FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE — Spirituality—A Universal Religion

FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE S PIRITUALITY is a universal religion. It can be divided into two phases. One phase is related to the pre-scientific era, the second phase is related to the post-scientific era. In my view, the spirituality of the pre-scientific era was of a lower level. It is only in the post scientific era that it has become possible to attain the spirituality of a higher level, just as it has happened with regards to other disciplines. By applying the mind one discovers that here, non-material reality exists beyond material existence. According to past notions, the heart came to be regarded as the centre and the storehouse of spirituality. That is why, man worked very hard for thousands of years to attain spirituality by focusing on the heart. For the same reason, the spiritual masters all over the world regarded the method of meditation as the only way to attain spirituality. Heart-oriented spirituality remained in practice, meditation-based; achieved by suppressing the thinking process of the mind. But the strange outcome of this spiritual practice for over five thousand years There is a tree beside my house. I call it the 'Spiritual Tree'. I derive spiritual inspiration from it. A tree is an evergrowing being that was initially a seed possessing the potential of becoming a full-grown tree. A seed takes food from the universe around it and then grows into a tree. The same is true with spirituality, the desire for which is intrinsic to, and an integral part of, the very nature of, every human being. To realize this spirituality, Man must derive spiritual food from the universe around him. A tree converts carbon-dioxide into oxygen; a spiritual person is one who can take positive lessons from negative situations. From this perspective, a tree is an embodiment of a spiritual personality. — Maulana Wahiduddin Khan SPIRITUALITY — A UNIVERSAL RELIGION