2 Words That Explains The Core of Spirituality
It’s not as complicated as we think
The world of spirituality has been seen at an all-time high in the last few years.
With tech companies trying to build meditation apps and including spirituality in their culture, everyone now understands spirituality.
There are an unlimited amount of books and courses available in the market which talks about it. I have spent my time reading some ancient and classic literature on spirituality and listened to some interviews by Gurus and philosophers. Some of them made sense, and some went above my head.
Reading spiritual texts like The Bhagavad Gita, Tao’s Way, and many others made me realize how they all were talking about the same thing and how their root can be encapsulated in two words.
Today I am going to share how you can be spiritual without getting into the hows and whats.
The Core of Spirituality Lies in These 2 Words
The gist of all those scriptures was living in the moment and focusing on our breath. It may sound like elementary advice, but we fail to do it daily.
Yes, we breathe and live from moment to moment, but we’re never truly present. Our future controls our present moment, and our past often haunts us now and then.
We constantly time traveling from past to future to present and repeat that vicious cycle. We fail to understand that life happens today — this moment.
This moment is the only one that’s real and exists in this universe.
In his book, The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle talks about how now is all we have. He defines that state of being present as enlightenment.
“You can know it only when the mind is still. When you are present, when your attention is fully and intensely in the Now, Being can be felt, but it can never be understood mentally. To regain awareness of Being and to abide in that state of “feeling-realization” is enlightenment.”
Keeping all this learning in mind, we can describe spirituality in two words that everyone can understand, including those who don’t understand it. Those two are are “Just Be.”
These six characters contain more meaning than I ever found in any two words before.
JUST BE
Sounds easy, right?
Try not to think about the horrible meeting you had last week or anticipate a reply from ex.
Try not to dream about your dream house and wanting so badly to move in there.
Try not to feel remorseful to a friend who betrayed you last year when you meet them at the supermarket today.
Try not to want to go back to your past and live again with the person who thought you would be your life partner.
Everything looks easy until it’s done.
Being content with who you are and being where you are is a sign of maturity. It brings peace and keeps our negative thoughts at bay.
Suppose you have attachments to the results because you’re trying too hard to control them. Your expectations from life are the reason you’re stuck in the future.
The only thing under our control is what we can do now — this moment.
Being present and doing our best is the only thing we can control. And being present with contentment is what spirituality is about.
Just be where you are and who you are.
JUST BE
The mainstream media and society will make you feel otherwise but know that life has plans for you. Let life flow; let the law of effortless work for you.
When you’re in the moment fully present, you breathe better. You understand how this breath is the only thing that truly matters. If not for this breath, you wouldn’t be here. None of us would be here.
“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.” — Nhat Hanh
When you’re in love for the first time, you’re so aware of everything your partner does and say. That’s the moment when you think about anything or anybody else. You’re your most authentic self, and they accept you for it. And that’s what makes love magical.
The same applies concept applies here but in a different order. When you follow this spiritual practice, you become aware of life and yourself, making you fall in love with living.
Why do you think babies are the happiest?
They only care about that moment, and they don’t be anything other than themselves.
Lastly
Take this moment to appreciate your presence on this beautiful planet.
You will still matter if you don’t send a rocket to Mars. You will still matter if you don’t succeed or have a Ph.D.
Just be.
I’d end this post by asking you to practice deep breathing for 5 minutes to appreciate your being.
I appreciate you, and I am thankful you are here.
You and your purpose in life are the same thing. Your purpose is to be you. — George Alexiou
I want to show my gratitude to Darshak Rana for giving these amazing prompts every week that make me ponder and reflect on my spiritual journey. Thank you for everything you do for this community :)
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