Spirituality is often defined as “the search” for somethinggreater in our lives. More than a set of rituals and traditions, spiritualityis a transformative journey that awakens the deepest aspects of our beings.
Here are 26 ways (from A-Z) of thinking about spiritualityin your own existence:
A: Awakening
Our spiritual journey begins when we open our eyes to thenature of our searching.
B: Buddha
Buddha taught self reflection to grow in spiritual wisdom: “Theway is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.”
C: Compassion
Compassion is a universal practice of love that requiresnothing more than a desire to help others.
D: Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama teaches self acceptance and understanding: “Wecan never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
E: Enlightenment
Enlightenment begins with our thoughts and actions. It isnot a destination, but rather a path in itself on which we journey.
F: Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a major element of many spiritual traditions– and that means forgiving ourselves as well as our fellow beings.
G: Gandhi
Gandhi spoke of spirituality starting with the self: “Eachnight, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I amreborn.”
H: Human Experience
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; weare spiritual beings having a human experience.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
I: Inner Peace
Spiritual evolution occurs deep inside of us, sparked by thedesire to be something greater than ourselves.
J: Joy
The human spirit is driven by acts of great love: “When youdo things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” – Rumi
K: Karma
Karma is the belief that our actions have universal meaning,greater than what we can understand in this lifetime – every good deed buildsyou into something more.
L: Looking Within
All of the answers rest within us: “Look well into thyself;there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt alwayslook.” – Marcus Aurelius
M: Meditation
Meditation is more than sitting in silence – it is learningto use silence as a way of connecting with the deepest parts of ourselves.
N: Namaste
Namaste means “the divine in me honors the divine in you!”
O: Oneness
Spirituality helps us realize that we all originate from thesame source.
P: Passion
Passion lives in the human heart, the source of ourspiritual quest.
Q: Questions
Spirituality is a way of approaching all of the questions wehave about the universe and our place within it.
R: Reverence
Reverence deepens our respect for others and ourselves: “Reverenceis the nature of my love.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
S: Seeking
Our search begins here, in the present moment: “That whichyou seek is already here, but you do not recognize it.” – The Gospel of Thomas
T: Transcendence
Spiritual practices like meditation and yoga lift us abovethe ordinariness of our lives, reminding us of the existence of something more.
U: Universal Love
We respect all beings, all forms of life: “If your love doesnot include yourself, it is incomplete.” – Buddha
V: Veneration
Spiritual practices help us honor the sources of guidancewithin our lives – friends, parents and teachers included.
W: Wonder
Spiritual nature restores the awe of the natural world thatwe experience when we are young.
X: eXistence
Existence is here in the present moment, in this moment, inthis breath.
Y: Yoga
Beyond physical benefits, the most meaningful aspect of yogamay be the growth of your own human spirit.
Z: Zeal
Zeal is the fire inside that moves us from day to day, fromlife to love.
