Orwell's mentor
Star
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2017
- Messages
- 3,596
I realized that VC has this called this section “Religion and Spirituality”, however, I find spirituality is rarely discussed if not at all. Therefore, I thought it would be interesting to have a discussion regarding the topic.
While I’m not endorsing this individual, I find he describes one aspect of spirituality rather well:
The distinction between spirituality and religion, as I understand it, is as follows. A tradition of what many call “spirituality” is not founded by any one individual. That is to say, tradition doesn't" begin or end with an individual. And in the vast context of a living tradition, teachers are not as important as the tradition itself. Teachers contribute to the growth and development of the tradition, but they are not equivalent to the tradition. If a particular teacher turns out to be not so good, it really doesn't matter—his or her incomplete or erroneous teachings will slowly fade away, and all that will be left will be the solid knowledge that, by its own intrinsic virtue, has remained consistent for generations. That is what we mean when we talk about spirituality or tradition." (source)
In this video, beginning at 4:00, I think this man makes a poignant point:
In retrospect, I now understand how my parents and some of grade school teachers were so influential in my ongoing journey. At times, they served as my guides and at others, helped me form buttresses for my spiritual growth.
So I ask the question, what does spirituality mean to you?
While I’m not endorsing this individual, I find he describes one aspect of spirituality rather well:
The distinction between spirituality and religion, as I understand it, is as follows. A tradition of what many call “spirituality” is not founded by any one individual. That is to say, tradition doesn't" begin or end with an individual. And in the vast context of a living tradition, teachers are not as important as the tradition itself. Teachers contribute to the growth and development of the tradition, but they are not equivalent to the tradition. If a particular teacher turns out to be not so good, it really doesn't matter—his or her incomplete or erroneous teachings will slowly fade away, and all that will be left will be the solid knowledge that, by its own intrinsic virtue, has remained consistent for generations. That is what we mean when we talk about spirituality or tradition." (source)
In this video, beginning at 4:00, I think this man makes a poignant point:
In retrospect, I now understand how my parents and some of grade school teachers were so influential in my ongoing journey. At times, they served as my guides and at others, helped me form buttresses for my spiritual growth.
So I ask the question, what does spirituality mean to you?