Religion and Spirituality – bridging the gap

Harini Sridharan
Aug 27, 2017 · 3 min read

Let me begin by welcoming my readers to a blog topic that is perhaps the most written and debated upon. Our country and our race, has been facing the consequences of ‘Religion’, a two faced knife!

Let us first define the both the words in the heading according to the Oxford Dictionary norms:

Religion (mass noun) – The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods

Spirituality (adjective) – Relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things

The two are clearly related in a very unique manner. Being one doesn’t automatically mean you’re the other yet in everyday circumstances, they are considered synonymous.

Religion is a doctrine, a set group of rules and customs an individual is expected to follow if you are an off spring of two people who follow the above mentioned set of rules. A cycle that has been established for centuries, secular countries allow their citizens to follow any religion of their choice and also give them the privilege of changing their status from following one ‘doctrine’ to another ‘doctrine’. A phenomena that is inculcated at an age where the mind grabs any information that is impressed upon it, it is almost considered a parent’s duty to make a child ‘religious’ and explain to him the nuances of the rules that a child usually finds either interesting or cumbersome.

Spirituality is a journey that begins when an individual realizes the intricacies of human existence and the web of relationships that surround him. It dawns upon you the moment you learn to differentiate the physical from the soul. It never is a set of rules, teaching you hymns and songs. It is unique to every individual, something that he learns to ponder upon and fine tune until one day, on his death bed, he departs from this earth a complete human being. People find it activities and things as small as cooking and singing. :)

The rickety and rather confusing bridge between these two mysteriously set destinations is FAITH. As Margaret Shepherd quite wittingly quoted “Sometimes your only transportation is a leap of faith”. There are innumerable instances that people quote as an example to demonstrate the strength of faith. As I am a huge fan of English language and the definitions it provides, let me pen down the oxford dictionary meaning of the word faith.

Faith (mass noun) – Complete trust or confidence in someone or something

Picture Courtesy: Tiffany Davis-Rustom, Fine Art America


As one tempers after experiencing various situations in life, we hold on to our faith and world-view to toughen ourselves up to face further more. It acts as a beacon of light in times of great darkness. It becomes your life raft when you’re mind is inundated with negativity and sorrow. It also brings you down a notch or two when you’re confidence translates into ‘over’confidence. It demonstrates to you, your Center of Gravity, a point inside or outside the body of an object where the whole weight of the object is constituted.

There can never be an over-dose of faith, if you choose the one that provides you with precision of thought and balance in actions. It is a lens that teaches you to shrug off all your preconceived notions and unnecessary judgments to view this world in all it’s glory.

It is understandable that an individual gets shaken when his faith is questioned, but the level of insecurity that awakens in your mind is the amount of disbelief and doubt you have on your own faith. As ‘oxymoron’ic as the previous statement is, ponder upon it for a while before you scroll down! Faith is as personal as what goes on in a couple’s bedroom, questioning it is not only indecent, but pointless. When it comes to the arena of faith, learn to ‘Live and Let Live’.

“It is not potential, it is your faith in your potential. It is not about intelligence, it is about your faith in your intelligence. It is not my message, it is your faith in my message that will transform you. That one quality that turns blind possibilities into reality is faith, including God.”

Mahatria Ra

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    Harini Sridharan

    Written by

    Scientist at JK Tyre

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