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Shantum Seth is a Zen Buddhist teacher

What does spirituality mean to you?
I do not use that word very much. But it would mean awareness, being present, being mindful about what is going on within myself and around.

How do you manage to be so?
I use my breathe as my anchor. My body is here in any case. So my mind is what I have to train, as it constantly journeys into the past or future. I try to always stay aware of my breath, be in the present, without too much preconception. When meeting someone for instance, I may feel an instant like or dislike and become aware of it --- does this person remind me of my mother? Or of someone who has hurt me deeply?
So spirituality is about this constant process of getting in touch with the inner world. The outer is the realm of the social. But it is not disconnected from spirituality either. They are both intertwined. My actions, my speech, my thoughts are all in the realm of spirituality as long as there is awareness and mindfulness.
Spirituality is basically just a way of being. It is not something you pick up for half an hour, chanting or sitting on a pillow and then leave for the rest of the day. When I drive I want to be aware, when I talk on the phone or brush my teeth I want to be aware. At no point in time would I not want to be spiritual.

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