My Answers to queries on Meaning of Life, Religion and Spirituality

MY VIEWS ON SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

(These are views posted in site United Communities of Spirit Also see my other pages: Basic Beliefs | Meaning of Life)

How do you define the term "religion"?

I believe that religion and the concept of God were two different entities. Religion started off as a mere code of social and hygienic behavior. The concept of God was related to mental powers and spirituality. Religion had a marriage of convenience with the concept of God. How this marriage of convenience came about is discussed in my article God and Religion - A New Look. I have also discussed the possible history of origin of religion.

This method of God and religion was once conceived by the noble and spiritually learned men as fairy tales or moral stories aimed at the common man of yesteryears, who had far less access to knowledge than common man has today. It was a tool devised for the common man of yesteryears. The tool has not evolved or changed with time to suit the new age common man because of its inherent flaw - the tool works on faith. Faith gives the tool its edge, but it is a double edge sword. It has a high risk of blinding and closing minds. Religion according to me is an outdated, primitive tool which has not evolved over time to suit the changes happening in its subjects because of this flaw.

Not only religion is an outdated tool, it has got corrupted and distorted by some half learned priests and touts.

Is "religion" different than "spirituality"?

Yes

How do you define "spirituality"?

To me spirituality is reaching a state of mind where one can activate and have complete control over his power of mind, the power which is latent and dormant when he is in normal state of mind.

What are some essential differences between the two?

Religion is an attempt at spirituality. Though present day religion is in a highly distorted form, the psychotherapy of God (and not religion) was devised by some 'enlightened' men as a first toddler step towards spirituality. Religion and concept of God need to be set aside for taking further steps to spirituality. Spirituality is the goal, religion is only a method, that too a primitive, outdated and distorted method.

As you look to the future, what do you see as the relationship between religion and spirituality?

I am confident that the spiritual phenomena will be explained in future, not necessarily by physical science and mathematics, but perhaps by new fields of study (which I have called spiritual science and mentomatics in my article). Spiritual science will develop advanced and 'scientific' methods for spirituality. There will be methods available for two-minute spirituality and instant spirituality. Sounds stupid? So would thoughts of television and aircraft sound stupid to an apeman. I believe that after the information revolution, it is the turn of spiritual revolution.

Religion and religious books will be available in museums as antiques. Religion and religious methods will be remembered as the "bullock-cart methods to reach spirituality", as man would have developed jet age methods to do so. With eyes of disbelief, man will look back to see how religion had closed his mind and led him to hatred and killing.

We've talked about creating a spiritual movement "based on ideals rather than structure." Do you think that's a good idea?

If no, please describe an alternative view.

So long as spiritual science is not developed and laws of spiritual space are not understood, any movement will be a "bullock-cart" approach to spirituality.

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