SANATANA DHARMA AND THE MODERN WORLD

What is the Difference Between Religion and Spirituality?

Religion and spirituality are not the same thing, as many of us have discovered through seeing the harm perpetrated in the name of religion. Religion at best serves to provide ethical training and shows various outer ways of worshipping God through rituals and prayers, which can help maintain harmony in society. Spirituality consists of internal attitudes and practices which lead to Self-realization and transcends all external rules and rituals. One who has truly entered the spiritual path goes beyond all outer religious identities.

Today the world needs not a new religion but a universal spirituality. A universal spirituality, a sense of Sanatana Dharma, will take what is of value in all religions and not circumscribe us within the field of any of them. It will emphasize spiritual practices over all dogma and ideology.

To achieve the real goal of life we should follow an enlightenment path, a path founded by Self-realized sages which leads to Self-realization. All that is called religion does not do this. The exoteric dimension of religion, which is belief and ritual, can never be equal but is at most preliminary to the esoteric dimension, which is meditation. We must recognize the value of the inner teachings and cease to emphasize outer differences of names and forms.

[ Back ] [ David Frawley ] [ Up ] [ Next ]