Into the Light

Into the Light

March 2006

By Jamuna Rangachari

Over the decade, systems have become more holistic and more positive. We look at changes in some major systems, beginning with the shift from religion to spirituality. As a young girl, I have a recurring memory of filling in forms for admissions or scholarships that invariably carried the section ‘religion’ and subtext caste (if Hindu) on them. Today, the primacy of religion as a determinant of identity is thankfully diminishing. A small but steadily growing number of people are gradually expanding their conception of religion and moving into the vast open spaces of spirituality. Model and actor, Rahul Dev, analyzes the difference between religion and spirituality by saying, ‘On the one hand, there is a pristine core of faith. On the other, there is a whole body of organized religion that has, with time, lost touch with this core.’ In consequence, more and more people are moving away from the communities they were born into, in pursuit of an individual understanding of God and self. In the process, a dynamic give and take occurs where Christians may find themselves resonating to Hindu philosophy, Parsis may inquire into Kabbalah or pursue Islam, while Hindus may take to Buddhist meditation practices and Christian ethical codes. Says eminent thinker, Dr Karan Singh, ‘A growing section of people are turning towards spirituality.’ Actor Deepti Naval illustrates the prevalent mindset with her observation, ‘Spirituality is often mixed with religion. I’m opposed to all religious practices.’ Her pluralistic inclinations are reflected in her statement, ‘I was first drawn to Buddhism when I went to Japan for a film festival. The Buddhist gumphas were so calming. I also like the morning azan of Muslims.’ ‘This is what is predicted in the ancient scriptures,’ says Shakun Narain, Vice president of a women’s movement for peace and prosperity and author of many books on religion, ‘After a tumultuous season, peace will reign on earth and peace can only reign when people awaken to the fact that the essence of all religions is the same and there is something good to imbibe from every faith.’ She quotes Morari Bapu who states that we could live in a perfect world if we were to imbibe the following salient qualities from the various religious giants: ‘The wisdom of Shri Krishna, the service and love of Christ, the brotherhood espoused by Mohammed, the compassion of Buddha, the non-violence of Mahavir…’ Consequently, religious fundamentalism loses its allure for this section of society. ‘Religious differences are just artificial creations – spirituality has no such walls of separateness,’ says Promila Gurtu, who is a practitioner and teacher of Chakra meditation. ‘The core philosophy of all faiths is so precious a commodity that it is locked up, just like one keeps one’s most precious jewels in a locker,’ says Rev Valsan Thampu, an educationist and activist who himself converted to Christianity at the age of 16, when he read in the Bible about Christ curing a leper. ‘I knew that this was an extraordinary man and that this moment was a significant point in my life,’ he says. Though a practicing Christian, he campaigns for a faith shorn of the superficial, ‘True religion is about empowering people and helping them accept responsibility for their own reality. But the way religion is practiced now is just the contrary – there is a tendency to promote escapism, by putting the entire onus on the priestly class which ‘tells’ you what to do to attain nirvana or heaven or its equivalent.’ To what do we attribute the movement from religion to spirituality? Many would say that it is a sign of growing maturity. Moving into spirituality indicates a graduation from the tacit acceptance of a belief system to an active, vibrant and experiential understanding of God. Says Vedanta teacher, Uday Acharya, ‘Unlike religion, spirituality is not about dos and don’ts. It is about growth.’ Moreover, modern civilization with its materialistic focus on life creates conditions of unbearable stress and confusion, which further propels a search for a more authentic way of life. The materialistic and fragmentary understanding of life triggered by Descartes and Newton has today created a desperate need for wholeness and integration. In consequence, we are witnessing an explosion of meditation techniques, personal growth workshops and books attempting to demystify and explain religious and philosophical concepts. Classes on Vedanta flourish while techniques such as reiki, pranic healing, Vipassana, Art of Living, Siddha Samadhi Yoga, and a whole host of others lead millions into the power of inner space. Some time back, Life Positive compiled as many as 100 individual paths to salvation (100 Paths to God, June 2004), and that is only the tip of the iceberg. The biggest impetus to creating the New Age is the growing momentum of the movement towards spirituality. As information is freely available today, it is much easier to do a self-study or self-exploration. ‘One can read the Koran, Bhagavad Gita, or Bible directly. There is no need to go through a long-winded journey to find a teacher anymore,’ says Prashant Khanna, who is associated with the Aurobindo Ashram and teaches meditation based on the Bhagavad Gita. He, however, adds the caveat, ‘Although the availability of information from original religious texts saves us from incorrect interpretations, there is also the danger of mouthing texts without practice. Spiritual gain of any kind can come only with sustained effort.’ Apart from a more open and pluralistic approach to religion, the shift to spirituality has a revolutionary impact on the way such people lead their lives. Alternative medicines are preferred to allopathy, organic food to that laced with inorganic chemicals, and downsizing is often a byproduct. Above all, spirituality catalyzes a movement towards self-transformation which will eventually result in the shift of systems and societal transformation. The biggest impetus to creating the New Age is the growing momentum of the movement towards spirituality. Statistics are not available, but in the West, churches have all but emptied out, even as the rush towards alternative paths increases. Eastern wisdom, which includes Buddhism, Sufism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Taoism and Zen, has many takers and bookstores are filled with texts on these subjects. There is also a return to the tribal wisdom of the Native Americans and the embrace of mystical strains in Judaism and Christianity. At the same time, religions too are experiencing a return to the purer, more experiential core of their belief. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, an Islamic scholar, says, ‘Religion is a spiritual need and people will turn to this sooner or later. With more interaction, there would be more understanding. This will only result in a strengthening of religion and not erosion as is feared by many people.’ Says Rev Thampu, ‘A person must be well informed about his own scriptures before looking towards others. In most cases, a true understanding of one’s scriptures will automatically empower us to greater spirituality. This is what has happened to all realized souls.’ Whether through religion or through spirituality, what matters is that we touch our inner core and realize our true nature of love, compassion and service. As the Dalai Lama says, ‘This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.’