Religion and Spirituality
What is the difference between Religion and Spirituality? Are these one and the same? confusing isn't it?
Lets see how can we try to differentiate/compare-and-contrast them.
Hinduism, that which is loosely mentioned as religion is all encompassing way by itself. Let us take it as example for our purpose. Hinduism has both religious as well as spiritual aspects.
When it comes to religion it talks about the Gods, the bhakthi (devotion), rituals, prayers and methodologies related to it. Religion, hence would even touch upon the day-to-day life aspects. Whereas when it is about spirituality its plane is entirely different, often high from the standards of normal understanding. It may or may not talk about God. It talks more about inquiry forms like Who, What, How, why etc. Who am I? What is death? What is eternity? How can one liberate oneself from vicious cycle of birth, rebirth, deeds( both good and bad) and their fruit? etc.
In Hinduism there had been 6 religions, Gaanapathyam, Shaivam, Vaishnavam, Shaaktham, Koumaaram and Souryam, having vinayaka, shiva, vishnu, shakthi(parvati), muruga(subramanyan), and Sun respectively as main deity. Now it has blurred to 4, with followers of Gaanapathyam and souryam have merged themselves into other religions. Further the Shaaktham and Koumaaram are also getting blurred to join into Shaivam, mostly. However, all these religions have bhakthi towards the God as their pillar.
Whereas a person of any of this religion might follow either Advaitha or Visishtaadvaitha or Dvaitha path of spirituality. Advaitha is a-dvaitha, non-dual(non-plural) principle. It says the reality is, there is one and only 'thing', everything else is mere reflection of that 'One', and realisation of this will help in attaining the mukthi/moksha. Vishistaadvaidham = Vishista-advaitham, a special non-duality (or non-plurality), propounds that ultimately it is one but the rest everything is different form/manifestation of that one (i.e. came from that One). These 'everything else' have to "rejoin" to the original one, much like formation of solar system. Dvaitham says the ultimate truth/God is one, everything else which are different from that one. But, it is reaching to that One for these everything else will give the salvation.
Coming back to religion and spirituality. Often we equate advaitham with shaivam and vishsitaavaidham with vaishnavam. In my humble opinion it is not correct. This idea came into existence because the propounders of Advaitham and Vishistaadvaitham Shri AdiShankaraacharya and Shri Raamanuja were shaivaite and vaishnavaite in religion respectively. But, there may be many shaivaites who would follow vishistaadvatham or dvaitham as spiritual path and viceversa.
That is why we often see heads of mutt that follows advaitha principle (eg. Kanchi and Sringeri, these are spirituality-mutts) invoke Sri Naarayana naamam. They sport vibhoothi, do pooja for shiva predominantly which is a religious part/portion of that mutt, but when it comes to spiritual aspect all religions are same. Same can be said about a vishsitaadvaitha mutt or dvaithaa mutt. The reason for a spirituality-mutt that is said to be following advaitham, has religious practices is because, it is often very difficult to remain only in spiritual aspect as the duty of the mutt is also raise the religious persons to spiritual level and for that the mutt has to follow the religious lines too.
Lets see how can we try to differentiate/compare-and-contrast them.
Hinduism, that which is loosely mentioned as religion is all encompassing way by itself. Let us take it as example for our purpose. Hinduism has both religious as well as spiritual aspects.
When it comes to religion it talks about the Gods, the bhakthi (devotion), rituals, prayers and methodologies related to it. Religion, hence would even touch upon the day-to-day life aspects. Whereas when it is about spirituality its plane is entirely different, often high from the standards of normal understanding. It may or may not talk about God. It talks more about inquiry forms like Who, What, How, why etc. Who am I? What is death? What is eternity? How can one liberate oneself from vicious cycle of birth, rebirth, deeds( both good and bad) and their fruit? etc.
In Hinduism there had been 6 religions, Gaanapathyam, Shaivam, Vaishnavam, Shaaktham, Koumaaram and Souryam, having vinayaka, shiva, vishnu, shakthi(parvati), muruga(subramanyan), and Sun respectively as main deity. Now it has blurred to 4, with followers of Gaanapathyam and souryam have merged themselves into other religions. Further the Shaaktham and Koumaaram are also getting blurred to join into Shaivam, mostly. However, all these religions have bhakthi towards the God as their pillar.
Whereas a person of any of this religion might follow either Advaitha or Visishtaadvaitha or Dvaitha path of spirituality. Advaitha is a-dvaitha, non-dual(non-plural) principle. It says the reality is, there is one and only 'thing', everything else is mere reflection of that 'One', and realisation of this will help in attaining the mukthi/moksha. Vishistaadvaidham = Vishista-advaitham, a special non-duality (or non-plurality), propounds that ultimately it is one but the rest everything is different form/manifestation of that one (i.e. came from that One). These 'everything else' have to "rejoin" to the original one, much like formation of solar system. Dvaitham says the ultimate truth/God is one, everything else which are different from that one. But, it is reaching to that One for these everything else will give the salvation.
Coming back to religion and spirituality. Often we equate advaitham with shaivam and vishsitaavaidham with vaishnavam. In my humble opinion it is not correct. This idea came into existence because the propounders of Advaitham and Vishistaadvaitham Shri AdiShankaraacharya and Shri Raamanuja were shaivaite and vaishnavaite in religion respectively. But, there may be many shaivaites who would follow vishistaadvatham or dvaitham as spiritual path and viceversa.
That is why we often see heads of mutt that follows advaitha principle (eg. Kanchi and Sringeri, these are spirituality-mutts) invoke Sri Naarayana naamam. They sport vibhoothi, do pooja for shiva predominantly which is a religious part/portion of that mutt, but when it comes to spiritual aspect all religions are same. Same can be said about a vishsitaadvaitha mutt or dvaithaa mutt. The reason for a spirituality-mutt that is said to be following advaitham, has religious practices is because, it is often very difficult to remain only in spiritual aspect as the duty of the mutt is also raise the religious persons to spiritual level and for that the mutt has to follow the religious lines too.
posted by Kupps at 2:36 PM
3 Comments:
advaitham => jeevaathma & paramaathma(parabrahmam/brahmam) is one and same there is no difference, its only in the perception. you see your image in the mirror, there is no person in the other side (in the mirror) only you are true that is merely an image.
visishtaadwaitham => jeevaathma is part of paramaathma and it has to 'join back' into paramaathma. (eg) the smaller dough balls prepared for poori are from the bigger dough heap the dough balls.
dvaitham => jeevaathma & paramaathma are different. but it is the goal of jeevaathma to reach paramaathma.
personally when i am spiritually raised (it doesnt happen often, and by the way the 'spirtually raised' does not happen due to any "spirit" :) ) all i can think or 'appreciate' is dvaitham form.
i read that realisation of advaitha form will be when you are almost at the stage of attainment of moksha/mukthi.
there is aauthority source for all these which is nothing but
deivathin kural at "http://kamakoti.org/tamil".
Vedantham enbathu chattai kazhati poduvathu pola sampradhayangalai viduvathu alla. Athu tholai kazhati poduvathu pondrathu" is wat paramacharya says when talking about qualities of a person trying to understand vedantha. Please read.
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