The Spiritual Roots of Religion

It's that time of the year again: post-Christmas, the serenity of Yuletide is suddenly replaced by the boisterous anticipation of Chinese Lunar New Year that looms ahead. To the Chinese, the new year only really begins after this major celebration is done and over with.  Business outlets are now all decked in festive red, with themes referencing the coming year's zodiac animal--the Horse.

I'm blogging today from a kopitiam at Nu Empire, Subang Jaya, with the incessant drone of CNY songs pumping into my ears. Lately, I've been taking my time to explore all the various possible activities that I could embark upon in the coming year. I'll just sit back and see what bubbles up in terms of promise and excitement.

One thing's for sure though: I'll dive deeper into my exploration of spirituality in general. If you read the articles in my blog, it is clear that spirituality is a recurrent theme. Today, there is a trend among some to declare themselves as "spiritual but not religious"--SBNR in short. This SBNR term probably became common-place when dating apps and sites allow users to choose this as an option when asked to specify their religious affiliation.

What is spirituality? And what differentiates it from being 'religious'? If you look for definitions of spirituality, it is often defined as a kind of inner yearning or search for meaning, transcendence and connectedness to something greater.  This to me is the foundation of all religions. Spirituality appears to be something universally sought after by humans in every culture. Spirituality, when expressed outwardly and socially becomes a religious practice. 

Institutionalised religions offer a simple and convenient way for people to express their need for spirituality.  To be spiritual without being religious, is often looked upon by the religious as some kind of a cop-out-- like having free love, without the constraints of marriage. But one would certainly agree that a healthy marriage has to be built on a foundation of love.

Most of us are born into a particular religious tradition.  We are introduced to religious rituals and practices, which often becomes something associated with a kind of cultural obligation that is devoid of meaning. This is why many abandon their religion of birth, only to find their spirituality in another religion. Or they could be 'born-again', into their faith when they happen-chance on an experience in life that makes them rediscover the meaning of their religion.

Sometimes it is essential to break out from the stultifying constraints of one's religion of birth to realise one's innate spirituality. This is why you see more religious converts becoming fanatical zealots. The 'spiritual awakening' that makes one convert (which I have equated to the experience of falling in love),     can often be a life-changing event that injects meaning into a life that hitherto had been empty and lost. 

I see religious traditions as reservoirs of knowledge, which if understood in context, would constitute a kind of wisdom, that could inspire and guide a community through the vicissitudes of life. Context is key, and that is why religion under an unenlightened zealot could even be harmful. It is seductively easy to simply adopt religious practices blindly in the name of piety. 

There is no virtue in appearing outwardly pious without a spiritual underpinning. Sometimes, the scaffolding of religion is a useful starting point for the spiritual quest; sometimes they are an obstacle. 

What's important is realising that we have an innate need for the triple-quest of spirituality: meaning ("My life has meaning"), transcendence ("I am more than this mortal body")  and connectedness ("I belong to a much larger whole"). The doctrines of institutionalised religion provide elements of all three. But these are but the roots of your spirituality. Your growth begins here, now.