Myths: Spirituality & Religion

August 3, 2017 · by · in All Posts, Food for Thought, Q&A

I was recently asked about someone who wasn’t at all spiritual but was quite intuitive, and the person asking was confused and intrigued as to how this could happen. Here’s my response.

Why do we associate purity and intuitive ability with spirituality and religion? They’re not co-related. One can totally be intuitive and connected with the universe, and not ‘spiritual’ or religious at all. Real spirituality has little to do with belief systems. Some of the most spiritually stable people I have met weren’t ‘spiritual’ at all, wore no malas, did no chanting or meditation. They just lived honestly and sincerely. Can there be a deeper spiritual path than that?

In the same vein, psychic abilities (or even a capacity to heal others) have no co-relation with purity of heart and spiritual advancement. They’re just powers. People have powers. Powers have nothing to do with spirituality. Yes – sometimes when one steps on a spiritual pathway there can be a sudden release of suppressed psychic abilities.

Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Spiritual people may or may not be religious

This means someone could be meditating everyday, be dedicated to personal and spiritual development but never enter a temple/ church or read a religious text.

Religious people may or may not be spiritual

This means someone who prays everyday, goes to temple/ church regularly, follows all rituals strictly – may or may not be genuinely doing it to find God – he/she may be motivated by various factors like getting their wishes fulfilled, feeding their identity of being one of God’s special people, using rituals to deflect attention from their misdeeds and/or pretending that they negate their bad karma, etc.

Genuinely spiritual people may or may not be on a spiritual pathway

And this means they may come across as normal, ordinary people who don’t believe in psychic abilities, paranormal activities, angels, or religious matters. While they do nothing spiritual or religious and may even identify themselves as atheists, they’re quite detached, relaxed and compassionate. To me, this last bit is true spirituality. It is not a set of belief systems, it is a lack of it – and external activities seldom are an indication of internal motivations.