What does being ‘Spiritual’ mean?
Ricky Gervais gets cut (pic courtesy of RG)
You know how people sometimes say things like, “You’ll love Shenkiwa, she’s so spiritual!”, then smile knowingly to imply how this Shenkiwa girl really know’s where Gaia’s at?
What is really meant by using this word in this way?
I think I know.
It means Shenkiwa DOESN’T go to church but she’s not a BAD PERSON.
Sure, not everyone who talks about being ‘spiritual’ comes from a religious background—but a lot do.
Like me.
I grew up for ten years going to a fundamentalist church meeting every Saturday (no, we weren’t Jehovah’s, though we followed some of the same fun tenants—like not celebrating Christmas). Fortunately for my mental, physical and spiritual health however, my father quit being a minister in The Worldwide Church of God around the time of my tenth birthday.
Luckily I was saved from having to continue into my teens listening to him or any of the other ministers speculate when Hey-Zeus was going to return and kill everyone who didn’t salute.
But I didn’t completely escape the wide-spreading tentacles of doing-good-isms which, to some people’s way of thinking, manifested in various new forms as part of the New Age Movement, a way of thinking (and wearing tie dyed fisherman pants) which possibly peaked in the 90′s.
Over a decade since my family left the Christian sect I’d grown up in (being taught only a select group of chosen people were worthy of the Universal Creator’s conditional love) I jumped right into reading anything and everything that offered an inclusive alternative.
I started with the seventies classic, Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance then followed that up with Introduction to Buddhism by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso before paying visit to Paulo Coelho. I bought, devoured and recycled books by Dr Wayne Dyer, Shakti Gawain, Dan Millman, James Redfield, Neale Donald Walsch (the first book) and almost everything Louise Hay’s Hayhouse Publishing ever put out (including the collected works of my all-time favourite metaphysical writer, Stuart Wilde).
And I grew to love all this being ‘Spiritual’ talk.
Not that I regret it.
For me, that period of metaphysical exploration, both within (I meditated and did Iyengar yoga for years) and without (the Theosophical book store in Melbourne is still one of my favourites) was immeasurably rewarding.
I learnt some great stuff.
I learnt we often attack in others what we fail to accept in ourselves; I learnt it’s important to question the need to go to another person (priest/guru) for a connection to the divine, and that seeking the approval of such a gatekeeper is not only unnecessary it is contrary to what the spark of Universal Intelligence inside each of us prompts us to do: I learnt we are all God (John Lennon said that; others may have also).
And I learnt the Infinite Universal Intelligence has no preferences; I learnt we are all spiritual.
Because if I took one single idea away from all the different books I read—whether on Buddhism, Taoism, Eckhart Tollism of any of the other isms of spirit (now that’s a good name for a band: The Isms of Spirit)—it was and is that we are all one: ‘I’ does not exist; you am I; I am you; I am that.
Etc…
We are all spiritual beings having a physical experience.
Man.
So, when I saw the above photo of Ricky Gervais, one he posted on Twitter a few days ago, I had to laugh because I knew the decidedly Christian majority of Twitterland (and WordPress for that matter) probably wouldn’t be laughing.
“How dare he?” I imagined more than a few hundred thousand would say.
“That’s sacrilegious!” another million would indignantly chime in.
But not me. I reckon Ricky Gervais is hilarious, brave and very, very spiritual.
In fact Ricky Gervais is God.
alpinezonefilm
/ January 6, 2012Definitely enjoyed this. I find myself on a quest for spiritualism as well. I have read different books that seem to be more along the self-help vein and might have to take a look at some of the authors you listed :)
B.G. Mitchell
/ January 6, 2012Thank you!
It’s great getting positive comments like yours; I think you must be a very ‘spiritual’ person :)
If you haven’t read any Stuart Wilde (for one of those spiritual guys and gals) I think ‘Miracles’, his very short but beautiful—and easy to read—book, might be a good starting point.
http://www.stuartwilde.com/books/miracles/
A friend gave me a copy somewhere around 1998 and I’m still talking about it (the book that is; I would never call a friend ‘it’).
alpinezonefilm
/ January 6, 2012haha, people sometimes do need to be referred to as ‘it’….
I’ll have to check the book out! Thanks :)
nialynx
/ January 6, 2012Interesting thoughts/points. To me, the photo of Ricky G is nothing more than individual expression. Nothing more. Nothing less.
As of late, I have been doing a lot of introspection on my “spirituality” and what it means to me. I find that most humans seem to forget that spirituality is what we are. As you said, ” we are all spiritual beings having a physical experience.” Its unfortunate that most humans cannot grasp the concept of God is within each and every one. I cannot help but ponder what the world would be like if every ONE realized this….
B.G. Mitchell
/ January 6, 2012‘Individual expression’ is what it’s all about, hey? Each of us a seemingly unique cell in an infinite organism.
Dig.
Bron
/ January 6, 2012I’m forever questioning my spirituality — am I spiritual? What is spiritual? How do I practice it? How does it manifest? Would others see me as spiritual?
Interesting times.
Totally adore Ricky Gervais!
B.G. Mitchell
/ January 6, 2012I C U as Spiritual.
In fact I’ve ONLY seen you as spiritual, insomuch as our exchanges have been via these symbols for words (letters) we string together to offer one another a feeling (or idea).
Therefore, your spirit has expressed itself through the ether, across space (?) and time (?), and from what I’ve ‘felt’ it is positive man, positive.
Spiritual, yeah?
Bron
/ January 11, 2012Really?! That’s so damn cool! :D
Aurora, HSP
/ January 10, 2012Spirituality to me is like writing, a journey of evolution that unfolds to me as I go… I don’t seek, it finds me and pulls me along… Miracles is a very good book… Weight Loss for the Mind fits nicely in a purse, lol. Also enjoyed everything by Thomas Moore and The Cloud of Unknowing (if you can get hold of it)… I had the good fortune to see Stuart speak in Vancouver once, sat just a few feet from him and it was most memorable. Just another human on a soulful journey here, thank you for sharing some of yours and for visiting my pages :)
B.G. Mitchell
/ January 10, 2012Hi Aurora.
Thanks for your comment. You managed to pick one of the last two (?) Wilde books still on my list to read. The other one is his ‘Wilde Dictionary’, but I’m sure I’ll get around to both.
Thanks too for the suggestions. I will look out for them (as I will more fun stuff on your blog)… :)
stace8383
/ January 22, 2012I don’t really see myself as being ‘spiritual’ and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I am a rather practical sort of person, cynical almost to a fault, and often unemotional about the sorts of things other people worry or weep over. I’m afraid I do believe in ghosts, because I’ve been unfortunate enough to live with one, but other than that the world of spirituality passes me by – or I pass it by! hehe
B.G. Mitchell
/ January 27, 2012Being unemotional is something I’ve had to work at. Having said that I’m still a guy who frequently cries watching movies. But that’s understandable too: some of them are so BAD!
;)
Thanks for another great comment, Stace.
jennysserendipity
/ April 27, 2012Thank you for the stop by and liking one of my newest post
Interesting blog
All the best, Jenny
B.G. Mitchell
/ May 8, 2012Thanks for doing the same Jenny.
Glad you found something to like :)
P.S. That Mermaid photo I pinned from your blog onto Pinterest has already got one ‘like’ too!
jennysserendipity
/ May 8, 2012Your welcome BG
All the best, Jenny