Universalist Spirituality can be expressed in ten basic tenants:
1. The Ultimate Reality (which we call God) is both transcendent and immanent. It is both a singularity and a multiplicity. God can be conceived as both personal and non-personal.
2. The Infinite Divine, while ineffable (inexpressible), has been given any number of names (YHWH, Brahman, Allah, Lord, Barbelo, et cetra), descriptions, and attributes. This can be expressed with a line from the Rig Veda, “Truth is One, the wise call it by many names.”
3. The Ground of Being is also the essential nature of the Self. At the core of who we are, we are expressions of God.
4. Our innate unity with God is obscured by ignorance. We identify with our individual personalities, motivations, and desires. Whereas these are tools for the expression of our Spirit (Self), they do not constitute our identity.
5. The Individual can awaken to the realization of his or her essential nature through any number of paths and practices. Because no individual is perfectly like another, no one path or practice is a fit for everyone.
6. Spiritual growth is a developmental process, moving through a progressive series of stages and states. There are tangible benefits such as joy, compassion, wisdom, peace, self-control that are developed at each state or stage. However, like any form of growth, this process can be uncomfortable or even painful at times.
7. Fully realizing one’s true nature can bring an end to suffering. It must be understood that pain is not the same as suffering.
8. When viewing essential mystical or spiritual experiences there is a commonality beyond the differences of culture or tradition.
9. The revelation of each religious or spiritual tradition focuses on specific areas of spiritual development. No one tradition has the whole of the truth.
10. Each of us has a core psycho-spiritual structure that echoes a specific tradition. This core tradition should be embraced and developed along with inter-spiritual exploration.
