Spirituality, the Re-formation

Are you one of these people?

Are you unsatisfied with your current life and/or the outside world?

Traditionally ‘spirituality‘ has been defined as a process of personal transformation in accordance with religious ideals. Since the 19th century spirituality is often separated from religion, and has become more oriented on subjective experience and psychological growth. It may refer to almost any kind of meaningful activity or blissful experience, but without a single, widely-agreed definition.

There is no single, widely-agreed definition of spirituality. Surveys of the definition of the term, as used in scholarly research, show a broad range of definitions, with a very limited similitude.

According to Waaijman, the traditional meaning of spirituality is a process of re-formation which “aims to recover the original shape of man, the image of God.

To accomplish this, the re-formation is oriented at a mold, which represents the original shape: in Judaism the Torah, in Christianity Christ, in Buddhism Buddha, in the Islam Muhammad.”

In modern times the emphasis is on subjective experience. It may denote almost any kind of meaningful activity or blissful experience. It still denotes a process of transformation, but in a context separate from organized religious institutions, termed “spiritual but not religious“. Houtman and Aupers suggest that modern spirituality is a blend of humanistic psychology, mystical and esoteric traditions and eastern religions.

Waaijman points out that “spirituality” is only one term of a range of words which denote the praxis of spirituality.

Some other terms are “Hasidism, contemplation, kabbala, asceticism, mysticism, perfection, devotion and piety”.

One of the most important aspects of the magnificent reference work World Spirituality (1985) is the attention editors have paid to the indigenous spirituality[s]. Five volumes of this 25 volume reference work are dedicated to this important spiritual phenomenon, examples of which can be found all over the world ” in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and the three Americas (South, Central and North America). This attention is new. Normally people, even scholars, approach the phenomenon of spirituality from the perspective of dominant schools like the Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions. They do not pay attention to the indigenous spirituality[s] which are mostly oppressed and at the same time absorbed, by the dominant spiritual schools.

Exploring the indigenous spirituality present in the Bible, Albertz in his study on Persnliche Frmmigkeit und offizielle Religion, Albertz (1978) unpacks this field of indigenous spirituality in the Middle East by analyzing proper names, narratives and prayers. This spirituality, not created by or oriented towards the official spirituality of kings, priests and prophets, is present in books like Genesis, Proverbs, Song of Songs and Psalms. I will explore this type of ‘indigenous spirituality‘ in the Bible.

Perhaps it can help us to understand indigenous spirituality in Africa. It may offer an adequate partner in the inter-spiritual dialogue between biblical and African spirituality.

‘Indigenous’ means: native born, originating or produced naturally in a country, not imported.1 ‘Not imported’ spirituality! This hits the bull’s eye. Not imported, but originating naturally in a country, like the spirituality of the Aboriginals in Australia, the Native Spirituality of the Indians in North America, the Celtic Spirituality in Europe, the traditional spiritualities in Africa and so on.

Rather than the term ‘indigenous’, let’s review the word ‘primordial.’

Etymologically this word comes from the Latin primus, which means ‘first’ and ordiri, which means the original set up of a weaving pattern and therefore ‘to begin.’ ‘Primordial’ originally does not refer to things which exist from the very beginning, like the primordial soup or the primordial fireball.

Originally it refers to the earliest stages of growth, the primeval stages of creation and development. In this sense one can speak, for instance, about a ‘primordial awareness,’ which means the unfolding of innate knowledge which arises in us by entering the inner core of existence (liangzhi), the spiritual exercise that brings us to the root of Dao, the Way (Tu Wei-ming 1988:622″625).

Another example is the following: in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est Pope Benedict XVI speaks about ‘the primordial human phenomenon which is love’. At a conference just before the release of his encyclical, Benedict called love a ‘primordial word, an expression of the primordial reality’.

The primordiality of this phenomenon is precisely the ordinary human’s ‘search for love’ as an integral part of ‘the complex fabric of human life’. The Christian school of spirituality should not destroy this primordial love; rather, it simply ‘intervenes in the search for love in order to purify it and to reveal new dimensions of it’ (Hampson 2006:4).

Some understand ‘primordial spirituality‘ as a way to lead us to deeper understanding of such processes as birth, education, love, relationships, dwelling place and death. Primordial spirituality is a way towards the inner core of our creation and growth.

Are you longing for more than a life of unfulfilled work, nightly TV watching, and material possession accumulation? If so, you aren’t the only one, as more and more people understand the many illusions within our limited reality, certain very necessary inner transformations are happening to people all over the planet.

Before we tell you the very best tool during this critical time of transition (which is also the best tool for triggering a SA), it is important to understand some of the signs and symptoms of a spiritual awakening:

• A bulletproof sense of inner peace.
• True happiness, no matter the circumstances in your life.
• Feeling at one with everyone & everything.
• Unconditional love for all living beings.
• Finding your true self and your true path.
• A worry/stress/anxiety free natural existence.
• A very fulfilled, meaningful life.
• A permanent higher shift in consciousness & understanding.

Its quite possible you are undergoing, or might soon undergo a “spiritual awakening”?

Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, once your inner transformation to a higher level of consciousness is complete, likely benefits:

• Letting go of once tightly held beliefs and views.
• Zoning out for extended periods of time. A spacey feeling.
• Sensitivity to negative people, events.
• Feelings of “tingling” electrical-like energy running through parts of the body.
• Having more meaningful dreams.
• Becoming aware of “synchronicity”, the seemingly unrelated events & signs we see & experience.
• Wishing to break away from blind conformity, outdated institutions, unnecessary customs, & the overall status quo.
• Unexplained changes in appetite & eating habits, weight. May sometimes look younger.
• Wishing to spend more time in nature.
• Changes in what you read, do with your spare time, & watch on TV (or turning off the TV altogether).
• Greater “awareness” of yourself and the outside world.
• A greater sense of inner peace and interconnectedness, with intermittent periods of emotional upheaval.

It is important to note that you may not experience all of these things during your spiritual awakening, but once this process is complete – your life will be revolutionized.

What, then, is the secret to trigger and/or help with a ‘spiritual awakening‘?

Meditation. The only way to increase the body’s capacity to handle/activate the influx of scientifically proven quantum energy present during a spiritual awakening, meditation is the number one tool for this critical yet natural process.

How to MEDITATE

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