What are your spiritual needs and how do you meet them?

[libre]

I'd like to ask other RFers what are their spiritual needs and how do they meet them?
What role does faith, community, practice or ritual play in meeting these needs?

Not a debate thread!

 

[an anarchist]

I think a sense of community might be a need of mine, I am not sure. I do spend a lot of time on RF…

I am going to step into a church for the first time in 6 years. Last time I stepped into a church, I was homeless and walked into a service and was treated poorly, so it left a poor taste in my mouth and I haven’t been back to any church.

But I found out about a non denominational church and I am going to go to it this coming Sunday. I am super excited and cautiously optimistic I’ll find what I’m looking for, which is people to interact with on a spiritual level.

It’s called The Center for Spiritual Living so it sounds promising.

 

[JustGeorge]

I'd like to ask other RFers what are their spiritual needs and how do they meet them?
What role does faith, community, practice or ritual play in meeting these needs?

Not a debate thread!

That's an interesting question.

With life having been turned upside down in the last few years, everything's changed.

At one point faith, community, practice, and ritual were, I thought, very important in meeting these needs.

Then I lost access to them all, but found I'm just as spiritual(maybe more so?) than I was before.

I think I find what I need most is purpose and connection. I need to feel that what I'm doing(or refraining from doing) has some kind of greater purpose to it. I also need to feel like one small part of a whole, with other 'pieces' that I'm connected to.

At the moment, I have to meet those needs as opportunity presents. I find being out in the elements helps. Frequent and informal prayer helps. Talking to people, to share our commonalities, helps. Reading meaningful or sacred stories helps. Meditating in the moment(I mean that in the most informal way) helps.

 

[an anarchist]

what are their spiritual needs and how do they meet them?

Ultimately, my spiritual need is a sense of purpose/peace/understanding. I meet this through meditation, prayer, and self improvement. Well, trying to anyways.

 

[Vinayaka]

I 'need' (don't truly need anything) to make a connection to Siva on a daily basis. Generally it is through puja, and even while travelling, I will go in and do puja mentally daily. If I miss that for a couple of days, I get what Boss and I call 'bogged in' which is an unpleasant lazy unmotivated unclear state of mind that takes a while to dig out of.

The main outcome of that connection daily is a clarity of mind. Last winter when each of us had Covid, the lasting brain fog after the initial physical stuff waned, brought the understanding that need to the forefront. No amount of temple worship, meditation, or puja cleared it up.

 

[Eddi]

I'd like to ask other RFers what are their spiritual needs and how do they meet them?
What role does faith, community, practice or ritual play in meeting these needs?

Not a debate thread!

Feeling the influence of a higher power in my life and in the world in general is good for me

It is also good to feel as though you are a part of something greater than yourself

And that I am in a universe populated with other sentient beings who are my equals

Going to church helps me with these

 

[Hooded_Crow]

A walk in the hills does it for me.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I'd like to ask other RFers what are their spiritual needs and how do they meet them?

Once I figure out what "spiritual" means, I'll let you know.

 

[osgart]

My spiritual need is that the world learns to know the importance, value, and necessity of charity. Money, and economy doesn't reward those who seek to help those whom are poor, and disadvantaged. That is the greatest evil of humanity on the whole.

An actual civilization has charity as it's foundation. People need to see the insanity of politics, certain kinds of religion, and the endless growth that destroys life on this planet.

Without charity the world will destroy life on Earth with great speed. Money, and wealth doesn't account for the necessity of charity.

Well being comes before flourishing and achievement. These three things are what a civilization is all about.

I've seen the corporate world exploit those who build their businesses. This world is insane and backwards.

I'd rather work to help people up than build someone else's self centered empire of riches.

People need to learn genuine spirituality. Not the fake stuff.

The institutions of the world make charity extremely difficult, if not impossible for most people.

 

[Quintessence]

I'm not sure what "spiritual needs" are. Spirits are that-which-is, the essential nature and totality of something. Things just do what they do, it's not really about "needs" - all must be in accord with its nature for it cannot be anything other than what it is. But if the intention is to examine that which suppress expression of one's essential nature and frame that as a sort of "need?"

I need to breathe an atmosphere with adequate oxygen, walk on two legs upon the earth, eat food to sustain metabolic functioning, sleep as demanded by the same, drink of the waters of the rivers, sense and feel around me to accomplish these aims and more, plus have an awareness of such things. I need to be who I am, doing the other sorts of things that I do, from working at the place I work to playing the things I play to reading the things I read and on and on. Does that about cover it?

Nice thing about Druidry is it doesn't erect barriers or place chains on oneself. It doesn't stand in the way of being who one is and must be. If anything, it encourages going with that flow, following that current, letting inspiration sing, and simply being the spirit/being one is.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I'd like to ask other RFers what are their spiritual needs and how do they meet them?

To live a human life, apparently.

I meet them by living in accordance with my dharma.

I'm not a human living a spiritual life; I'm a spiritual being living a human life.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Once I figure out what "spiritual" means, I'll let you know.

If you can't come up with one of your own or are not comfortable with another's definition, you're free to pick one from any dictionary.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I'm not sure what "spiritual needs" are. Spirits are that-which-is, the essential nature and totality of something. Things just do what they do, it's not really about "needs" - all must be in accord with its nature for it cannot be anything other than what it is. But if the intention is to examine that which suppress expression of one's essential nature and frame that as a sort of "need?"

Could it be the "spiritual needs" are the need to understand this "essential nature and the totality" of one's being and having the tools to do so?

 

[Twilight Hue]

I'd like to ask other RFers what are their spiritual needs and how do they meet them?
What role does faith, community, practice or ritual play in meeting these needs?

Not a debate thread!

I view spirituality as a tool , not a need.

 

[RestlessSoul]

It’s life or death for me. My sobriety depends upon the maintenance of a fit spiritual condition. Prayer and meditation are as important to me as food, water, and sunlight

 

[ChristineM]

I'd like to ask other RFers what are their spiritual needs and how do they meet them?
What role does faith, community, practice or ritual play in meeting these needs?

Not a debate thread!

I don't consider myself spiritual but i do have things that make me happy and content with my life.

My closest family is first on the list, husband, children and parents in that order.

Being alone in the forest or by the river or in the case of my favourite spot to sit and think both.

My brother in law who has a mental illness, i speak to him by phone regularly. Sometimes it's heartbreaking, others, when he has a good day our conversation can lift me.

I have some friends that i am usually happy to meet and chat with over coffee. Two are really special to me, unfortunately they live in another country so i don't see them often enough.

There are other things that i value in life but really to tedious to list here.

 

[libre]

It’s life or death for me. My sobriety depends upon the maintenance of a fit spiritual condition. Prayer and meditation are as important to me as food, water, and sunlight

Thank you for sharing.

Part of my drive to make the thread was actually going through some 12 step program resources with a friend that's in recovery.
I don't actually really know what my spiritual needs would be, so I'm trying to understand.

 

[Quintessence]

Could it be the "spiritual needs" are the need to understand this "essential nature and the totality" of one's being and having the tools to do so?

That's an interesting way to look at it. Back before I got religion, I really didn't have a coherent understanding (or response to) that sort of existential question. Finding that corresponded to finding religion - though some these days use the word "spirituality" for that instead. Knowing who one is or one's character, how one relates to the broader world, how one fits in, one's role or place... expressing all of those things authentically instead of being told to be something else, do something else, act like something else.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Thank you for sharing.

Part of my drive to make the thread was actually going through some 12 step program resources with a friend that's in recovery.
I don't actually really know what my spiritual needs would be, so I'm trying to understand.

“At certain times, the alcoholic has no effective mental defence against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defence. His defence must come from a power greater than himself.”

- Alcoholics Anonymous, chapter 3

That power can be anything that works, basically; the AA group, the alcoholic’s personal conception of God, the Spirit of the Universe, Mother Nature, whatever.

There is a saying in AA, that a 12 step program can help you if you believe in God, or you don’t believe in God, but heaven help the alcoholic who believes he is God

 

[Viker]

I'd like to ask other RFers what are their spiritual needs and how do they meet them?
What role does faith, community, practice or ritual play in meeting these needs?

Not a debate thread!

I have this burning fire within. It's actually beautiful so I don't want it extinguished. But I don't want it to burn out of control either. So what I am currently doing seems to meet this. It helps with containment and structuring of this internal beauty.