How has your spirituality/religion affected your life?
 

In what ways has your spirituality, religion, or lack thereof impacted your life? For example, are there things you see now that you didn't before, beliefs and morals that have changed, different types of relationships with people? That sort of thing. Were you raised with the spiritual beliefs you have or discovered it later? Is it shared by your friends and family?

Its too early to say as I have just emerged from an 8-year long preparation period to a new spiritual journey, but so far I think I am going to dump my previous interests for new ones. What these new ones are I don't know yet, but I had an interest interest in science (in a trying-to-discover-the-meaning-of-life way) and music that I think are now gone with this spiritual emergence. I definitely didn't grow up with a belief in spirituality - in fact I had a couple of supernatural experiences as a kid that were not validated by those around me, hence I denied spirituality as a true thing in my life. As for relationships, I am told many times now that I have a habit of engaging in relationships that are not equal and where I give more than receive, and that is now gone I think. The reason? I finally met someone who was my equal in my twin flame. The twin flame theory also explains my lack of relationships in my life so going through this process has filled a void in my life (and has answered that very big question I had about not having fulfilling relationships).

In my case, it is a very long story.

I have had the same spiritual beliefs for the past 40 years and not one single friend (not that I have many) or member of my family shares it...in fact, there are only a handful of us in Australia and there aren't many left in Bali Indonesia or in India either - most of us died out during the 15th Century and went the way of the Majapahit Empire.

I discovered my beliefs in Bali and Java, Indonesia and also in certain parts of Malaysia and Northern Thailand at age 14.

Nothing else resonated with me on such a deep level...not orthodox Hinduism, not Buddhism (although the Vajrayana School incorporates a BIT of it) and certainly none of the Abrahamic religions.

In real life, I usually keep all my traditions and practices to myself because there is nobody else who can understand what I am doing and why I am doing it...and in a way, my spirituality isolates me from others and separating my 'spiritual life' from my 'material life' is difficult, however, I guess that 'integration' is the lesson that I am here to learn this time around.

A bit about my religion/spirituality.

It originated in the state of Tamil Nadu in India and unlike present day/modern Hinduism, it is staunchly monotheistic...worshiping God as Shiva or Rudra as per the earliest of the Vedas, the Rig Veda but it dates back even further than that, to being the main religion of the lost continent of Lemuria.

It was basically 're-started' in the modern age, by the poet/philosopher Sambandar back in the 7th Century CE and passed on to a statesman called Basavanna back in the 12th Century CE who started the 'Lingayat Movement':

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambandar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basava

The Tamils were excellent ship builders and sea traders, and brought their culture and religion to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam back in the 11th Century...where Monotheistic Shaivism was also incorporated with the Tantric element from Buddhism and also local Animist and shamanic beliefs and rituals....a very heady mix.

There is a river in northern Cambodia called the "River of 1,000 Shiva Lingams" in commemoration:

http://www.ancientpages.com/wp-conte...cambodia13.jpg

There is also an ancient temple in Vietnam called MySon which is dedicated to the worship of Shiva...

The remaining people of this bygone era are called the "Champa Tribe" and they live high in the mountains of Cambodia and Vietnam...the very last of the 'pure ones'....numbering about 6,000 in total.

This is where my beliefs come from.

How does life affect my spirituality, seams to be the question for me.


I stay out of life as much as I can.

The question was "How has your spirituality impacted your life?" And it sounds like it has impacted your life by causing you to withdraw from life.

I point this out because we are all born into life, first. Meaning, all of us participate in life for years and even decades BEFORE we ever get a spiritual inkling. So there is really only one direction this process moves: living life > becoming spiritually aware > withdrawing from life. Your spirituality has affected your life in the way you described. And that answers the question, as it was asked.

However, from the perspective of the NOW rather than the "How did I get here?"... it's completely different. Currently, life affects my spirituality in the same way. The noisier and more chaotic life gets, the more I withdraw. So I could also say life NOW affects my spirituality, yes. Nevertheless, I'm aware that the original question, as asked, also has relevancy.

And that's not even touching on the reality that all life -- everything we do, and however we do it -- is our spirituality. Is our spiritual journey. But that's a monkey wrench in the conversation for another time.

Life is spiritual is life... How has my life/spiritual path affected my spiritual path/life?

Soul-spirit Baile was born a small child, a tiny child. A baby you could call him. But he was really a soul-spirit.

Young soul-spirit Baile -- a child you could call him but he was really a soul-spirit -- first recalls lilac trees in the front yard, and apple trees in the back, and a horse-drawn milk wagon, and a milkman named Mr. Morgan. Soul-spirit Baile used to remember the horse's name as well, but time has a way of dusting away the details, and that's one.

2018 soul-spirit Baile could go on and on -- for several threads if he ever really got going -- but the point has been made and the monkey wrench tossed.

I used to be afraid of dying and I used to be afraid of living; there was a lot of pain in my life, and I was afraid of the dark and the light. Then I had an experience of my true home inside of myself, and I went on an inner journey using meditation as my vehicle, had out-of-body experiences that proved to me beyond any doubt that life continues after human death. The transition did not happen overnight, it took decades and lots of stumbles. Today, spirituality is my life.

I was raised a Christian, went to Vietnam with the U.S. Army and lost my religion, became an agnostic, and was very arrogant. Lost my eyesight due to that war, and was blind for 5-years. While I was blind I went on a spiritual quest; met an Indian Sat-guru who taught me how to meditate. Had more than a dozen eye surgeries to regain my eyesight. I had incredible spiritual experiences when I was blind and those experiences continued after I got my eyesight back.

Fear has now left me and I have grown in confidence like I never had before, a fullness of being, and a peaceful existence with myself, like never before. I find that all is provided for me rather serendipitously. An I have come to learn that life is not what I do; rather life is what I am. I feel like I am being taken care of now, whereas before I felt like life was a struggle. My relationships with people have matured, and I feel more free, and humble, then before. There is now a lot of light and joy in my life, and I gladly embrace it. Still, the work on myself continues. Over-all, I feel very blessed.

Spirituality is my life I was born seeing and Hearing spirit so I don't know any other way.
I was ridiculed laughed at called names etc because of what I am.
I have been called names you wouldn't think of.
it hasn't been an easy road to walk. but I am what I am.


Namaste

Without an shadow of a doubt! I went through my spiritual awakening in 2013 and changed my life completely. So rather than me seeing myself as an isolated individual I see myself as the Universe having an individual experience. I explored so much along my spiritual journey of self-discovery. Where this answered all my questions about life, death, who I am - who we all are. :smile: