Spirituality

“Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need!”

People everywhere recognize the need for spirituality in their life and assume that once found, it will bring them happiness. What, though, is the meaning of the term “spirituality”?

One dictionary defines spirituality as “sensitive or attachment to religious values.” Just about every religion claims to know the path to spirituality; the directions to spirituality given are about as numerous as the religions themselves. A Protestant claims to be saved at a revival meeting, a Catholic seeks communion with God at mass, a Buddhist pursues enlightenment through meditation, a Hindu strives for release from the cycle of rebirths through self-denial, and a Christian finds it when they belong to a church. Spirituality can mean, to some, to believe without belonging (that is to believe in a god or deity or anything without belonging to a “church”).

Spirituality refers, not to a religious experience but to a desire for inner peace and meaning in life. Those seeking spirituality need not look to religion at all. You need to look inwardly, to your innermost feelings. One writer said: “True spirituality is something that is found deep within oneself. It is your way of loving, accepting, and relating to the world and people around you. It can not be found in a church or by believing in a certain way.”

Clearly people differ greatly in their ideas about spirituality. As far as their being a correct path to follow (the best path) I don’t agree with the idea that there is only ONE way. Everyone has their own view on being spiritual. Some people want to join spirituality and religion into one, and that’s fine … if that is what you want, but let me define both of these words.

Religion is a set dogma, there are sets of rules and behaviors that one should follow; religion has an organization to it. By definition, it involves belief in a deity or worship of a deity. Religion is the personal set or institutionalized attitudes, beliefs, practices, or a cause. Most religions tend to follow a certain format of worship or service in a manner that brings about a feeling of unity. So, it would be safe to say that most religions are manmade institutions where individuals with the same religious attitudes gather in order to achieve a sense of harmony with that which they consider to be divine.

Spirituality, on the other hand does not place the emphasis on rules, ideals or textbooks. Spirituality is what you feel without being told and without having to belong to something in particular. It does not (necessarily) have anything to do with religion... it has to do with self-realization. It is the search for one's own spiritual truths. Many spiritual seekers choose not to join into an organized type of religion, but prefer to discover the answers from within themselves rather than through manmade rituals.

Religion often tends to build walls of mistrust, fear, and even hatred through its rigid, in most cases, adherence to the “rules.” Spirituality, on the other hand is free of dogma, and allows tolerance and discernment to others beliefs, rather than intolerance and judgment.

This is not to say that religion is bad and spirituality is good. Religion by its very organization promotes a sense of unity, and spirituality can have a down side when the seeker starts relying on leaders who profess to have all the answers and they just end up leaving us confused.

In my opinion, religion and spirituality don’t fall hand in hand; you can’t use these two words interchangeably like most people do. I am not saying in any way that either is more logical than the other, I am simply expressing my thoughts and feelings.