Religions are merely ten in number, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism and Taoism, yet the magnitude of animosity they have generated is unimaginable in terms of carnage, holy wars, terror campaigns and as the biggest offenders to world peace.
Preferences are often made after assessing different available alternatives. In the same way, religion should not be thrust on a new born, at the time of birth. Why can’t people have the freedom to decide a religion of their own choice? Fulfillment of spiritual needs is after all the birthright of the people whether through religions or by spirituality. It is high time to address this issue, which bears gross violation of human rights.
For many people the religion in which they are born is the only religion in the world. They take no interest in other religions and hardly ever know much about their own inherited religion. Most of them cannot read the language in which the Holy books are written. They simply rely on the word of mouth. Misreading is a blind approach to religion. It takes for granted that other religions are simply wrong.
People cannot understand other religions as long they close their eyes to the ways in which the cleric condemn and recommend religions. Concerning religions many people have preconceived ideas that are based on prejudice and not on facts. People fail to inquire what different religions can mean to them. Before accepting any religion, it is imperative to see it in relation to other religions.
Organized religions are problematic. If people decide to give up religions, they must recognize that what had long seemed to be eternal by change will disappear. With globalization distinctive ways of life are seen to fade and people everywhere on world look very much the same. While religion was under fire from non-believers in the second half of the twentieth century but today becoming more human is more important than faith so people are looking for a human-centric and not a God-centric religion.
Scientific technology has bestowed comforts, relieved people from poverty and mitigated physical pain but the human mind sedated by religion lacks adjustment with science and technology thus people suffer from inward isolation split in twain. The transition that people need today for a happy and peaceful life is spirituality, which can embrace the material and spiritual world together in its fold.
Literacy has increased, today people can easily comprehend doctrines based on reason because rationality can be verified at every stage and does not require faith. Being educated people are now irritated following their family religion blindly. Reason has rendered manmade boundaries of religion, caste, creed and nation as meaningless.
The path of rationality appeals the educated but it doesn’t mean that other paths are less inspiring. Once pure spirituality is reached, the core of all religions is seen tied with the same spiritual cord. As religions have lost their appeal people are keen to follow the path of spirituality. The purpose of spirituality is to humanize man and to hold the torch of reason in the alley of blind faiths.
The educated people want to believe only that which they can comprehend with their mind and intellect without relying on blind faiths. Growth is marked with pain and change belongs to calamity. The transition people have to impinge on today is a moral and spiritual revolution on the basis of humanism and rationalism.
The pursuit of truth is an endeavor and end of all existence. World originates for truth to reveal itself to those who seek. So let people inquire, investigate, state and obey truth. There are no different truths in the world. Truth is one, it is universal and eternal. Rationality has no place for truth as it serves the intention of both right and wrong equally well, therefore, righteousness is truth. As false and true religions can be detected by truth alone hence spirituality is the essence of truth.
The organized system and regulations of religion are against human spirit, it stifles human freedom and the expansion of human thought and treat human beings as the lowest denominator and compel them to follow something just because everyone else is doing it. This is a wrong approach. Spiritual attitude is deeply personal; it cannot be institutionalized, the human spirit can evolve freely, under such circumstances.
Spirituality is the common cord that binds all religions. Spirituality can lead to the harmony and unity of religions. But to compel people to follow religions blindly is an offense against spirituality. Putting aside religions to highlight spiritual regeneration and humanitarian values is therefore essential in the present scientific age. Spirituality is not sensuality. It is a study of the human spirit. Spirituality goes beyond the frontiers of science. In fact, spirituality begins where science ends.
Spiritual evolution is a way to rely on oneself through self-knowledge and introspection. Cultivating the art of seeking self-knowledge leads to freedom from falsehood to self-realization. Those who are bereft of spiritual awareness need to develop their curiosity to seek answers to eternal questions of practical value.
Spirituality means understanding the human spirit. The spirit is a non-physical invisible field of energy. It is an offshoot of the physical body. It contains the attribute of mind, thoughts and consciousness. It also stands for mentality, the soul, the spiritual constitution and personality of a human being. In the search of inner space, when one surrenders to the naturalness of his own being, the feeling, the connectivity and the experience of realizing the presence of a cosmic energy is an awesome spiritual experience.
Spiritual experiences make human attitudes flexible. Truth is revealed in a state of naturalness. Truth cannot be envisioned even if we reinterpret the old Holy Scriptures and make them contemporary. No religion can claim monopoly of truth. No man made rule is permanent only that which is natural does not change. Problems created by religions can be cracked only if we go beyond the scope of religion. We need to reconnect religion with spirituality. Had we relied on spirituality rather than religion most of our problems would have been solved long time back. Why people had to wait for 3000 years to know this simple fact, never late then ever.
Spirituality is a quest to find answers to questions going beyond human consciousness. It is realizing howsoever diverse people may be in terms of caste, creed and culture yet the human spirit remains the same forever. It is in seeking that commonality of the inner self which binds human beings together that people get to know the oneness of mankind. But bigoted religions still treat their followers like a commodity and brand them in a representative package without giving an expiry date of its product.
Spiritual seeker has no preconceived ideas; he is completely unbiased and prepared to examine any issue, with an inquiring mind. He does not reject it because it is in disagreement with his thinking. He is fair in his judgment. He uses his intellect and reasoning power and does not rely on others ideas. As falsehood misleads the seeker he sees futility of his efforts but in sheer helplessness he continues to strive, in vain. When he doesn’t expect anything to happen, then things start happening and truth is revealed. Undisclosed are the ways in which divinity desires to express itself.
A person follows his own mind and from mind he derives his character. His mind is the source of good and evil. Since mind-made is the life of all human being, it is the duty of every person to purify his mind. Learning and de-learning is the mantra to clear the confusion of the mind. Shed the baggage of worldly knowledge, artificiality and become simple and innocent, only a mind in a state of natural simplicity attains spiritual wisdom. Spirituality is being natural and normal the way we are and not the way we crave to project ourselves in the minds of others.
What is a spiritual experience? Can people experience it in their day to day life or they have to wait for an extraordinary event to happen. People look for spiritual experience occurring in unusual conditions. They fail to see that any person can have a spiritual experience by living a natural and simple life. Since it is difficult to grasp the elusive mysteries of life, it is spiritual veracity that gives precision to this vagueness. Even intuitive insight comes from spirituality and not from rational ideas. It is spiritual energy that sustains human life. Just as the fragrance of a flower can be felt and cannot be described. The spiritual force that lies in the deep recesses of human feelings is felt by a seeker who is fully awakened by total consciousness.
Spirituality has become a fad for those who want to escape from a tension filled life. To cater them there are several shops selling spirituality, like yoga while driving, prayer while cooking, spiritual spa, meditation in the office and mass at the mall. Is this spirituality or its vulgarized version? They spend time at their favorite joint because they love it. They love the swanky serenity of the super mall because it calms them. They love to spend their time to forget their sadness by attending parties, speeding cars and reading holy books in the metro trains and at traffic jams. They call themselves spiritual, imagine what it means.
Spirituality signifies the endless possibilities for a wholesome development of human personality. Spirituality is an inherent part of every person’s personality. It is a matter of bringing it out. It keeps moral values strong. It bestows humility and composure. If in a tight spot it gives the strength to come out of it. Its mantra is to take life the way it comes and see how wonderful life becomes for you. In today’s world everything is becoming unnatural so people need to be natural.
Psychology and physiology is scientifically addressed but human spiritual needs are left to be tackled by irrational religions. Their authority prevents intellectuals to split spirituality from religion to look at it rationally. The whole world is now educated and can wait no longer. The spiritual aspect in the life of humans cannot be omitted or ignored. Yet this important facet of human personality is often misunderstood and minimized. Spirituality stitches the tattered fabric of morality. It is the canopy that shelters a peaceful world.
Life is lived once, no one lives it twice. There is just one chance to make the most before life fizzles out from the body. The span of life is too little. People hanker after worldly attainments and make their life unhappy and disturbed. In this wild goose chase and running in an unfinished race, each person experiences an inner feeling of futility. Spirituality helps them to overcome vainness to usefulness.
Spirituality connects human consciousness with that which is eternal. Perception of eternal awareness removes lack of knowledge. It does not state any new doctrine, except reveal the knowledge of the everlasting. Everyone can experience it, if they have the urge. It is giving the person his natural personality, his attributes, his value, his way of life. Though hard to grasp, eternal is the source of all that exists in the universe.
Every human being seeks answer to deal with his day to day activities from the moment he wakes up and goes to sleep. This is a never-ending search. To deal with the uncertainties of life, a model of God figure and the urge to pray for his guidance and help has become a part of human psychosomatic requirement. This idea promotes hope and faith to face the indefinite future with courage. No doubt this concept is beneficial to deal with the fears of the human mind. As this approach makes a person dependent on false precepts, we need to promote spirituality to develop and make every human being independent to handle the realities of life himself.
Spirituality is inherent in everyone. People cannot call themselves spiritual merely by doing relaxation exercise or some instant meditation. Peace, love and harmony are the heart of spirituality. Becoming spiritual is a process, a journey towards attaining the ultimate level of spirituality. It is purely a personal experience. The level of understanding spirituality is different for different people.
Human beings are the expression of life in its multiple forms of expansion. Each species is a work of genius. Human beings think they rule the animal kingdom but they are absolutely unimportant to other living beings. Like thugs they rob the natural resources to develop technologies, which give them comfort and ease except happiness. The fallout of anxiety and tensions has increased and mental disorders are on the rise. Every human being wants happiness, forgetting that mental peace is an attitude and happiness a state of mind. The sheer magic of natural living lies in simple things. Yet there are innumerable complex things that will remain unexplained and spirituality helps to unravel the mysterious, little by little.
People are still prejudiced against each other on the ground of religion. Humanity is finally waking up to stop the cruel abuse of fellow beings in the name of religion. It is spirituality that creates awareness and unification on the grounds of morals. It has reshaped itself as Satyadharma to prove the uselessness of organized religions. The high priest of religious organization use deception to argue their case, take positions to defend, without believing in what others have to state, they stifle the voice of disagreement. History has a strange way of placing issues and events in their proper perspective.
Electrical energy cannot be seen, we only know how it works. In the same way the cosmic energies cannot be seen. Spirituality gives an intuitive sense to know it. So let people shed the mask that has been put on their faces labeling and branding them as Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Jews etc. religions fed people with fabricated tales then why do they hesitate and become resistant when exposed, the moment people shed their false identities facts are revealed, then they come to know, what they knew was nothing but a pack of lies.
People basically are not God fearing, they are happiness seekers. Happiness comes from within, inner experiences awakens spirituality, to follow ones own conscience and to shed the multiple personality syndrome from within. Spirituality starts from self introspection, It is being aware, it is being a better person, it is being happy under any situation. It is not undergoing a religious revolution or a spiritual spillover; it’s about embarking on an individual path and becoming a part of a spiritual journey.
Today, the flight to happiness is a result of living tensions, a pursuit for philosophy and an urge to anchor life to a meaningful existence. Our hi-tech age is crammed, with words, images and sounds, instigating people to grab more money, increase more greed and enhance carnal passions. But our real power comes from knowing our inner self, being natural and by looking inside ourselves to find answers. And believing in the power of living the present moment instantaneous that last as long as one breath, one thought the moment it ceases it becomes past and the next moment future. Wherever one is he should be totally there, keeping away from the memories of the of the past and the anxieties of the future.
Spiritual life and mundane life are not two different watertight compartments. People may be doing any work for their living, they may belong to any religion, yet they can always be spiritual. Spirituality is a private matter and within the circumference of a persons inner being, wherein each person can find his own path. Spiritual progress is a individual question and each person advances according to his own effort. Three things are necessary for spirituality self study, discipline and inquisitiveness. Reality is known by reasonable explaining and personal experience and not on unfounded information. The intention is to accept facts by self testing.
The atheist and the theist both can be spiritual. People look towards religion for harmony but religions are the root cause of dispute among the followers of different religions and a constant danger to society by its barbaric terrorist acts. Religion demands faith while spirituality requires facts. Religions stand on others experience while spirituality is based on personal experience. Religion and reality is divergent while spirituality is scientific. In today’s scientific world, not wanting it, people have no option but to pretend as followers of religion.
Living and non-living beings have their own set of qualities. If a lion is ferocious by nature, a human being is rational by nature. People are Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist, a Jain and a Sikh by birth and not by natural inclination. When religious convictions are converted into spirituality, the journey of spiritual pursuit comes to an end. Humans are destined to survive in the extraterrestrial places of the cosmos without the support of religion. It is the element of spirituality that will survive not only on earth but in all directions of the cosmos where a thought of any living being dwells. Spirituality is not only the mother of all religions but the eternal religionless religion of the universe.
There are much more important things than chasing material possessions. People should seek spirituality. The entire world is a home. Spirituality is not in the temple or in the Himalayas nor in the sky or on earth. Nowhere can it be found but in the heart of the seeker. When spirituality resides in the heart, why go to a mosque or a temple? Religion has built massive structures of worship at an astronomical cost with the blood of the people. It has served its utility, let religion become history.
Spirituality touches all, it is natural. One is ready to understand it when one undergoes suffering. Looking within to discover the inner self, learning the value of silence, the joys of meditation, erasing superfluous thoughts, it is then that spirituality helps one cope with life, one becomes a detached observer rather than a participant soaked in new found energy, which prepares to take on the world. Spirituality is a unifying faith common to all human beings.
People are pre-programmed in accordance with culture, family, society and religion; they are born into and grow up with it. Most of them are unmoved by the fact that they operate with little understanding and end up living in a self made prison. Their ideas are largely borrowed. Borrowed ideas have become a part of their inner programming. Myths, the written word and superstitious beliefs have invaded their inner development. They are out of tune with reality. The reality is that human nature is spiritual. It was easy to fool illiterate people in the past, for they were ill equipped to bear reality but now well-read people are eager to live in reality.
Everyone wants happiness. People seek joy in money, material possessions, power and gratification of senses. This external seeking is fleeting. The source of real happiness lies in the mind. Logic and reasoning shuts psychic ability. By turning inward, reality is revealed. Then people come to know that they are not the body, the mind or emotions. They are a living force, pure consciousness, a state of eternal bliss. Besides there is a power that pervades every speck of space, in a network of cosmic consciousness, one has to evolve to a level of awareness to connect with it. Lasting happiness manifests itself inwardly and then integrates cosmically.
All religions are belief systems. God is their highest ideal. Whatever that is, it does inspire people to pursue religion. But spiritual urge is a natural impulse. The spirit of spirituality is to de-condition beliefs and bust the mental blocks created by religions through de-learning. So everyone must have the freedom to choose his own spiritual ideal. It can be anything, only an individual can know it. It is his personal choice. The ideal is in him and his desire will lead to it. This is what spirituality suggests to go after.
Ambiguity in life is due to spiritual neglect. In everybody’s life there comes a time, when a person feels rudderless, he craves to connect himself with spirituality. It is wrong to believe that only the old, after enjoying the fruits of life should pursue it. People must appreciate that if they are spiritually disposed when young, it can give them the strength to face the challenges of life with ease. Spiritualism and materialism go hand in hand. Spirituality doesn’t mean renunciation of material world. It helps to control the senses to attain inner peace. The essence of spiritual life is self-realization and once the inner self is realized, the vision becomes clear, thoughts calm down and the mind starts comprehending the objectives of life, clearly.
Religion is for the people who want to go to heaven. Spirituality is for those who want to live a practical life on earth. Spirituality and not religion can impact the rejuvenation and oneness of mankind and perceive the spiritual and material development as a single process that can lead humanity to carry forward an ever advancing civilization. Once the people of the world embrace the spiritual power inherent in their being, today’s dangerous world would be transformed into a prosperous and peaceful place to live. Once on the path of spirituality priorities change. The focus of life shifts towards sustainability
We live in a world of dualities the sacred and the sacrilegious, divine and diabolical. We seek spiritual experience to discover the higher and the lower being within ourselves. Our life changes every day, we determine our own destiny. It makes us believe that every moment helps us to recreate the karmic path. Life lies in living in the present. Past is buried and future unborn. Past events and unlived moments are stored in mind and the mind is lost in memories and expectations. By the time it decides now, it becomes past. The moment has already gone and the mind is running endlessly. Leave the mind. Only from the state of consciousness can one live in the present moment.
A religion thrust on people never becomes a part of their system. They are connected to it just by custom and conditioning. Spirituality is a lifelong pursuit and not religion. Spirituality checks greed, it raises awareness and elevates human consciousness. It creates respect for nature and life. It helps bring more joy and celebration into our lives. A spiritual outlook is essential to foster inner and environment consciousness.
Every religion has three components ‘Rituals, Cultural and Spiritual’. There is a possibility of differences in opinion in the first two parts but the third part i.e. the spiritual has a universal appeal. Rituals and ceremonies relating to birth, marriage and death is an important constituent of all faiths. Culture develops from the way of life and its nature hinges a great deal on heritage, environment and geographical location. Though the spiritual side is free from all kinds of disparities but people mostly function on blind faith and mechanical rituals. This is a spiritual suicide, indeed.
Religions are riddles, gone astray by absurdities. People are turning towards spirituality, which is free from the fetters of falsification. Spirituality is devoid of religion, which religion we belong to has little to do with what kind of spirituality we relate to. Spirituality is common and one for all. Spirituality moves in the personal domain of an individual’s life. The relationship between everyday life and the spiritual drive is faultless. This relationship contains the secrets of a multifaceted nature of a transient existence and the possibilities to transform life to meet it accordingly.
The world lives under the illusion of Maya. People all are born illusionist. People inherit deceit as part of their survival kit. Deceit gives birth to overpowering illusions that baffle people. People live virtually in the web of superficiality, a byproduct of deception and alienate themselves from authenticity, the core of their natural being. In this world people are simply deceiving each other. Returning back to their source is reached by compassion an outcome of our spiritual disposition.
Where are we going? Are we taking the right path? How should we deal with failures? Spirituality helps answering these questions or asking such questions is what spirituality is all about. Spirituality believes in the existence of a higher power but does not give any name or form to it. It is the shadow and shapelessness of the eternal, which is hidden within the deep recesses of everyone but difficult to grasp. Nurturing this power is an evolutionary process of nature.
The pressures to compete create a lot of stress. People want a break. As miracle shopper’s people are ready to purchase anything that can help to win the race from shops run by Babas, Swamis and Gurus who promise silly solutions and charge more money then a psychiatrist would do to render a professional service. Spiritual peddlers understand the customers need and recommend products promising the elixir of life for a price. There is no dearth of bogus spiritual vendors.
Spirituality is the quest for the ultimate truth. No knowledge is above spiritual wisdom. Spirituality is continuous and perennial but people lay down so many conditions that they are unable to grow spiritually. When their spiritual attire is frayed their existence becomes useless as a wasteland. They dry up and brood meaninglessly. They live on the fringe of life, trapped in superficiality to stagnate. Being spiritual is to go beyond and look for the hidden mysteries, on a trackless path.
This world is a temporary abode of suffering, where old age, disease and death is certain. This fact takes away the joy of life. People prefer the same and avoid change, assuming that it will also lead to a wasted end like death that ends their life, which is wrong. The world is constantly changing. Let us not try to change the world, many have tried and failed, let us leave it to the natural forces to do it, instead we can transform our mind, our mind is the world and we all live the life of our minds. We are what we think, is the eternal truth.
People are motivated to pursue spirituality due to various reasons, maybe when they are hurt by their loved one, maybe when they have failed to achieve what they had striven for, maybe when they are unable to grasp the emptiness and uselessness of life, maybe when they are disillusioned with the materialistic world and relationships, maybe when the world as an illusion starts making sense to them or maybe when they are driven by sheer curiosity to know the truth.
The common denominator is the search for happiness. Spirituality promises the way to end distress and experience a boundless joy. Does this really happen and if it does to what extent? The changes are slow in the initial stages. The progress depends on many factors, the mental level and the intensity of purpose and the usefulness of the preferred path. The course of self-realization is tedious. On the journey, there might be a time, when we may give up. It is a work-in-progress. The cleaning processes are not soothing. The path of spiritual ecstasy is laid on trails and tribulations.
Swadharma is an individuals approach towards spirituality. It is an inner experience. When looking inwards, one has to go alone, one has to find his own way and not follow others. There is no ready made track to walk. One has to pave his own path. The more he explores his own ways, the closer he comes to reality. There is no blind faith, no scripture and no ritualized customs. He doesn’t belong to any religion. His way is created as he walks. Life is short. Why waste time. Why wait for the right moment to come. The moment is right here, right now.
Swadharma is the birthright of every human being. It is a natural urge for perfection, for acquiring wisdom and mind-body synchronization, for excellence in doing a work, for relating oneself to the source of creation, existing at the heart of the inner being, for discovering the unknown and living each moment of life with full awareness. It tells not to depend on any external power but suggests to activate ones own dormant potential by self effort and intelligence. This is a progressive and realistic approach.
In the age of consumerism, we constantly suffer from the onslaught of greed, lust, anger, pride, infatuation, jealousy, ignorance, fear, grief and fault-finding. In this milieu, we find that morality is missing. Relying merely on self-effort to discover spirituality becomes far-fetched. When people lose faith in religions then it is better to have an idea of spirituality and see how it differs from religion and in the process examine what is lacking in religion. People have to choose a better alternative because they cannot do without spiritual backup.
The natural laws of nature animate matter. Life thrives on a body, the mind propels activities of life, the intellect gives power to the mind and human consciousness exists as a subtle form of living energy. The highest activity of the mind is spirituality. Merely looking at the process of becoming, is a shell sight. Looking what lies behind this process, is a deeper enquiry. Where deep are the mysteries of life, where infinity is so deep and so deep is nothingness to absorb.
The human mind is creative. Creativity operating on the outer surface produces technology rendering physical comforts and creativity that works inside the mind lead to spirituality showering inner happiness. Technology makes human existence easy and comfortable, while spirituality with its peculiar sacredness waits to reveal itself. Spirituality is a meeting point to experience and discover the one who experiences life as a silent witness. The human mind is noisy and never ceases to explore and pays attention to experiences and never to the experiencer. Spirituality can change this outlook and make a person an experiencer, without causing religious conflicts or side tracking the secular way of living.
Without experiment or experience we cannot claim to know anything. People believed that the earth was flat but their belief was wrong. Experiments have proved that religious dogmas and suppositions simply aren’t valid, like God as a being does not exist but as a concept it does. Languages and the rule of law are constantly refined from concepts to make them workable. Human beings are thinking creatures so creation of concepts is a natural outcome of the human mind. We think and live amidst manmade concepts and manmade structures. But religions are too rigid to change their medieval age outlook, only spirituality can help humanity to grow by experimentation's.
Today, a large number of educated people are engaged in a spiritual quest and show higher levels of equanimity and an ecumenical worldview. By integrating spirituality into their lives they are experiencing spiritual growth. People who stop being spiritually active are more likely to suffer generalized anxiety disorder, a psychiatric illness, women suffer more then men. Majority of educated people, who are disillusioned by religions, change their level of religiousness, into spiritual activity.
The world is focused on developing technology and wealth creation, ignoring spiritual development triggering a moral and social decline world over. People work too hard and too long to own houses, cars and other gadgets, at the cost of their health, and suffer from stress, depression and live threatening diseases. People are prepared to alienate themselves from their loved ones and from the natural world and have lost the value of righteousness in their efforts to fulfill their material dreams.
Spiritual intelligence is not psychological or emotional. It seeks answers to fundamental questions like, ‘Why am I here?’ ‘Where am I going?’ ‘Who am I?’ Such probing questions and insightful responses make life meaningful, even if, external events of a selfish world breed hate and harm. Spiritual intelligence takes off from the deep recesses of human nature to the highest level of intellectual inquiry to figure out ‘What makes life worth living?’ Spirituality is not a spoilsport to do fun things such as living in indulgence, satisfying carnal desires and taking drug and alcohol.
The forces of creation sow the seed of growth. The seed finds its way, to spout on its own, without self exertion or by external efforts. Nature allows it to grow as expected. Since evolution is a slow process, it grows through stages. At each stage things appear different and the way people look at things gives different meaning to each level. Venturing into different stages of opinion, little by little the mind learns to grasp the multi-dimensional reality, which comes from a dimensionless source. The growth of brainpower is subtle and spiritual in nature and can unfold the state of inner being and inclusive knowledge, when unasked.
The superiority of mind over matter is certain. Thus we need to be cautious while spending our life picking and collecting bits and pieces as material possessions at the cost of development of mind. Logic and arguments are too little to approve or reject incidents of unexplained spiritual experiences. Indications do suggest that the experiencer is overwhelmed at that time by an inconceivable emotion of compassionate care. The evidence of spiritual reality is in the vision and not in analyzing it with logic. But spiritual experiences, surely, brings a positive change in ones attitude towards life.
A spiritual person does not see things and life as separate. He sees a unity in them. The supremacy of the spiritual over the material matters is a reality. Evolution shows that species with body mind adaptability survive, while those with gross physical attributes tend to perish. Man too will become extinct if he does not make a conscious effort to develop his mind. We are here to represent a higher stage of life on earth. We are here to give birth to something that wants to be born in the loftier realms of life. We are here not to be good or bad. We are here to live the life of a natural human being. We are here to become the futuristic cosmic being of the universe.
Human beings think that exploring the universe is the ultimate goal of their species. They assume to find answers to all questions about life on earth from extraterrestrial quest. The infinity of space and the eternity of time scales make human existence appear so small that prompted the sages to compare human life with a water bubble, which assumes shape for a moment and busts within seconds. The only way we can make ourselves more relevant is by knowing more about the secrets of the universe and the functioning of our inner being.
Today people all over the world share a common conviction that life has a spiritual dimension. A majority of people believe in God while others can’t easily define spirituality. People have now started believing in the oneness of mankind and see the world as a home for all. People are eager to discuss spiritual matters, read religious books of all religions and appreciate the goodness of moral values. As the study of spirituality is becoming an intentional choice of the people. The attendance at religious services has started decreasing. This gives hope to the world.
Religious leaders are brokers of hate and not competition since the survival of religion depends upon the hate of other religions and not on the universal message of love. Hate creates fanatics. A well-informed person is not a fanatic. He can appreciate the opposite point of view. All problems created by religions are due to lack of spiritual knowledge. It is imperative that the message of love, peace and non-violence is practiced throughout the world.
Spirituality is not a religious study but a practical way of living. It is a process that involves direct transmission of insight. It is completely focused on the individual. No myths and beliefs. It is directed to transform the mind to discern illusions from reality. It pays more attention to the navigator of life, the mind. The world is in need of new explanations and so are religions in need of a new expression. Spirituality as Swadharma is the new face of all religions.
People have lost faith in rituals and blind beliefs. They find themselves as helpless victims of religious intolerance and terrorist acts. Religions were invented for the masses; intolerance among them obviously creates social disorder. Spirituality is a private and personal matter of an individual, a man’s own scripted religion. Where an individual is free to do his own thinking and is free to work out his own salvation in the way he likes. To the ignorant masses of medieval age belonged religion, to the well-informed modern man belongs spirituality.
Every religion boasts divine links to connect Man with God directly. Though metaphysical ideas go beyond the absurdity of religions but spirituality stands on ground realities with no celestial link. It simply aspires to develop the human mind. Spiritual inquiry is rational and methodical. It is open to debate, suggestion and is comprehended by personal experience. In-depth questioning of beliefs is necessary for rigid ideas to evolve as an open-ended investigation. Only through discussions, a correct point of view can emerge. Reason and religion are in disagreement, while spirituality is based on reason.
Religion must appeal the mind of a rational man. Religions with fictitious ideas, blind faith, rituals and superstitions are a danger to society. No man should have the right to force his religion on another man. But unscrupulous preachers exploit poverty to entice illiterate people to convert their religions by gifting free economic packages to them in return and not by invoking divine intervention. People should be free to choose religion according to their own liking and intellectual competence. In fact, it is the duty of the State to guide and give a chance to people to decide freely without any coercion, which religion they would prefer to follow.
Spirituality is man’s self scripted faith, a system of mental culture based on a righteous, reasonable, meaningful and practical way of life. Superfluous system of belief has no value in its ambit. Everything is subject to investigation to clear all arising doubts. Spirituality does not encourage believing anything on its face value or accepting things which are followed traditionally by others. One must use his own intelligence to accept what appeals to him as worthwhile, since we are solely responsible for taking our own decisions.
Spirituality not only helps us to combat the stress and strain of life, it also fulfills our most profound and lofty aspirations. It gives a purpose to life. What we are today is the result of what we were in the past and what we will be in future would be the result of what we are today. The message of spirituality is spread on a one-to-one take and not to capture a crowd. It is an individual’s personal choice to heed. Being individual-centric and not people-centric, it is socially safe and peaceful. It does not involve mass violence or shedding blood of innocent people to pay attention towards it.
Spirituality sheds light to cross the dark world of unhappiness to a world lit by happiness. Virtue and wisdom are preconditions to attain a state of enlightenment. Reality does not frighten people by the fire of hell or soothe them by the pleasures of a heavenly life. Followers of facts do not indulge in petitional or intercessory prayers they believe in the importance of self-exertion and self control. The highest religion is the religion that teaches intellectual development, morality and rectitude. The greatest philosophy is the philosophy of leading a practical life.
Spirituality does not stop anyone from reading holy books and evaluating religions. It has no place for fanaticism. A fanatic cannot be guided by reason or by any scientific study. As the destiny of man is not under the speculative control of an unknown external agency, spirituality promotes free thinking and does not subscribe to the submission to religious authority or any supreme power for spiritual development. Instead it raises the dignity of a human being by accepting the importance of human intelligence and its profound potential. The intention of doing good to help others is not to please Gods in the hope of reward but due to a natural feeling of compassion for mankind.
Compassion is the highest emotional power and wisdom is the highest intellectual power. Both are nurtured by self-study and self realization and not by any godly revelations. Minds mental blocks are busted by self-effort, without the help of a savior. One is liberated by the sensible use of his in-built faculties, without waiting for it to happen by the grace of God. Man should not become a slave to any religion. He must make use of spirituality for his betterment.
Without rituals, superstitions and dogmas can we lead a spiritual life? Without the grace of God can we be virtuous? Without faith can we follow religion? Without fear can we follow religious precepts? Can we launch a new religion without thrusting it on others? Can we appreciate a religion without mysticism, occultism and the priest? The public blindly follow religious leaders who mislead them by employing conflict-ridden tactics. The very essence of religion is lost in the clash of ideologies. Spirituality is a private and personal matter of an individual, whereas religion is a public matter. Religion destroys individuality completely. It has an aversion to individualism. Religion dislikes an individual. As an independent entity, individual is a potential threat to an organized religion. Religions want him to be a part of their authoritarian setup to curb his self-determination.
Spirituality has no ideology. It is inspired by a grand intention. It is not interested in philosophical speculations but in the fundamental principles of reality. One should not waste time to know things which do not help in leading a practical life. From where this creation has arisen, from where human beings have emerged, where will they go after death, is there life after death? These are questions on which philosophers speculate by mental gymnastics. Accepting or rejecting conjectures is foolish. A practical person remains silent on issues beyond human understanding. It hardly makes a difference whether a reply to incomprehensible queries are given or not. Reality constitutes the perceived and the unperceived. As such, a person is free to decide for himself what is good for him according to his own understanding and not through made-up religious ideas.
Today religion has become a subject of rational and scientific enquiry. This change can be ascribed to the development of scientific temper, a deeper intellectual interest in spiritual matters and due to the global trend to reform religions or replace it by spirituality, which is more rational and scientific, with no false concepts. This matter is to be addressed at once without further delay. Remedial solutions are also required urgently to finish the menace of the horrifying terrorist activities being committed in the name of religion, in all parts of the world. People and the State must recognize the fact that the social, political and international events are influenced by religion and today religion is the biggest social problem.
Whenever moral values are debased, the merit of religion is questioned. Whenever righteousness, human dignity and the rule of law is violated, the authority of religion comes under the scanner. Religious books are not only said to be sacred but they are infallible and their authority cannot be questioned. Nothing is infallible and nothing can be the last word. Therefore, everything must be open to review, whenever such a need arises. Infallibility of Holy books is a rejection of freedom of thought. Freedom of thought is the only way to discover truth.
The authors of religions struggled to respond to questions like: How did the world originate? Who created man? One finds no proof to support the concept of a creator and the assumption that God created man and soul. This can be summed up by admitting that ‘I know not, I know not’. How can anything be a reality about which no one knows anything? Religious ideas are no more useful, the authors of holy books tried to reach the truth but they had not reached it. Their theories were mere speculations, lacking reality. Their contribution created no social value. Reality is supported by proof. Perception and inference are tools to prove it.
Since long, organized religions have held their follower’s captive, from their womb to their tomb. The germ of religion is now a part of their DNA. So misgivings are likely to arise. Won’t it be difficult for them to accept Swadharma? Won’t it be difficult to free them from the idea of God? Won’t it be difficult for them to give up rituals and prayer to appease God? Surely, stubborn religious traditions die hard. Aren’t all changes at the risk of stiff resistance, when brought in?
The world should weed out vain talk and falsehood from religions and bring clarity in understanding reality. The talk of god, goddesses and angels residing in a make-believe world is like a comic strip. It is hard to believe that some ones flight of fantasy can end by killing those who dislike these comical characters. How can an earthling see celestial beings like god, goddesses and angels and hear them talk, without seeing them and knowing their language? The people of the world can speak a worldly language and understand worldly similes and worldly words. The cause of all error is the authors of this cosmic comedy.
Spirituality follows the laws of nature. It recognizes that the mind is the centre of everything. Mind is the source of all good and evil. Hence it is important to increase goodness and prevent bad qualities from arising. Little by little the minds of men are trained to grasp higher truths. Spoken and written words are meaningless while silence goes beyond the senses to decipher the un-scripted language of silence. Spiritual truths become deeper like the ocean. As rain pouring from the clouds and the rivers merging into the ocean lose their identity. Similarly all religions merging into spirituality become one. Spirituality is the end of all religions. As the ocean has the taste of salt, spirituality has the feeling of faith.
Spirituality is a ‘Do-It-Yourself’ project, having no support systems to assist, except self-help. It does not constitute a gathering of people, who are dependent on somebody or someone giving instructions, what to do or what not to do. It is a self-determining process of realization, a self-regulating process of purification and a self-governing process of liberation. There is no usefulness in praying or depending on others. By observing the mind, the wandering of the mind stops and the mind becomes a mirror, a mirror that simply reflects. Life exists, for a while, here and now and pass away soon. Extinction of existence and existence of extinction, takes away the zest of life. In that case why fret and why fume, for whom?
Religions have suppressed the free spirit of spirituality. Pent-up spirituality in a person is struggling to express itself freely. People are trying to reach in, to draw out spirituality, from within enabling them to study, reflect and realize the deep-seated reality of life. Only eternal values can give a correct insight. The path of spirituality is not the path of despair. Spirituality is the goal of a deeply pious person. Thoughts tend to create opposing views causing restlessness, negate them, strike a balance, to be at peace. When at peace love comes automatically with the desire to help others.
Spirituality does not rely on an institution. It relies on individual experience. The focus of spirituality is on an individual and not on a crowd. It evolves on an each to each basis and is does not have single plan for all. Reality is experienced at an individual level. The religion of future will be self-realization. Knowledge removes ignorance. Spiritual wisdom purifies the mind. Spirituality is a matter of individual effort, without a definition. All definitions have a contradictory opinion. It is what we do that matters to attain self-realization.
Since no religion can claim to be the best, therefore no religion should be forced upon anyone. Each person should have the freedom to choose the religion of his choice or the one that meets his requirement. Thereafter he should have faith in the religion of his preference and then through Swadharma seek his spiritual aspirations.
The problems confronting our species are spiritual problems, they can only be addressed with spiritual solutions, politics will not work, economic solutions will not work and religious solutions will not work only spiritual solutions will make the problem go away. Only a spiritual approach will put an end to the conflict that has plagued the human race for thousand of years and only spiritual solutions will put an end to the conflict that is staged in the heart and mind of every human. Spirituality make us aware that there is so much that we don’t know, we tend to place our own egos and mortal lifetime above everything else, when in fact this is the most temporary phase in our spiritual journey.
Religions cannot exist anymore the days of religion are over. A radical change is needed to bridge the center with the circumference. Spirituality will do and the whole will create the complete man and dispel the darkness of ignorance to save the world from ills. When spirituality is relegated to the background, ignorance spreads and many sects, false preacher’s and superstitions spring up rapidly. When a genuine reformist movement arrives, it comes but rarely. Let people welcome it.