Spirituality always goes hand in hand with religion. Almost can't escape. Quite a few debates about religion and spirituality. To be precise, religiosity and spirituality. Some say the two things are the same, but not a few also argue the opposite. What is religiosity? In short, religiosity is a person's attitude which is based on the teachings of his religion. So, the religiosity of each religion is different.
Muslims are considered less religious and even not religious at all if they attend mass at church. But for Christians, attending mass in the church is very religious behaviour. Vice versa. Religious people believe that religion has a set of commands to be completely obeyed. Religion provides complete insights so there is no need to look elsewhere.
If you want to survive, follow religious orders. If not? There will be a retribution scheme that we will regret forever. Easy to understand, right? Because this is what the majority of people adhere to.
How is it different from spirituality? Far away. Spirituality works in more mysterious ways. It must be admitted, religion also contains a spiritual dimension. Although it must be admitted that spirituality is not a monopoly of religion. It can be obtained anywhere. Flexible.
Questions such as: "Who am I?" "What is the meaning of life?" "What is the purpose of life?" "Where are we?" "Where are we going?" etc. are often a sign of the start of a wandering spirituality. Religion does not address such questions explicitly. However, we are quite familiar with the term: "Know yourself, then you will know your Lord". There are quite a lot of spirituality triggers if we are observant in studying religion.
Spirituality cannot be understood by just reading religious teachings. Moreover, textual reading. He is wandering through various dark alleys to find his light. Seek out your answers to existential questions. Although sometimes have to break through certain boundaries.
Spirituality is dynamic. It is fire, not smoke let alone ash. Therefore, the person who claims to be spiritual must keep moving and looking. Meanwhile, institutional religion is a product to answer the times from thousands of years ago. Unable to fill the thirst of spirituality.
Almost anything that becomes an institution will crystallize. The teachings that had been flexible turned stiff. This is one of the weaknesses of the institution, especially if it is based on a text that is tied to various conditions that were attached to the time the text was written. For me, people who profess to be spiritual must be able to go beyond institutional walls. Wander through the darkest forest full of dangers to find the original answer. One with natural motion. In my opinion, there are two typical spiritual people:
First, those who find answers outside the walls of the institution then return to offer the answers to those behind the walls. It didn't take long for this person to become cultured. His teachings will soon become obsolete. It takes a lot of people like this for the spiritual fire to continue to live within the walls of the institution.
Second, those who find answers outside the institutional walls then continue wandering into much more difficult terrain. They keep moving non-stop, starting the spiritual fire from time to time.
I am one of the many individuals who thirst for truth. However, somehow I was not satisfied with the truth offered by the institution. Everything feels bland and underhanded. Cheating in the sense that every religion has a monopoly on the truth it carries. So, which one is true then?
After all, all of them claim absolute truth. If we want to be a little sceptical and think objectively, isn't such truth dubious?
