What Is Spirituality

Welcome to In the Search for Effective Zen! Today, we’re taking a step back to examine a fascinating and often elusive concept: spirituality. But before you start picturing monks meditating on mountaintops or incense swirling in candlelit rooms, let’s clear something up—spirituality isn’t some mystical, unchanging force. It’s not a fixed state you enter and stay in forever.

In fact, spirituality is fluid. One moment, you might be on a deep soul-searching journey, and the next—poof!—it’s gone. But don’t worry, that’s not a bad thing. The real question is: What actually is spirituality?

Here’s the key: Spirituality isn’t an accident. It’s not something that just happens to you like stumbling upon an extra fry at the bottom of the bag. It’s intentional. It’s an activity. A pursuit. A quest for something bigger, something deeper. But what exactly?

Put simply, spirituality is the set of activities intended in the pursuit of the highest good. And that definition is packed with meaning. First, as a “set of activities,” spirituality isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Some pray. Some chant. Some sit in silence. In truth, almost anything can be spiritual—if done with purpose. And that brings us to the second part: the pursuit of the highest good.

But what exactly is the highest good? And how does spirituality emerge in the first place? That’s where the concept of Zero-spirituality comes in—the conditions that must exist before the journey even begins.

So, let’s break it down. What makes spirituality arise? And what do we really mean by “the highest good”? Stick around because that’s exactly what we’re exploring next.