Samtse Higher Secondary School

Where do I start now? Spirituality is such a dynamic term in today's world; its definition, dimensions and perception is changing every other day as people are intertwined with the modern world in sophisticated ways. Yet, for me, spirituality has the same definition since the days of my youth. My perception of spirituality hasn't changed since then, for spirituality is that lonesome evergreen tree by the country roadside that has now become a highway. Spirituality has been deeply rooted in all of us, in one form or another. As per popular definitions on the internet, spirituality is "the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things." As true as it sounds, the question of how to connect with this "human spirit" or soul arises. And how do we exactly detach ourselves from the material or physical world when it is the one that's keeping us alive? The answer is simple: it has been around us for centuries; the simplicity of it camouflages the essence it holds. But if realised, it can connect us with something big, something beyond the self.^[1]

The doctrine of Gautama Buddha has been around for centuries, dating back to about 25 BCE when the teaching was first written down at the Fourth Buddhist Council in Sri Lanka. Since then, lots of scriptures and texts in various languages have been written. Before that, all the teachings of the Lord Buddha had been transmitted orally. Specifically, the first sermon of the Lord is in focus here for it was immediately after his enlightenment when Lord Buddha cited the "Ashtangika-marga", the Eightfold path. For me, the basis of spirituality has been summarised by this Dharmachakra, the wheel of Dharma, having 8 divisions. For simplicity, only three aspects are essential to gain a step towards bliss, towards peace, towards something called spirituality.

Amongst the Eightfold path, practicing Right Mindfulness is the first step towards spirituality. It isn't as sophisticated as it sounds, yet it is not as simple as sitting crossed legged and closing one's eyes. True mindfulness is achieved through meditation, at least for 5 to 10 minutes a day, practising each day. Meditation is an essential component of Hinduism too. In it, something called transcendental meditation is one of the techniques of meditation, which involves allowing the mind to dwell on a series of words (called a mantra) given by the meditation teacher, with no effort. If the attention wanders it is allowed to wander till it returns to the mantra. This simple method of focusing on a mantra greatly enhances our mental ability. In a research titled Physiological Effects of Yogic Practices and Transcendental Meditation in Health and Disease, a study conducted in Germany involving eight Buddhist monks and nuns with five years training in meditation practices demonstrated that practicing meditation enhanced the speed with which attention can be allocated and relocated thus, increased the depth of information processing and reducing response latency.^[2] In simple terms, meditation improves the functioning of the brain and reduces time required to think, improving the efficiency of the person. Despite the fact that such significant changes occurred after years of practice, transcendental meditation has been really helpful, with consistent practice and mindfulness. Another form of meditation called Pranayama (yogic practice of focusing on breath) has been widely practiced. As per the same researchers, left-sided unilateral forced nostril breathing led to brain's right-hemisphere dominance and improved spatial skills while maneuver on opposite side showed left hemisphere dominance with improved verbal skills.^[3] As per this evidence, meditation has improved effects on physical structures such as the brain, which enhances the efficiency of the practitioner. Having improved brain functionality with right mindfulness is the first step for youths towards realizing their spiritual senses.

Another cornerstone of the eightfold path has been Right Speech. Parental upbringing has a significant impact on children and youth on right speech. Often, ideal or right speech is confused with always speaking the truth. However, the definition of right speech should not include lying. As per a research done by Victoria Talwar, her team found that between the ages of three and five, less than one-third of children can maintain their lies when asked follow-up questions. Among six- and seven-year-olds, that number increases to just over 50 percent, while eight- and nine-year-olds are at 80 percent.^[4] Hence, parenting plays a pivotal role here, for parents should encourage honesty by emphasizing positive consequences of telling the truth, not the negative consequences of lying. Despite the factor of upbringing, right speech when analyzed on a deeper aspect means verbalizing motivation and positivity that would create peace and harmony with our spiritual self. Right speech can be achieved by expounding knowledge and wisdom to others, just like how Lord Buddha did after his enlightenment. His immense knowledge and words of wisdom lives to this day, improving lives and spirituality of billions across the globe. Hence, the positive effect of right speech helps youths grow spiritually, just like Lord Buddha.

Spirituality is enhanced by practicing Right Action. The third and the most essential component of spiritual practice is actually practising it! Practising right action means helping others, which motivates the doer to help more. The term “altruism” has wider dimensions of definition, yet, simply stated, it means an action that is done with the intention of helping another person, as opposed to egoism, which is the motivation to increase one’s own welfare. Altruism and related constructs such as cooperation and reciprocity are mostly viewed as uniquely human traits; however, some aspects of these constructs have been reported in other species. Such altruistic behavior is seen in other species too. For instance, Dolphins have been reported to help other dolphins who have been caught in nets,^[5] and elephants will give support to other elephants who are too weak to stand or who are emotionally distressed.^[6] Even animals tend to “practise” right action, we, the most advanced of all species, must strive to perform it every day. Lots of people who perform the right action have been recorded across the history of the human timeline. For instance, there is the prominent figure, Lord Buddha. He abandoned his vast riches and princely status (shows the renounce of egoism) to find the truth that would benefit other people. As such, youths can also be like him, in a small way by renouncing bad habits like laziness, doing what is morally correct to achieve spiritual realization.

Conclusively, spirituality is not as complex as it may seem. For me spirituality is summarized by the axis of thought-speech-action, performed in the purest of forms. It is derived from the Dharmachakra, the wheel of dharma laid down by the enlightened being, Lord Buddha. The visionary path to spirituality commences with Right Mindfulness by practicing meditation so that the stream of thought that gives rise to words and actions is cleansed. After purified thinking the next step is Right Speech, which articulates purified thoughts in the form which motivates and uplifts oneself and others in the pursuit of spirituality. The third and the major component of the spiritual axis is Right Action. Like the cherry on top, good deeds are the ultimate vehicle towards spiritual realization. As Shri Anandamurti said, “You are never alone or helpless. The force that guides the stars, guides you too.” Personally, the force that is mentioned here is spirituality, that same lonesome evergreen tree that still stands on the changing highway of human life and times.

References
1. Scott, E., & Monahan, M. (n.d.). What is Spirituality? Very Well Mind. Retrieved June 28, 2021, from https://www.verywellmind.com/how-spirituality-can-benefit-mental-and-physical-health-3144807
van Leeuwen S, Singer W, Melloni L. Meditation Increases the Depth of Information Processing and Improves the Allocation of Attention in Space. Front Hum Neurosci. 2012;6:133.
2. Jella SA, Shannahoff-Khalsa DS. The effects of unilateral forced nostril breathing on cognitive performance. Int J Neurosci. 1993;73:61–8.
3. Talwar, V. (n.d.). Neuroscience and Society to Tell the Truth. Dana.Org. Retrieved June 29, 2021, from https://dana.org/article/neuroscience-and-society-to-tell-the-truth/
4. Connor RC, Norris KS. Are dolphins reciprocal altruists? Am Nat. 1982:358–374.
5. Payne K. Silent Thunder: In the Presence of Elephants. New York: Simon and Schuster; 1998.