Many people equate spirituality with religion and have loaded emotions about it. Every wrongdoing and every misinterpretation by a religious person throughout history can become a reason to reject that particular religion, subsequently, spirituality. On the other hand, religious people sometimes attribute their experience of spirituality to their specific religion.
If spirituality is the nirvana and the journey to nirvana, then a religion is only one of many vehicles that helps us reach there. Vehicles may have flaws or drivers (messengers) can be imperfect, but the journey takes us closer to enlightenment. Arguing which religion is superior is un-constructive to spiritual understanding.
Ultimately, when stripping away the dogmas and the nuances, most religions espouse the same spiritual principles of love, kindness, and tolerance. Even though there are some unspiritual religious leaders who maximize personal gains in the name of religion, their behaviors don’t represent religion or spirituality.
The reasons people embrace spirituality vary. However, it is often a result of searching for meaning in life as spirituality provides explanations and solutions to most human challenges. Especially after suffering immense emotional pain, we find salvation in spirituality. Going on a spiritual path by following religions is only one of many options. Many non-religious paths exist. For example, following intellectual paths such as Ken Wilber’s Integral Practice or Sydney Bank’s 3 principles; practicing yoga and meditation or returning from a hypnotic regression session or a near-death experience. All of them can set us up on a spiritual path.
One important aspect of spiritual paths is they are always inward, never outward. Spiritual enlightenment is not a place somewhere out there that we reach through certain behaviors or hard work. Enlightenment is within us. Identities, length on a spiritual path or other’s perceptions are no indication of spiritual progress.
The journey to spirituality starts with spiritual awakening – becoming aware of our soul again. Once we do and begin nurturing it, we will recognize the fact that each of us is brilliant, talented, fabulous and powerful beyond measure.
