Melvyn Brown, The Anglo-Indian Chroniclermelvyn-brown.blogspot.co.uk /

I have just been to Sunday Mass and discovered that theanalysis of Spirituality in the sermon went over the heads of mostparishioners. I will try to make a small attempt to present‘spirituality’ in a more mundane understanding.To begin with, there is no spiritual vacuum. Faith transforms. Itcreates an ascendancy of healthy moral and social values. Beliefis a rich and marvelous experience open to all, not only to themystic. Call it faith or belief, the spiritual dimension within exertsits potential to do good beyond our earthly understanding.

Two forms of spirituality exists, Physical and mental.Physical spirituality is the advocacy of action in prayer andperformance for the Creator’s attention. Prayer Beads contributeto most cultures a form of physical activity some-times forconcentration; for rhythm to thought; for the power attributed tovibrations. In Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism, prayer beadsprove their potency.The triumph and fulfillment of prayer in physical spirituality comeson bended knees, raising the arms, using the voice in psalms,chants and song; the sound of ringing bells in temples, churchesand places of worship add to this form of holiness. Burning ofcandles, incense and joss sticks no less.Dance plays a significant role as well. The Hindu templedancers. The fertility dances of Egypt, the rain dances of Africa;dances to invoke the Gods for every temporal want, from anabundant harvest, to worship of the almighty. In China, since theconstitution was amended in 1982 to permit freedom of religion,the spiritual form of dance is being revived.

The art of physical spirituality is to mobilize energy, prayer andpiousness into the web of material creativeness, into paintings,sculpture, designs for houses of prayer; wood carv-ings ofstatues, they all form the bulwark of the early years ofChristianity. Stone figures in Hindu temples are earlier than themillenniums even before Egypt built golden figures of their Godsand pharaohs. Taoism and the Chinese form of spirituality arepreserved in images of semi-precious stones injade, crystal and amber (the most commonlyused stones.) Chinese craftsmen were the earlymasters of the clay figures. They all practicedphysical spirituality.Next, I will conclude with Mental Spirituality. -Melvyn Brown (Copyright. 2015)

Speaking about Spirituality - Part- 2 ByMelvyn Brown

I had spoken about Physical Spirituality earlier.Today I will tell you a few words on MentalSpirituality.Mental spirituality is non-rigorous, yet equally demanding. It debunks the feats of shamans and in a

less show of attention performs an epiphany of sincere dialogue with the universal forces. There is awave of theology to prove mental spirituality or for that matter,the concept and existence of God. “Believe”, said Jesus, “and allthings are possible”. True.

Belief in mental spirituality will attract the power of good always.Prayers are petitions, practiced by mystics and monks, priestsand maulanas across the earth. Religion is no longer the ‘opiath’of the masses. Religion in the form of mental spiritualitycompounds a way to cleanse sin and evil without the harshrealities of physical transgression. There is no mind-bendingstruggle with the power of mental prayers. It is basically a simpleact of putting manual effort to spiritual visions.The simple message in mental spirituality is to harness thefloodgates of belief that there is a God who is responsible, lovingand ever prepared to forgive and assist us in our honest andsincere desires. Never think negatively. Let it be known thatspirituality in deed and thought never lost a soul.