Can spirituality be defined?

Trials and tribulations cultivate and nurture spirituality and wisdom. At least, this seems to be the case in my own life. I read and was enthralled with Ekhart Tolle's "The Power of Now" and how it seems to speak to one on a certain level. One day while discussing spirituality with a group of people, the thought came to my mind, "Can the concept of spirituality be defined?" I have a degree in biology and chemistry and took physics courses as a requisite. I thought back to the definition of power. Power equals Work divided by Time. Then, it dawned on me that this equation can be applied to Tolle's position. For him, the awakening came in the "now".

Looking back at the equation, if you (your mind) can remain exquisitely in the present, time virtually disappears. There is no yesterday or tommorow. As time approaches zero, power approaches infinity! Furthermore, work and power are directly proportional. This one seems a little more tricky. However, it makes sense to me in the following way. Work equals Force times Distance. However, F x D does not always constitute work. For example, I can apply force by pushing a concrete wall. If the wall does not move, no work is achieved. It is only Potential Energy. So, work involves Kinetic Energy or the ability to generate enough force to move an object. We have the ability to implement force as human beings. Also, depending on how we use that force, we can generate positive or negative work. If we apply force in the direction of a moving object, then we increase speed and energy resulting in positive work. If we apply force in the opposite direction of an object's path, we slow the object down and decrease energy. This results in negative work. A negative "force" decreases energy and a "positive" force increases energy.

This brings me to how people refer to others as having a negative or positive "vibe". Interestingly enough, people don't even have to speak to pick up on someones negative "vibe". In the context of spirituality, I have heard people say, "get out of the way, so that God's power may flow in". I believe this statement, because we are beings run by ego. Even when we want to have all the virtues of honesty, love, purity, forgiveness, etc, our ego is there to manipulate the situation. The ego is a self preservation entity. However, it creates a delusional sense of self whereby we cannot tell the truth from the false. The ego is not interested in humility, honesty, love, forgiveness, etc. On the contrary, it utilizes arrogance, dishonesty, begrudgement, and resentments to keep "self" in a position of "superiority". As such, we are not agents of positive energy. Instead of using positive force(spiritual virtues) to help someone along "their" life path and increase their energy (sense of self worth, esteem), we typically use negative force (pride, dishonesty, greed, envy, etc.) to provide force in opposition to ones natural path of movement, therefore decreasing their energy (low self esteem, jealousy, envy, anger, etc). Therefore, "getting out the way" seems to imply ego deflation and thinking of oneself less. How do I think of myself less? One very good way is to stay active(think less as Tolle suggests) and be of service to others. My problems seem to disappear or diminish to the point of extinction if I adhere to this.

Okay. Finally, this brings me back to the work variable in the power equation. If I sit around all day by myself, my world becomes very small and my problems, ideas or wants become priority. However, if I physically get up and go help someone else, I feel better. I've always wondered why that is. It's akin to working out at the gym. I hate going to the gym, but afterwards I feel great! The same in this context. If I am honest with myself, I don't want to go help my neighbor mow his lawn. I want to work on my little plans and schemes to advance my agenda. I have to look for a job, work on a business plan, or write this blog. However, once I help my neighbor, I feel better spiritually and psychologically. This is in contrast to if I had attended to my own "important" issues which would have more likely created more stress, anxiety, fear, anger, frustration, etc. If I can be a positive impact on someone's life, then I have done good or positive work. But to do for others requires selflessness, concern and love for others, the same things asked of us by God. So getting out of the way entails squashing ego and allowing God in to display His virtues.

Wheeeew! My head is spinning. Okay, I'll try to wrap this up now. Infinite power is the result of time approaching zero and ego approaching nonexistence. Therefore, an example of infinite power may be when a firefighter runs into a burning house to rescue a little girl, a mother opts to die to save her unborn fetus, a mother or father sitting down with their child to help with homework, or the selflessness of New Yorkers after 9/11. The feeling of oneness and unity after 9/11 was powerful and it emanated out of concern for others and our country. However, it quickly faded into the distance once the divergent and ego based reality of life slowly crept back as the default way of existing on this earth. My concept of power has changed and there only exists physical and spiritual powers. I used to think that money, position, titles (doctor), connections, etc. created power. One was powerful and successful (which is another whole topic) if they had these things. At least for me, it couldn't be further from the truth. These things engender pride(pathologic), greed, and envy. Not necessarily the things required to have spiritual power. I also used to think that spirituality was something sought after to give me a sense of "awe and wonder", something only achieved through solitary meditation and isolation (sitting on a mountaintop with a beautiful landscape view and the sounds of nature abound). However, my view has changed. Spirituality for me is not something to be sought, it just "is". If you seek it, you will never have it. There never comes a moment when you can say, ahaaa!, I have spirituality. Just as happiness is a byproduct of right living, so it goes with spirituality. As for solitary meditation, it is not spirituality. It is an integral part in preparation for receving power and a spiritual position. In the morning, I sit quietly and clear my mind of thought. This act of clearing my thoughts and getting centered in the now, is a living representation of the power equation. I

My purpose in writing about this was my interest in seeing what reactions and thoughts I could get from others. Does this sound off the wall or can some of you relate to this?