Spirituality In India : Must Read
Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives. In general, it includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. As such, it is a universal human experience something that touches us all.
The meaning of spirituality has developed and expanded over time, and various connotations can be found alongside each other.
As the global community becomes increasingly capitalistic, the quest for spirituality grows in urgency. India, its people, its infrastructure, and indeed its very soil, encourage and breed Spiritualism, allowing religions to thrive, flourish and prosper.
India boasts the presence of every major religion in the world, as well many of their off-shoots and facets, all being supported, nourished, and living in comparative harmony. Many of these religions were conceived in India, and others have come to India seeking a safe haven from persecution after being created in their own lands. The age-old environment has always supported such freedom of belief. We will thus find Judaism, Islam, The Bahá'í Faith, Christianity, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism amoungst the major religions being practiced in India, together with a variety of The Lesser Known Religions.
Since religion is the most enduring preservative of social customs, architecture, diet, thought and way of life, you will consequently find an unparalleled variety of customs, architecture, diet, thought and way of life in India.
Whether you define spiritualism as "having something to do with the spirit or soul" (for example "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us”), "caring much for things of the spirit or soul", (such as "men are they who see that spirituality is stronger than any material force"), or "having to do with spirits; supernatural" ("Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth unseen"), you will find all of your senses saturated by spiritualism in India.
The diversity of India’s cultural heritage is demonstrated by the fact that apart from Hindi and English being the main languages of the country, there are an ADDITIONAL 17 languages recognized for official purposes: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu - (just take a look at an Indian bank note!)
Spirituality and mystical charm have always drawn people from all over the world to India. As the world becomes increasingly capitalistic and materialist, the quest and urgency for spirituality grows more and more. The traditional Indian way of life has helped in the evolution and growth of Spiritualism. Numerous cultures and religions have thrived and flourished together for ages and resulted into the unique Indian way of life.
At different points in the history of our civilization numerous spiritual leaders and saints have delivered the message of peace, brotherhood and co existence that is so very well rooted in our culture. Arts like Yoga and Ayurveda coupled with religion have played an important role in the evolution and existence of spirituality in India. Through the ages, various Ashrams and centers of excellence came up in different parts of India. These centers have helped in spreading the message of compassion, care and positive living.
Thus, Indian spirituality is all about showing respect to all living beings-animals trees, rocks and even water and lead a positive and healthy life. It is believed that the supreme Creator has put each one of us in this world for a purpose and that purpose is to be compassionate, caring and loving to one-another. As mentioned earlier, the great Indian spiritual personalities and gurus have played an important role in spreading the message of love, care and the need for positive living all over the world.
New Belief in God is an inseparable part of the Indian philosophy. Intertwined with its sheer spiritualism, Indian philosophy stands as an emblem of ultimate consciousness. The very presence of the metaphysical God, ideally unifies with the absolute reality in Indian philosophy whilst reverberating the aura of spiritualism in the most eloquent way.
The inviolate Truth about spirituality in the form of God or Ishvara is imparted in the Bhagvad Gita, the Ultimate Literature of Life, as it has been reckoned. In Gita, the words of Lord Krishna, echoes the authentic aura of spirituality, which delicately defines the Indian Philosophy as a "spiritual journey". The presence of God as the supreme power, the concept of "Omnipresence of the Omnipotent" therefore finds a divine dimension amidst the concept of Indian philosophy. Indian philosophy suggests that all that exists in this universe is the ultimate manifestation of God. The words of Krishna further support this. As Krishna says:
"I am the original fragrance of earth and the heat of fire. I am the life of all that lives and I am the penance of all seekers. I am the consciousness of all who have developed their consciousness. I am the splendor of all which is fine."
This is the part where Indian philosophy ultimately offers a definite contour to the term "Spirituality". As this is when, finally the emergence of that Ultimate Consciousness of the Greatest Knowledge happens which leads one towards felicity and towards that eternal bliss. This is the very halo of spiritualism in Indian philosophy, which finally binds the religiosity and the phantasmal elements with that sheer thread of tenet and feelings. Indian philosophy is therefore a religious tradition. The pride of the Indian philosophy again lies in that magical blend of the concept of reality or in that absolute reality with that of the existence of personal God which ultimately leads to a meaningful life. This immense fusion further crafts Indian philosophy as the most tolerant religions. Ishvara is the very core of Indian Philosophy.
Ishvara in Sanskrit means, the Lord. In Indian philosophy therefore Ishvara is reckoned as the ultimate Ruler , the supreme power and is indeed the preternatural Being of the Cosmos :
"The whole of this Universe is pervaded by me in my Unmanifested form (Avyaktamoorti). I am thus the support of all the manifested existences, but I am not supported by them" - this eternal law is the very basis of Indian philosophy and is also the main concept of spiritualism in India.
God is the creator, the preserver and the destroyer of the cosmos. He is the divinity and this very idea is the crux of Indian philosophy. The concept of Brahman in Indian philosophy again offers a rather spiritual facet to Indian philosophy; as according to Krishna " . ...Into Brahman I plant the seed giving birth to all living beings..." Brahman therefore remains as the logo of the Divine essence of the cosmos. The reference of Brahman is there also in Mundaka Upanishad, which structures the base of the Indian philosophy.
The ideal harmonization of spiritualism and religiosity in Indian beliefs makes the Indian philosophy a never-ending journey in understanding the "Knowledge" of that perpetual contentment. God is the ultimate reality; the unchallengeable, the huge, the brightest light who is there almost everywhere --- even in the green grass, in the bight fire, in the living air, in the round ocean, in the blue sky and finally in the mind of man. To experience His immortality, to feel His presence and to sense His enigmatic immensity the pious man plunges into the ocean of consciousness whilst praying.
"Lead me from the unreal to the Real. Lead me from darkness unto Light. Lead me from death to Immortality."
Source :Spirituality In India
