The Essentials of Spirituality

The Essentials of Spirituality, by
Felix Adler

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Title: The Essentials of Spirituality
Author: Felix Adler
Release Date: June 30, 2007 [EBook #21981]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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ESSENTIALS OF SPIRITUALITY ***

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THE ESSENTIALS OF SPIRITUALITY
by Felix Adler
The Essentials of Spirituality

The first essential is an awakening, a sense of the absence of spirituality,
the realized need of giving to our lives a new and higher quality; first
there must be the hunger before there can be the satisfaction.
Similar effects are often produced by widely differing processes. In the
psychical world that quality which we call spirituality may be
associated with and evoked by Theism, or the belief in a Divine Father;
by Pantheism, as in the case of Spinoza, whose face at the very first
glance impresses you with its spiritual cast; or even by the Buddhist
belief in Nirvana. It may also be attained by following the precepts and
striving after the ideals of Ethical Culture. For spirituality is not
indissolubly associated with any one type of religion or philosophy; it
is a quality of soul manifesting itself in a variety of activities and
beliefs.
Before we proceed further, however, we must hazard a definition of the
word. In the region of mental activity which is called the spiritual life
vagueness is apt to prevail, the outlines of thought are apt to be blurred,
the feelings aroused are apt to be indistinct and transitory. The word
'spiritual' becomes a synonym of muddy thought and misty
emotionalism. If there were another word in the language to take its
place, it would be well to use it. But there is not. We must use the word
'spiritual,' despite its associations and its abuse. We shall endeavor,
however, to attach a distinct and definite meaning to the word. Mere
definition, however, is too abstract and nakedly intellectual. Perhaps a
description of some types of character, combined with definition, will
be the better way.
Savonarola is surely one of the commanding figures in history. His
fiery earnestness, his passion for righteousness, the boldness with
which he censured the corruptions of the Roman Court, the personal
qualities by which he--a foreigner and a mere monk--made himself for
a short period the lawgiver, the prophet, and virtually the dictator of
Florence--that Florence which was at the time the very gemmary of the
Renaissance--his sudden fall and tragic death; all combine to attract
toward him our admiration, pity, and love, and to leave upon our minds
the impression of his extraordinary moral genius. And yet, though a

spiritual side was not wanting in Savonarola, we should not quote him
as an outstanding exemplar of spirituality. The spiritual life is
unperturbed and serene. His nature was too passionate, he was too
vehement in his philippics, too deeply engrossed in the attainment of
immediate results, too stormy a soul to deserve the name of spiritual.
Again, our own Washington is one of the commanding figures in
history. He achieved the great task which he set himself; he secured the
political independence of America. He became the master builder of a
nation; he laid securely the foundations on which succeeding
generations have built. He was calm, too, with rare exceptions; an
expert in self-control. But there was mingled with his calmness a
certain coldness. He was lofty and pure, but we should hardly go to him
for instruction in the interior secrets of the spiritual life. His
achievements were in another field. His claim to our gratitude rests on
other grounds. The spiritual life is calm, but serenely calm; irradiated
by a fervor and a depth of feeling that were to some extent lacking in
our first president. Lincoln, perhaps, came nearer to possessing them.
Again, we have such types of men as John Howard, the prison reformer,
and George Peabody, who devoted his great fortune to bettering the
housing of the poor and to multiplying and improving schools. These
men--especially the latter--were practical and sane, and were prompted
in their endeavors by an active and tender benevolence. Yet we should
scarcely think of them as conspicuous examples of the spiritual quality
in human life and conduct. Benevolence, be it never so tender and
practical, does not reach the high mark of spirituality. Spirituality is
more than benevolence in the ordinary sense of the term. The spiritual
man is benevolent to a signal degree, but