Religion and Spirituality by Lt Col RK Langar
abracad, · Categories: externally authored, religion, spiritualitySpirituality is the backbone of Indian philosophy. Indian philosophy is eclipsed by Indian spirituality. It aims at living the life in highest consciousness involving maximum awareness. Spirituality aims at recognizing the Divine principle in a man and growing with that principle to bring about harmony and freedom in man’s inner and outer life. When we grow spiritually we also maintain healthy relationship with others.
Spirituality is the knowledge and realization of the fact that our soul is divine in nature being a fraction of God and it is the same soul which exists in all being. In its absolute sense spirituality is that illumined state of existence which one attains after realizing one’s identity with God. Spirituality is an upward movement which recognizes that God is present in all. Indian philosophical thought gives a practical way of reaching Supreme. If a man is a part of divine then he must get aware of this true nature. In its relative sense spirituality means living a noble life anchored on the moral values which could ultimately lead us to God or Self realization.
Spirituality is the realization that man is not only body but a combination of body and soul the Atma or the self where Atma is the highest component of man’s personality. The Atma which is present in all accounts for the basic vedantic principle of unity in diversity. We generally identify ourselves with body mind intellect (BMI) complex and thus live in spiritual ignorance. When we rise above the BMI idea our outlook on life gains in largeness and depth. This feeling manifests when we allow our individual consciousness to break the barrier of our limited ego and grow into universal consciousness.
I shall quote here one definition of spirituality which is given by Sri  Aurobindo, the great twentieth century philosopher of India. He says that spirituality is not high intellectuality or idealism, nor moral purity nor austerity. It is an inner aspiration to know to feel and to enter into contact with the greater Reality beyond and pervading this universe. Sri Aurobindo further says that spirituality is to feel divine, think divine and see divine. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa another great saint of India told his disciple Swami Vivekananda that he had seen God, talked to God in the same manner as “I see you and talk to youâ€. It amply proves that spirituality is not another worldly affair but it can be experienced and realized while living in the world provided one has a strong ethical base. We have to become ethical first before becoming spiritual
Spirituality can also be expressed as yoga, truth, absolute mysticism and wisdom. In its final analysis, spirituality is a state when one obtains liberation from cycle of birth and death. Spirituality is the science of self. Lord Krishna states in the Gita that “of all the science I am the science of the selfâ€. More than 2000 years ago the great Greek philosopher Plato had said that the best science is the science of self. Another western saint Augustine says that the goal of man is to achieve complete union with God. This is referred as Moksa in Indian philosophy which is the same as liberation or nirvana from cycle of birth and death. This is also what yoga aims at.
Is spirituality Religion – specific
Can one be spiritual without being religious? Is spirituality religion specific? In Indian context where a vast majority of people are religious spirituality is religion specific. At an average state of our existence one has to raise himself to a spiritual state through his or her own religion. Most of us believe in our religion and are capable of treading the spiritual path provided we practice and live moral values as listed in our respective scriptures. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama maintains that one can be spiritual without being religious. But these are the blessed souls who are spiritually awakened from very young age like the likes of Shankracharya. Maharishi Ramana, Sri Aurobindo, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Guru Nanak, Sri Chaitanya, Lal Ded, Bhagavaan Gopinathji and Sri Sri Ravishankar who all were born in India. But for the rest of us it is necessary that we follow our religion in order to cultivate moral virtues and rise above the religious rituals to tread the spiritual path.
When a person understands and knows what spirituality means, he does not confine himself to his own religion but he belongs to the entire mankind. His personality cannot be confined to a particular religion, place time or region. Thus it is seen that spirituality is a universal quality which begins with religion but is far above and more than religion. Spiritual understanding is open to all who are self disciplined and aware of divine. It is a wrong belief, a misconception that spirituality is not meant for the common man. If religion turns a normal human being into a good human being, spirituality turns a good person into a righteous person. Goodness can be subjective whereas righteousness is universal.
Difference between spirituality and Religion
Religion has two sides- personnel and social. With personnel aspect we uplift ourselves and enter into realm of spirituality. With its social aspect we contribute for the betterment of the society fully accepting that morality should subdue social order. While living in the world we do not have to evade social responsibility. This is precisely what is meant by doing good to all creatures. Religion plays an imp role in our lives even though our ultimate aim is to become spiritual. Mahabharata gives a simple meaning of religion, whatever holds people together is religion. If I have to point out one basic difference between spirituality and religion I would say that while religion can be taught or religious teachings can be imparted to a man at an average state of evolution, spirituality cannot be taught but it can only be experienced and that too when we raise our level of understanding on the foundation of morality.
Religion can be misused to divide, religion could be exclusive and badly managed but spirituality can never be exclusive and it would always unite. Religion can be misused to divide but spirituality can never divide, it shall always unite. Religion can be part time but not spirituality which is a whole time experience. Spiritual feeling can be equated to the fruit of a tree which is found on the higher branches of a tree. You can pluck the fruit from lower branches of the tree while standing on the ground but to pluck the fruit from higher branches of the tree, you have to raise yourself higher than the ground level. Similarly to understand what spirituality means one has to raise one’s level of consciousness to a plane higher than mind and intellect level of existence.
The whole point of spirituality is to being about a change in the living without sticking to some doctrine or dogma which are found on the surface of religion. Religion has a history whereas spirituality remains unchanged. Religion can be described whereas spirituality is beyond description especially at the absolute level. A spiritual experience makes us free from all forms of limitations and we see others as extension of our own self. We understand people around us and we get related to the welfare of all with a loving attitude. Spirituality is the inner life of a man far above the rigidity of religion. A spirituality person sees divine pervading everything and makes no destination between high born or low born, rich and poor. He feels godhood in both pious and the wicked. A spiritual person accepts all religions of the world and bridges the gap between them with love and compassion. Sri Aurobindo says that all would change if man could once consent to be spiritualized but his nature mental, vital and physical is rebellious to higher law as man loves his imperfection.
Man’s lower nature is the biggest obstacle on the spiritual path which has to be refined and sublimated. The more we expand and broaden our vision the more we start visualizing what spirituality means. We have to get rid of the feeling of I and Me and replace it with We and Ours to eliminate our personal limited ego. Religious life may be the first approach to the spiritual life but religion often ends in rituals rites and ceremonies. But when one realizes that rituals and rites are only the start point of spiritual life then he rises above them. When you are in the midst of an ocean you cannot gauge the extent of water around you but when you rise higher you get to know the complete extent of ocean and then there is no confusion in the mind and there is no fear of unknown. Similarly when we remain within the parameters of our religious ritual and rites we cannot understand spirituality unless we rise above them. Those who know what spirituality is do not require any external assistance, belief in dogma or participation in any rituals.
Spirituality blossoms in two ways. One, a spiritual person has inward love for others and two, he develops a desire and ability to uplift others. When a person responds to joy and sorrows of others he is in the highest state of spirituality. A religious person remains within his religion whereas a spiritual person sees all without exception in his own self and thus in Supreme. How can there be any lapse from righteousness for a person who knows unity of himself with others. A religious person may say that his God is exclusive but a spiritual person knows that there is only one God without a second which is described differently in various religions. Spiritual person knows that truth is one, sages call it by different names which cannot be understood comprehensively by a religious person. In the life of a spiritual person righteousness pervades every act. A spiritual person is not a part time devotee like a religious person but he ever remains in God consciousness. A religious person may use religion for selfish ends which is not the case of a spiritual person in whom there is no trace of selfishness. A spiritual person empathizes with others feeling the problems and pain of others as his own. Spiritual life is not a prayer or petition, it is profound devoutness, silent meditation connecting to divine. Spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it.
There are certain distinctive marks of a spiritual person in that he remains in a state of constant cheer, joy, bliss, love, peace and goodness. He is a well wisher of all, inspires others and gives comfort to those who come in his contact. He not only understands the higher values of life but also lives them. He has equal vision, is lovable, is committed to truth, has foresight and is transparent. He utters words that are instructive. He loves every one and feels happy to see others happy. He is considerate in that he gives more love to those who are suffering. A spiritual person is as world citizen beyond caste, creed, family and lineage. A worldly person is recognized in his own area while a spiritual person is recognized all over. He develops the power of right understanding. There is no trace of selfishness in him. He is ever enthusiastic. If ever he makes a mistake he corrects himself immediately after he has committed it. Sri Sri Ravishanker, describes spirituality as growing in unconditional love, cheerfulness, beauty and enthusiasm.
Spirituality gives broader understanding of life which enables man to face conflicts and resolve them peacefully. He further says that spiritual insight makes you serve others and when we serve others our own problems appear small which we can be handled easily .Politeness is the hallmark of a true spiritual person. I have come across some people who call themselves spiritual and yet they display little rudeness in their personal behavior towards others. This is not true spirituality. A true spiritual person has time for every one he does not lack warmth. He is cheerful not only for himself but for others as well.
India is a spiritual country rather spiritual capital of the world. It has produced a large number of saints, sages and seers. Among them is Sri Aurobindo who says that India can best develop herself and serve humanity by being herself and following the law of her own nature. India being truly spiritual rejects no new light. She believes in vedic diction, “Let noble thoughts come to us from every sideâ€. German Indologist Max Muller confirms this when he says that if we were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty that nature can bestow, a very paradise on earth it is India. He further says that it is India’s literature that makes our inner life perfect, comprehensive and universal. German philosopher Schopenahauer says that no study is as elevating as study of Upanishad.
Appreciating Indian spiritual values and teachings of Indian sages western historian Arnold Toynbee says that western beginning should have an Indian end if the world is not to end in self destruction of human race. What a tribute it is which makes every Indian proud of his country. This also underscores that India is spiritual and not secular because secularism is neither spiritual nor moral.
One of the greatest saint philosophers of India, Swami Vivekananda who put Hinduism on the world map during parliament of religion held at Chicago in 1893 says that if there is any land on this earth which can say claim to be blessed, the land where humanity has attained its highest towards gentleness, generosity, purity and calmness it is India. India is a mother land of spirituality and if India gives up spirituality and goes after material civilization it will be an extinct race. Dr Radhakrishnan, the well known Indian spiritual philosopher says that what world requires today is spiritual orientation which India can provide.
From all such accounts one can conclude that spirituality is the monopoly of India. Indian surface mind may have admitted certain western ideas but not the core which is spiritual and shall ever remain so expressing equality and unity of all religions and beliefs and inspired by oneness of all existence. In India religion and spirituality do not come out from an organized belief system, people worship whatever they are related to most.
Spirituality does not only mean living at the highest level of consciousness but it is also a feeling that you can strengthen the weak and enlighten the ignorant. Spirituality is a feeling that all are equal and when you are helping others you in fact are helping yourself. In spirituality there is no end to search there is no retirement in life as you keep in learning day by day. A spiritual person teaches out of pages of experiences from the book of his life. Goal of spiritual path is self transcendence and not self suppression. Spiritually reformed persons are inclined to use their wisdom for general good rather than own good. A spiritually oriented person is always kind to others in words and deeds. Mother Teresa says that kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless. With a spiritual outlook man talks of not good old days but good now days.
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Filed in: externally authored, religion, spirituality
Jai SaiMaster,
Great Article, I am very much impressed by reading ur Article, Its remembering the my Master Sri Ekkirala Bharadwaja, who dedicated his life into spreading the Sai tatwa in to this phisical world, The same words and teachings we got from his books. I wish u all successes in OUR spiritual Path..
With divine love,
HariBabu.K