By Julius-Kei Kato, SSL, PhD
(version: 2024-12-18)
[Premise 1] Spirituality
For our purposes here,
spirituality will be understood in the following way: It is the quest
to live: not in morally-compromised ways but in integrity,
not superficially but deeply, not in a
self-centered way but for something bigger than one’s self. We
can say, therefore, that spirituality is the effort to live “deeper and
bigger” with integrity. In other words, it is a quest for integrity, depth,
and transcendence.
Why are we using the term “spirituality”? |
The quest mentioned above leads one to touch the “heart and core” of
reality and existence. That core is something that cannot be measured empirically,
hence, it belongs properly to the “spiritual” realm.
Some other important things to note
about spirituality. First, spirituality (or cultivating your own spirituality)
is not something supernatural or super-human, but deeply and
fundamentally, a human trait (or a human activity) in the sense that it is what
we humans are hardwired to seek and do. Second, its pursuit makes us more fully
human. Therefore, spirituality is not optional; rather, it is a necessary human
quest.
Finally, spirituality is the heart and core of all religions but, as is common today, it does not have to be, strictly speaking, linked with organized religion in order to be authentic.
[Premise 2] Optimal Living: Showing Up as the Best Version of
Yourself in the Here and Now
The foundation of spirituality as it will be proposed here is this conviction: Human life--every aspect of it--is a spiritual quest, a quest that is nevertheless rooted in ordinary life with all its ups and downs; with all its beautiful, ugly, and neutral factors. There is no need, therefore, to be afraid of "spiritual quests"! That means, the spiritual quest is not an elite activity that is beyond the reach of ordinary people like you and me. Rather, simply put, the spiritual quest consists in trying to live an "Optimal Life," which is nothing else than trying our very best to be the best versions of ourselves, in service to something bigger than ourselves, wherever we are in life, from moment to moment. To that let me add the important word "mindfully." Therefore, my fuller description of optimal living is this: While being mindful of where we are and what we face in life, we try to be the best version of ourselves in every moment. (A more detailed blogpost on that can be found HERE)
An important caveat: Optimal living
is NOT perfectionism. The former is healthy because it is
firmly based on reality and takes account of our different limitations; the
latter can be unwholesome because it tends to have unrealistic
demands.
With the above premises in mind, I’d like to propose the following ingredients of a spirituality that, I hope, people today can adopt and put into practice, no matter whether they are religious or not. This kind of spirituality ultimately aims to help people to live fuller and more meaningful lives today (aka, “optimal living”).
Here are simple descriptions of each ingredient with key quotes and suggested basic practices.
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[1] Be Mindful! Be aware of and embrace REALITY here and now
Keep in mind: the present moment is the only moment that you actually have (to live). The past is already gone; the future is not yet here. It's important then that you live the present moment to the full. Otherwise, you will lose this precious moment forever. If you lose many "present moments," you are, in effect, "not living"! So then, what is the key to live fully here and now? It is Mindfulness! Be mindful then ... of the here and now, of yourself, of the world within you, of others, of the world around you and outside of you.
QUOTES
Mindfulness is the moment to moment non-judgmental awareness and acceptance of ‘what is’ in the here and now. (adapted from Jon Kabat-Zinn)
When we are mindful, touching deeply the present moment, in the here and now, we gain more understanding, more acceptance, more forgiveness and love of self and others; our aspiration to relieve suffering grows; and we have more chances to touch joy and peace. We need the energy of mindfulness to recognize and be present with our habit energy so that we may prevent it from dominating us and stop its often destructive course. ~Thich Nhat Hanh in Savor
BASIC PRACTICE
Frequently go back to your "true home" (the "here and now") by mindfully focusing on your breath and what is happening within you and outside of you. This is the most basic mindfulness practice. Mindfulness can be maintained throughout the day and in all activities. Meditation is the concrete and formal practice of devoting a period of time to consciously practice mindfulness and other spiritual exercises to increase one’s spirit of mindfulness.
Arguably the most important way
to maintain a mindful awareness in life with lots of other benefits such as
inner peace, ability to concentrate, resilience, etc., is having a MEDITATION
practice. There are many ways to do this. My suggestion for beginners is
B-Re-T-M-A. Short for: Breath—Read or Recall—Think—Meditate—Act. Read
about that HERE.
***
[2] Constantly Aim for ‘Better’! Move One Step at a Time
from ‘Negative’ to ‘Positive’
KEYWORDS: Onward, Avanti, Ippo-Zenshin (一歩前進)
Let’s constantly try to move from - (minus) to + (plus) in our lives. In ingredient #1, we are encouraged to be mindful of and embrace one's reality, fully, without judgment, in the here and now. That is foundational. Now, in ingredient #2, we acknowledge that no one is perfect, that there is always room for improvement. This is why we constantly try to improve. Concretely, that refers to: moving from “minus” factors, such as: morally-compromised, harmful, negative, distracted, superficial frames of mind (those are minus factors) ... to ... "plus" factors, such as: moral/ethical, mindful, deeper, life-affirming (or optimistic) frames of mind. Ingredient #2 is a further step beyond ingredient #1.
QUOTES
“Habits of thinking need not be
forever. One of the most significant findings
in psychology ... is that individuals can choose the way they think.” ~Martin
Seligman in Learned Optimism
“But we can change. No one need ever feel resigned and say, 'There is nothing I can do.' There is everything we can do. That is the purpose and the power of that persistent upward force within us: if we turn inward we can remake ourselves completely, modeling ourselves in the image of the loftiest spiritual ideal we can conceive.” ~ Eknath Easwaran in Conquest of Mind
BASIC PRACTICE
Be aware that from moment to moment in
our lives, we have a choice: either go forward or step backward. (Brian
Johnson in Arete). A move forward can be called a "+1". Then,
act on that and increase those +1 choices.
***
[3] Know your Purpose!
Do you have a purpose in your life, for your life? Have at least one big, noble purpose that you're passionate about! "Purpose" is a "big idea" about the path you're supposed to be walking on, the big purpose that you feel you're called to be doing in your life (aka, your "vocation" or "calling"), the big thing you're supposed to achieve with the one life that is given you. In short, this is what you're supposed to be focusing the best of your energy and your quality time on.
In many cases, your specific “big
purpose” may not yet be clear to you in the present moment, especially if you’re
young. It often becomes clearer as you walk the path of life, learning through
trial and error. Nevertheless, you can always adopt a general “big
purpose” such as the following: Achieving the best version of yourself (optimal
state) ... for your own self, for others, for the world!
This is something the ancient Greeks called arete (ἀρετή) or excellence. The Japanese concept of Ikigai (生き甲斐) can also come in handy to understand this. Ikigai is simply “a reason for living.” Explained simply, your ikigai is what makes you get out of bed and start your day with zest.
QUOTE
The ultimate game is: showing up consistently as that best, most heroic version of yourself" ~Brian Johnson in Areté
BASIC PRACTICE
If you have a big, all-consuming
passion in life, recall that every single day, regularly and intentionally.
Make all your smaller goals align with it (ingredient #4).
***
