Religion=Fear
Spirituality=Freedom
Hopefully, the title isn't too offputting, because it carries a very important message. There is a saying that states, "Religion is for those who fear hell, spirituality is for those that have been there." For quite some time now, that saying has endured in my memory as a constant state of reassurance of what I've overcome. I wasn't aware of such a dramtic difference between the two until it was necessary for my survivial (quite literally). But what really is so different between spirituality? That's what we're going to discuss briefly right now.
Looking at the picture at the top of this post, we can see a moonlit tree grove. This image was chosen for a reason. It can invoke two separate responses in people depending on how they have gone about their spiritual understanding; either it can show you the fears and insecurites still lurking in the shadows of you mind being manifested as emotion as you scan the shadows of the image for hidden objects, or it could give an ease of calm and serenity by being able to see the beauty of the wholeness of existence being so eloquently draped in front for our soul to admire. What could cause this sort of feeling to exist? Could it be that those who follow a spiritual path rather than a religious one know that the only real shadows that darken our existence are in ourselves? We are merely the projector shinning life into the world in accordance with our interior nature. The objective world remains the same in that moment, it is our minds that cause the inner dialogue telling us what we see, and if it be a spiritual mind, it will see order even in the midst of chaos for it knows that chaos is not real, it only appears to be.
This isn't to say that religion in of its self is lesser than spirituality, rather that it should be a stepping stone of sorts towards one's own spirituality. A brother of mine once told me during one of our many long philosophical talks something I will always remember when it comes to this matter. He said, "Religion is someone else's story of how they dsicoved the divine, Spirituality is your very own and no one can tell that story other than you." Oddly enough, naming a religion is something of a newer concept when it comes to humans. Most indigenous cultures in ancient times didn't have a name for what their religion was because there was no distinct separation between their everyday lives and their spirituality, they were one and the same, simply living. This is an inner feeling that I've personally adopted as my own way of looking at my spirituality.
I believe that most don't choose a spiritual life over a religious one because it takes too much individual responsibility. It is far too easy to have some religious body leader directing you and telling you how to be in accordance with someone else's spiritual story. Who decided this person was in charge of directing your spiritual nature? If it was yourself, you opted out of directing your own life. Besides, any person who tells you that they have the one and only way to spirituality is a person who is attempting to steal your own wallet and sell it back to you. They may be able to point the way but it is always you who has to walk that path. That is where spirituality comes into play.
Your religion, or lack thereof, should be your compass, but the compass isn't used on the outside world, it is used inside of yourself. The deepest and most life changing answers aren't found in some book, they are found within yourself. Sure, outside influences may have an effect, but they don't dictate the outcome. They may help point the way, but again, it comes down to you.
That is why I say spirituality over religion and why those who have chosen it are the ones that have tread the path of "knowing thy Self."
Looking at the picture at the top of this post, we can see a moonlit tree grove. This image was chosen for a reason. It can invoke two separate responses in people depending on how they have gone about their spiritual understanding; either it can show you the fears and insecurites still lurking in the shadows of you mind being manifested as emotion as you scan the shadows of the image for hidden objects, or it could give an ease of calm and serenity by being able to see the beauty of the wholeness of existence being so eloquently draped in front for our soul to admire. What could cause this sort of feeling to exist? Could it be that those who follow a spiritual path rather than a religious one know that the only real shadows that darken our existence are in ourselves? We are merely the projector shinning life into the world in accordance with our interior nature. The objective world remains the same in that moment, it is our minds that cause the inner dialogue telling us what we see, and if it be a spiritual mind, it will see order even in the midst of chaos for it knows that chaos is not real, it only appears to be.
This isn't to say that religion in of its self is lesser than spirituality, rather that it should be a stepping stone of sorts towards one's own spirituality. A brother of mine once told me during one of our many long philosophical talks something I will always remember when it comes to this matter. He said, "Religion is someone else's story of how they dsicoved the divine, Spirituality is your very own and no one can tell that story other than you." Oddly enough, naming a religion is something of a newer concept when it comes to humans. Most indigenous cultures in ancient times didn't have a name for what their religion was because there was no distinct separation between their everyday lives and their spirituality, they were one and the same, simply living. This is an inner feeling that I've personally adopted as my own way of looking at my spirituality.
I believe that most don't choose a spiritual life over a religious one because it takes too much individual responsibility. It is far too easy to have some religious body leader directing you and telling you how to be in accordance with someone else's spiritual story. Who decided this person was in charge of directing your spiritual nature? If it was yourself, you opted out of directing your own life. Besides, any person who tells you that they have the one and only way to spirituality is a person who is attempting to steal your own wallet and sell it back to you. They may be able to point the way but it is always you who has to walk that path. That is where spirituality comes into play.
Your religion, or lack thereof, should be your compass, but the compass isn't used on the outside world, it is used inside of yourself. The deepest and most life changing answers aren't found in some book, they are found within yourself. Sure, outside influences may have an effect, but they don't dictate the outcome. They may help point the way, but again, it comes down to you.
That is why I say spirituality over religion and why those who have chosen it are the ones that have tread the path of "knowing thy Self."
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