Understanding Religion and Spirituality

Spiritual

Religion and spirituality can be a bit confusing, especially when people have a wide range of perceptions on where to draw the line between the two. Are they the same thing? Are they so distinct? Is one a carrier of the other? Or what really defines the two? All this are taken differently by different people, but understanding the two is the best one can achieve in life.

Religion eventually comes into direct opposition to spirituality.

Such conflict is inevitable. If you tell people that their “literal word of God” is only a metaphor, their hackles are going to go up. It’s a challenge to their beliefs, which feels like an attack at the very core of their self-image.

Religion insists that there is only one Right and True. Spirituality knows that it’s all Right and True.

So spirituality can encompass religion with no distress, but it rarely happens the other way.

For many people, religion serves as the container for their spirituality. This is the purest use of religion.

For others, religion acts as pseudo-spirituality, relieving them of the responsibility to actually live a spiritual life.

Religion at its worst reinforces ego, self-righteousness, tyranny, prejudice, hatred, etc.

But at its best, it can be the gateway to spiritual enlightenment.

Sourced From: http://www.wicca-spirituality.com/religion-spirituality.html

Religion and spirituality may be confusing to define, but both are intertwined in one way or the other. More importantly, religion is perceived to have an in-depth role in spirituality. It can be concluded, therefore, that religion contributes to the development of spirituality in people. This is an aspect worth understanding for any person who is in a spiritual pursuit.

Here comes the issue of role of religion in spiritual development.

To comprehend this issue in a holistic perspective, we have to avoid tow extreme views.  An exclusive observance of external religious practices without a corresponding inner spiritual attitude cannot obviously lead to spiritual development.  On the other hand an exclusively inwards spirituality which looks down upon all external supports as inferior cannot also be very creative for a large number of people.

Only a few with a special capacity for inward meditation can practice such an exclusively inward spirituality.  Moreover it develops an elitist spiritual ego which can be a great obstacle to spiritual progress and also prevent the flowering of a universal love and compassion which is the hallmark of a true spiritual person.

Religion can help in the spiritual development of individuals, if the original spiritual inspiration is rediscovered and lived.  In other words, instead of accepting the religion into which one is born as it is in its outer form, if one make a sincere effort to find the inner spiritual core and discipline of the religion and put into practice in one’s life, then religion can be of great help in our spiritual growth.

The other factor which is not fully recognized is that for someone who is inwardly and spiritually advanced the nature of the outer religious beliefs and practices do not matter much in her inner growth.  Such people who are inwardly advanced will spontaneously take the right inner spiritual attitude and therefore can progress spiritually through any belief-system or practices.

Sourced from: https://integralmusings.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/the-role-of-religion-in-spiritual-development-m-s-srinivasan/

A spiritual journey is never so easy, and people usually fail to make it through due to the many potholes along the way. This may not be so easy, but there are some mistakes that people who are committing themselves in a spiritual journey need to watch out for since they can deal them a deadly blow and cut short their efforts to achieve their spiritual goal.

Trying to reach the spiritual thru the physical

Most people try to start their spiritual journey, thru physical and souls’ means. No one can reach the space by sitting in a train and expecting it to take you there, even if your desires are sincere. Although the desire is right (in this case to start a spiritual journey) the vehicle or mode is impotent to take you on a spiritual journey.

Trying to awaken a dead Spirit

As a plant pulled out from the ground dies, similarly man disconnected from God ( his source) died spiritually.

We all know the futility and inability of religious rituals, which cannot make even a dead plant or cell alive, the dead spirit of man, cannot be revived by any kind of religious gymnastics. Be it meditation, starving oneself, sanyas, yoga,

Expecting the captives to set you free

A major mistake that most people make is that they underestimate the distance in the journey. From death to life, from darkness to light and from lies to truth, there isn’t any vehicle, medium, map, Guru or efforts, which will succeed in getting us across.

Every Guru and religious leader born on the earth, died here on the earth. If they couldn’t cross from death to life, don’t be foolish to trust them with your life. Neither any medium, which couldn’t take mankind till date, will make you succeed in this journey. The spiritual journey is a spiritual one and so don’t be fooled to refer to guide maps to get you there.  Also the distance is too far, to bank of any amount of efforts to get you there.

Sourced From: http://www.speakingtree.in/blog/3-big-mistakes-to-avoid-on-your-spiritual-journey

An Outgoing, Confident Year Is The Year Of The Rooster

Religeon & Spiritual

In the Chinese zodiac, each of the 12 signs rotates per year. The Rooster is just one of those 12 signs and will once again take over as the official sign for the year 2017. It is also the sign for anyone born in 1921, 1933, 1945 and 1957. Those born in 1969, 1981, 1993 and also 2005 are also Roosters. So, what does that mean?

Basically, anyone born as a Rooster is a confident, self-assured individual. Much like the animal, the person is rather cocky which is where the term comes from. Sometimes cocky is not used in a flattering manner but most Roosters pay it no mind. Their confidence is what leads to their greatness in life. Roosters make strong leaders and they achieve big goals because they have such confidence.

Roosters are also known for their acute honesty. They tell it like it is and do not sugar coat any uncomfortable fact. A Rooster, therefore, does not exactly hide things. It is just not in their nature. They wear emotions on their sleeves and will always talk problems out when they arise.

Roosters are very motivated, and they can channel this motivation into others as well, which is part of why they make excellent leaders. Because of their unshakable confidence, Roosters will decide on a path and go for it where many other signs would be indecisive or unsure. With a Rooster heading a project, there will be no problem getting it started, but it may be difficult to get them to adjust a plan to deal with new challenges.

Roosters are charming and magnanimous. They are also capable of being assertive and getting the bulk of the attention when they are in social situations. That self-confidence of theirs helps to break the ice with others. When other signs dont know what to say, a Rooster knows just how to start up a conversation.

Roosters can be overachievers but they make it a point to live up to what they say they are going to do. They pour themselves into their projects and often have long lists of accomplishments.

Sometimes Roosters can be abrasive if they are not careful. But, usually, they are charming, accomplished, outgoing and of course, very confident. Here’s to a new Chinese chicken lunar cycle of plenty of confidence with all Roosters making their way in life.

Successful People Improve themselves

Personal Development

[youtube video=https://youtu.be/7SOYOje1Kiw ]

A man built on a good foundation will stand the tests of time. A good foundation is possible through personal development. This is made possible through simple daily routines.

1. Silence. This can include meditation, prayer or both — any method to quiet the mind and regain calmness and focus.

2. Affirmations. Often misunderstood, affirmations are effective when you think positively about the thing you want to be or the goal you want to achieve and about the action steps that you need to take to get there.

3. Visualization. Simply visualizing your ideal outcome can trick your brain into thinking you’re already there — and reduce your drive to do the work needed to achieve it. The key, says Elrod, is to bring your end goal back to the present day and envision yourself doing the necessary work in the moment to ensure that your long-term vision actually comes into being.

Sourced from:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-bowen/the-link-between-personal-development-and-professional-success_b_6769484.html

Personal development has many benefits. There are those who have tried it and they have no regrets. They have certain habits that you too can try.


They spend time getting to know themselves.

If you know who they are, chances are they devote a lot of their daily practice to knowing themselves better than you can even imagine. Successful people are self-aware on multiple levels.

They know their energy patterns, so they know how much sleep is optimal. They know when they get their best rest they are at their best when they are awake. They know what fuel their body needs, and what kind of exercise it takes to feel the way they want to feel. They know what environments they need to be creative and productive, and they know the difference between those two states.


They spend time improving themselves.

Speaking of being tuned in to themselves, successful people know that to increase their net worth they must increase their personal worth. They’ve mastered the personal SWOTT analysis and they consistently invest in themselves.


They spend time sharing themselves.

Many super successful people are generous with their money and time. I personally believe that trait builds both financial success and personal satisfaction, but it isn’t what I’m referencing here and I didn’t find it to be 100 percent consistent in all of the “daily habits” lists I read.

Sourced from:http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241836

Successful people have a mental diet that they partake of. It all starts with the morning. Remember early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy and wealthy and wise.

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The 21 Day Mental Diet

1. Starting tomorrow, arise each morning at least two hours before you have to be somewhere, and invest the first golden hour in yourself, and in your mind. If you exercise physically each morning, do this before you begin to exercise mentally.

2. Before you turn on the television, radio, or read the newspaper, take 30-60 minutes and read something motivational, inspirational or educational. Be sure that the first thing you put into your mind in the morning is positive, healthy and consistent with the kind of life you want to lead.

3. After you have completed your morning reading, take a spiral notebook and write out your top 10-15 goals in the present tense, exactly as if you have already achieved them. Write goals such as, “I earn $100,000 per year”; “I weigh 165 pounds and am superbly fit”; “I drive a brand new grey BMW”; “I live in a beautiful 3500 square foot home” and so on. Rewrite your list of goals every morning without referring back to the goals you wrote the day before. This is a very important success factor for you to practice in order to achieve your goals.

Sourced from:http://www.briantracy.com/blog/personal-success/the-most-powerful-success-factor-personal-development-and-the-golden-hour/