If one is familiar with the central tenets of any religion it comes as a surprise to look across the world and view the stupendous tensions within religious communities. Never mind the tensions between believers and non-believers! The Sunnis and the Shiites have been bickering since the death of the prophet Mohamed almost two millenia ago; the Catholics and the Protestants made Northern Ireland a battlefield for some thirty years; Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Jews have their issues with their less stringent brethren and there are even divisions among Mahayana, Vajrayana and Hinayana sects of Buddhism. Whence cometh all the strife and tension?
Too often we fail to redeem ourselves, that is, we fail to remove the dross from our character and constitution. Our failings as human beings, that is to say our uncontrolled emotional states, our unwholesome desires, our ambitions for power, status and wealth, our self aggrandizement and our covetousness form a thick layer or crust around our spiritual selves preventing the light of the spirit from shining through. This is what the old testament refers to as "dross". Dross is a layer of waste that forms during the metallurgy process that must be scraped off less it cakes and hides the true splendor of the metal. This is what is referred to in Isaiah I:22 e(Thy silver has become dross, thy wine mixed with water:) and Isaiah I:25 (And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:). Dross in this sense dilutes the true self.
It is human nature that interferes with religious or spiritual expression. We compromise the integrity of the teachings that have been passed down to us for centuries. We stir in our vanity and pride with the pure, life-giving waters of the spirit and we separate and distinguish ourselves, the one from the other. Often one will hear someone say, "I am spiritual, not religious," which in turn draws the ire of those who call themselves religious. The distinction between religion and spirituality is tainted with the same impurities as those between the religions themselves, namely man's vanity and pride. To claim the spiritual and not religious title can be pure or impure. I suspect it is oftentimes a badge of honor and pride created to distinguish those who are thinking intellectuals from those who are blind followers of religion. I, myself was guilty of this failing in my youth before a measure of knowledge and wisdom settled over me. Having crossed the border from youth to maturity, having moved from ignorance to knowledge, I like to think I am in a position to describe the difference between religion and spirituality. It should be here stated that they are separated only by the thinnest of lines and are more like different sides of the same coin.
The Temple of Solomon was constructed to house the Ark of the Covenant, which was the Shekinah or dwelling place of God. The Ark was a portable artifact carried by the Israelites. It was decided that there should be a more permanent and fit habitation for the dwelling of the Spirit of God. We see in I Kings VI:1-38 that the temple was constructed to exacting proportions. The instructions were very specific down to the cubit or foot.
The temple had three main courtyards or areas where the congregation, transaction and fellowship between individuals took place. These three courtyards roughly symbolized the stages in the development of the individual's spiritual journey. The first courtyard was the largest where the greatest amount of individuals gathered. This courtyard represented the first tier of religion, those entering the faith but not truly committed. The second courtyard held a smaller amount of folks, those who had passed beyond the first tier, who took their faith seriously. The third, almost exclusive courtyard led to the Holy of Holies, the most sacred area of the temple. Only one person and one person alone was permitted to cross the threshold of the Holy of Holies, the priest himself. The Holy of Holies represents the inner sanctum within ourselves, the one place no other person may breach, the one place where the deepest part of ourselves provides spiritual nourishment and sustenance. These courtyards illustrate the progress of the individual of faith, from one point to another. In this journey there is no room for spiritual pride or arrogance, for separation or delineation. We are all children of God. Separation or belief in separation is among the greatest errors to which we succumb. Religion are spirituality are essentially about one thing: unity. We are to resolve our disparate natures into a unity, which is the true hallmark of spiritual evolution.
Religion is an instrument through which we may achieve unity. Such unity is achieved through process, through ceremony and pageantry, through the scientific method, if you will. Religion is the art and science of invocation and evocation, the process (through the ceremonies of the religious service) by which we invoke the name of God and evoke aid and relief. In I Kings 18:17-46, which Georg Friedrich Handel so beautifully and exquisitely set to music in his Oratorio, Elijah, we see the art and science of ceremony, of evocation and invocation. Elijah sets about to prove whose god is God, the heathen god, Baal or Jehovah. Baal fails to answer his followers but Elijah is able to call down fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice thus showing that the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was indeed God. So many of our religious ceremonies have completely lost their meaning. So few of us understand the purpose and meaning behind the pageantry of the religious service. We perform them blindly and robotically. But have meaning they do. This is the value of Religion, it provides the foundation upon which the life of faith may be built. The guidelines, the instructions, the tenets are the materials or the blueprints we use to construct our own Shekinah, or habitation fit for the indwelling of the Spirit of God. The value in Religion lies in the fellowship and congregation, provided the journey of faith is being shared by all involved. The only fault in Religion lies in man's expression of it. There are those who do their deeds loudly in front of others and boasting s of their faith so that others may hear them. These are the ones who distort faith and belief in faith. Jesus speaks squarely of these in Matthew VI:1-7 when he says "Take heed that ye do not your alms (gifts or charity) before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your father in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." Jesus goes on to make the same comparison of those who pray aloud so that others can hear them. These "hypocrites" are the ones who sit in the front pew at church on Sundays. They are the reason so many look down on "religious" folk. Instead of their faith and way of life being their advertisement for their Christianity, they instead advertise their hypocrisy. This is the ugly side of faith which leads some of us to say, "I'm spiritual, not religious."
As one moves through this world, manages their being and strives to "walk in the light", from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard, one's faith deepens. Perseverance in walking in the light leads to a more potent expression of the life and one's ability to help and provide for others in a measure of ways. It is said that truly all creation travaileth waiting for the birth of the sons of God or as Paul says in Romans 8:19, "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." As our faith deepens and the life becomes more refined or redeemed as the Christian would say, we find a deeper thirst upon us, one for the living waters Jesus speaks of in his conversation with the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well (John 4). At some point, just as the prodigal son did, we must leave the home, the congregation to go in search of who were really are, to test all the knowledge and instruction we have received against the temptations and vices the world offers. It is an initiation of sorts. It tests our mettle to prove our worthiness to continue seeking the great treasure of spirit. Much of Joseph Campbell's writing was dedicated to the archetype we call the hero. The hero, who is the higher self, sets off on a journey to rescue a damsel in distress or treasure. The damsel is akin to the great archetype of the feminine aspect of deity, God the Holy Ghost imprisoned by the lower personality or ego. The hero usually sets off with a group of individuals pledged to help him on his journey, each for their own reasons. Along the way the hero faces many dangers by a powerful (the lower self) foe which has no other desire than to prevent him from reaching his goal. Along the way the ranks of his allies thins, until he alone must face the dragon or the creature that stands between him and the damsel or treasure. The force that guards the treasure is there for a reason, to make sure the hero is fit and worthy to obtain and wield the power of gold or worthy to take the hand of the damsel thus marrying the higher self with the spiritual self. It is little different really, than the protective father who wants to make sure his daughter's intended is worthy of her.
This journey, the journey of hero or the spiritual man, but for his allies, is a solitary journey where he must call upon all his training, his instinct and intuition, his love and his intellect, his faith and his common sense. It is a journey not fit for all of us. Some of us like the safety, comfort and familiarity of fellowship and there is nothing whatsoever ever wrong with this. We are all called at some point to start the journey, the journey that heads East to the land of the rising sun (a symbol for the truth, wisdom and light). We come to realize that Religion and Spirituality regardless of which path we travel inevitably lead us all to the same place, regardless of the different names it may be called. Jesus said, "in my father's house are many rooms..." There is room enough on this journey for us all. We must walk in the light to truly understand that the difference between religion and spirituality is not one hewn from pride and arrogance, from disparity and dissension. One (Religion) forms the basis for the other (Spirituality). We should take our lesson on this subject of Religion vs Spirituality from Ephesians 5:8, For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light. We come from darkness and ignorance but Religion provides us with knowledge and Spirituality leads us to light, therefore we must abide in our knowledge of the light.
Too often we fail to redeem ourselves, that is, we fail to remove the dross from our character and constitution. Our failings as human beings, that is to say our uncontrolled emotional states, our unwholesome desires, our ambitions for power, status and wealth, our self aggrandizement and our covetousness form a thick layer or crust around our spiritual selves preventing the light of the spirit from shining through. This is what the old testament refers to as "dross". Dross is a layer of waste that forms during the metallurgy process that must be scraped off less it cakes and hides the true splendor of the metal. This is what is referred to in Isaiah I:22 e(Thy silver has become dross, thy wine mixed with water:) and Isaiah I:25 (And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:). Dross in this sense dilutes the true self.The Temple of Solomon was constructed to house the Ark of the Covenant, which was the Shekinah or dwelling place of God. The Ark was a portable artifact carried by the Israelites. It was decided that there should be a more permanent and fit habitation for the dwelling of the Spirit of God. We see in I Kings VI:1-38 that the temple was constructed to exacting proportions. The instructions were very specific down to the cubit or foot.
Religion is an instrument through which we may achieve unity. Such unity is achieved through process, through ceremony and pageantry, through the scientific method, if you will. Religion is the art and science of invocation and evocation, the process (through the ceremonies of the religious service) by which we invoke the name of God and evoke aid and relief. In I Kings 18:17-46, which Georg Friedrich Handel so beautifully and exquisitely set to music in his Oratorio, Elijah, we see the art and science of ceremony, of evocation and invocation. Elijah sets about to prove whose god is God, the heathen god, Baal or Jehovah. Baal fails to answer his followers but Elijah is able to call down fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice thus showing that the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was indeed God. So many of our religious ceremonies have completely lost their meaning. So few of us understand the purpose and meaning behind the pageantry of the religious service. We perform them blindly and robotically. But have meaning they do. This is the value of Religion, it provides the foundation upon which the life of faith may be built. The guidelines, the instructions, the tenets are the materials or the blueprints we use to construct our own Shekinah, or habitation fit for the indwelling of the Spirit of God. The value in Religion lies in the fellowship and congregation, provided the journey of faith is being shared by all involved. The only fault in Religion lies in man's expression of it. There are those who do their deeds loudly in front of others and boasting s of their faith so that others may hear them. These are the ones who distort faith and belief in faith. Jesus speaks squarely of these in Matthew VI:1-7 when he says "Take heed that ye do not your alms (gifts or charity) before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your father in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." Jesus goes on to make the same comparison of those who pray aloud so that others can hear them. These "hypocrites" are the ones who sit in the front pew at church on Sundays. They are the reason so many look down on "religious" folk. Instead of their faith and way of life being their advertisement for their Christianity, they instead advertise their hypocrisy. This is the ugly side of faith which leads some of us to say, "I'm spiritual, not religious."
As one moves through this world, manages their being and strives to "walk in the light", from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard, one's faith deepens. Perseverance in walking in the light leads to a more potent expression of the life and one's ability to help and provide for others in a measure of ways. It is said that truly all creation travaileth waiting for the birth of the sons of God or as Paul says in Romans 8:19, "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." As our faith deepens and the life becomes more refined or redeemed as the Christian would say, we find a deeper thirst upon us, one for the living waters Jesus speaks of in his conversation with the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well (John 4). At some point, just as the prodigal son did, we must leave the home, the congregation to go in search of who were really are, to test all the knowledge and instruction we have received against the temptations and vices the world offers. It is an initiation of sorts. It tests our mettle to prove our worthiness to continue seeking the great treasure of spirit. Much of Joseph Campbell's writing was dedicated to the archetype we call the hero. The hero, who is the higher self, sets off on a journey to rescue a damsel in distress or treasure. The damsel is akin to the great archetype of the feminine aspect of deity, God the Holy Ghost imprisoned by the lower personality or ego. The hero usually sets off with a group of individuals pledged to help him on his journey, each for their own reasons. Along the way the hero faces many dangers by a powerful (the lower self) foe which has no other desire than to prevent him from reaching his goal. Along the way the ranks of his allies thins, until he alone must face the dragon or the creature that stands between him and the damsel or treasure. The force that guards the treasure is there for a reason, to make sure the hero is fit and worthy to obtain and wield the power of gold or worthy to take the hand of the damsel thus marrying the higher self with the spiritual self. It is little different really, than the protective father who wants to make sure his daughter's intended is worthy of her.
This journey, the journey of hero or the spiritual man, but for his allies, is a solitary journey where he must call upon all his training, his instinct and intuition, his love and his intellect, his faith and his common sense. It is a journey not fit for all of us. Some of us like the safety, comfort and familiarity of fellowship and there is nothing whatsoever ever wrong with this. We are all called at some point to start the journey, the journey that heads East to the land of the rising sun (a symbol for the truth, wisdom and light). We come to realize that Religion and Spirituality regardless of which path we travel inevitably lead us all to the same place, regardless of the different names it may be called. Jesus said, "in my father's house are many rooms..." There is room enough on this journey for us all. We must walk in the light to truly understand that the difference between religion and spirituality is not one hewn from pride and arrogance, from disparity and dissension. One (Religion) forms the basis for the other (Spirituality). We should take our lesson on this subject of Religion vs Spirituality from Ephesians 5:8, For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light. We come from darkness and ignorance but Religion provides us with knowledge and Spirituality leads us to light, therefore we must abide in our knowledge of the light.
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