can’t Be Materialistically Well-Off
Whenever a discussion on spirituality comes up, most of the people are of the view, “The pursuit of spirituality would become an obstacle to my material progress”. The common fear they have is that with increased interest in spirituality, they will lose interest in the material world. And hence the drive to make more money, and finally end up losing their self-worth, as, in their opinion, a man is completely defined by his material prosperity.
Then there are also some people, who want to pursue spirituality and at the same time achieve the material goals that they have set for themselves and their loved ones. Their inner desires are more spiritual and less material. These people worry that if they take up any spiritual practice, they will not be able to give enough time and attention to their own material needs and the needs of their loved ones. They believe that being spiritual and going after material success are mutually exclusive!
Read more about “Spirituality and Materialism” in this amazing article.
To follow the spiritual path one does not have to abandon material things, nor does leading a materialistic life mean that you can’t engage in spiritual practice. In fact, even if you are totally materialistic, if you check deep within your psyche, you will find that there is already a part of your mind that is flowing in a spiritual direction.
To Be Spiritual, You Need to Meditate and Be Religious
Many people believe that in order to be spiritual, you need to keep practicing meditation! Things like waking up early, sitting straight for hours, and ultimate concentration are some common misconceptions for being spiritual. It is better to understand that your practice should satisfy your dissatisfied mind while providing solutions to the problems of everyday life.
But if things like these were required, there would be very few spiritual people in the world. Spirituality cannot be confused with religion. Religion is not just some dry intellectual idea but rather your basic philosophy of life: you hear a teaching that makes sense to you, find through experience that it relates positively with your psychological makeup, get a real taste of it through practice, and adopt it as your spiritual path. That’s the right way to enter the spiritual path.
Have a look at this amazing article by Speaking Tree and know more about these myths!
Conclusion
Essentially, what these myths tell us is that we are as yet attached to the conventions of spirituality from the past- profound practice as a cold, austere life. Most of us cannot live in a cave or monastery our entire lives. At the present time, this world needs more individuals to grow profoundly and raise their awareness as could reasonably be expected.
Too busy in the hustle-bustle of life?
Check this article about “21 Day Spiritual Cleansing” and give your soul a pampering session!
Written By - Riya Garg
Edited By - Neha Kundu
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