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What is Essential Spirituality?

Essential Spirituality supports an emergent spirituality that can flourish only on a healthy integration of body, heart and mind. It is based more on experience and understanding than on history or belief. Its purpose is to support the development of spiritual maturity in each of us, and in the organizations we spend so much time in. Those of us involved in bringing this spiritual vision to life aspire to use every experience in life to move closer to what is true, and to uncover the divine spark within each of us.

Essential Spirituality is the wisdom and direct experience of the sacred that is at the heart of all the world’s wisdom traditions. We believe that the common mystical heritage of those traditions is made clearer by contemporary understanding in psychology, cognitive science, cultural studies, the healing and creative arts, organizational theory, and other areas of modern knowledge. One Spirit’s programs for both Professional Development and Personal Enrichment draw on all of these sources in a direct and immediate way, not as abstract theory but as lived reality.

Essential Spirituality expresses deep, universal truths about the human condition, but is not a “one-size-fits-all” endeavor. Rather, it aims to provide a clear understanding and direct expression of those truths, within a framework that allows each individual to develop an inner life that best supports their own spiritual growth. Such spirituality is at home in every circumstance, and expresses itself as inner peace, wisdom, compassion, and skillful action in all aspects of life. An Interfaith minister in our society is well-served by a training program that draws on the richness of Essential Spirituality as the foundation of its curriculum.