The Art of Spirituality

"Dad, what is spirituality?"

This question from my 8-year old son Reyansh made me think deeply. He had been watching TV and the word 'Spirituality' came up. At that particular moment, neither did I have a clear answer nor did I have a simple explanation to offer.

This innocent question prompted a series of deeper thoughts and questions in my mind: What does it mean to be spiritual? What is a spiritual practice? How do you explain spirituality to a child?

The meaning of Spirituality

• Are we spiritual if we pray every day?
• Are we spiritual if we follow the teachings of a guru or group?
• Are we spiritual if we practise yoga, meditation & gratitude everyday?

Taken on its own, I believe the answer to each of the above three questions is NO. As famous author and philosopher Arnold Mindell said, "Everyone is right, only partially". Each of these may contribute to developing our spirituality but they do not make up spirituality in my humble view.

Spirituality, in essence, can be likened to an Art with deep facets.

So what does it mean to be Spiritual?

To be Spiritual means to resonate with love for self and others. It means to be in meaningful connection with our inner world as well as the outer world we live in while holding the energy of love, kindness and joy in whatever we do.

To be Spiritual means to hold a core belief that we are all connected to a greater energy - call it God, the Divine or the Universe. We all form part of a greater collective and each have a higher calling, significance and purpose in this life.

To be Spiritual means to be in alignment with three core elements. The confluence of these elements constitute the pillars of one's spirituality. These pillars are: Purpose, Values and Relationships and enable a life of authenticity, balance, and congruence.

1. Purpose - This means living a life of meaning. It is about finding, living and sharing one's calling, broader mission and highest intention. The quest to find one's purpose is possibly the greatest quest of every human being. Often our spiritual journey starts with asking these simple questions: What is my Purpose? What is my calling?
2. Values - This means living a life of value. It is about being in harmony with our sense of identity, set of values and beliefs. These constitute our unique essence which define our existence in this life. Our spiritual journey requires us to answer these simple questions: Who am I? What are my values?
3. Relationships - This means living a life of connection. It is about developing healthy, uplifting and enriching relationships - be it with self and with others. It also involves finding our tribe or soul family with whom we create meaningful impact. Our spiritual journey helps us answer these questions: Where do I belong? How do I serve?

We cross an important threshold the day we find out what we were born for. This is part of our hero's journey, which in effect, is a metaphor for a spiritual life.

The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell is a monomyth outlining the stages of growth and transformation we go through: We hear a calling, we answer the calling, we learn from a mentor, we face our inner demons, we test our limits, we pass the test, we master our gifts, and we return to serve the world with our gifts.

Understanding the meaning, journey and pillars of spirituality leads us onto the path of developing our own spiritual practices. So what is a Spiritual Practice?

A Spiritual Practice

A Spiritual Practice is simply the convergence of three essential elements which resonate deeply at a soul level - i.e. our core essence. These elements are: Intentional Practice, Service to Others and Sense of Fulfilment.

In my view, a practice is deemed spiritual when it is positive & intentional, of service to others and nourishes or uplifts us - i.e. it brings us joy, peace or satisfaction.

1. Intentional Practice - This is simply 'talent put to action' or a focused and regular practice supported by a positive intention. examples include: Writing, Teaching, Cooking, Yoga, Exercise etc. On its own, an intentional practice is a deliberate action towards specific goals and outcomes. When applied to others, that is at the service of others, an intentional practice takes on a whole new level.
2. Service to Others - The direction of a spiritual practice is to be in relationship with self and others by being of meaningful service. Service which helps, guides and uplifts others. Combining Intentional Practice with Service to Others, engenders altruism - i.e. being selfless and putting others needs first. But selflessness often results in feeling depleted as we are constantly giving to others. What is missing is a sense of fulfilment which nourishes us.
3. Sense of Fulfilment - This means experiencing joy, peace, satisfaction or a sense of accomplishment. The word 'fulfilment' means filling us to the full with resourceful energies. The purpose of the soul is to experience itself - through a range of emotions, energies and events. That is why I believe that there is nothing selfish about feeling fulfilled when we serve others with our talents.

The convergence of these three elements help us develop spiritual practices which serve us and others, uplift us and others and enables us to combine passion to purpose.

Examples of Spiritual Practices

• Forms of Teaching - Coaching, Mentoring, Guiding, Public Speaking
• Cooking for Others - For example, my wife enjoys cooking and sharing delicious nutritious food with others, including myself :)
• Healing and Caring for Others
• Helping People grow and achieve their goals or improving their quality of life
• Preserving and protecting the environment, planet and other living beings.
• Any positive activity which fulfills us while done in the service of others

Coming back to my son's question - How to explain Spirituality to a child?

After much thought, research and introspection, my simple answer is based on Pablo Picasso's quote which I adopted and adapted to this context:

Spirituality is the Art of Life where you find your gift and eventually give it away to benefit people.

How would you define Spirituality and explain it to a child?

Post your insights and answers in the comments section.