Spiritual philosophy
[3] The use of the term ‘spiritual philosophy’ in European culture has its origin in the Catholic concept of living one’s life and practising God’s words through the Holy Spirit.
[citation needed] In the 19th century, the concept became more mainstream and evolved to encompass other religions and non-religious relationships with sacred, spiritual and supernatural beliefs.
The spirituality of religious individuals is greatly influenced by their religion’s beliefs, teachings, including sacred texts, and the practice of key rituals.
[9] The Buddhist faith has maintained a rich tradition and continues to remain relevant in a world that is becoming increasingly modernised.
[9][10] The central themes that pertain to Buddhist spirituality include the Four Noble Truths, karma, dharma, the lotus sutra and the bodhisattvas.
[9] The goal of non-attachment, which includes escaping from the cycle of rebirth and suffering through positive deeds and achieving enlightenment in samsara, is foundational throughout Buddhist spirituality.
[9] The promise of obtaining enlightenment in Samsara and escaping the constant torture and suffering of the rebirth cycle, has resulted in adherents’ strict observance of moral disciplines.
[12] It is through understanding these teachings that adherents come to the ultimate philosophical conclusion of Hinduism: that the purpose of life is to enter Moksha - an escape from the mundane and meaningless cycle of rebirth.
[16] However, adherents universally accept this doctrine in everyday practices in order to develop their understanding of spiritual philosophy in accordance with their faith.
[18] As the Qur’an promotes a holistic way of life, it provides essential guidance for Islamic adherents on how to live intellectually, religiously, socially and spiritually in accordance with their faith.
[19] Hence, Jewish adherents have greater reliance on the sacred texts and teachings of the religion to inform their decisions in leading a spiritual life.
[19] Additionally, developing a strong understanding of the Hebrew term ‘ru’aḥ ha-qodesh’ (the divine voice in scripture) is an important part of the philosophical and spiritual traditions present in the Jewish faith.
[20] In essence, ru’aḥ ha-qodesh is seen as a sub-prophetic experience, resulting in adherents being empowered by the spirit in order to articulate their spiritual philosophy in the Jewish tradition.
[23] Non-religious spiritual philosophy encompasses an array of practices, which have the purpose to serve the mind, body and soul.
[25] Spirituality, whether sourced from a religious or non-religious background, has the potential to help individuals cope and heal from disease and provide support to patients suffering from a terminal diagnosis.
[26] An outlook on spiritual philosophy which was integral to modern medicine is that of Florence Nightingale, a nurse, philosopher, social reformer and statistician who came to prominence during the Crimean War.
[28] Nightingale’s idea that spirituality is fundamental to human nature, holds relevance to science and has subsequently seen her philosophy being integrated into practice of modern nursing.
