Understanding as a Spiritual Attribute
Cultivating Integration and Wholeness
As we reach the halfway point of 2025, it’s a natural time to pause and reflect on our personal growth. Whether you resonate with a particular tradition or consider yourself spiritual-but-not-religious, there are universal attributes we all share. One of these is the attribute of understanding. The capacity to integrate what we learn and to bring that wisdom into our daily lives.
These can be called “powers,” “spiritual attributes” or “faculties” of our higher self. Regardless of the name, these spiritual qualities are the building blocks of our evolution, always available for us to nurture and express. This month we are looking at the faculty of understanding as one of these spiritual attributes. Understanding, in the context of a human power is not so much as an ability that some have and others do not have. Rather, how we will discuss understanding this month will be more associated with the art of integration. Embodying what we’ve learned and allowing it to transform our way of being.
Integration: The True Measure of Understanding
Think about the difference between learning something and living it. When we have skillfully integrated something, we’ve learned, it becomes second nature to us. It is the age-old question on who is more skilled, a martial artist that has practiced 1000 moves one time or one move 1000 times. The latter represents someone with understanding, because they have integrated and mastered the skill. After such practice, this person now has a deeper understanding of the move.
Another example of understanding is learning to drive a car, which in most of America is a universal rite of passage. The first time a person slides into the driver’s seat, it normally feels like the car is in charge and you’re just along for the ride. It is cumbersome and you do not know how the vehicle will respond to your movements. Yet, after enough practice, driving becomes second nature. The movements become second nature and can almost be done unconsciously. That represents some level of understanding, yet as anyone who’s been cut off in traffic knows, there is a massive difference between something that is a habit and someone that has integrated skillfully. Understanding and habit are similar, but they are not the same.
Real understanding goes beyond automatic behavior to integration of skill, experience, wisdom, and presence. It’s what moves us from “going through the motions” to genuinely expressing our higher nature, whether we’re behind the wheel or navigating the twists and turns of life.
Growth Through Openness and Curiosity
A willingness to learn and grow is at the heart of spiritual development. Every challenge, every success, every “oops” moment is an opportunity to deepen our understanding. We don’t always get to choose our lessons, but we can choose our openness to them.
Sometimes, life delivers wake-up calls that remind us where we’ve been operating unconsciously. While it can be tempting to judge ourselves or others for not “getting it right” sooner, true growth comes from compassionate curiosity. Each moment of insight, regardless of how late it seems to arrive, is part of our ongoing evolution.
There is no “wrong” way to learn or to become whole. Wholeness isn’t a reward for getting everything right anyway; it’s the foundation of who we are. The words healing, whole, and holy all come from the same root. The meaning behind each of these words are intertwined. The deepest reality is that we are not broken and we do not need to “fix” anything. We are whole, yet we are actualizing this wholeness through a time and space sequence of events. While it is true that intention and action are integral parts of actualizing this wholeness, the deeper truth is that we are already whole. We call this process of realization of this wholeness “healing.” Yet, healing is not a movement from incompleteness to wholeness. You are already perfect and whole and you cannot change this truth about yourself. We are each already the outward manifestation of our current state of consciousness and we can make changes. Both things are simultaneously true. Just as we are also already holy. We are an expression of divine love. We cannot be holier than we are already.
Evolution: Understanding as a Human and Spiritual Journey
The story of humanity is a story of development. Consider the long arc of human evolution. Our ancestors, like Homo habilis some 2.4 million years ago, began to use tools and develop rudimentary communication. Their abilities were limited compared to ours, but their existence on this planet were expressions of their innate wholeness. They were doing the best with the awareness and understanding that they had, just as we are doing our best with the understanding and awareness we have.
The story of human growth is about ever-deepening understanding: moving from basic survival to self-reflection, from fear to love, from separation to community. The attribute of understanding has always guided this process, enabling us to move from mere survival to thriving, from habit to conscious evolution.
The real shift isn’t about acquiring new “powers,” but about integrating and aligning what is already within us. When we let understanding guide us, we build healthier communities, nurture authentic relationships, and become more at home in our own lives.
Avoiding the Pitfalls: From Information Overload to Integration
In today’s world, it’s easy to become information junkies. Chasing the next book, teacher, or life hack. But as Einstein said, “Much reading after a certain age, diverts the mind from its creative pursuits.” Real wisdom comes not from amassing facts, but from letting understanding take root.
There is a concept within Buddhism that is often referred to as “the middle path.” Finding the “middle path” means not getting stuck in extremes, For the integration of knowledge and understanding this middle path can be understood as not clinging to old ways, but not rushing from one new thing to the next either. The answers you seek live within you, waiting to be recognized and lived. Integration requires space: a willingness to slow down, to practice silence, and to allow insights to become embodied wisdom.
The Power of Silence and Self-Reflection
No matter your tradition or practice, making space for silence is essential. Whether through mindfulness, meditation, prayer, or contemplative walks in nature, connecting with your authentic self is how understanding blossoms.
So much of modern life is centered around consumption of information, entertainment, even spiritual experiences. But inspiration and intuition emerge when we move from consumption to integration. As one mentor put it: “If you think something is missing from your life, maybe it’s you.” Integration is the return to yourself, bringing your wholeness into expression.
Living the Attribute of Understanding
So how do we live this attribute day by day?
- Be willing to keep learning, but don’t chase every shiny object.
- Practice integrating what you learn. Let your insights shape how you show up in relationships, work, and community.
- Give yourself permission to slow down and connect with your own wisdom, through silence, contemplation, or whatever brings you home to yourself.
- Celebrate your wholeness, even when you’re still in process. Healing is not about becoming someone new, but about realizing and expressing who you already are.
Spiritual understanding goes beyond the accumulation of new information. The power of understanding is a living attribute within each of us that grows through openness, integration, and authentic self-connection. When we nurture this power, we move from consuming information to embodying wisdom, from feeling fragmented to living whole.
As we move forward through 2025 and beyond, may we each cultivate the attribute of understanding, honoring our journey, our innate wholeness, and the unfolding wisdom within.
About Folx with Faith
Folx with Faith is a spiritual community rooted in love, inclusion, and authenticity. We create safe and affirming spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies to explore spiritual wholeness through discussion, music, workshops, and shared practice.
Whether you’re deconstructing, reconstructing, or rediscovering your faith, we are here to support you on your journey.
How You Can Support Our Mission?
You can help us fulfill our mission by donating to Folx with Faith or starting a local group. It is our mission to create safe spaces to explore and experience spiritual wholeness. Folx with Faith supports the queer community, fostering a celebration of our authentic beings and empowering us to make a difference in the world. If you would like to contribute to this mission or would like to start a local chapter, please let us know. You can contact us or use the links below.
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