Comments on: Simple Definition of Spirituality

By: brainwise

brainwise — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:10:29 +0000

I like your definition as a working model for practical spirituality. I had a recent conversation in which I tried to express the same thing about stories. During the conversation, I remembered a Northern Exposure, entitled “Rosebud,” in which the local shamanic character (Leonard as portrayed by Graham Greene) was having difficulties locating “the white collective unconscious” in his studies of Western folklore. And he finally found a handle on it through a late conversation with his pupil, and film fanatic, Ed. I did some poking around and found this piece which posts the key dialogue moments from the episode.

By: kmw

kmw — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 13:37:07 +0000

I like your definition of spirituality. I’ve always thought of it like this, we humans know how little we actually know about the big picture, so one would recongnize this and be humbled by it, showing reverance for what we don’t know.

By: Rev max

Rev max — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 08:37:27 +0000

Stories are magic, they tell how the world came into being, i think the gnostics consciously retold the Biblical stories as a magical act, to change the past and thus the future.

I also think of the many indeigenous myths which discuss how the gods sung the world into being, or told it as a story.

By: Tim Boucher

Tim Boucher — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 18:50:57 +0000

Curious, so what would be the difference between your definition of Spirituality and Mythology? Is there any difference?

Well, I think the difference tends towards mythology being something you study and spirituality being something you live.

Words have the meanings society gives them, and itâ€™s not my place to usurp them.

I don't buy that. By that reasoning, you should simply do everything society tells you without question.

By: Arjuna93

Arjuna93 — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 06:00:47 +0000

Curious, so what would be the difference between your definition of Spirituality and Mythology? Is there any difference?

By: Tim Boucher

Tim Boucher — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 00:09:15 +0000

Yeah I don’t really like referring to myself as spiritual either. I do love stories though.

By: Relative State

Relative State — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 00:01:48 +0000

See, that’s pretty much exactly why I don’t consider myself spiritual even though I can find kinship with some self-described spiritual people. Whenever someone talks about some intense unusual experience that means a great deal to them, I know what they mean, but there’s nothing about ‘transcendence’ or ’something bigger than myself’ in my beliefs.

Words have the meanings society gives them, and it’s not my place to usurp them.

Sometimes I see a tree and feel the rustling of its leaves as though it were somehow in my own body and also somehow outside. Sometimes I feel the earth being dug as though it were me. I don’t seek these experience because of beliefs. I seek them because I need to feel for the world, for the same reason people seek to be in love with other people. No beliefs involved. No grand spiritual paths, no grand meanings other than the human meanings I have within myself to give.

That’s why I don’t consider myself spiritual.