spirituality
THE HUMAN QUEST by
Lana Santana
In this era, spirituality is now the main focus for many self-aware people. With the Covid pandemic threatening our friends and families, the meaning of living and how we live, what is important and what is not, and most significantly, finding that divinity inside ourselves have taken front seat for many people. Spiritual enlightenment has become an evergrowing topic of discussion and interest and has taken on a greater awareness and interest. We find comfort in knowing and acknowledging there is a being higher than us, someone who is divine, who watches over us and gives us hope. It’s what drives us no matter what confronts us each day and moment of our lives. For many, our love for God becomes the common thread that connects, binds, and gives us purpose. Over the years, multiculturalism has brought on a heightened interest in religions which stemmed from Asia, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism to name a few, as well as our Indigenous spiritual beliefs. Why? Simple, because these religions awaken our spirituality, through its meditational practices. They create that oneness our souls crave. In discussing the topic of this article, one phrase stood out for me; “no matter what our religion, we
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hold something in common.” When the editor and I were discussing which angle I should use in this article, that statement just stood out for me and boom, the divine spoke, this is the topic. What is that something in common? Our spirituality, sense of community, and love. First, let’s understand what is spirituality? According to my guru, spirituality is that oneness someone has with their Supreme being and themselves. It’s the connection of their soul and the greater being which causes us to feel compassion, love, to be kind and to be true to ourselves. In a nutshell, to be a good person. In reflection, I grew up in a dual religion home, my mom being Hindu and my dad being Presbyterian. My teaching? there is one God. No matter what our religious persuasion, we pray to the same omnipresence. We may refer to him in different names due to language, Allah, Bhagwan, Yoruba, Dio but, they all translate to one word, God. He still remains that one Supreme being. It’s like the different way apple is said in different languages, pomme, manzana, sagwa, different ways of saying it doesn’t change what it is. Growing deeper into the essence of life, I came to this understanding. It’s like the many roads that lead you to Edmonton, no matter which
