What does it mean to live a spiritual life, why do we do it and how, are some of the questions that call to anyone seeking a sense of purpose and meaning. Spiritual life attests to the power of the human spirit to expand beyond the limited physical capabilities of the body. Some people with handicaps or extremely debilitating illnesses seem to soar with joy above their physical limitations. Other people moan at the slightest dis-ease. Living a spiritual life means connecting with God in whatever way or form is right for each individual. For some people this is through an organized religion. For others this is through contact with nature, through volunteer work, parenting, or work. The Buddhist tradition doesn’t refer to another being or divinity as separate and apart, but finds the Divine in experience and through taming and training the mind and through teachers. The ways are as many as there are people in this world. The Native America view of the world sees all as sacred and spiritual. It’s not possible to go somewhere or do something without the Divine being an essential part of it. God is above you, below you, around you and inside you, one teacher says.
I find God speaks clearly to me in nature. Watching the trees bud and turn green with leaves, observing the cardinals feed their babies and the herons grieve when they lose their nests teaches me about the ephemeral nature of the physical world. It also teaches about the rhythms and cycles of birth, life and death. Everything has a time and rhythm that happens in an almost imperceptible way, but all is infused with deep purpose. When living life as a spiritual experience, everything becomes a way to learn and grow – even the most painful and difficult events are filled with opportunities.
What helps you to connect most with the Divine every day?
Bio: Debra Moffitt is author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2011) She’s a world traveler and longtime student of the world’s oldest spiritual traditions. An instructor at the Sophia Institute, Debra leads workshops on spirituality in the U.S. and Europe, writes for publications around the world. Visit her at: www.awakeintheworld.com and www.debramoffitt.com.
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