Spirituality – what does it mean and how can it be developed?

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What is human spirituality?

If you ask this question, you feel that the world is something more than a chaotic collection of atoms. You probably feel broader than the function of a cog in the cycle “work - buy - consume - sleep” that is imposed on you. You are looking for your own answer. You look for it with your heart, without perceiving the dogma “spirituality = religion” imposed on you as the only truth.

Maybe this article will help you. And let the words of Buddha become your motto in your own search:

“Do not believe what has existed for a long time and is widespread in many countries. Don't believe what others do, repeating it over and over again. Don't believe what the wise man said. Don't believe what is written in the scriptures. Don't believe what seems possible. Don't believe your fantasies and dreams sent down to you from heaven. Don't believe anything the teacher or monk says. Believe only what you have learned from your own experience through long investigations, what turned out to be right for you, what coincides with your sense of goodness.”

I am sincerely convinced that the craving for the Highest is the basic internal need of a person. And your true happiness depends on how much you follow it!

Why is spiritual development needed?

People need to experience joy and excitement more often to get the most out of everything they do, feel superior, and be open to new opportunities. Don't neglect the people around you.

If you often do bad things, constantly get angry and complain about life, the likelihood of getting pleasure decreases to zero. Such people do not feel harmony with the world around them; they increasingly withdraw into themselves, and then become hostages of their own negative feelings. (See table of feelings and emotions). Most likely, such a person will not be able to experience true happiness.

Spiritual development is a very important stage in life’s journey. A person who has no desire to improve is doomed to constant torment and suffering. Usually such people cannot achieve any success, and begin to sow hatred in the world around them.

Spiritual development provides an excellent chance to experience more positive emotions and simply enjoy life every day. Starting the path of enlightenment, every person must cleanse himself of all negative ideas and bad thoughts. The inner world of a positive person allows him to receive inspiration from everything that happens around him. Thanks to spiritual development, each of us can create incredible conditions for our own lives, as well as for everyone around us.

Spirituality is not just a word, but a real way of life. All actions must be aimed at good purposes. Encourage a person to take actions that bring positive and useful results.

Spiritual hero in literature

The purpose of the writer was expressed by A. S. Pushkin in the work “The Prophet”. It echoes the biblical account of the calling of the prophet Isaiah. In the book bearing the name of the prophet, chapter 6 is devoted to this. With a verb, that is, with a word, to burn the hearts of people - this is the task of a prophet and writer who is gifted with talent.

Daniel Defoe described the life of Robinson Crusoe far from civilization. With the moral values from the Bible, he created a beautiful world on the island. He did not go wild, but was melted down in a difficult ordeal.

Jonathan Swift endowed his Gulliver with moral qualities. Some of his actions have become household names.

The Little Prince Exupery amazes with the wisdom of simple logic based on love.

The heroes of Jane Eyre, A.I. Kuprin, Jack London, V. Kataev have accompanied many since childhood. They go through life's difficulties, their character qualities are worthy of emulation.

The spiritual world for a person is the basis of harmony in life

Many people think that living in complete harmony with the world around them is impossible, but this is not so. Despite all the barriers and obstacles that come our way in life, there is always the opportunity to overcome them and not stop. At the same time, always remain in a positive mood, constantly rejoice or admire achievements.

Surely there is a person in your circle who adheres to spiritual values. Such people never fall into a desperate state; they are always ready to move forward and achieve their goals. Even in those moments when something doesn’t work out for them.

When, in the midst of gray everyday life, you see such a person in your environment, all everyday problems and work routine are smoothed out. A spiritual person charges everyone around with his positive energy and you don’t feel so sad. Everyone around begins to do more good and right things.

When the team is filled with positive energy, when everyone becomes kinder to each other, then the spiritual life of the society around us is formed.

In order for a person’s spiritual world to comply with all the norms and rules of spirituality, it is necessary to work well on one’s own mistakes. First, try to understand yourself and start changing something, then you will understand the full power of this teaching

Spirituality of any person is not just a word! It lies in harmony with yourself and your environment. The soul of such people is filled with light and love. In the spiritual world there are no such feelings as:

Envy;
Anger;
Contempt;
Humiliation;
Anger, etc.

At all times, spiritual and moral canons were observed thanks to proper upbringing, from childhood. Spiritual life in modern society can lead all of humanity to new discoveries. Spirituality is the path of every person who strives for creation and knowledge of the unknown secrets of existence.

In the world of good there is no negativity or failure. Here everyone is ready to help each other. No one will leave someone in need of support in trouble. The real spiritual world of a person consists only of the positive qualities of a person. The inner state of the soul of such people is very vulnerable, since these people are always open to others. They try to avoid any negative events towards themselves and the world around them.

Spirituality is a definition of the inner state of the human soul, which is always based on the moral and ethical relationships between people and the environment.

Do not blindly follow religious scriptures or philosophical teachings. Each person must independently determine their own boundaries in order to make this world more colorful and kind. There is no need to become a religious fanatic, because this will only lead you to disappointment and self-destruction.

It is worth considering that spiritual development can lead a person to rash actions, which, in an unconscious state and without any intent, can harm one’s own well-being. This applies to those people who are fanatical about such teachings of spirituality. Of course, we must constantly improve, but the knowledge we gain must be used wisely and carefully. Spiritual development should not become a tool for hiding one’s complexes or shortcomings.

The main task is not to just blindly follow what some leader says or believe everything that is said in the religious scriptures. First of all, you need to look into the depths of your soul and find all the vulnerable spots. In order to further protect ourselves from injustice, anger or hatred, which shrouds our entire world. On the path of every person there are obstacles and obstacles that at first glance cannot be overcome. However, this is a false perception of what is happening. In fact, there is nothing in our world that could prevent us from making our lives more fun and useful.

“What would Love do?” The main question of spirituality

So, spirituality is Love. However, Love is not some kind of abstraction. “To love” means first of all to express oneself in our world.

The essence of the spiritual path is to reveal yourself as Love through your own specific thoughts, words and actions.

Read about how to find yourself by consciously moving along the spiritual path here.

The spiritual path is a constant search for answers to two main questions: “Who am I?” and “How can I express myself in the world?”

The highest answer to the first question is “I am Love.”

And to express yourself as Love in the world, you need to ask the second question differently. It will sound very simple:

“What would Love do now?”

This question will be the answer.

To enlarge the diagram, click on it.

Always ask it! When you won a competition and when you were kicked out of your job. When you fell in love and when your friend betrayed you. When you sell a car, and when your child gets a bad grade. Ask it in any life situation, and strive to follow the answer you gave yourself. And then you will be able to feel and express your true essence... And this is the only true purpose of your existence! And the more fully and sincerely you express yourself, the more happiness you will have in your life!

The word spirituality, what does it mean?

If we pay attention to the interpretation of the word “spirituality” in different dictionaries of the Russian language, we will see that the meaning of this internal state of a person will be somewhere between the religious and moral understanding of this state.

In fact, that's how it is!

Practice more to know your own soul. Only through practice can you fully learn to control your emotions and achieve perfection in everything. The teaching of a person’s inner spirituality does not imply anything bad. Both in religious scriptures and in various scientific works of famous philosophers. The spiritual world is described as something high and perfect.

By following the basic rules and principles, you can achieve maximum perfection of your own will and state of mind. But it is also worth considering the fact that, depending on national characteristics, each country has its own moral principles and rules. Based on this, it is necessary to highlight the main similarities in all scriptures and teachings. The concept that is embedded in the understanding of spirituality has its similarities everywhere.

It is in this way - by comparing different interpretations, that one can comprehend the real spiritual truth. That is, to understand the very essence of spirituality throughout the world. The word “compassion” is found in many sources, both religious and philosophical teachings. It may look a little different, or be called by other words, but still the main task is to teach all people to understand and show a sense of compassion.

A spiritual person, finding harmony with his inner world, begins to feel stronger and more necessary for this world.

This message is carried by all religions of the world without exception. Except in those cases when political beliefs begin to interfere with the spiritual world. Politicians always try to use any means to achieve their goal. There are no barriers or moral principles for them. They manage to achieve their political ambitions, and even make good money by deceiving ordinary people.

Spirituality is: a definition for children

We live in very difficult times, when the environment educates not only us, but also our children. TV, the Internet, peers - all of them, sad as it may be to admit, have a greater influence on our children than we ourselves. How to explain to a child what is good and what is bad? Overly religious people sometimes go to all sorts of extremes in this matter, when they begin to intimidate a child, as professional religious puppeteers like to do, but this is a big mistake. If fear could guide a person to the right path, then there would be no prisons or crime in the world. However, we can see that crime exists even in countries where the death penalty takes place. That is, even the fear of death does not stop people. Therefore, raising a child through fear is a big mistake.

How can you explain to a child in simple words what the word “spirituality” means? Try to explain to him the simple concept of spirituality: “Do to others what you would like to receive yourself.” This concept is very easy to understand, because if a child feels discomfort when he is treated badly, then he will be able to understand that the same discomfort will be felt by the person to whom he shows similar behavior. Explain to your child that everything in this world returns, and if he does not want to experience suffering, then he should not create reasons for this suffering, that is, not create suffering for others. This is the golden rule of spirituality. And everything else follows from it.

Quotes about spirituality

To understand what spirituality is, you can turn to various philosophers and thinkers who briefly but accurately spoke about this phenomenon:

The human soul develops until death.
If the soul was born winged - what is its mansion and what is its hut!
The soul remembers the past, sees the present, and foresees the future.
Cowardice arouses in us only contempt.
By ourselves we mean nothing. We are not important, but what we keep within ourselves.
Spirituality is the opposite of religion because it is inherent in every person, while religion is only a ready-made thought intended for those who are unable to find their own path of development.
In this dark world, consider only spiritual wealth as true, for it will never depreciate.

Finally, we can quote the words of the Apostle Paul, who very briefly but clearly outlined the essence of the spiritual path: “Everything is permissible for me. But not everything is useful.” From this saying you can see that a person is free in his actions and there are no boundaries for him. And all the rules come not from some religious dogma, but from common sense. And a rational being is capable of limiting its actions, based on the concept of benefit for itself and others.

What is spirituality for a person

What is spirituality and how can it be explained in simple words? Considering each religion where we are talking about the spiritual state of a person, we can notice that many understandings may differ from each other, and in some cases even contradict their “competitive communities”. Here, moral principles or other qualities that are considered to be the rule in a particular country or religion may differ.

It is necessary to do a lot of work on oneself so that a person’s spiritual world is strong and strong throughout his entire conscious life.

But, as mentioned above, it is necessary to select the best of all teachings and interpretations. It must be taken into account that our world is so diverse that the understanding of good and evil is relative.

All religions are determined to curb the negative feelings of humanity. Everywhere there is talk about humility and submission. But this will not make a person stronger or smarter. The fundamental canons and commandments of all religions are also aimed at ensuring that everyone can choose for themselves those basic principles and patterns that can lead us to an understanding of the higher mind.

This is not connected with material values or the benefits of peoples, but with the simplest instinctive impulses that lead every person living on earth to a state of peace and bliss.

Their main task is to make this world as kind and fair as possible, so that all living beings live in harmony with each other and interact with all natural processes.

How do qualities affect a person?

The qualities of a person determine what he will be attracted to, his behavior, desires and aspirations, as well as sources of happiness and anxiety. For this reason, it is very important to identify and understand the qualities of one's own personality, as well as how they manifest themselves and what fruits they bear, which will undoubtedly determine the usefulness of each quality for a person.

The manifestation of quality depends on the object at which it is directed. For example, the quality of pride is aimed at the owner: his achievements, successes and honor, and greed is aimed at the desire to possess and control any object personally. There are qualities that are not aimed at a specific object, but create a certain background of life, inclining a person in life to one or another activity; such qualities can be knowledge or ignorance, determination or cowardice, and so on. These qualities are not aimed at anything, but appear in certain situations, forcing a person to act in a certain way.

How to achieve peace of mind

If we blindly follow everything that is stated in the scriptures, we are unlikely to be able to achieve the desired result that each of us strives for. The path to ideal spiritual enlightenment lies through overcoming your own concerns and fears. The road to independent awareness is very long, but, nevertheless, every person can go through this difficult path in a short period of time. When others will not be able to comprehend the simple truth in their entire lives.

Of all the teachings about human spirituality, choose only the most valuable information. Under no circumstances follow everything that is written thoughtlessly, because you may lose your mind.

The idea of spiritual enlightenment is that every person himself must realize the seriousness and significance of righteous deeds. After all, it is much more pleasant to bring goodness, good intentions and thoughts into our beautiful world. It becomes especially pleasant in those moments when you feel the return on your efforts. Then new abilities open up in us, our soul becomes much wider.

We begin to notice all the beauty and tenderness of our nature. The main achievement in such aspirations is complete dedication and a sense of significance. When our actions bear fruit, then endless possibilities open up for us. A flame begins to “burn up” within us. There is an interest in further self-development.

Once you begin to feel that you have reached the maximum level of awareness, do not rush to stop and give up. After all, it is impossible to achieve absolute knowledge, because everyone chooses the criteria by which they begin to evaluate their actions and thoughts. However, basic knowledge is enough to get closer to self-improvement.

You shouldn't stop halfway to self-improvement. As soon as you feel that you have reached the maximum point of development of your inner world. Think a little and you will find many more errors and shortcomings that need to be corrected

To get started, all you need is a basic understanding of spirituality, as well as a little patience and perseverance. Further actions will be much more productive. Thoughts and actions will give results that until recently may have seemed unattainable to you.

However, you should not relax, since working on yourself is a long process that requires special attention. Then you need to go deeper and deeper, and there are no certain boundaries in self-development. We ourselves must choose at what stage we can stop. Or move on without stopping to get the most effective return on your efforts.

Human dignity is not in soulfulness, but in spirituality

No animal needs spiritual food because no animal is created in the image of God. As soon as it satiates its earthly hunger, it is already satisfied with everything and does not want anything else. Everyone knows this. By this animalistic trait, which is often found in some fallen people, one usually judges the spiritual level on which a given person stands.

The ideal of the ancient carnivores - “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die” (1 Cor. 15:32) - was assessed as extremely low not only by Christians, but also by more exalted pagans. And for today’s materialistically minded people, who deny the Divine origin of man and faith in God in general, it is also offensive to hear the accusation addressed to them that they live by one stomach. They too claim to have the highest ideals.

The image of God, placed in him by the Creator, is inseparably fused with man. Hence the desire of each of us to rise above the crudely materialistic and serve something sublime. Everyone feels the need to have “their own faith,” even if it is wrong. Everyone wants to improve, rise above themselves and strive for the best. “Man is infinitely superior to man,” Pascal said thoughtfully, referring to this feature of human spiritual nature.

As a soul, man rises high above animals thanks to his distinctive spiritual qualities, which are reduced to three main manifestations: mind, feeling and will. Created by the Triune God, man bears traces of God's Trinity in his soul, more specifically in its manifestations: mind, feeling and will. “In these three forces,” writes Saint Ambrose of Milan, “our inner man, according to the strength of his spiritual nature, amazingly reflects the image of God.”

God is one in essence, but at the same time Trinity in Persons. And the human soul is one in its essence, but it reflects the Divine Trinity. Just as in God we distinguish the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, without merging the Three Divine Persons and without dividing them into three deities, so in the human soul we distinguish mind, feeling and will, without confusing them with each other, but also without dividing the single human a soul for three souls. This amazing phenomenon serves as some kind of deep, undeniable and ineradicable psychological proof of both the existence of the Triune God and our spiritual relationship with Him (see: Acts 17: 28–29).

Believing Orthodox Christians, baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity (see: Matt. 28:19), begin and must begin every prayer, every deed and every decisive step in life with the words: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen". In the name of the Holy Trinity we live, and God grant us to die in Her name! He who turns out to be faithful to God in this world has the joy of being in eternal, blissful communion with the eternally living God in the next world.

Elementary animal experiences, reduced to the level of instincts and ordinary physical and physiological sensations, cannot compare with the spiritual manifestations of man, namely with his creative, inventive and insightful mind, with his most complex, diverse, refined and sublime feelings and, finally, with its volitional manifestations, which, together with the mind and feelings, give rise, at the level of soulfulness, to various sciences, technology, arts, music, poetry, philosophy, etc.

The Creation of Man.Mosaic

No matter how subtle a person’s spiritual qualities may be, they cannot be considered something higher in him

However, no matter how subtle a person’s spiritual qualities may be, they cannot be considered something higher in him. Much higher than these are the manifestations of the human spirit. What is spirit?

According to Saint Theophan the Recluse, this is “the power that God breathed into the face of man, completing his creation.” The hallmarks of the spirit are the fear of God, conscience and thirst for God. “Nothing created can satisfy our spirit. Having come from God, he seeks God... No matter how many created things and blessings someone has, he feels that he is still missing something. Everyone... is searching and searching. They search and find - but what they find, they discard and search again in order to discard what they found. And so on endlessly... Doesn’t this tangibly show that we have a certain force that from the earthly... draws us upward, to the heavenly?

This power is spirit. Given to everyone, it is renewed in Holy Baptism, according to the words of Blessed Theophylact, who writes: “If we keep this lamp bright and unquenchable (“Do not quench the Spirit!” - 1 Thess. 5:19), then we will enter the chamber of the Bridegroom. Then both our soul and body will be blameless, since the Spirit shines in us.”

Considered only as flesh, man is no more than an animal, especially after the catastrophe of the Fall. Considered as bearing an immortal soul, that is, as a rational creature endowed with feeling, intelligence and will, a person who has fallen into lawlessness, alienated from God and opposed to everything Divine, is not very different from demons. After all, they also stand out for their high talents, which, however, they completely and irrevocably subjugated to evil, turning their backs to God. Only in healthy manifestations of the spirit does a sinner, redeemed by the Savior, renewed by grace, sanctified by the Holy Spirit and unceasingly thirsting for God, become like the angels (see: Ps. 8: 6).

By abusing spirituality, a person can fall lower than animals and become like demons

Today they talk and write a lot about human soulfulness. And our Orthodox Church looks at soulfulness as a high manifestation of man, but does not stop there, because it knows that if it is abused, a person can fall lower than animals and become like demons. Holy Orthodoxy sees all the dignity of a person not in his soulfulness, but in spirituality, which is nothing more than the blessing of the whole person, the fruits of which are the final break with sin and eternal union with the Holy Spirit of God (see: 1 Cor. 6:17 ).

In modern culture, the word “spirituality” is often misused to describe manifestations of soulfulness, albeit higher ones. In this sense, they talk about “spiritual culture”, about “spiritual progress”... However, Christian teachers and sages understood that soulfulness without true spirituality is insufficient for a person created in the image of God. His spiritual gifts, no matter how high they may initially be, can degenerate, just as they degenerate when separated from God and His holy will.

Science and technology, for example, can be put in the service of evil instead of good. The discovery of the secrets of the atom and the energy inherent in it - this is an epoch-making achievement of science of our century, which could make the material life of mankind easier - is it not being used today, precisely due to the lack of spirituality, to prepare for its complete destruction? Likewise, the arts can take on the most ungodly directions and begin to corrupt instead of elevate. Music, poetry, visual arts, etc. can degrade and, generated by the soul, destroy the soul.

Testing "Licorn" in French Polynesia. Photo: Pierre J./French Army

To prevent all this from happening, a person must strive at any cost for the only ideal worthy of him - from the carnal and spiritual to become spiritual. This does not mean that when he achieves spirituality, he will cease to be a physical and spiritual person. No! And spiritual people also have a soul and a body. And they have bodily and mental needs, but they are no longer dominant, but are subordinate to the spirit ruling over them.

The spiritual manifestations of spiritual people are controlled by the gracious spirit of man. A true Christian must control his flesh, curb its animal lusts, base desires and insatiable instincts, keeping them in complete submission to his spiritual nature blessed in Baptism. He must also use all his spiritual gifts - mind, feelings, will, self-awareness, perception, imagination, memory, etc. – to engage in creative striving to achieve the commanded likeness to God.

For this purpose, if he wants to move from soulfulness to spirituality, a person must succeed in faith and fear of God, cultivate in his heart reverence, love for God and people, and often clear his conscience in confession, striving for an ever deeper knowledge of God, achieved through humility of mind (that is, carnal wisdom - see: Rom. 8: 6) before revealed truths.

To this a person must add diligent study of the word of God and fulfillment of God’s commandments, an ardent and honest conversation with God in prayer and diligent study of the patristic works - these are the best guides to spiritual life. He must thirst for God and increase grace in himself more and more by accepting the Holy Mysteries taught by the Holy Orthodox Church. Thus, through constant prayerful communication with God, he will expand and deepen his spiritual life, and will become more and more spiritual and angelic. Thus, he will begin his eternal life here on earth, according to what was said: “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17: 3).

Such a spiritual person can safely engage in the earthly affairs necessary for this life: science, technology, the arts, and various activities, such as music and poetry, being careful not to become proud of all this. If he becomes proud, then from the spiritual he can become spiritual.

A person should strive to glorify God through his actions, and not himself. Take, for example, a pious carpenter, a sincerely religious person. He earns his living by carpentry. In his craft, he is, let’s say, not just a great master, but even an artist. If the ability to make all kinds of artistic products from wood predisposes him to constantly thank God for giving him this gift, then he will retain spirituality despite his high soulfulness. But if he becomes proud of his works and begins to brag about them left and right, he will fall away from closeness with God and sink to a lower level of spirituality.

What great people in their talents cannot achieve spirituality because of pride, but remain spiritual!

This can happen with all types of spiritual activities, with any person, which we constantly observe in life. What great people in their talents cannot achieve spirituality because of pride, but remain spiritual! Despite their great spiritual talent, such people are slaves to the basest passions! Now, you meet a great artist, but a drunkard; a rare doctor, but a lover of money; a virtuoso violinist, but a libertine; an outstanding scientist, but angry; a talented writer, but an envious person.

A striking example of high soulfulness without spirituality is Nietzsche, this exquisitely soulful, but absolutely unspiritual person. Thanks to his demonically talented soul, he wrote amazingly original books with which he destroyed many souls. In his face the truth of Christ’s words was most clearly manifested: “Whatever is high among men is an abomination to God” (Luke 16:15).

Our role models should be the saints - these most spiritual representatives of the human race. Sometimes, even with small talents, they achieved the highest knowledge of God and, with God’s help, from the most ordinary people they became models of chastity and humility, heroes of patience and the personification of human perfection.

Photo: A. Osokin / Expo.Pravoslavie.Ru

In reality, not everyone can become an extraordinary saint. However, everyone should become a spiritual person to one degree or another, because this is their purpose. Elementary spirituality is manifested in daily repentance of one’s sins, in remembrance of the Lord and the Last Judgment, in frequent, fervent prayers to the Creator, in diligent study of the word of God, in humility of oneself, in uncomplaining patience with all griefs and misfortunes allowed by God, in love for God and neighbors, in abstaining from bad words and especially from judging others, in keeping one’s eyes away from disastrous temptations, in fighting one’s base inclinations, as well as in eradicating in oneself malice, anger, hatred, pride, love of money and all other spiritual passions.

Christianity is a feat. Spiritual life is a constant war with passions within us and with demonic attacks (see: Eph. 6: 11–12). A Christian should strive to become, if not a general in the army of Christ, then at least a simple but faithful warrior to Him, who cowardly does not throw away the weapon given to him by the Savior in front of the enemy, but takes care of it and uses it in daily battles with the dark forces of evil...

In this way, every Christian can rise to elementary spirituality, which opens access to the Kingdom of Heaven. If he does not achieve this, he lived in vain in this world and, in the words of the psalmist, became like animals that perish (see: Ps. 49:21).

The dignity of a person, as we see, is not in his soulfulness, but in his spirituality. Saint Theophan wisely reasons: “Let at least spirituality be natural; it is unnatural for a person to be carnal. The mistake here is in the complete predominance of what should be subordinate.”

“The fool who fears God is superior to the educated and graceful, who, however, does not strive for the highest goal - to please God...”

Man must strive first and above all to God. Therefore, in addition to the body and soul, the spirit must rule in him. “Spirit is the highest side of human life. He is the force that draws him from the visible to the invisible, from the temporal to the eternal, from creation to the Creator; the spirit characterizes man and distinguishes him from all other living earthly creatures.” Therefore, “when someone is dominated by the spiritual principle... then he is on the right path... because spirituality is the norm of human life, and, therefore, being spiritual, he is a real person, while a spiritual person, as well as a carnal person, - not real people... If someone’s spiritual manifestations are low (in scientific knowledge, arts and other areas) and if his physical activity is very limited, then he is still a real, full-fledged person (if he is spiritual. - A.S.) . But a spiritual person (erudite, man of art, master), for the most part still carnal, is not a real person, no matter how beautiful he may be in appearance... Hence the fool who fears God is superior to the educated and graceful, who, however, does not strive for the highest goal is to please God...”

Spiritual people achieve the goal of their earthly life and are saved, but spiritual people perish! A spiritual person, if he fights against God and spirituality, finds himself captured by dark forces. They cloud his mind through pride, and he can no longer feel the superiority of spirituality over soulfulness, and sometimes even mocks the spiritual manifestations of humble worshipers of God. He fights both against God and against the law of God, and thus he himself brings down the ladder along which he could rise to the spheres of high spirituality.

A spiritual person, according to the words of the Holy Apostle Paul, does not perceive what is from the Spirit of God: for him this is madness; and cannot understand this, because it is being examined spiritually (see: 1 Cor. 2:14). Thus, a proud spiritual person falls down from his imaginary height, and a humble spiritual person, even if he is the most wretched in spiritual manifestations, turns out to be far elevated above spiritual people.

God has often rebuked and convicts proud spiritual people through humble spiritual people, as it is written: “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the strong things; And God chose the base things of the world and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh should boast in the sight of God” (1 Cor. 1:27-29).

The worst consequence of lack of spirituality is the loss of eternal salvation

The worst consequence of lack of spirituality is the loss of eternal salvation. The spiritual person receives the privilege of being the abode of the Holy Spirit, who, according to St. Simeon the New Theologian, is “the soul of our soul”1. Soulful people are deprived of this privilege. If someone does not have the Holy Spirit in him, he, according to the holy Apostle Paul, is not Christ’s (see: Rom. 8:9). Such a person can subordinate his spirituality to the lowest in man - the flesh - and begin with his talents to sing and extol only the carnal in man. Then, instead of spiritually wise knowledge (knowledge), to which we are all called, the so-called “carnal wisdom” is established, about which the holy Apostle Paul writes: “Those who live according to the flesh think about carnal things, but those who live according to the Spirit think about spiritual things. Carnal thoughts (that is, carnal wisdom - A.S.) are death, and spiritual thoughts are life and peace... Carnal thoughts are enmity against God; for they do not submit to the law of God, and indeed cannot... Those who live according to the flesh cannot please God... If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you "(Rom. 8:5–11).

In this joyful resurrection for an eternally blessed life, that is, in eternal salvation, only those whose souls have come to life for faith and piety in earthly life and who have become spiritual will take part. They will have a true joyful heavenly Life after life on earth. This miracle is performed in man by the Holy Spirit Himself by His grace, according to Saint Simeon the New Theologian, who writes: “This was precisely the ultimate goal of the incarnate economy, that is, it was for this that the Son of God, God the Word, was incarnate and became Man, so that the souls of those who believe in He was received by the grace of the Holy Spirit as a soul... (our soul. - A.S.) and so that they would appear in this way as reborn, recreated and renewed by Holy Baptism and become what the first man was before the Fall, sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit in the mind, conscience and all your feelings, so that then there would be no life corrupted by the fall, which would carry away the desire of the soul to carnal and worldly lusts.”2

Man is the true crown of God's creation only if he is spiritual, that is, if the Holy Spirit of God lives in his soul. If the Spirit of God is not there, then such a person, despite all his high spirituality, is dead in spirit, because - let us use here the wonderful expression of Bishop Theophan - “just as the soul has no life without the body, so without the Spirit of God there is no spiritual life in the soul.”

This idea is confirmed by the last antiphon of the Sunday service in the 4th tone: “By the Holy Spirit every soul is alive and exalted in purity, illuminated by the Trinity unity of the sacred mystery.” Thus the revived man is resurrected to eternal bliss. And unspiritual people who are not resurrected here for a grace-filled life in Christ will be resurrected into condemnation (see: John 5:29). Who will we be with?

What does spirituality mean and its development

The spiritual development of a person includes several basic principles, adhering to which, a person strives for the internal evolution of his own qualities. Constantly improving the internal state of one’s own soul helps to overcome all negative feelings and emotional manifestations, such as:

Envy;
Anger;
Discontent;
Fury;
Hatred;
Anger;
Oppression;
Depression;
Aggression;
Fear;
Doubt;
Uncertainty;
Confusion, etc.

This is not the entire list of feelings and emotions that impede a person’s spiritual development. But we should not forget that positive emotional manifestations, on the contrary, help to develop and grow above oneself.

The understanding of spirituality is different for each of us, but there is still something that unites all concepts for any society, regardless of religious beliefs

In order to gain spirituality, you need to understand a few simple truths. First of all, we must understand that spirituality is a combination of moral and ethical qualities of one person or an entire society. Finding spiritual balance, a person receives a comprehensive understanding of justice and learns self-sacrifice.

The spiritual sphere of social life

Human society is divided into spiritual and material spheres. Of course, the material sphere is important - it ensures physical existence. But in order to manifest himself as a spiritual person, he also needs a corresponding sphere.

The spiritual sphere of man includes religion, science, morality, culture, art, and law. Pedagogy has established that instilling the foundations of culture from an early age makes it possible to raise a harmonious, responsible personality. Doctors have found that the connections in the brain that are formed when playing musical instruments expand a person’s mathematical abilities. The development of creative abilities that art provides expands the scope of freedom and teaches you to make innovative decisions.

The spiritual realm has a powerful influence on the individual. The conclusion is obvious: man, as a social being, cannot fully develop without society.

Lack of spiritual harmony

People in whom the spiritual component is poorly developed are in the sleep mode stage. Such people are not used to enjoying life; for them there are no moral boundaries. They are completely subordinate to their base instincts and suffer from their own powerlessness.

A person who lacks spirituality simply exists without any meaning; the life of such people is filled with grief and pain. They don’t want to change anything in their lives; they are closed to themselves and others. This state of mind leads humanity to the most vile actions and deeds.

It is necessary to develop your spirit and body throughout your life. Such harmony within us allows us to achieve the highest results.

To achieve a spiritual state, you need to work long and carefully on your mistakes and go through the entire path of spiritual development. This is a huge amount of work on yourself.

Spiritual qualities

The qualities of a person determine the person himself. When we talk about a person being “bad,” we mean that he has a set of negative qualities that push people away from him. When we say “good,” we mean, on the contrary, that such a person has a number of positive qualities that are attractive and pleasant to other people. The same thing happens with righteous and sinful qualities. One person is a sinner, and the second is a righteous person precisely because they live two different lives due to differences in qualities. But there are, in addition to righteous and sinful qualities, other qualities that are a level higher than both of them.

Spiritual qualities are qualities associated with a person’s spiritual nature, that is, his soul. The qualities of the soul are manifested in interaction with the internal, spiritual energy of a person. Interacting with spiritual energy means perceiving it and becoming aware of oneself by it. When we contemplate our body in the mirror, we can experience various feelings, and when we turn our gaze inward, we also experience feelings, but spiritual ones. These spiritual qualities direct a person to a certain path in life, which is very difficult for a person who has many righteous qualities to take.

Spiritual qualities do not depend on various changes around a person and manifest themselves constantly and regardless of circumstances. Neither the attitude of people, nor the degree of difficulty of tasks, nor joy and grief can influence the owner of spiritual qualities. This happens because such a person draws his mood and incentive for action from within, and not from without. Just as conscience does not prevent a sinful person from committing atrocities, so various desires do not prevent a spiritual person from performing spiritual activities.

Spiritual qualities are quite similar in appearance to righteous qualities. However, righteous qualities are aimed at material objects, and spiritual ones, accordingly, at spiritual ones. A person can spiritually interact with only two: with the soul and with God. The soul is accessible to human interaction through observation, and God is accessible through communication with Him and reflection on Him. This concerns internal activities, but a person can also talk or listen about God, which will also be spiritual activities.

Spiritual activity allows a person to acquire spiritual qualities. It would be more accurate to say, to manifest them. Since the original nature of man is spiritual, the nature of his soul. Man is essentially a soul, and material sheaths, be it body, mind, intelligence or false ego, are just sheaths with which the soul is covered, forcing man to act in a certain way.

Afterword

A spiritual person has a large set of cultural and moral values, and his consciousness is much more developed and open, which makes other people feel uncomfortable being around an enlightened person. The manifestation of spirituality can be seen both in religious books and teachings, and in many cultural works. The main message of spiritual enlightenment is the harmony between the human soul and its bodily shell. Such people always bring only good deeds and thoughts into this world. One of the accompanying manifestations of spiritual life is the acquisition of conscience. A spiritual state helps all humanity to live in harmony with themselves and the world around them.

What is a spiritual person?

If you turn to dictionaries, you can see the emergence of the modern concept of “spiritual person”. At a time when there were few atheists, society was built on faith in God, and a divine spark was recognized in man. V.I. Dal did not include this concept in the dictionary at all (1863), and interpreted the word “spiritual” as “belonging to the spirit.” Regarding the use of the word “spiritual” in relation to a person, he gives the following interpretation: “Everything in him that relates to God, the soul, moral strength, mind and will.”

D. N. Ushakov also does not include the concept of “spiritual person” in the dictionary (1935-1940). He points to the colloquial use of the adjective in the combination “a person of clergy,” making a distinction between the spiritual and the secular. S.I. Ozhegov in 1949 described the word “spiritual” as relating to religion (music, academy, school).

S. A. Kuznetsov in 1998 distinguishes two understandings: the first - related to religion and the second - having a philosophical view of the world. It is interesting that the definition of a spiritually undeveloped person in the Dictionary of Synonyms looks more than unpresentable: redneck, backward, wretched.

Material and spiritual qualities

So, material qualities are divided into sinful and righteous. These qualities have different manifestations, sources and fruits. For example, humility arises from understanding, and pride from ignorance. The fruits of these two qualities will be different, and they will manifest themselves in different ways. Righteous qualities can give a person a happy and free life, while sinful qualities lead a person to destruction.

But righteous qualities require certain efforts from a person to maintain them and the suffering that a person experiences by limiting himself to certain pleasures. And although in the end it is precisely these qualities that make a person happy, to maintain them you have to work and limit yourself, which sometimes results in going astray from this path.

Sinful qualities, on the contrary, require a person to lack willpower , bringing a person first a little pleasure and then a lot of suffering. Sometimes, tired of excessive work and a lot of suffering, a person turns to the righteous path, which saves his inner life.

But both sinful and righteous qualities are material, since their sources, manifestations and fruits are associated with matter. If a sinful man can enjoy his lust and its fruits, then a righteous man will enjoy discipline and its fruits. But both those and other fruits will be of a material nature, which means both frailty and variability. In other words, no one can claim that a sinful person will not become a righteous person tomorrow, and a righteous person will not become a sinner. Such variability is generated precisely by the material foundation.

But there is another nature, eternal and imperishable. The spiritual qualities of a person do not depend on material objects and circumstances. The fruits, manifestations and sources are not material, but spiritual in nature. This state of affairs means that a person draws manifestations of these qualities, fruits and sources from his own spiritual nature, becoming, in fact, an autonomous source of happiness for himself. The spiritual nature itself surpasses the material in its fruits: immortality of the soul, spiritual knowledge and complete happiness. The material body cannot be immortal, a person either receives knowledge or forgets it, sometimes without having time to apply it or without understanding it, and happiness cannot be obtained through material objects.

Spiritual qualities are constant and once a person has ascended to this level it is no longer possible to leave it, since stability is supported by both an unchanging spiritual nature and great happiness, as well as freedom. The path to acquiring a spiritual nature lies through righteous qualities, but the spiritual path is higher than the material one, even if it is correct.

Spiritual qualities can give a person complete happiness and peace , freeing a person from worries, anxieties and exorbitant desires, from which a person sometimes languishes. Finding one’s true “” will give a person the opportunity to be a source of happiness for himself, and to achieve this level it is enough to just give up everything else.