'Spirituality', in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit, a
concept closely tied to religious belief and faith, a transcendent reality, or
one or more deities. Spiritual matters are thus those matters regarding
humankind's ultimate nature and purpose, not only as material biological
organisms, but as beings with a unique relationship to that which is perceived
to be beyond both time and the material world. As such, the spiritual is traditionally contrasted with the material, the
temporal and the worldly. A perceived sense of connection forms a central
defining characteristic of spirituality — connection to a metaphysical reality
greater than oneself, which may include an emotional experience of religious awe
and reverence, or such states as satori or Nirvana. Equally importantly,
spirituality relates to matters of sanity and of psychological health.
Spirituality is the personal, subjective dimension of religion, particularly
that which pertains to liberation or salvation (see also mysticism) Spirituality as a way of life concerns itself with aligning the human will and
mind with that dimension of life and the universe that is harmonious and
ordered. As such spiritual disciplines (which are often part of an established
religious tradition) enjoin practitioners (trainees or disciples) to cultivate
those higher potentialities of the human being that are more noble and refined
(wisdom and virtue). Accordingly, many spiritual traditions across diverse
cultures share similar vocabulary. Terms such as the "path", the "work", the
"practice" are universally applied to the ongoing discipline involved in
transforming the coarser energies present in the human soul into more subtle and
pleasing ones. As a spiritual practitioner one seeks to become free of the
lesser egoic self (or ego) in favor of being more fully one's "true" "Self".
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