| More and more people now are getting more and | | | | you go to heaven. This is the rather simplistic |
| more interested in spirituality. The reason for this is | | | | teaching of all religions. In spirituality, heaven is no |
| because spirituality is offering them benefits which | | | | longer a place in the distant future where we are |
| they cannot find in religion or in their own churches. | | | | going to after we die. Heaven happens to be just |
| This article discusses the benefits which people have | | | | around the corner in the company of other spirits |
| discovered in spirituality. This also shows those who | | | | and spiritually minded people. Heaven is where we |
| are just beginning to learn about spirituality what | | | | enjoy the company of like-minded spirits. |
| benefits they can get from this art which has been | | | | The third benefit is a sense of wholeness. Life is no |
| dubbed as the new black art, a way of conjuring the | | | | longer a stream of splintered units: This is for my |
| good things in life. | | | | family, this is for my business, this is for my church, |
| We can go through the alphabet and for each letter | | | | this is for my friends, this is for the charitable |
| identify a benefit people have gotten from spirituality. | | | | organizations I belong to. Life has become a whole. All |
| That would give us 26 benefits, using the English | | | | the concerns and activities in life revolve around one |
| alphabet. But that would be artificial. | | | | center, the integration of the self with others. |
| I want to point out three main benefits which people | | | | Those are the main benefits. Now we go to the |
| have enjoyed in learning and being engaged in | | | | minor benefits which you can consider as the |
| spirituality. Then I will also point out three minor | | | | consequences of the main benefits. |
| benefits. But since this is a spiritual topic and there is | | | | The first minor benefit people have found in the |
| really no end to a discussion on the things of the | | | | practice of spirituality is a new sense of |
| spirit, we can also say that there is no end to the | | | | self-confidence. Having found their real selves as spirit |
| benefits which we can enjoy in spirituality. | | | | beings, no longer as blind products of evolution, they |
| The first main benefit is a sense of freedom or | | | | now realize they have self worth more valuable than |
| greater freedom. Religion has often been looked at | | | | all the material treasures of this earth. This sense of |
| as a repressing element in one's life: Do not do this, | | | | self worth gives them self-confidence. |
| do not do that. Now with spirituality people have | | | | The second is a new sense of creativity. This follows |
| found a new sense of freedom: You can do this, you | | | | from the sense of self-confidence. Now they are no |
| can do that. | | | | longer tied by the tradition of their society. This is |
| Let us give an example. In churches people are | | | | not surprising because the spirit is a creative force. It |
| reminded by their leaders to behave properly, to | | | | is the Spirit who created our world or caused it to be |
| come to the church services regularly and to support | | | | created. Spiritual persons think along new lines. |
| the needs of the church. But these injunctions are | | | | Instead of thinking that such a thing cannot be done |
| received by the church members as obligations, as | | | | because it has not been done before, they think |
| things they have to do, otherwise they will lose their | | | | "Why not?". All the inventions we now benefit from |
| good standing in the church. These obligations bind | | | | are products of people who have been deeply |
| them, so they feel. | | | | spiritual, who dreamed of things to come and saw |
| On the other hand people who have left or are | | | | visions of sights never seen before. |
| transcending this kind of church life find that | | | | The third is a new sense of healthy living, both |
| spirituality is a life that buoys them up, that does not | | | | physical health and mental health. Having a new sense |
| press them down as in the churches. Spirituality | | | | of freedom, of new direction in the here and now, |
| enables them to come out of themselves so that | | | | not in the by and by, and having a new sense of |
| they can be themselves. A fifteen minutes sincere | | | | wholeness, having a new sense of confidence and |
| prayer and meditation in the secret of their room is | | | | creativity cannot but produce a new sense of |
| more likely to uplift their spirit than the one hour | | | | healthy living. The spiritual person affirms: I can now |
| sermon by the pastor or the fifteen minutes homily | | | | stay healthy with the aid of the spirit telling me what |
| by the priest. | | | | to do to my mind and body. After all the spirit knows |
| The second main benefit is a sense of real direction. | | | | what is best for our mind and body. It is for the |
| In religion people have been trained to be directed to | | | | spirit's interest that we remain healthy because he |
| heaven: Do good here on earth so that when you die | | | | lives in our mind and body. |