Exploring Spirituality

Spirituality is very hard to define and encompasses a huge range of beliefs and experiences. Here at Manchester modern-day Monastery, we honour them all.

We maintain that every spiritual belief is valid & worthy of reflection and study.

In this section of our in-house magazine, we look at some of the rich and varied systems of belief that inspire the values of tolerance, compassion and respect for all living things. We're particularly interested in what can be considered as 'universal truths.' Simple, albeit profound experiences shared by not just humanity, but by all of creation.

In our modern times, the boundaries between religion, spirituality, science and philosophy can seem increasingly blurred. The unstoppable rise of the internet has exposed individuals around the globe to a huge amount of previously inaccessible knowledge. Whilst this increased access to information has the power to cruelly divide (as is so often the case with social media), it also carries with it the power to reconcile and break down deeply entrenched boundaries between conflicting world views.

It is in this spirit that we invite you to explore some of the world's most inspirational spiritual thinkers. Covering Hindu, Muslim, Christian, agnostic, gnostic, mystical and tribal systems of belief, we hope to show that all of these spiritual systems are, in fact, connected. Moreover, that in love, tolerance, reverence, gratitude and respect, humanity can once again step forward and rise together, in harmony with all of existence, into a bright and beautiful collective future.