Spirituality

Some of us think being religious means being spiritual.

Religion consists of observing and performing rituals and practises for the glory of our deities.

Religion is like the cover of a book, whereas spirituality is the actual content. So if a person is religiously inclined but has little or no inclination towards spirituality, then that person cannot stay in constant touch with the supreme energy. That person may try in vain to strike a deal with the supreme energy.

Overdosing on religion without spirituality is harmful because then religion becomes business.

The worst is when we fight and kill each other in the name of religion. That is perhaps the greatest sin we can ever commit. We are all children of the same supreme energy, and there can be only one Almighty—hence the name.

It is silly when we try to figure out who is a bigger god or goddess, and we don’t stop there; we even try to convert others! Do we really think that the one who created us needs our help to stay in power or something? Or will Jesus, Allah, Ram, or whoever we follow be pleased if we try to create a divide or polarise opinion? We actually disrespect our gods and goddesses by doing so.

Religious scholars who spread hatred are among the biggest sinners. Getting a degree from prestigious institutions doesn’t guarantee that those degree holders also have a beautiful mind and soul. It could be possible that what we study is a mere interpretation of the actual manuscripts, and what we preach could be our interpretation of others' interpretations. So it becomes a Chinese whisper, and nobody gets the actual meaning.

So who is a spiritual person?

A spiritual person is one who has inner peace, has control over her or his senses, and thus has the ability to stay in constant touch with the supreme energy.

Everybody needs and wants inner peace, especially when there is a tussle between conscience and the influencer. 

Inner peace soothes both mind and soul, or spirit.

How do we find inner peace?

A believer might pray to the Almighty to show the way, and a nonbeliever might seek some external help from a higher power or try to meditate.

Prayers and meditation bring inner peace. Peace of mind and spirit helps us channel our energies towards what we seek to achieve.

Blessed are those whose desires are beyond personal and materialistic pleasures, because there is no end to them, and they actually fuel greed and lust, and we find ourselves entangled in the chatter again. So it becomes a vicious circle.

Here, a true guru can help.

Courtesy - https://areyougoodandspiritual.blogspot.com/2016/12/swami-vivekananda-s-search-for-true-guru.html

Who is a true guru?

A true guru is one who takes us from Gu (darkness) to Ru (light).

Everyone is not fortunate enough to be blessed or get a true guru.

So what about those who are less fortunate? Do they have any hope?

Every entity that existed before, is existing, or will exist does so due to the presence of the Almighty or the supreme energy within them. Even all the gods and goddesses derive their energies from the Almighty. The Almighty is the one who has no beginning and no end. The Almighty is forever.

So what that means is that only the Almighty, or the supreme energy, is our best friend. Even our parents cannot physically stay with us throughout our lives.

Blessed or not, life is full of challenges for all of us, and if we try to listen to our conscience, we are advised to stay positive and not lose hope. Our conscience is actually the manifestation of the Almighty, who is always within us and who always guides us.