A New Path For A New World

Currently, a large number of people across the world identify themselves as SBNR, i.e., spiritual but not religious. The term may be new to Indians, but recent research shows that perhaps one in every five persons living in the USA describes themselves as spiritual but not religious.

This phrase means different things to different people. The confusion arises because the words “spiritual” and “religious” are often mistakenly taken as synonymous. Both relate to belief in a Higher Power of some kind, both imply a desire to connect or enter into a deeper relationship with this Higher Power, and both refer to rituals, practices, and daily moral behaviours that help build such a connection. Therefore, before exploring the difference between religion and spirituality, we need to define these two terms and understand clearly that they are not the same.Religions generally have a large amount of faith which may or may not find support in reason and may even go against facts known through enquiry, experimentation, and evidence. Religions also come with rituals, ceremonies, acts, and paraphernalia of worship. Spirituality, in comparison, is free from such elements or has very little of them.

The main substance of spirituality is values, virtues, and rational spiritual beliefs that enlighten a person about the self, the meaning of life, the role and goal of human existence, and the method of bringing purity and quietude to the mind in a simple, rational, and experiential way. It can be said that spirituality is the universal core of all religions. It is the essence of all wisdom. The opposite of spirituality is gross materialism which breeds competition, selfishness, and a struggle for survival. Spirituality leads to harmony and peace.

If it does not bring these benefits, then it is not spirituality but pseudo-spirituality.The aim of every religion is to make a person pious and a good citizen. But with time, every religion went through degeneration. So it is not correct to condemn all religions or reject everything in any one religion. However, if a religion instigates its followers against others or gives its followers such frenzy that they attack people of other faiths, then such a system cannot be called religion in the true sense. Fanatics who have no deep religious experience but raise slogans and get provoked easily are the real enemies of religion. When many people say that religion and politics should not mix, they say so because of this background. India, with its pluralistic culture, gives every person the right and freedom of religious belief without government interference.

The Indian polity is known as secular. Yet, despite this, many riots after independence were caused by religious intolerance. In such situations, spirituality can play a major role in maintaining peace and harmony in a society where people speak different languages, follow different religions, and have different lifestyles. Spirituality removes bias and prejudice, breaks the walls of casteism, cultism, and meaningless customs, and creates a basis for brotherhood. Spirituality implies universal love, non-violence, compassion, virtue, simplicity, honesty, detachment, and service. If spirituality is placed at the centre of politics and society, the world would be a better place. One cannot have humility, detachment, compassion, or freedom from hatred and violence without spirituality.

The writer is a spiritual teacher and popular columnist; views are personal