Existential Spirituality

(Context materials on the table:  A piece of stone, a little mud, a glass of water, a piece of wood, a small plant, a little grass and a rose  flower)

All these materials are static; they remain in their own place. But, we get sweet fragrance from the rose flower. This cannot be seen, but it can be felt. We value it. We like it. We relish it. It is something special. Spirit is like that. It is a special form. It is dynamic. It cannot be seen, but has to be experienced. It is something different from other things mentioned. Spirit alone has a capacity to go out of oneself. It cannot function like other materials. It is unique. It is transcending, going beyond one, going out constantly. This quality may be compared to spirituality.

Man (human being) is not a finished, closed or shut up thing. It is not a finished product. He/she is not like other materials, which are fixed. He/she has a destiny, constantly looking forward and moving ahead. All materials have fixed functioning. A stone cannot go beyond itself. A plant cannot move. It has to remain where it is planted. An animal has a fixed route and way to move. It moves as per needs for food, water and safety. As we feel the fragrance of the rose which is going out always, humans should have the quality of going out of oneself. This is also the reality of spirit. It does not have a limited area to be. Goodness diffuses. It exists beyond itself. It is standing out. It is reaching out. It is in movement. In manifesting compassion for the poor, Mother Teresa existed at the top. In serving the leprosy patients, Damien existed beyond all. To free India from the foreigners, Mahatma Gandhi existed by showing the power of Ahimsa.

We have freedom, creativity, initiative and the power of coordinating. Only humans have the power to exercise freedom, a fantastic ability. None of the plants or other beings has this power. Hence we must value it the most. It also comes from spirit. Another power is creativity. Think of the ways you are creative, exercising your talents, and manifesting originality. Initiative comes from creativity, the ability to shape your life. He\she has the sense of beauty.

Another power of the spirit is for coordinating, a very intelligent quality.  All these make a man/woman to EXIST, to stand out of others. What amazing and unique qualities and powers! By our freedom, creativity, initiative, originality, coordinating, life becomes fantastic, dynamic, interesting, experiencing newness, varying, energetic and joyful. All these are because of the spirit in us. This will lead to new understanding, new way of taking responsibilities, and going for pursuits of new knowledge and questioning the old ways of doing. This will lead to new possibilities, new form of community building and always searching for newness.

The more we go out of our self, the more we become human, the more we become spiritual and holy. In going out of ourselves we become more like Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Looking at Joseph we see his spirit of concern to move out for the safety of Jesus and Mary. In Mary’s life when she was aware of the presence of Jesus, her attitude was one of going out of herself to meet the needy Elizabeth. Here we find the spirituality of Mary and Joseph. Regarding Jesus we do not find a scene where He was sitting idle but moving from people to people, place to place, constantly in search of the most needy.

Blurb

As we feel the fragrance of the rose which is going out the flower, humans should have the quality of going out of oneself. This is the reality of spirit. It exists beyond itself.