The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines spirituality as, in part, a sensitivity or attachment to religious values. It defines spiritual, in part, as being concerned with religious values. So, of course, it would make sense that many would feel that to have some sort of spirituality one would need to be associated with a particular religion or religious organization. And while my intent with this particular post isn't to discredit that notion, I personally feel that one can achieve some sort of spirituality without being directly involved with a religion, religious organization or church.
Let me begin by answering the question I get from most people when I talk about my feelings and experiences when it comes to religion. Yes, I do believe in God. I was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and I attribute a lot of the values that I have to my upbringing in that particular organization. I've only attended one other church besides going to meetings at the Kingdom Hall and that was on just two occasions. I have no quarrels with the overall message within the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, I just came to the conclusion a few years ago that continuing to be a Jehovah's Witness wasn't for me. As time passed and I studied other religions on a small scale, the question I always asked myself was "Can I be a spiritual person and not be part of any particular religion?" I admit, my struggles with trying to stay within the guidelines of the organization I grew up in had a part to play in me deciding that I was better suited outside of it. But, as of late, I have come to realize that one needs some sort of spirituality, some type spiritual connection to live a prosperous life. By prosperous, I don't mean wealthy. As a person, I am always looking for ways to grow, to become a better person, to love others more, to not be overwhelmed by personal struggles. To be prosperous, or to continue to grow, a person would need some sort of guidelines to live by. Whether these be religious values or personal values, I feel that without some sort of path to follow, a person could never reach his or her full potential and would be limited at best in trying to achieve any personal goals. But how can one find some sort of spirituality without wanting to be affiliated with a religion?
Before I give my answer to this question, let me say that this is my own personal opinion. It works for me and my hope is that it will work for others who find themselves in a similar situation as I find myself. I have found that since I already had a religious structure in place, due to the way my parents raised me, I already had some decent groundwork laid out. Studying about other religions, some in depth and some just on the surface, have proven to be useful to me. One point that I gathered from studying some Five Percent teachings is that the main ingredient to attaining spirituality is to "do the Knowledge" or basically, study. Jehovah's Witnesses, along with pretty much every other religion teach this as well, with the Witnesses stressing that it is important to "read God's Word daily". Just like with anything that requires some sort of learning and understanding, you have to study and do research. Growing up, my mother stressed personal study. There were five different meetings, three days a week, that we attended and the publications that we used during those meetings were integral parts of those meetings. Just like in school, we studied the books so that the information we received at the meetings would sink in, become more understandable and be real to us. Even though I am no longer associated with the Jehovah's Witnesses, most of their teachings are still integral in my daily life, some a whole lot more than others.
In my studies, I've come to realize that spirituality starts within. People may disagree with the idea that you don't need to be a part of a church or a religion or religious organization to attain a level of spirituality but I believe that it starts with you first. My older sister has often urged that I try to find some sort of spirituality to stabilize my personal life. As I've grown older, there have been occasions where I despised listening to what someone else told me was right or wrong. I think that is part of the reason why I decided that I would not return to the Witness organization, along with some others reasons. That may also be the reason why I don't particularly do well with relationships. Some may view this as being haughty, and I can see why they would think that way. But after growing up in the religious household that I did and coming to the realization as an adult that I wasn't on board with the whole religion thing, I had dismissed religion altogether. It wasn't until I found myself trying to succeed in life by my own guidelines and rules that I realized I wasn't going to achieve any of the goals that I had set for myself on my own. I had to get in tune with who I was on the inside, who I was spiritually. Part of that was understanding that there are bigger things pushing those who have achieved any level of success. Some believe the god that they worship is directing their steps. In the movies, like 'Star Wars', the story speaks of 'the Force' guiding all those who were in tune with it. Modern religion characterizes that as the Holy Spirit, or God's active force, which guides those in tune with it. And while other religions may focus on this in other aspects, the one common thread is that there are forces bigger than us humans that can guide us down a good or destructive path. While conventional thinking simplifies this so that all men can understand the concept better, I personally think it goes a little deeper than that.
Some religious teachings speak of God as being the creator and being a spirit entity in the heavens, watching over us. Others teach that God is within each of us. Still others teach that each individual is God or a god or godlike. The Bible says that God created man "in his image". So in truth, all three of these viewpoints can be said to be correct, depending on one's perception or interpretation. And while movies like 'Star Wars' and 'The Matrix' tend to take the idea of God and his active force or Holy Spirit to extremes, I feel like the concept of all human beings being godlike is fairly accurate. If God created man in his image, that would definitely make man as a species godlike in that there could possibly be a way for humans to do extraordinary things if they could tap into the brains unlimited potential. The scriptures also state that "if you have faith the size of a mustard grain...nothing would be impossible for you." I think there is a literal meaning to that. A common saying is "if you put your mind to it, you can do anything". Basically I interpret that, along with the scriptures, as meaning if you are in tune with your spirit then the possibilities are endless. Success is predicated not only in the belief that something can be achieved but also in one's abilities to achieve. While many put their faith in the thought that God will provide, wouldn't it be just as important to have faith in one's own abilities along with the fact that we can do absolutely anything if we are in tune with ourselves, our spirit?
Recently, I've begun to read The Tao of Wu, a book written by Wu Tang producer the RZA. I've read his first book, The Wu Tang Manual and was really impressed with the way RZA uses his own personal spirituality to mold the way he does things. He combines Buddhist principles along with Islamic and Five Percent teachings and some things he's learned from Christianity to govern the path that he walks. He also acknowledges his training in kung fu as being a big part of his discipline. The Tao of Wu focuses a lot more on his spirituality than The Wu Tang Manual does, but one thing is clear: he attributes everything that he has been successful in to his spiritual connection. He mentions that knowledge was paramount to his development and that the teachings he learned as a child through the Five Percent Nation gave him a basis for the way he lived his life from the moment it was intrduced to him by his cousin, fellow Wu Tang Clansman the GZA. "Doing the Knowledge" meant studying and the initial studies are not based solely on religion. These basic teachings are the 120 Lessons and learning them gives you knowledge of things such as the distance the Earth is from the sun, the circumference of the Earth and it's diameter, the weight of the earth and the speed of light and sound along with countless other lessons that fill you with knowledge that may not be viewed by others as typical understanding . These were things that kids in the inner city public school system weren't necessarily being taught. So if you were a person who dropped out of school or ended up in jail, these teachings would give you the knowledge that you may not have received otherwise. These teachings, known as Mathematics, dispelled the notion that if you were Black and living in the projects then you were destined to be ignorant and uneducated. Without those principles to guide him on his path, he acknowledges that he'd probably still be in the projects of Staten Island, living only to die.
It has been through reading those books, along with the Bible and picking up bits and pieces of other religions, that I realized spirituality starts with an inner journey first. If that inner journey takes you to a religion or place, so be it. But religion and church isn't the end all be all that many of us were taught it is. If one believes in a god, whether it be Jehovah, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad or has the belief that God is just pure energy that exists within us all, it is the journey to find our own spirituality that is most important. A person may not believe in a god but still may have a strong sense of spirituality. There are many roads that can lead a person to finding out who God is to them, but they all do lead to one.It is my personal belief that when God judges all of his creation, it will not be based on what religion one may be or what organization one will be a part of. It will be based strictly on one's works and deeds, on one's heart condition. Of course, all of that can be shaped by religion. But in the end, it's about the knowledge one attains. Solomon knew that knowledge was more valuable than any material possessions and when God asked him what he wanted, he asked for wisdom and knowledge. Since God recognized that he asked for this and not riches and wealth or anything else of a selfish desire, he bestowed upon him the wisdom and knowledge he asked for and the wealth and riches and honor he didn't ask for. Whether or not you believe in the words in the Bible, this example shows how important knowledge is. Think about it; if you have all the money in the world, and you do not have knowledge, what is the money worth to you?
So, is attaining spirituality without a religious commitment possible? I do think so. Once spirituality has been attained, it may lead you to make a commitment to a religion or organization. At the very least, it may lead you to abide by some religious principles. Either way, spirituality in and of itself will allow you to lay down some guidelines that can and will benefit you in the long run.
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