Spirituality is the Recognition that There is Higher Order in the Universe

..."And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered." (The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran.)

Spirituality is the recognition that there is Higher Order in the universe; the physical universe is the creation of Higher Intelligence. We can change how we experience the universe in spirit, but we cannot change the universal laws that govern spirit. Spirit does not depart from reality; it must be applied to the natural laws of the universe. Spiritual law and reality do not contradict each other. Action precedes action. Recognition is an action of the brain. What life does for us must be experienced through us within our stream of consciousness. Spirituality cannot be experienced by proxy. We can have others take care of our physical needs, but they cannot press our spirit into outward expression. We can however, develop new hope as we focus our awareness of Spirit expressing through others. This can lead us to the action of spiritual principles. You can prepare yourself to have Spirit move through you. Spirit cannot do anything for you unless it is expressed through you.

The concept of spirituality is a bit abstract. Countless individuals struggle with the difference between spirituality and religion. Spirituality is the recognition of a Higher Order or a Divine Presence in the universe. Religion is the values, rules and explanations we assign to explain how we deal with our reality of a spiritual dimension. Spirituality is feeling good, and at one with the universe. Religion regulates how we try to accomplish this feeling of connectedness. Individuals in recovery programs often describe religion as a way to save your soul and spirituality as a way to save your gluteus maximus. (Edited version.) Spirit is universal; religion is personal. "Is not religion all deeds and all reflections? Your daily life is your temple and your religion." (The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran.)

Many religions suggest that we should be "perfect" like our Maker in heaven. In Christian-Judaic culture God is often defined as omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. This lends to construction of a rational Higher Being. This is a God that is in control, perfect, rational, and emotionless. Is this to imply that man should be in control, perfect, rational, and emotionaless? Since, we cannot be in absolute control of our lives, this belief system leaves us doomed for failure. We cannot simply will the world to be in our control.

The Puritanical religions believe that we must be perfect like God. This places all evil outside of ourselves and places us in conflict with the rest of the world. In righteousness we judge the evil we often project on others and then appoint ourselves to be their savior. Perfectionism is addiction and a prescription failure, guilt, shame, remorse, resentment, depression. Failure is depression, a sort of negative spirituality. In the addictive cycle, the greater the depression, the greater the attempts to control. We can never be pure enough to take control from God. The perfect prayer does exist to make us omnipotent. In order to be what Western religion infers we should be, we must deny reality. Denial and the illusion of control are the very bases of addiction and the cycle of domestic abuse.

The universe suffers when religion is the perpetrator. The more rational a systems becomes the more circular is becomes. Regretfully, a left-brained, masculine value system robs us of our real likeness to God. Creativity, from the root of creation, the feminine is the ability to re-create, or rebirth is the Mother God. Mother God is intuitive and anticipates our needs. Mother God embraces us when our emotions are painful. She nurtures us until we can nurture ourselves. She is the Great Mother who rocks her child, and teaches to th erhythem of the universe.

It takes male and female together as one to re-create. "He created them male and female," not to be at war with each faction. As long as God remains masculine we breed misogynogy thus, women and children will be devalued. This is spiritual abuse. The Godess spirit is the spiritual of compassion that loves uncodntionally. Spirit is at-one-ment, it cannot live in dualism. Spirit must be single-minded. Spirit is ever present when we see through the "third eye."

The Puritanical God is often experienced as a cross between Santa Claus and the Grim Reaper: He's making a list and checking it twice...and he's very inconsistent in dolling out the punishment...more like and alcoholic parent. This God leads to a belief that we can manipulate or control his wrath. It also leads us to project the the things that disturb us are outside of ourselve. External like male genatalia. When we internalize spiritual concepts they develop with in our womb of consciousness. Thou shall not is replaced, with thou can not, for with spiritual alignment comes a consciousness that cannot do harm to self or others and remain in couscous contact and connectedness.

Spirituality is what separates us humans from the lower forms of life. It is the recognition that there is Something Greater in the universe than human will. Spirituality is the expression of our relationship with The Universe in recognition of our limited human power. The only mediator between heaven and hell is our spirit; it is the intercourse between the visible and invisible. We must nurture the light of peace if we are to embody it as truth. If we do not envision the light we are truly doomed to stumble over the things that go bump in the dark. The sole purpose of life must be to kindle a light in the darkness.

Spirituality is what awakens the energy to breathe the flower in every seed, to see the star in every drops of dew and await the promise of the rainbow despite the cloud. Science may clone the body, but the individual Spirit and its expression will be demonstrated in the unique awareness of each individual. The Holy Spirit is the force that brings the unfolding of each seed. Faith in A Power Greater Than Ourselves leads us to unfold as mysteriously as the seed. It allows us to let go of our ego, prejudice, and pride, to take action and claim a reprieve from our mere mortality.

Spirituality is an atmosphere of good in recognition that man is not the center of his universe. It is the recognition we can call on God or a Higher Power for an inner source for strength, balance and direction. Spirituality begins with the recognition that man did not create the universe or himself. Spirituality includes ours perceptions of the universe, and our fellowship with and attitudes toward our fellow man. Spirit recognizes the gift of life and the awareness that life is always in transition. We can choose to believe that life is a random chaos or we can nurture what brings a sense of order and peace to our inner being.

"Spirituality is what supports us when we can no longer support ourselves, it is what gives us an indestructible foundation for living." (Carl Jung) The goal of spirituality, regardless what path we follow, is an awakening. Spirit gives us the hope to hold on for one more moment, hour or day. For each day offers us a new beginning. Each day we must awaken from the dream that we are separated from our Higher Order. When we awaken to our true inheritance we are boundless and able to radiate blessings to all God's creations.

There is a natural desire within each of us to be true to our Likeness. We desire to be right, be true, and take right action. When we are not true to our real nature we feel guilt, shame, remorse and resentment. These are spiritual cancers that eat away at the soul. When we deceive ourselves or others into believing we are something we are not, it eats away our self-confidence until we cannot function properly.

Spirituality gives us a way to correct these wrongs. We let go and surrender to a Higher Order. Spirituality is a set of values that allows us to breathe in the vitality of life, while living in the rhythem of life. Spiritual direction and guidance with these values can be found in many religious doctrines. How you live your daily life is more of a reflection of your religion than a set of doctrines with which one might like to identify. It is not uncommon for individuals to cite affiliation with a certain dogma, but fail to construct daily rituals that reflect that faith. Religion directs certain values and beliefs. Spirit internalizes universal principals.

What gives your life the meaning and drive to breathe in life more fully? Spirit exists only in the immediate and present; NOW! Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is but a dream, and today is a gift, that's why we call it the present. Carpe Diem! (Seize the moment.)