We Are All Equally Spiritual

There is so much terminology and discussion about what it means to be ‘spiritual.’ There are both religious and other esoteric practices that people use, and entire languages developed around spirituality. While I personally believe that much of this is good, it can also often lead to things like elitism and greater polarization of people and groups.

So, the question today is: what does it mean to be spiritual? The answer is far simpler than some might believe, simply because of the original meaning of the term ‘spirit.’

In the Western world much of our religious tradition comes from Greek or Hebrew esoteric writings. In Greek the term for spirit is pneuma, and in Hebrew it is ruach.  These are transliterations of the original words.

In both languages the meaning of spirit is ‘breath,’ and the term ‘spiritual’ means ‘to be associated with the breath.’ This certainly allows for a humbler understanding of what it means to be spiritual. Spiritual simply means to be to be breathing! This is also why several eastern traditions focus so much attention on the breath. Either through meditation practices or through Yoga practices.

Christian, Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged ~ Rumi

The thing to remember when it comes to spirituality, is that we are all equally spiritual. We are all spirits having a physical journey. We are all tied together through spirit, or through the breath, and are all a part of One Spirit. This is true for all actions and interactions, and why one of the main spiritual threads throughout all traditions is the Golden Rule: to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Ultimately, we can have different religions, metaphysical terminologies, and spiritual practices. However, remember that these practices are to benefit us and to help us gain more understanding and awareness. They do not make us superior or inferior to anyone else. We are all equally spiritual, since we are all simply breathing.