Spiritual practice
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A
spiritual practice or
spiritual discipline (often including
spiritual exercises) is the regular or full-time performance of actions and activities undertaken for the purpose of cultivating
spiritual development. A common metaphor used in the spiritual traditions of the world's great religions is that of walking a path.
[1] Therefore a spiritual practice moves a person along a path towards a goal. The goal is variously referred to as
salvation,
liberation or union (with God). A person who walks such a path is sometimes referred to as a wayfarer or a
pilgrim.
Abrahamic religions
Baha'i Faith
Prayer in the
Bahá'í Faith refers to two distinct concepts:
obligatory prayer and
devotional prayer (general prayer). Both types of prayer are composed of reverent words which are addressed to
God,
[2] and the act of prayer is one of the most important
Bahá'í laws for individual discipline.
[3]
Christianity
In the Catholic tradition, spiritual disciplines may include:
prayer, fasting, acts of mercy,
Sacraments (e.g.,
Baptism &
Eucharist),
monasticism,
chanting,
celibacy, the use of
prayer beads,
mortification of the flesh,
Christian meditation, and
Lectio Divina.
For Protestants, spiritual disciplines are generally regarded to
include any combination of the following, in moderation: celebration,
chastity, confession, fasting, fellowship, frugality, giving, guidance,
hospitality, humility, intimacy, meditation, prayer, reflection,
self-control, servanthood, service, silence, simplicity, singing,
slowing, solitude, study, submission, surrender, teaching, and worship.
The
Religious Society of Friends (also known as the Quakers) practices silent worship, which is punctuated by vocal ministry. Quakers have little to no
creed or
doctrine, and so their practices constitute a large portion of their group identity.
A well-known writer on Christian spiritual disciplines,
Richard Foster, has emphasized that Christian meditation focuses not of the emptying of the
mind or
self, but rather on the filling up of the mind or self with God.
[4]
Islam
Spiritual practice in
Islam is practiced within
salat (ritual prayer) during which Muslims subdue all thoughts and concentrate solely on
Allah. Spiritual practices that are practised by
Sufis include
fasting,
Dhikr,
Muraqaba, and
Sama (
Sufi whirling).
Judaism
Kavanah
is the directing of the heart to achieve higher contemplative thoughts
and attain inner strength. Perhaps the most elevated spiritual exercise
for a Jew is known as
Torah Lishmah, the diligent study of the Torah. Reciting daily prayers (such as the
Shema and
Amidah), following dietary laws of
kashrut, observing
Shabbat,
fasting, and performing deeds of
loving-kindness
all assist in maintaining awareness of God. Various Jewish movements
throughout history have encouraged a range of other spiritual practices.
The
Musar movement, for example, encourages a variety of meditations, guided contemplations, and chanting exercises.
[5]
Indian religions
Buddhism
In
Theravada Buddhism, the generic term for spiritual cultivation is
bhavana. The Pali word "yoga," central to many early Buddhist texts, has been often translated as "Spiritual Practice."
[6] In
Zen Buddhism, meditation (called
zazen), the writing of poetry (especially
haiku),
painting,
calligraphy,
flower arranging, the
Japanese tea ceremony and the maintenance of
Zen gardens are considered to be spiritual practices. The
Korean tea ceremony is also considered spiritual.
Hinduism
In
Hinduism, the practice of cultivating spirituality is known as
sadhana.
Japa, the silent or audible repetition of a
mantra, is a common
Hindu spiritual practice.
Tantric
practices are shared in common between Hinduism and certain Buddhist
(especially Tibetan Buddhist) schools, and involve the deliberate use of
the mundane (worldly, physical or material) to access the supramundane
(spiritual, energetic or mystical) realms.
Other
Anthroposophy
Rudolf Steiner gave an extensive set of
exercises for spiritual development.
[7]
Some of these were intended for general use, while others were for
certain professions, including teachers, doctors, and priests, or were
given to private individuals.
[8]
Martial arts
Some
martial arts, like
T'ai chi ch'uan,
Aikido,
[9] and
Jujutsu, are considered spiritual practices by some of their practitioners.
New Age
Passage meditation was a practice recommended by
Eknath Easwaran which involves the memorization and silent repetition of passages of
scripture from the world's
religions.
Adidam (the name of both the religion and practice) taught by
Adi Da Samraj uses an extensive group of spiritual practices including ceremonial invocation (
puja) and body disciplines such as exercise, a modified
yoga,
dietary restrictions and bodily service. These are all rooted in a fundamental devotional practice of
Guru bhakti based in self-understanding rather than conventional religious seeking.
The term
Neotantra
refers to a modern collection of practices and schools in the West that
integrates the sacred with the sexual, and de-emphasizes the reliance
on Gurus.
Recent and evolving spiritual practices in the West have also explored the integration of aboriginal instruments such as the
Didgeridoo, extended chanting as in
Kirtan, or other
breathwork taken outside of the context of Eastern lineages or spiritual beliefs, such as Quantum Light Breath.
[10]
Stoicism
Stoicism takes the view that
philosophy is not just a set of beliefs or ethical claims, it is a way of life and
discourse involving constant practice and training (e.g.,
asceticism). Stoic spiritual practices and exercises include
contemplation of death and other events that are typically thought negative, training
attention
to remain in the present moment (similar to some forms of Eastern
meditation), daily reflection on everyday problems and possible
solutions, keeping a personal journal, and so on. Philosophy for a Stoic
is an active process of constant practice and self-reminder.
See also
References
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