Is being religious spiritual? And is being spiritual the same as following a religion?
Whilst both these statements have an element of truth, it raises questions that divide opinion. Even Deepak Chopra has a take on it:
“Religion is belief in someone else’s experience. Spirituality is having your own experience.”
Chopra’s summary is a point of view that most spiritual people would vehemently agree with. However, not all religious people are misled by dogma. All modern day religions, including Hindu, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism were born from ancient writing that teach spirituality.
The great divide between spiritualism and religion is the way the teachings are passed on to participants. For example, religion focuses on things on the outside, a God, and other people. Spirituality teaches you to look on the inside and understand the self.
Religious institutions are designed to control people. They typically tell followers what is right and wrong, what to do and what not to do. Spiritual people, on the other hand, explore their problems and try to discover what the issue is with themselves. It is a process of self-realization.
What is spirituality?
Spirituality and religion are so closely connected that spirituality requires defining. So many people, who claim to be religious or spiritual, go on to attack the other for its faults.
But is this really, ‘being in the spirit of things?’
Everyone is entitled to an opinion and has the right to express their beliefs in ways that works for them. It makes me laugh when people who follow new-age spiritualism condemn religion for trapping people into believing stories when they are being trapped to believe ideas by expressions they do not explore and don’t know the full meaning of.
To me, being spiritual is being connected with the self. Understanding what you truly want from life and being in total control of your thoughts, emotions and actions brings bliss and peace of mind every day. Spirituality is about being connected to the soul, doing the things you want to do and achieving the goals you set for yourself.
It is all too easy to become disconnected from the self in the modern age. There are so many distractions, with TV, sports, the internet, the socializing, work and all the other life’s trappings, that we don’t take the time to just be. We are called human beings, but we live like human doings.
And we are essentially spiritual beings who can have a human experience. Think about how you feel when you are doing something that you don’t really want to do. You feel repelled, uncomfortable and do not enjoy the experience.
Have you also had the experience that you were on the wrong path in life? Then there comes a point in time where you think: no this is not right for me, and for a while you may not know what to do? But then an idea emerges, and that idea feels right. Have you felt that?
This is your soul speaking to you. This is your true self telling you what you really want from life. This is your spirit telling you who you are. So being spiritual is really about being connected with your true self and knowing what you want from life.
When you are in tune with yourself, you are in tune with nature. You connect with divine inspiration and find more harmony and balance in your life. This is when we are being truly spiritual.
Why is religion not spiritual?
This is a question that is not phrased correctly. Religion is spiritual if the person following the religion is spiritual. It really all boils down to how an individual practices his or her religion. Hinduism encourages you to look on the inside, so it is easy to be spiritual if you are Hindu.
Christians and Muslims tend to look on the outside. That doesn’t mean all Christians and Muslims are not spiritual. As I said, it depends on the individual and I have met many people from both faiths who understand that the teachings in the Bible and the Koran are symbolic, and are not to be taken literally. They too reflect on their experiences in life and try to make sense of it all. This is being spiritual.
The confusion in religious circles arises because the authorities use the religion to control people. It is a tool of corruption that has been used for centuries to divide people, and has also been used as a catalyst for war. Nothing has changed in today’s world.
But here’s something not many people know. The English word ‘church’ derives from an ancient Celtic word ‘Kirk’ which is still used today in Scotland. ‘Kirk’ came from the German word “Kirche” which in turn has its roots in the ancient Greek word “Circe.”
In Greek mythology, a character known as Mother Circe turns people to animals and brainwashes them to become their servants. This is what modern day religious organizations do. How many religious extremists do we see who have been manipulated into thinking “their God” will save them?
When pastors inadvertently teach lessons in the bible based on their training and personal interpretations – they often do not explain the real spiritual meaning. Instead, they explore moral values, but in doing so, people unfortunately lose the spiritual concept of religion.
We cannot blame religion itself as spiritual teachings are right there in ancient texts. It is the misinterpretation of the symbolism taught by religious institutions that steer people towards adopting moral values towards others and forgetting about themselves as part of the development process of life.
So this is where I feel most of the confusion arises between spirituality and religion. There is no right or wrong faith to follow providing you follow it IN the right way. Religion versus spiritual beliefs is certainly not something we should be arguing about or fighting over.
And whatever path you choose is the right path for you if you feel drawn to it. What is most important is that you use the wisdom in religious and spiritual writings to study yourself and reach a state of self-realization so that you can expand your conscious awareness.
