[MayfairLady]

Could someone please outline for me what a spiritual principle is, and how to practise it?

[tickle]

There are several spiritual principles here; how you practice them is up to you:

Kindness
Being kind to all life is a choice we can make in every moment of every day--doing as little harm and as much good as we can, given our situation.

Compassion
By putting ourselves in others' shoes we may understand their struggle. The roots of the word compassion are “to suffer with;” by practicing voluntary radical simplicity, we will better understand the situation of the world's low--income people. Most spiritual traditions extend compassion to all life, the Earth as whole, and the beholder (that's you!)

Love
The intense concern a mother has for her child, and the child for its mother is one example of unconditional love. Most of us entered this world in the space of love. When the child no longer relies on its mother for nourishment, warmth, and safety, the Mother Earth takes over meeting our needs. This space of intense concern can be extended to all life.

Responsibility
When we love others and the Earth we will naturally want to be accountable for our influence on their welfare. In a global economy, truly being accountable for the implications of even our smallest actions is a tall order. It we transition to a bioregional lifestyle where we see the results of our choices ad we cultivate a love for all life, we might be more willing to be accountable.

Limits
Self-imposed limits and restraints are part of a spiritual life. We can grow to love limits as they focus our energies into positive, helpful activities that do no harm.

Fascination
To see the wonder and miracle of even the seemingly common things helps us appreciate our brief time on this planet. We draw a breath.. . And then another.

[firmbeliever]

Spiritual principles sometimes depends on the religion one follows.

Faith and the Arts

You might like to check this site to find the princilples according to different religious beliefs.

[ordinaryguy]

Spiritual principles sometimes depends on the religion one follows.

I can't really agree with you on this, Firm. I'd say that doctrines vary from one religion to another, but a spiritual principle is fundamental and common to all religions. If it varies by religion, it isn't fundamental enough to be called a principle in my mind. I suppose like a lot of things, it comes down to definitions. I think Tickle's list of principles would be embraced by all (well, almost all) religions. Would you agree?

[ordinaryguy]

how to practise it?

Aye, and there's the rub. It's the study of a lifetime, isn't it?

[firmbeliever]

I can't really agree with you on this, Firm. I'd say that doctrines vary from one religion to another, but a spiritual principle is fundamental and common to all religions. If it varies by religion, it isn't fundamental enough to be called a principle in my mind. I suppose like a lot of things, it comes down to definitions. I think Tickle's list of principles would be embraced by all (well, almost all) religions. Would you agree?

I agree these principles are common in almost all religions,but for me personally these same principles are different in the sense the basic factor that I am answerable to the Almighty in all my actions plays the biggest role.
Fundamental principle for me would be belief in One God.

So each principle is different for me because we believe life on this world is not the end of everything and that alone changes a lot of things.

I agree the basic of principles when written without a religious heading will be almost like Tickle's list.

[ordinaryguy]

Fundamental principle for me would be belief in One God.

So each principle is different for me because we believe life on this world is not the end of everything and that alone changes a lot of things.

I think beliefs have to do with which doctrines you accept, whereas spiritual principles are qualities, or attributes of spirit as manifested in a person's character. The stories we tell ourselves about why these attributes have spiritual value, and how we go about making them real in our life are the stuff of doctrine and belief, which are secondary to the spiritual principles themselves, as I see it.

This is probably one reason why I don't feel at home in religious institutions. They usually seem to insist that belief as the most important thing, but to me, it isn't. More often than not, this preoccupation with belief seems to retard the development of the fruits of the spirit instead of promoting them, it seems to me.

[shygrneyzs]

How would an athesist answer the question on spiritual principles, or someone who is Agnostic?

[hardtaildawn]

Here are some basic universal principles : acceptance, honesty, openmindedness, courage faith, hope, trust, enthusiasm, unity, brotherlty love, commitment, perserverance, humilty, forgivness, surrender, willingness, gratitude, humbleness,selfless service, integrity to name a few

[hardtaildawn]

Spiritual principles are UNIVERSAL, religious or not has no bearing on ability to practice spiritual principles. One just has to decide they will practice them. We are born with spiritual principles, they are not"aquired"". However, we cannot apply something we have no experience with. Asking someone who practice principles, some of which i posted in an answer earlier, can assist us with learning how to apply them, we all have access to them, they are the essence of our spirit, not the religious idealisms, our true selves, inside the "outside", our true being.