Spirituality which can lead to enlightenment can be seen as
being distinct from religion. Different world religions have proposed various
doctrines and belief systems about the nature of a God and humanity's
relationship with it. Spirituality, on the other hand, refers to the common
experience behind these various points of view. It is an experience involving an
awareness of and relationship with something that transcends your personal self
as well as the human order of things. This "something" has been given various
names ("God" being the most popular in Western Society) and defined in ways that
are too numerous to count. We call it simply the God. You can choose to define
what that means for yourself in whatever way feels most appropriate. Your own
sense of a God can be as abstract as "cosmic consciousness" or as down-to-earth
as the beauty of the ocean or mountains. Even if you regard yourself an agnostic
or atheist, you may get a sense of inspiration from taking a walk in the forest
or contemplating a beautiful sunset.
There is much healing and benefit to be obtained by cultivating your spiritual
life. A personal spiritual commitment is the most important ingredient.
Spiritual awareness and growth can effect a transformation in your whole being.
It can help you to develop a basic trust and faith that is unshakable.
Scientists call this intrinsic belief.
Many have experienced major turnarounds in their condition as a result of
cultivating their spirituality. They feel that developing a relationship with
their God provided the moral support, courage, hope, and faith for them to
follow through with their personal recovery program. It provided them with a
sense that they are not alone in the universe, and that there is a source of
guidance and support that is available at times of confusion and discouragement.
Through developing a connection with God, you gain security through the
conviction that you are not all alone in the universe, even at those times when
you feel temporarily separated from other people. You feel increasingly safe as
you come to know that there is a source you can always turn to in times of
difficulty. There is much security to be gained through the understanding that
there is no problem or difficulty that cannot be resolved through the help of
God.
Peace of mind is the result of feeling a deep, abiding sense of security and
safety. The more reliance and trust you develop in God, the easier it becomes to
deal without fear or worry with the inevitable challenges life brings. It is not
that you give up your little ego self or your will to such a power; rather you
simply learn that you can "let go" and turn to God (your true self) when you
feel stuck with a problem in living and don't know how to proceed. Learning how
to let go when solutions to problems aren't immediately apparent can go a long
way toward reducing worry and anxiety in your life. Peace of mind is what
develops in the absence of such anxiety.
As you develop a relationship with God (or your true self), you come to realize
that you are part of the universe. You're good, lovable, and worthy of respect
just by virtue of the fact that you're God’s creation. This realization can
improve the way you look at yourself and will help you to improve your ego and
what you think of yourself. You are still inherently good and worthwhile. Your
own judgments of yourself, however negative, do not ultimately count if you are
a creation of the universe as much as everything else. As someone said: "God
doesn't make junk or any mistakes." It is just that we sometimes don't
understand the complete picture and we think or judge something as wrong.
The most fundamental characteristic of God is that it offers you an experience
of unconditional love. This is a kind of love which differs from romantic love
or even ordinary friendship. It entails an absolute caring for the welfare of
another without any preconditions. That is, no matter how another person appears
or acts, you have compassion and care for them without judgment. As you develop
a deeper connection with God, you come to experience greater degrees of
unconditional love in your life. You feel your heart opening more easily to
people and their concerns. You feel free of judgment toward them or of making
comparisons among them. Unconditional love shows up both in your increased
capacity to give love to others and to experience more of it coming into your
life. You begin to experience less fear and more joy in your life and help to
inspire others to experience their own capacity for unconditional love. This
kind of love also manifests itself through the experience of having everything
you need in your life to get on with what you want to do. This kind of love is
especially helpful to children and will go a long way to helping them through
life.
Developing a relationship with God will provide you with guidance for making
decisions and solving problems. God has a universal wisdom that goes beyond what
you can accomplish through your own intellect. In traditional religions this has
been referred to as the "divine intelligence." Through connecting with God, you
can draw upon this greater wisdom to help you resolve all kinds of difficulties.
By learning to ask God (or your higher self) for guidance, you'll be surprised
to find that every sincere request sooner or later is answered. And the quality
of that answer generally exceeds what you could have figured out through your
own conscious intellect or will. Here, God is like your co-pilot. God is always
available in the instant of need to those who have made a habit of waiting
quietly before Him for insight and guidance
The following books are some of the greatest titles on Spiritual Enlightenment I have ever come across. They have contributed to an incredible shift in consciousness for me.Peace be with you
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