Spirit is the holistic principle, the essential unity that infuses everything that exists, like a sweet breeze flowing through the endless corridors of a vast universal palace. "Spiritual" describes a unified state of being wherein the inherent oneness is evident, the distinction between self and environment dissipates, and the rippling effects of every action can be seen to spread forever outward. Spirituality, then, is the pursuit of an intimate awareness of this underlying unity, and of the manner in which it connects us with each other and with the universe around us. This is not an abstract, mystical concept, rather it is a very real system of interaction and co-operation that manifests itself as a living and harmonious cosmos. From this ubiquitous essence spring compassion, kindness, charity, and empathy, because these qualities describe a harmonious interaction among the elements of existence. This harmony is what all universal elements naturally tend toward. As integral elements in the vast mandala that is the cosmos, we share a vivid, unbreakable bond—every single one of us, every one that has ever lived and that will ever be born, has existed, in various forms, since the birth of the universe.

"Every one of our body’s atoms is traceable to the big bang and to the thermonuclear furnaces within high-mass stars. We are not simply in the universe, we are part of it. We are born from it." (1)

Though the experiences are beyond the reach of our memories and our conscious awareness, we have been here through it all, through every stage of universal evolution. Together we were there as the first stars formed, together we felt the moon emerge from the womb of the earth, and together we sensed the first stirrings of sentience on our planet. There can be no stronger bond between us, no deeper connection upon which to base our shared spirituality.
     The virtues that we consider to be of great moral and social importance are a product of this vast yet simple system of absolute interrelation. Everything that we do, or that occurs at any point in the universe, affects everything else. These repercussions spread like waves from each discreet incident to every element that surrounds it until we can no longer make the distinction between the incident and its environment. This is as true in astrophysics as it is in human society, where each kind act, and every violent aggression, affects even people that are not obviously connected to them. Every one of our actions and words to another person affects that person in ways both clear and subtle, and that, in turn, will change the person in manners both observable and indiscernable. We are linked to each other so intimately, and so directly, that we should be devoting herculean efforts toward achieving comprehension and compassion on a global scale. These values are critically important because they lead us toward the pure and natural state of cosmic unity. As a society, we value compassion, at least in principle, because at our core we know that this is the way of universal harmony. We harbor a subconscious understanding that to care for another, to sympathize with their condition, to practice kindness and charity toward others, leads all of us toward that essential unified state. We retain that seed of cosmic knowledge, though it is buried deep within and perpetually overwhelmed by the complexities and neuroses of the modern human mind. Empathy is not only a state of identifying with another, it is also the act of finding ourselves within that other. We care for our fellows because we know that within everyone, and everything, there is a bit of ourselves as well. This in no way makes it a selfish act, any more than you can consider the entire universe to be a vast, selfish organism acting only in its best interest. To give to another is to give to yourself, because in actuality the definitions that we ascribe to ourselves, the characteristics that we gather together to create the concept of "I," are too ephemeral and subjective to hold any true universal validity. We are a Gordian Knot of systems within systems, a complexity of such intricate beauty and grace that it staggers the imagination. Realization of the essential unity that exists among seemingly separate systems may be surprising to the human mind, but it is actually the true and natural state of the universe. This natural tendency toward kindness and empathy is the physical manifestation of the universal spirituality I describe. It is the behavioral product of our underlying connection with the essential universal structure, and the vast web of interrelation and interdependance among its systems is the source of the spirituality of the universe.
     Think of the teeming web of life that thrives within a secluded pond, deep in a vast and ancient forest. All manner of creatures eat and breathe and reproduce here, shafts of sunlight piercing the shadows as their swiftly moving forms dart from place to place. There is the thumping, vibrant hum of life, the breathless activities of survival and of the passage of the genetic grail onward to the next generation. All the varied forms of life are connected here by the cool water that surrounds and permeates them. Yet to speak of the life within the pond and separately of the water that the pond contains is simply a question of limited perspective. We see the pond in the manner that we are used to perceiving the world around us, giving great importance to the individual organization of the self-perpetuating systems (the living things), and contrast this to an apparently static background (the water). We create this distinction because the living things enjoy a more highly organized existence, and a clear and compulsive purpose—namely, to survive and reproduce. Yet if we look to a deeper level of organization we will see a soup of molecules all dancing as dervishes, fast and feverish, with a perfect equality among them. At this level the water and the life that moves through it come together as a single collection of entities, molecules each secure and stable in their own right. Whether the molecules be of water, protein, or even stone, they fill the pond with a furious activity not apparent to the casual observer. This perspective continues ever downward until we can see even the tiniest subatomic particles as representatives of universal equality. We can expand this scenario upward, as well, to include the forest that rings the pond, then the valley that supports the forest, the mountains that surround the valley, and so on to the entire planet, the solar system, the galaxy, and ever outward until all that is, and will ever be, falls within our sphere of elemental equality. This inter-related structure is the true basis of our spiritual nature. At this level of awareness the mandala can be most clearly seen as the ultimate template for our universal structure. It is a microcosm that exhibits the infinity of links, relationships, cooperation and interdependence that is inherent to the universal process. It is a a tapestry wherin every thread depends on every other thread, every color touches every other color, and every image is born from every other image. By being so intimately woven into the fabric of existence, it should be clear to us that the morals and virtues that we celebrate as a species emerge as the natural products of universal evolution.
     The elder mythologies exhibited a clear awareness of the intimate connection between humanity and its physical surroundings. Religions that venerate the Earth as Mother, one of the most common themes found in primitive mythology, emphasize the filial relationship between humankind and the world around us. Like siblings, humanity shares with its environment the same blood, the same origins, the same essential matter. We are of the same spirit as the universe that surrounds us, and through that relation we inarguably establish our place in the cosmos. What is most difficult about this concept of humanity as sibling to the trees and the planets is to avoid being trapped by the idea that it is only a pleasant metaphor for the human condition. It is much more than that. We are, in all actuality and with absolute accuracy, brothers and sisters not only to each other, but to everything in the universe. We come from the same ancient mother, born of the same cosmic womb. It is not "as if we were brothers and sisters," rather the relation is completely true and actual. We are, if anything, closer still than the siblings within an average family. The interrelation and interdependance we exhibit is as of cells within a single body, where each has the potential to form, nurture, support and enrich the other. We are vibrant cells in an organism that spans the cosmos, that is in fact the entire cosmos itself, and as such we have the potential for amazing growth and development, as well as for cancerous self-destruction. By truly understanding this intimate relationship and its accompanying responsibilities, we can fully live the spiritual life of the universe. We can take the paradigm of cosmic unity within ourselves and effectively apply it to our internal mind-states, thereby implemeting a phase transition of awareness wherein the entire world is transformed anew. The alternative is to live an unexamined life, condemned to a shrouded existence, as deluded by the illusions of perception as children mesmerised by the dancing of shadow puppets.
     Most people think of spirituality as a facet of their personal religious beliefs. Modern religion, being an elaborately developed system of teachings and taboos, does at times draw on the principles of this underlying spiritual essence. Too often, though, it misses the point. To the believer, their religion explains the basis of their existence, their origin, the why and the how of their very being. If every detail of the story is not filled in, then what is left is considered a sacred mystery whose solution is known only to the deity involved. Therefore, if one believes that their religion explains their origin, then the practices that extend from there regarding one's relationship with their deity are thought of as spiritual in character.

"It is necessary to distinguish between religion and spirituality. [Religion] emphasizes external authority (a paternalistic deity and priesthood) and the need for mediation between oneself and the ultimate Reality, as well as confirmation to a prescribed set of moral behavior under the threat of incurring sin. [Spirituality] relies primarily on intrinsic authority ("Self" or "Inner Ruler") and voluntary self-discipline based on self-understanding." (2)

Prayer, devotion and self-sacrifice are all considered aspects of spirituality that religious practitioners utilize to maintain communication with, and prove their devotion to, their particular god. Religions often also preach that such ideals as compassion, forgiveness, etc. should be practiced by their followers. In the heart of the individual these edicts ring true and feel wholly right—we say to ourselves, yes, we should practice compassion, we should forgive our enemies—and so the religion feels like a system worthy of our noble devotion. But the fact that those ideals are little practiced in the world today, by religious and non-religious persons alike, shows that their messages are merely lip service. They are preached because they are appealing in principle, and by that I do not mean to question the sincerity of any particular religious individual—the devotee takes these messages in as gospel truth. Rather it can be viewed evolutionarily as an adaptive survival tactic developed by the vast social organism we refer to as "Religion." That is to say, any group that dogmatically instructs its adherents to go out and kill others and/or themselves will undoubtedly be a short-lived one. So the teaching of peace and love and other spiritual ideals is an extremely beneficial survival tactic naturally developed in the social organism's efforts toward self-preservation. By teaching spiritual ideals the populace is converted and pacified. The problem lies in the convenient usurption of those ideals when it is politically or economically expedient for the religious institution in question—by preaching kindness yet launching murderous crusades; by promoting equality as brothers and sisters under their deity yet practicing sexism, elitism and xenophobia; by teaching honesty and accountability yet inculcating an internal culture of corruption and impunity. All of these detrimental practices diffuse and dilute the strength of religion's spiritual message, so that their followers see and learn from the hypocracy thus presented. They learn to go to their places of worship and think kind thoughts, then go home and labor to get the upper hand over their neighbors and coworkers—just as they see their religious leaders doing. The problem lies in the essential contradiction that spirituality in this dogmatic form, presented as the edicts of a supernatural deity to be followed under threat of a hellish afterlife for transgressors, relies on fear and coercion to enforce obedience. This, coupled with the self-contradictory behavior of the institution itself, leaves in the believer's mind a subconscious impression of insincerity that undercuts the strength of "love they neighbor." It is transformed into "love thy neighbor to his face, but strike quickly when he turns away." We can clearly see that this is the overriding philosophy practiced not only by many individuals in our society, but even more obviously among cultures and nations around the world.
     On the other hand, spirituality based on the simple and beautiful reality of universal being is inarguably sincere and wholly incorruptable. This true spirituality predates the human institution of religion by many billions of years. As long as the universe has existed, its self-consistent nature has been the seat of the true and essential spirit. Everything that exists in the universe is intimately related to everything else, both physically and systemically. This is as true of the earliest stars as it is of you and of me. We are all of us born of the same particles, passed through the same proccesses, forged in the same stellar furnaces. The inexpressible beauty of being resides within all of us, deep and vibrant, flowing like a unifying breath through everything that exists. But as the phenomenon we call life has developed, this interrelatedness has become more difficult to perceive. Our passage through developmental stages and processing capabilities has leapt forward at exponentially increasing speeds, so that it seems to us that we are essentially different and separate from—even superior to—our environment. But this is not truly the case. The lotus flower is of the same essential matter as the mud from which it grows, forcefully reminding us of the sanctity and beauty of the oft-derided mud. It is only in the comparison that we make a categorical judgement and come to regard one as desirable and the other as unclean. When we look deeper, however, we realize the folly of this comparison. If we were to freeze all activity in the universe we would perceive an exquisite mandala of particles differentiated only by their relationship to each other. Context is everything. This context, the systematic interaction among particles, and among individuals in our society, is the intangible but intensely real nature of the universal spirit. It is the blood of the mandala coursing through our cosmic veins. It is what connects us all, and by "us" I am referring to more than only the human race, or even life on earth. We must realize that what links us together does not stop at the edges of our family or our community or even our planetary atmosphere. We are as one—each of us, together with the flowers and the stars, elements in a vast universal entity that thinks and breathes and acts. We are cells in a being that sees itself, that knows itself, spanning the limitless distances of space, encompassing everything in its awareness. This unifying essence is the spirit of the cosmos that pervades our being and defines our existence. It is all around us, it is within us—it is the true and incorruptable spirituality of the universe.

Sources:
(1) Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith, Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution
(2) Georg Feuerstein, The Deeper Dimension of Yoga