What do you consider spiritual?

Some thoughts

Sadhana – The Spiritual Way
by Swami Krishnananda

"Master, I have no peace of mind."

"Let me hear what you know already. After hearing from you an answer to this query, I shall tell you what I can."

Narada opened his book of knowledge and narrated a list of the sciences and the arts in which he was proficient. "Master, I know every science and every art in the world: metaphysics, theory of knowledge, astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, psycho-analysis, aesthetics, ethics, sociology, political science, culture, religion, philosophy.

There is nothing that I do not know, but I have no peace of mind. I do not know myself."

The great master replied, "All this that you have learned is a bundle of words, with no content inside. You have smeared your personality with a veneer of apparent knowledge, but you are quite different from that which you have gathered on your personality.

The shirt is not the person and, therefore, your learning is not what you are."
 
The shirt is not the person and, therefore, your learning is not what you are."
If you’ve spent even a few minutes with a relative or a friend who is suffering from advanced dementia and has had all their ‘learning’ (memories and knowledge) cruelly stripped away, you’ll realise our learning is exactly what we are.
 
If you’ve spent even a few minutes with a relative or a friend who is suffering from advanced dementia and has had all their ‘learning’ (memories and knowledge) cruelly stripped away, you’ll realise our learning is exactly what we are.
guess it depends who the "you" is..
 
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Every day you need to sit on the beach, look at the sky, and ask yourself the following questions.

- Who am I?
- Where did I come from?
- How can I save this world?

You will then become a spiritual person.
 
Just out of interest, how many have you have received ‘spiritual teachings’ in the course of your martial arts training? What did it comprise?
 
Just out of interest, how many have you have received ‘spiritual teachings’ in the course of your martial arts training? What did it comprise?
I was taught the spirit of the Earth the first time I was thrown over someone's back with seionage and splattered flat on the ground.

The first of many times.
 
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I attended a few meditation sessions at York Minster’s sangha with my ‘hyper-Christian’ friend and she found it very useful in practise. A very nice group of people.

And one of my favourite books

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William Johnston was sitting in Zazen in a Japanese monastery, part of an exchange programme. The Abbot came by to ask about his progress.

“I sit and feel myself alone in the presence of God” said Johnston.

“Excellent!”, boomed the Abbot, “Just continue and you will soon find God disappears and all that remains is you.”

Incredulous, Johnston replied, “That isn’t so. If I continue, it is I who will disappear and all that will remain is God.”

The Abbot turned, waving over his shoulder “Yes, yes, same thing
”
 
Just out of interest, how many have you have received ‘spiritual teachings’ in the course of your martial arts training? What did it comprise?
Well, we are Pentecostal so pretty much everything we believe/teach centers around spiritual teaching. If you believe in the Trinity, I don't know how a person does not believe in spiritual teaching. Of course, trying to explain it to a person no of Faith or a new believer can sound rather tenuous.
 
Is this teaching in the dojo? This is what I’m asking; has your martial arts teacher introduced you to the art’s spiritual background?
 
Is this teaching in the dojo? This is what I’m asking; has your martial arts teacher introduced you to the art’s spiritual background?
Yes, but I would say he is the exception not the rule. In the 41-years I have known him, there has been a profound change in his teaching, adding a heavy dose of spirituality. I forget what year he started, but it is an understatement to say he jumped in with both feet.
World Christian Taekwondo Mission
We have done several life changing trips, primarily to South Mexico and Central America, but we have been to several other parts of the world.
 
Yes, but I would say he is the exception not the rule. In the 41-years I have known him, there has been a profound change in his teaching, adding a heavy dose of spirituality. I forget what year he started, but it is an understatement to say he jumped in with both feet.
World Christian Taekwondo Mission
We have done several life changing trips, primarily to South Mexico and Central America, but we have been to several other parts of the world.
I initially thought, ‘how strange to combine a religion with head kicking’, but then I thought, ‘oh, it’s been going on in the East for centuries!’ although Zen isn’t a religion really although Shintoism is more so.

Interestingly, in Japanese swordsmanship there’s a complete mix of Zen and Shintoism. All the etiquette/ritual is Shinto and there’s sometimes a Shinto shrine in the dojo high up on the wall furtherest away from the entrance, but all the philosophy/spiritual stuff is of Zen origin; the two happily coexist in the heart of the Japanese.
 
I initially thought, ‘how strange to combine a religion with head kicking’, but then I thought, ‘oh, it’s been going on in the East for centuries!’ although Zen isn’t a religion really although Shintoism is more so.


Maybe not so strange for some cultures, those in the West



You're soldiers of God you must understand
The fate of your country is in your young hands
May God give you strength
Do your job real well
If it all was worth it

A soldier so ill looks at the sky pilot
Remembers the words
"Thou shalt not kill"
Sky pilot.....sky pilot


In the East, religious practices were often focused on cultivating awareness and efficiency in action, rather than serving as moral justification for doing the right thing.

The belief was that these practices would enhance one's ability to act skillfully and mindfully,
regardless of the task at hand.
 
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Just out of interest, how many have you have received ‘spiritual teachings’ in the course of ‘your martial arts training? What did it comprise?

None, ever. If I had I never would have gone back.

As an instructor, I wouldn’t allow it in my dojo. No politics, no religion. They have no place in the dojo.
 
From my experience, there are levels of understanding of religions in the world. For example in the West, the majority of people see the Christian God as a benevolent father figure, essentially ignore the Old Testament version and invoke the devil and all his little wizards for all the bad things that happen. Highly educated theologians have a much more nuanced interpretation that helps them attempt to explains things like bone cancer in children, genocide and the use of female sexual assault as a hideous ‘weapon of war’. Most of the ones I know don’t even believe in the devil, hell or the immaculate conception!

I’m sure it’s the same in the East and ‘enhanced skills and mindfulness’ etc are something unintelligible to the averagely religiously educated person.
 
Inspired by another thread, I'm curious about what people consider to be spiritual. In that endeavor, if people could provide a working definition of spiritual/spirituality, under than 20 words, I think that could help with understanding each others viewpoints, clarifying our own viewpoints, and possibly help each of us evolve our own viewpoints of spirituality.

I do have a request. Obviously this is a discussion forum, so feel free to debate or poke holes in each others definitions but please provide your own definition before doing so. No requirement to do so, just my own request. If you have something that you need to clarify outside the 20 words, my request is that you do it as an addendum to your definition.

The idea between a 20 word limit is to help people really think about and condense their beliefs, rather than try to catch everything or hide it in flowy words.
Standing in front of the BĂžyabreen Glacier.
Standing looking at the ocean on the coast of Maine
. Especially during storms
 
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