Can we just be Spiritual but not Religious?
Can we be spiritual without being religious? Can we gain attainments by being spiritual but not religious? What are the differences between these two? Do we want to learn to drive on our own, or go to a driving school and learn from an instructor? Watch this mind-blowing debate with Tsem Rinpoche on this profound topic. ~Admin
Can we just be Spiritual but not Religious?
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Thank you Rinpoche for the clear explanations that if we chose to be spiritual without being religious, there is no guarantee for us to achieve any attainment. But, we will gain attainments when we practice spiritual with religious. We can see this clearly when the great masters have returned in perfect human body and continue to do their dharma works for the benefit of others. The key point here is, when we truly want practice spiritual with religious, we have to find a qualified with pure lineage in spirituality. A qualified guru is able to guide us the methods to liberate from the suffering permanently, to purify our accumulated negative karma, collect merits then only achieve the ultimate goal of enlightenment for the benefit of others. Without the guru’s guidance and the blessings from the guru, it is difficult for us to achieve enlightenment.
Personally, before coming across Rinpoche’s explanation, I used to view spirituality and being religious as separate things but after that, I came to equate both as the same. The turning point for me was when Rinpoche posed the question of what is your definition of spirituality and emphasised on the need to be clear on the definition. It really got me thinking deeper as to how I define spirituality as I had a rather vague definition and such vague definition was causing me to struggle with the concerns I had about organised religion. I liked the structure and the tried and tested working formula that religion had to offer but I was very skeptical and apprehensive about the many manipulations done in the name of religion.
However, after having a much clearer definition of spirituality, I came to see both as the same, especially since I realised that the end goal for spirituality and being religious was the same for me. After all, to me, true spirituality as well as nature of religion is something that is found deep within oneself and it is one’s way of unconditionally loving, accepting and relating to the world and all beings. With that in mind, it became easier for me to take my leap of faith.
Thank you, Cindy, for your insightful and honest comment. I totally agree with you because I have also used to question those who questioned organised religion. I think they all had the same thoughts as you did and at that time I was quite stumped as to how to explain things to them until Rinpoche gave such a clear logical answer. Yes the end goal for spirituality and being religious is usually the same for the individual because the religion or spiritual path you take is based on your own motivation… how you get to that goal, that is the method you decide and choose for yourself, and this motivation is something that is deep inside each of us. It is just that sometimes it is covered with a lot of rubbish and negativity we ourselves create and limit ourselves due to our attachments to our comfort zones, hence we create limitations and excuses to fail. And when we fail, we do not want to face ourselves, so we blame, we blame the church, the temple, the people etc. but the reality is us, whether we want to accept it or not. Glad to know that this post is helping you take on that leap of faith!
Thanks Rinpoche and the team for the blog post. A good one for me to think more.
For me this is like between charity (spiritual) and Dharma (religious). A lot of people prefer do charity than Dharma, because it’s easy, I give people or animals what they need, we can give food, give shelter, to make them suffer less. That’s good and nothing wrong, but if that’s the ultimate thing we can do, we don’t need to build Dharma institutions, and channel all the resources to help the poor, to help those in needs.
But the fact is, what we can do in charity can only relief others suffering temporary, while Dharma is the ultimate solution to cut off the suffering, completely. It’s like we are giving other people fish or teach people how to fish.
So if we can be spiritual with a religion, it would be a more solid and practical path to achieve enlightenment.
Thank you.
This is a very interesting question as it brings us to the understanding of spirituality and religious. I have once been asked if spiritual same as religion. Of cos I wouldn’t know the answer then until I watched this video. Being spiritual alone will not bring us to enlightenment. Religion is a set of guides to lead us to the path on enlightenment and it is proven. Therefore, we spiritual and religion should go hand in hand.
In my own definition, religon is tangible but spirituality is not. I’ve never thought of myself to be a spiritual person. At one stage in my late teens, I was quite religious. I went to Bible study classes, I say my prayers daily, I study the Bible everyday, never missed Sunday service, I gave teachings/sermons during Sunday services, I preached gospels on the street to strangers…..but I never felt spiritual.
I’m generally not a believer of mystical powers, miracles and unexplained phenomenas. Okay I admit except aliens and UFO. I know that’s highly contradicting but that’s something to be explored another time.
Back to spirituality and religion. To cut the story short, I went through life, left the church, had a reasonably great career, bought that first house, had a few relationships, traveled round the world…blah, blah.blah and for years I didn’t think about neither religion nor spirituality. Both was almost non-existent.
One fine day in my reckless, unahppy and bored life, I decided to try meditation for the 1st time believe it or not. So I found this group of spiritual seekers who gather to meditate on connecting with mother earth, with the energy of nature. I was skeptic, I was suspicious and doubtful but I actually did try to embrace it.
We sat around the room, I followed all the instructions and tried my best to visualize what the facilitator was sharing. All I felt was the hard wood on the floor and the air conditioning blowing. When the session ended, we have the usual round of sharing of experience. Cliché I know but that’s how it goes.
Every single person in the room had some kind of sensational experience to share. They felt connected, at peace, a sudden calmness, etc, etc. When it came to my turn, I told them the truth, I felt nothing, there was no experiencing of anything. The lady kindly said that’s okay, it’s like that for some people and moved on to the next person with an interesting experience to share.
I spent the next few days in a semi panic mode thinking what the heck is wrong with me. Have I lost touch with my spiritual side for so long that is has now completely deserted me?
I started googling more on meditation, finding inner peace and this google search lead me to the word “dharma”. I never had any inclination or interest towards Buddhism so I knew next to nothing about it.
Tick tock tick tock…fast forward a month later, I found myself in Malaysia and joining Kechara full time. This is NOT an autobiography so I’m going to skip to just the relevent parts. I was seeking a spiritual side of me, not a religion. I was drawn to the philosophy of life and the science of the mind according to Buddhism. I wasn’t interested in Buddhism as a religion. I held on to this distinction for quite some time.
I have tried being religious without being spiritual. It didn’t work out.
I have tried abandoning being both religious or spiritual. It didn’t work out either.
I have tried being spiritual but not religious. It still didn’t work out.
What this teaching is telling me is to embrace spirituality in the context of a religious practice. It’s the only one I haven’t tried so what have I got to lose since all previous methods have not worked.
Thank you Rinpoche for this teaching, and thank you Datuk May for the question so that all of us would be able to learn about this as well. It is
Now I can better understand what is the difference in being spiritual and being religious. We can be spiritual and religious at the same time, but we might be religious if we are spiritual. Only after watching this video teaching that I understand the difference between being Spiritual and Religious.
Whatever we do we mustn’t waste time as life is short and for some even shorter than they realise it.
We really have to thank all the great bodhisattvas and buddhas for coming back to our Earth and showing us the way, that there is a way to life a beneficial and compassionate life despite our Modern age. The fact that there are enlightened beings also do the activity of a perfect buddha allows us to benchmark and develop faith in the teachings and Buddha.
It is difficult to differentiate between spirituality and religion. Due to traditional upbringing, “religion” has a connotation with rigidness and formalities & less modern, so to speak. Hence, I would prefer to refer as “spiritual practice”, rather than “religion practice”.
Thank you very much, Rinpoche for the explanation. I am clear of the meaning and differentiation between Spirituality and Religion now.
Spiritual practice is definitely much more than doing good for others. When we practice “spirituality” without religion and from our own understanding, how sure are we that we are on the right track? When we practice spiritual with the guide of religion, we will certain progress and much easily to attain higher levels. Thank you, Rinpoche for this teaching.
Awesome debate by Rinpoche, thanks Rinpoche for always make us learn more Dharma skillfully…
We can learn more through the video above…
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this exchange between you and Datuk May on “Can we just be spiritual but not Religious”?
I have heard young people say that they find that religion has become too institutionalized. However, in this explanation of the difference between being merely spiritual and being religious, Rinpoche has shown us that we need religion. In this case, as Buddhists, we need the dharma – the teachings of Lord Buddha -especially when these teachings come to us in the form of a graduated path to take us out of suffering into Enlightenment -in the form of the Lamrim.The Dharma is not mere dogma. It contains the truths of what Lord Buddha discovered on the night of His enlightenment.
Thank Rinpoche for the sharing. I always thought Spiritual = Religious. Thank you Rinpoche for the explanation.
Nice video…
To further oneself into enlightenment.. we need Dharma, and our religion… I understand now that being spiritual is not being religious…
Will think more on it 🙂
I remembered this debate session. I and I’m sure many who were present there that day thought that Datuk May was very bold and asked a very interesting question. I sure was very keen to know the answer and how Rinpoche would skilfully as as usual put it for us to comprehend! Love how these wonderful teachings have all been “edited” shorter for quick easy references and it’s also good for busy people who are always on the go. At least they get some bite size Dharma with the main KEY POINTS required for them to contemplate for the day.
Yes I too always thought being spiritual was less boxed up but with Rinpoche’s explanation, especially in terms of Buddhist religion, at least one has a road map to follow instead of flowing freely and heading nowhere and sometimes even head in the wrong direction and attract the wrong kind of beings in to ones life which many new age spiritual people have experienced and next thing you know, they go searching for a Tibetan Lama to “help” them… and back to old school religion anyway.