Dixya Poudel

My parents and most of my relatives are disciples of Osho. A revolutionary spiritual leader, Osho gained disciples in droves. Even decades after his death, his disciples follow the path he led. Likewise, there have been many spiritual leaders who have asserted the need for a spiritual life.
What is spirituality? Most of us vaguely know that spirituality is about a connection to a higher power. But then religions too stress the need to connect to a higher power. However, spirituality has its own stature in human lives. The universe is vast and we are puny in comparison. We may gain education, position and influence which are important in this material world. However, at some point we may realise that the success and materialism that we aspire to are in fact futile. We could be striving for responsibilities to our families and communities and yet feel a lack of purpose and fulfilment which is why spirituality is requisite for an overall wellbeing.
Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) includes spiritual health as one of the aspects for a complete wellbeing of an individual. Broadly speaking, spiritual health refers to an individual's search for meaning and purpose in life. Today, there are many organisations that offer programmes and classes to understand spirituality. Even religions provide comfort and consolations through their scriptures. And temples, churches, synagogues and mosques can be associated with divinity and the need to find meaning in life. Religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, among others, have an aspect of spirituality that offers answers to humans’ need for truth, peace and meaning. However, spirituality can exist separate from religion. Most often people seek connections to art and nature in their pursuit of spirituality. And practising spirituality provides a person with joy, harmonious beliefs, reflections on life and a meaningful existence. It makes us realise that perhaps we are not alone and that we are in fact interconnected.
Our purpose in life fluctuates as we age. Very often we see people becoming religious or spiritual in their old age. However, today the youth is very aware of the need to find purpose in life. I have found many young people deeply involved in spiritual activities. For example, in many spiritual organisations, one can find youngsters in their twenties and thirties adhered to meditation practices. Certainly, meditation is an essential means to enrich our spirituality. It provides the participant with feelings of joy, gratitude, peace, acceptance and contentment. Regular practice of meditation leads to release of neurotransmitters that creates a feeling of wellbeing. Most spiritual leaders often suggest their followers to practise some form of meditation.
Each person's path towards spirituality is different. Some may take years to step on a spiritual journey while others may be spiritually inclined from a very young age. Meanwhile, from a very young age we are told to strive for success and that success begets happiness. But at some point, we may find ourselves becoming hollow in this pursuit towards materialism. We may realise that there is more to life than what we previously believed. Our yearning for a profound cosmic connection can lead us to an enriched spiritual life. And when we earnestly strive for answers to our existence, we commence on a path to a profound spirituality.