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Spiritual, but not religious...

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The first time I came across the phrase "Spiritual, but not religious" was as an option for "Religion" when I signed up for Orkut. And I have found this phrase to be quite intriguing since then.

As I started adding friends to my profile, I found many of them opting for this option. I doubt if they understood the meaning of this phrase properly. I am trying to understand this phrase too.

Like jeans, pizza, coke, google, nuclear weapons, credit cards, gene modification, pollution, communism etc, this is an idea imported from the west. The two operating concepts here are "Religion" and "Spirituality". And only if we understand what these two concepts really mean, can we understand the phrase "Spiritual, but not religious".

When I think of religion these are what spring up in my mind - dogmas & doctrines, rituals & sacrifices, rules & restrictions, faiths & beliefs. These are considered as essential aspects of a religion. And religion is institutional.

Spirituality on the other hand, is all about the spirit. Being limitless. Experience. Realization. Bliss.

To get the very western idea about being "spiritual, but not religious", try here

Maybe another post to explore this idea still further...
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  1. Gayatri Bhadran23 October, 2010 08:06

    you hit the nail on the head, this is an idea imported from the west.

    none of us really understand what it means.

    ReplyDelete

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