Difference Between Spiritual Life and Religion

There is a big difference between spiritual life and religion. Sanatana dharma or Hinduism is not a religious practice. The differences between spiritual life and religion are

1. Religion is a belief within this material world which teaches there is a Super Human who is controlling us.
2. Religion also categorized as a system where people try to understand a book which can guide them to heavenly planet.
3. Religions do has a founder and basically it began in the Kaliyuga periodic which is less than 5000 years.
4. In religions they do have some cult practices which doesn’t benefit any other living beings accept their cult.
5. Religions often relate material body and they do not beliefe in Karma

Whereas Spiritual life is something different from religions.

1. In Spiritual life, you learn how to relate your soul and the Creator. The soul which every living beings have is a tiny little spark from the soul from creator.
2. Spiritual life is relating our mind, body and soul in the service of the Lord.
3. Spiritual life is not interetsed in heavenly planets. The teachings are more to attain the God which is the source of the soul.
4. Spiritual life is eternal and there is no founder for it. We can also understand spiritual life is basic instruction which given since the world was created.
5. Spiritual life practioners do think that ‘ LOKAH SAMASTAH SUKHINO BHAVANTU’, “May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.”
6. Spiritual life do not interested in cult practices because it has a highest cause to relate the soul with the Supreme Lord. They do not have time for low class practices to keep their body happy.
7. Spiritual practices benefit the whole world. It never intend to harm or create uneasiness among other living beings.

Also Read – Dharma is not the same as Religion

Unfortunately in today’s world, many of the Sanatana dharma followers adopted the religious way of practices. Many are not following the real instruction of the Dharma. Time to time the Lord is sending many great Acharyars to let us know that we are not this body, we are suffering in this world and we should take guidance from a bonafide spiritual master so that we can learn the real spiritual knowledge without any deviation.

We are simply souls and the size of the souls of every living beings are the same. The teachings are to understand the distinction between the body and soul. An example given below:

I am trying to be your servant. Clamour to enter the inner chamber of your house. Oh Master, lord brilliant as a mountain of gems set in gold, give your grace so I can love you with love so constant. My heart overflows. Please take us within you, In this play of life, only those who are fit win and so help us not to get famished by this play.

In the verse above the Sage who sang with love and devotion never be selfish but he prayed for all living beings.

Bonafide Spiritual master is currently understood in a very cheap way. We often running after a man who is doing magic, sweet talks, teaching us how to earn money, material advises and etc. Sometimes many of us get carried away by fake gurus who are travelling in business class flights with disciples money, we are also being so proud of a man who has thousands of disciples across the world and sometimes we accept gurus who are Europeans because they are white can be compared to the grass which is greener on the other side. The qualities of bonafide gurus are not those who teaching religious practices but they have very special qualities.

Guravo bahabah santi sisyavittapaharakah
Durlabhah sadgururdevi, sisyasantapaharkah

Mahadeva’s instruction to Parvati – ‘There may be many so called gurus in this world to squeeze money from disciples, but a Bonafide Guru who can remove the drawbacks and sufferings of disciples is very rare’. If we want quality, we cannot get quantity. If we are keen to increase quantity, we shall have to sacrifice quality. Who is Bonafide Guru? What are the characteristics of a Bonafide Guru? Prabuddha Muni’s instructions in regard to this –

tasmad gurum prapadyeta
jijnasuh sreya uttamam
sabde pare ca nisnatam
brahmanyupasamasrayam
(SB 11 / 3 / 21)

“Therefore, enquire Gurudeva about the best eternal welfare with complete submission to Him. A Bonafide Guru is endowed with two special qualities: 1) He is well-versed in authentic scriptures and 2) has realisation of Divinity”.

Gurus should have limited disciples so that they can teach them and make them really strong so that they can go back to the creator. in today’s world, gurus are becoming business people. As Lord Shiva explained to Parvathi that guru’s duty is not taking money from disciples. A real guru is someone who guide the disciples to go back to the Supreme Lord. Gurus business is not to make many disciples, if that is the case then there is no quality or purity. There were in the past great Gurus who had many disciples but those gurus been responsible to teach their disciples about spiritual life not religious practices

Now it is time for us to think are we practicing religion or spiritual life.