The nature of spirituality

Can spirituality be looked upon as an integral part of day-to-day living? For many of us, the word ‘spirituality’ denotes withdrawing from mundane concerns and an immersion in a world that has little to do with everyday existence.

There are those who do exactly this. They compartmentalize their time, laying aside a period for prayers and rituals. Not that there is anything wrong with this, but believing that this alone can make one holy and spiritual is lop-sided and misleading.

‘A’ is a good example. He spends at least an hour in prayer every day, but he comes across as one who is less than agreeable. He strongly believes that he is pious and holy and can do no wrong. As a result, he is aloof and brusque. On the other hand, ‘L’ spends little time in prayer but is helpful and compassionate. Her spiritual philosophy lies in honesty, non-violence and love of all creatures. She will never do anything just to make money. In short, she comes across as a person you admire and like to be with.

Commonsense tells us that, of the two, ‘L’ is more spiritual. Contemplation of something beyond and above us is only one part of being spiritual. It is reaching out in empathy and compassion to those around us that helps us to express and practice spirituality. If kindness, compassion and honesty are qualities that one sincerely believes in, they should be practiced and be evident.

It is the work-a-day world that offers us myriad opportunities. For instance, we can be better listeners and be more patient. We can greet others warmly. It also lies in the way we treat conflict.

Exercising spirituality in everyday life brings changes in personality that are progressive.

This is best explained by an incident in Mahatma Gandhi’s life. When the train in which Gandhiji was travelling was pulling out slowly, a reporter ran up and asked him breathlessly for a message he could take back to the people. Gandhiji’s reply was a hurried line scrawled on a piece of paper. It read, ‘My life is my message’. It was a message not just for the stage of politics. It can be put into practice by anyone, anywhere, in the midst of life.