Defining Spirituality

Every so often I change my definition and understanding of spirituality.  How does one define spirituality?  There are numerous attempts out there but perhaps the most meaningful will have to be one that speaks most meaningfully to us or one that we are able to arrive at its definition through our life experiences.  I used to define spirituality as the search for meaning in relation to Divine Transcendence.  I still hold on to this definitioin but lately there emerge other dimensions that makes me rethink my understanding of spirituality.  While preparing to teach spirituality and mental health to mostly graduate psychology and marriage and family students, I came to the conclusion that perhaps spirituality is what happens to us when we come to realize that life is sacred.  By naming life as sacred, I mean its value is inherent in being itself.  It does not need external validation to be sacred.  Sacredness is what it is in itself.  And spirituality is that place when we come to realize deep within our soul that life is sacred.  While attending a conference at the University of Adelaide I had the priviledge of hanging out with and listening to Ken Pargament for about a week.  The one emphasis that he made constantly was that for spirituality to be true to itself, it needs to reclaim the sacred otherwise it may remain just another good social science practice.  I personally think thereare numerous significant implications  to the view that life is sacred.

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