Have you ever thought about if there is a difference to you between being spiritual and religious? One might be religious and have nothing to do with spirituality or visa versa. And then there is consciousness and where one might be in relationship with that. This is meant to be a discussion with yourself so you might get clear inside for your understanding. These points are simply provided for consideration. Lets go over religion first:
There are roughly 4,200 religions in the world today. Most people believe in only one of them and renounce the other 4,199. Then there is a small minority who renounces them all. With roughly 7.3 billion people on the planet today, and every single one of us having a different interpretation, perception, and understanding of the doctrine in the religion we have chosen. Crazy.
Religion is a great and necessary first step, made of structure where words are dictated, you are taught and preached to, following a path laid out for you in rigorous strategy and control. Learning protocols and dedication, service and step by step procedures with promised end results. Here you learn systems and give vs take, you learn to follow and have boundaries.
But as Hingori said:
“Spirituality begins where religion ends.”
In religion there is little creation for yourself, everything is thought and laid out for you. Eventually your system you have built will somehow not be working so well. You will be called to step into individualizing your system for YOU. Going from the: “I have done the list, checked off the boxes, been good and done what has been asked of me- and now YOU are supposed to show up and do your part” But it does not happen…. ?
Is this where spirituality comes into play?
With spirituality, it is inherent within the soul and is unique as our own fingerprint. With spirituality it is intuitive- we enter a journey into discovery of how to tailor the structure we learned into a unique flow for us. We step up as a creator and find the practices that best suit how we are inherently wired. Discovering how we are best able to commune and have a relationship with the spirit realms, the divine and work with them in our life. Spirituality inspires and broadens your view and access. Here the thought shifts to: “Inspire me with the right action to take towards ______”. A two way active conversation, vs doing the lists.
Here are some differences between religion and spirituality
Spirituality is flexible; religion is dogmatic:
“Mystery is a place where religion and science meet. Dogma is a place where they part. Awe-based psychology is a place where they can evolve and reunite.” ~ Kirk Schneider, PhD
In religion it is needed to have a very serious structure in place and “consequences” to learn. This brings in the Dogma that has been a serious psychological hang-up for our species for thousands of years. Staying here in this rigid place too long, brings the tendency to become rigid and inflexible in our thinking. We become dogmatic and closed off from other possibilities. Then enters the pointing and judging towards the other 4,199 that are not in your religion, or how others in your religion are doing it “wrong”. Or maybe the needing to save everyone else comes into play. Either way, it becomes and very serious place of: do and do not, I do and I expect. Jesus and Buddha were spiritual rebels who challenged dogmatic orthodoxy, being flexible is liberating.
Spirituality is courage-based; religion is fear-based:
“That which can be destroyed by the truth should be.” ~ P.C. Hodgell
One thing you realize in your discovery of your spirituality, is how easy some things were in religion. The stepping up and ownership with the responsibility of your life is hard! You realize that it is so easy for the majority of us, to allow an authority to do our thinking for us. Most of us were raised in authoritative cultures and conditioned by biased indoctrination after all. Unless at some point we are taught to question things, and learned critical thinking. it is all too easy to get caught up in authoritative programming.
It takes courage to step up and courageously question power; to be responsible for your choices, be able to hear and then follow the actions for your life uniquely, no matter how that looks. To step outside of the norm you have been taught, but it is also so freeing. Letting go of the fear of failure, making a wrong step, wrong decision, shifting away from all the fear is very liberating. Where religion is taking a leap of faith because of fear, spirituality is taking a leap of courage despite fear. True spirituality flips the tables on blind obedience. No fear, only fearlessness. It questions outdated laws. But it is not without pain.
H. L. Mencken surmised,
“Morality is doing right, no matter what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, no matter what is right,”
Spirituality is interdependent; religion is codependent:
“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.” ~ Rumi
When you realize and see this in religion- you can not unsee it. Have you pondered the difference between independence, co- dependence and interdependence? On one side you have independence: I do not need anyone, only rely on myself, do not ask for help or accept help easily. Other complete opposite side of co dependency: you need and rely on others for happiness, stability and can not do things alone. Do not like to sit in silence with yourself, attachment to things outside of self, takes on the responsibility for others feeling and actions. Codependency can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, emptiness, powerlessness, helplessness, hopelessness.
Both of these polar opposites end in some type of burn out- emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Now we come to the middle ground, the in between: Interdependence. Here you have a healthy relationship inside of yourself. You do not have attachments to external things, you generate happiness from with in. Knowing that you can rely on yourself but you understand there is power in working with a community, people and working with others, you delegate and ask for help. There is flexible interconnectedness, the observer and confidence from knowing yourself within.
Religion creates a co dependent relationship. Relying on authority for the go ahead, answers, learning, forgiveness, the protocols for blessings, certain actions for salvation, looking to another outside of yourself for so many things.
Spirituality allows consciousness to grow
“The path of the spiritual warrior is not soft and sweet. It is not artificially blissful and pretend forgiving. It is not fearful of divisiveness. It is not afraid of its own shadow. It is not afraid of losing popularity when it speaks its truth. It will not beat around the bush where directness is essential. It has no regard for vested interests that cause suffering. It is benevolent and it is fiery and it is cuttingly honest in its efforts to liberate itself and humanity from the egoic ties that bind.” ~ Jeff Brown
Now we come into consciousness, understanding that there is no duality, only the illusion of duality. I am part of the whole, a oneness where everything is connected. Acceptance that everyone is having their won journey that is best for them. Open minded and in the vibration of love and invitation. Where the religious person is desperately looking for his/her own reflection, the spiritual person has become Reflection itself, here is where authenticity comes in. You learning and becoming the highest version of yourself, an integration internally becoming one within and knowing you are connected to everything with out. You having your experience and everyone else having theirs.
In the journey to develop your spirituality you have moved on from studying someone else’s experience in order to have your own experience. Understanding, as Angeles Arrien did: “We are all unique medicine.” In the pain you have felt and all the letting go on this journey, you come into wholeness of becoming a more conscious being.
As Eckhart Tolle said, “the fire of suffering becomes the light of consciousness.”
Those who are conscious dip in and out of all religions, ideologies, mythologies, and philosophies, taking the healthy with them and leaving the unhealthy behind. No judgement or trying to change anyone. They grow in consciousness becoming alchemists by transforming religious led into spiritual gold. All authority forged through the pain of their own unique spiritual path. And such gold shines all the brighter in dark times, because it was gained through the experience called life.