Spirituality And Spiritualism
WHAT IS SPIRITUALITY OR SPIRITUALISM?
Before I say anything about Spirituality and spiritualism one must first realize that there is a marked difference between religion and spirituality. The immediate difference between religion and spirituality is that while religion is exclusive- in that one has to subscribe to that one religion at the exclusion of all other religions, faiths, and beliefs, spirituality is inclusive in that any one adherent of any religion can embrace spirituality and retain his or her religious status or place in that religion. Spirituality cuts across religious, cultural, traditional, social-political and academic barriers. In other words, one does not need to abandon one’s religion in order to be a devotee, student or practitioner of spirituality. In this way, religions are limiting but spirituality is not. For this reason one can rightly say that compared to religion, spirituality can be said to be the higher state or consciousness of religion. If it were a coin, the religious side bears limitations of beliefs, faith and dogma and the spirituality side is the mark of infinite consciousness and freedom.
“Religion is the manifestation of the divinity which is already present in the human being” said swami Vivekananda. Each soul is potentially divine. To manifest that very divinity within, Man should control his nature externally and internally. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy by one or more or all of these and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines or Dogmas or rituals or books, or temples, or forms, all are but secondary details. The more our bliss is within, the more