| A spiritual life is our conscious aspiration to achieve a | | | | yoga. Yoga encompasses different methods and |
| more fulfilling and illumining reality. A spiritual life strikes | | | | approaches. One of these is karma yoga or the path |
| a balance between acceptance of the world and our | | | | of selfless service. Selfless service involves serving |
| inner spiritual disciplines. The ultimate goal of the | | | | the world through our dedicated action. In selfless |
| spiritual life is to transcend our limitations and become | | | | service we work without attachment to the result. |
| aware of our inner capacities. | | | | We make progress through serving the divine in |
| Aspects of Spirituality | | | | others. |
| Tolerance. | | | | "Not by establishing an empire can man achieve |
| The spiritual life believes in tolerance of others and | | | | abiding satisfaction, but only by self-awakening and |
| their beliefs. Spirituality does not mean trying to | | | | self-giving." (1) |
| change the opinions of others. In the spiritual life we | | | | Joy and inner peace. |
| seek to transform only ourselves. Spirituality | | | | The aim of the spiritual life is to return to our source |
| encompasses a wide diversity of paths and traditions. | | | | of abiding joy and satisfaction. A memorable quote |
| The spiritual life enables people to approach the goal | | | | from the Upanishads is: |
| from many different angles. | | | | "From Delight we came into existence. |
| Acceptance not Renunciation. | | | | In Delight we grow. |
| Spirituality does not mean we have to renounce the | | | | At the end of our journey's close, |
| world and live totally detached from the joys and | | | | Into Delight we retire. |
| sufferings of the world. Spirituality teaches us to | | | | This significant passage from the immortal scripture |
| accept the world as it is, in spite of the world's | | | | of Hinduism encapsulates the essence of true |
| teeming imperfections we shall seek to love and | | | | spirituality. |
| appreciate the world. This acceptance is an essential | | | | The Spiritual Path. |
| part of the spiritual life. | | | | A spiritual life need not be taken on our own. We can |
| Meditation. | | | | definitely take the help of a spiritual master who is |
| To live a spiritual life means to live the inner life. If | | | | able to clear our path and facilitate our spiritual |
| we practise spirituality we will feel the importance of | | | | progress. A spiritual master or Guru means someone |
| at times maintaining an inner silence. The spiritual life is | | | | who is able to awaken the dormant spirituality within |
| always more profound than intellectual understanding; | | | | ourselves. It is the Guru who can inspire and |
| it is an aspiration to know our higher reality. This | | | | motivate the aspiring seeker to continue on the path |
| spiritual consciousness we can only attain through | | | | of spirituality and bravely overcome obstacles and |
| maintaining an inner silence. It is meditation and prayer | | | | difficulties. |
| that enables us to experience inner silence and inner | | | | References |
| peace. | | | | (1) Sri Chinmoy "The Spiritual Life" Excerpt from Fifty |
| Selfless Service. | | | | Freedom-Boats To One Golden Shore, Part 3 by Sri |
| To follow the spiritual life is to follow the path of | | | | Chinmoy. |