Spirituality without the spirit

/ Rae Cod

I was chatting to a young person in their twenties recently who had been bereaved unexpectedly, and more than once, in a short space of time. On top of this sadness, they had experienced some difficult relationships which had meant the end of a close friendship.

In chatting to this person it was clear they had a very balanced and centred view on life and relationships, with wisdom far surpassing many twice their age. They recognised and accepted the transiency of life without fear, they spoke with an open heart and a recognition of the perspectives of others, even if they differed from their own. They recognised they couldn’t control what others thought of them and were at peace with that. They also accepted that their most recent struggles wouldn’t be the only ones they’d go through in life, but that whatever else they had to face they felt they would come out of it stronger, as they had done so far. Their losses and sadness gave them a greater appreciation for what they had and for the happier times in their life.

The way this young person approached life put me in mind of many of the teachings I’ve come across in Buddhism, Taoism and other spiritual philosophies.  I asked them, are you spiritual at all?

Their answer was no.  They had never given much thought to spirituality.  Yet here they were, living their life in as much a state of balance, acceptance and gratitude as anyone who has dedicated their lives to the pursuit of enlightenment. 

It struck me then that we can study all we want about spirituality, but being our highest selves doesn’t require an ounce of spiritual knowledge.  Living life with an open heart, a sense of balance and equanimity while having compassion and respect for others is the key, the rest is just window dressing. 

That’s not to say we shouldn’t pursue spiritual teachings if they interest us, it’s merely an observation that we don’t have to understand about frequencies or vibrations, we don’t have to meditate or believe in a higher power, we can simply tune into the wisdom and compassion that lives inside each of us.

What do you think?

Photo by Matheus Bertelli on Pexels.com

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18 thoughts on “Spirituality without the spirit”

  2. Wholeheartedly agree! Just found this quote a few minutes ago: “It’s not about becoming spiritual beings nearly as much as about becoming human beings.” (Richard Rohr). Good syncronistic (is that even a word?) message from the Universe today! Thanks, Rae, for your part in it!

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  3. Amen, sister. Living life with an open heart, a sense of balance and equanimity while having compassion and respect for others is the key, the rest is just window dressing. Yet it’s the window dressing that gets many people excited– missing the real point.

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  4. I’ll be the different one here. Spirituality without the spirit seems empty to me. Because spirituality is about a closeness or commune with someone higher than you. It seems like this is more of a closely held value or belief than being spiritual.

    Just my opinion 🙂

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    • I totally get what you’re saying John, that it can’t actually be spirituality without the knowledge of something higher.

      I guess I just find it interesting that there are people out there walking the same path of spirituality as people with a belief in something more, without any awareness that there is anything higher, yet they are leading fulfilled lives spreading love and kindness to those around them, and to me that’s about as spiritual as it gets, so it just got me thinking.

      There’s not much that’s for certain in the bigger questions that’s for sure 😂 I guess that’s why I like them so much 😊

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  6. I have met people who seem to tune into their wisdom and compassion without labelling it as spirituality or religious faith. Often they have experienced trauma and loss but still stay connected to the universal energy I believe we all come from.Being around these people is humbling and enlightening. X

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  7. Well said! I think it’s important to feel comfortable recognizing other’s emotions and visions and addressing them in our own minds. After all, we are so much a product made up of where we go and who we meet 🙂 Continue to post!

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    • Thanks Tony, I really appreciate your kind comment and support.

      I agree, who we need and what we see has a big impact on our own perspectives and if we can meet and greet with an open heart we might find surprising perspectives we didn’t know existed!

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