Spirituality, Faith & Transcendent Meaning

     "spirituality (is defined) as that which allows a person to experience transcendent meaning in life. Spirituality is a construct that involves concepts of 'Faith' and/or 'Meaning' ...

     Faith is a belief in a higher transcendent power, not necessarily identified as God, and not necessarily through participation in the rituals or beliefs of a specific organized religion; faith in a transcendent power may identify this power as being external to the human psyche or internalized; it is the relationship and connectedness to this power, or spirit, that is an essential component of the spiritual experience and is related to the concept of meaning. 

     Meaning, or having a sense that one’s life has meaning, involves the conviction that one is fulfilling a unique role and purpose in a life that is a gift; a life that comes with a responsibility to live up to one’s full potential as a human being and, in so doing, being able to achieve a sense of peace, contentment, or even transcendence through connectedness with something greater than one’s self ..."

        Breitbart W. Spirituality and meaning in supportive care: spirituality- and meaning-centered group psychotherapy interventions in advanced cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer 2001 DOI 10.1007/s005200100289 

     "Transcendence (religion), the concept of being entirely beyond the universe; Transcendence (philosophy), climbing or going beyond some philosophical concept or limit. In religious experience transcendence is a state of being that has overcome the limitations of physical existence and by some definitions has also become independent of it."

       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendence

Tamas Dezso photography   www.tamas-dezso.com

Asceticism - Secular & Spiritual

     "The word 'asceticism' comes from the Greek term askesis, which originally referred to training athletes. If you want to win the race, you've got to train; you've got to look at your exercise regime. You've got to look at your diet and your sleep, and conduct, because if you don't, you're not going to win the race. So the asceticism an athlete undertakes depends upon putting some other things aside. If you want to be a doctor, you've got to go through the mill of medical training, working a hundred hours or more a week as a junior doctor, being tested under grueling conditions so you can become a healer. That enormous degree of renunciation, which involves laying aside other interests and concerns, is completely accepted by society. If we aspire to the spiritual version of that same kind of training in order to realize our potential, we have to prioritize the way we spend our time and where we put our energy."
     Ajahn Amaro

Steve McCurry   http://stevemccurry.com/