It is time to take the next step in human social and spiritual evolution. It is time to come together as fellow human beings, members of one human family, and offer the gifts of our various religious traditions to one another.
It is time to learn from one another, to share the human wisdom accumulated over millennia, and to move into deeper communal wisdom together. It is time to see that we have a common future, and that we are creating it each moment.
It is time to weave that future together, with one another and not against one another. It is time to set aside and renounce the greed that is ripping at the social fabric and is destroying our world.
It is time to see ourselves as part of the earth, and find ways to live in harmony with the natural cycles of the world as fellow creature-citizens of that world, and to uphold our world in its natural rhythms and innate wisdom.
It is time to seek the spiritual basis of this interconnected sharing and communality. It is time to forswear destructive and consumeristic ways of living and embrace sustainable, simplified ways of living.
It is time to have our spiritual wisdom drive and shape our technology rather than have technology and the lust for wealth drive our spirituality.
The premises of Interspirituality are simple:
Religions share many features based upon our common human need for society.
Religions share many spiritual practices based upon our common human physiology.
The variations and diversity of religious teachings and spiritual wisdom arise out of the multitudinous ways that humans have found to live together over the centuries, and contain insights into the meaning and purposes of human existence that are of value across cultures, especially when viewed in the context of the historical situations that fostered these teachings.
The rapid and dynamic pace of change that is occurring in the world now requires new ways of thinking, living and being human.
Human society has always been at its best when it shares resources, creativity, and wisdom among all its members. Societies are at their peak potential when they cultivate and safeguard the conditions whereby every human and non-human being can achieve their created potential. This is a minimal definition of justice, but it speaks to the fact that everything possesses sets of potentials concerning what they can achieve physically, intellectually, artistically, and spiritually. Humans, of course, possess the widest range of such potentials, but other natural creatures possess these potentials to lesser degrees. Indeed, many human rituals and behaviors have developed in imitation of the behaviors and endowments of other creatures. Many human industries, artifacts and technologies are based upon imitating or extending the natural properties and potentialities already obtaining in the natural world. Interspirituality teaches a new ethic of research and science that stresses respect for these properties and potentialities, and the use of materials and their properties only in such ways that the potentialities of the whole of the earth is respected as well.
Interspirituality does not stand in opposition to the discoveries and methods of science. It does serve as a challenge to the assumptions of a strict materialism, but insists on a dialogue with scientists. Interspirituality must exist in conversation with science in order to widen its scope of understanding concerning the nature of the world. Science must be in conversation with interspirituality in order to discover the value and purposes of the natural world and universe. Mutual dialogue will advance the human spirit of discovery, as well as foster a deep appreciation of our place in the universe.
Interspirituality does not mean abandoning our spiritual and religious tradition. Rather it means being in relationship with people of other traditions in such a way that our tradition is enhanced and by sharing our tradition with others in such a way that their traditions and lives are enhanced. It is additive in terms of spiritual practice and wisdom, not subtractive.
Religions need not be in opposition to one another, nor do they need to compete for the loyalties of the seven billion people that inhabit this planet. Because we are so numerous as a species, we are bound to interact with persons of diverse beliefs and practices. These interactions can strengthen all parties involved, if done in an interspiritual atmosphere and attitude of openness, generosity and inclination to learn and give.
Interspirituality does not mean negating our own tradition. Rather it means affirming those core beliefs and practices that aim at improving human relations, enhancing personal spirituality, attainment of wisdom, and preservation of the natural world.
Interspirituality is experimental in nature. There is no one correct way to be interspiritual. It is a process, a way of being with others, an attitude of willingness to listen and learn from others, an eagerness to be challenged, and an inclination to grow.
For Further InterSpiritual and Interfaith Exploration and Practice:
Parliament of the World's Religions Perhaps the pre-eminent gathering of religious and spiritual practitioners from all over the globe. The Parliament meets every few years in a major city around the world. Several thousand practitioners of all the world's religions, seekers, spiritual entrepreneurs, and new movements come together to learn from one another, to network and connect, and to express and experience the binding forces of religion
United Religions Initiative "The United Religions Initiative is a global grassroots interfaith network that cultivates peace and justice by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences and work together for the good of their communities and the world. We implement our mission through grassroots groups, called Cooperation Circles, which bring diverse people together to jointly engage in community actions such as conflict resolution and reconciliation, environmental sustainability, education, women’s and youth programs, and advocacy for human rights." (From their website)
Click on any of the images below to read about the components of Reboot!: "Reboot What?" "Bigger Mind," "Bigger Heart," Bigger World," Bigger Life (Practices)." There is also a link to the Reboot! Blog.