Education in Values and Spirituality :: Spirituality and Values

Module 2 Unit 3 - Religion, Spirituality and Secularism

Religion and spirituality both refer to a higher unseen power and the strength, emotion and values connected with it. Spirituality means to be free from sensuality and concerned with the human spirit. People of all religious backgrounds are now exploring the spiritual aspects of their heritage, as well as each other’s religious faiths and traditions. India is traditionally inclusive of all religions yet some people find it hard to tolerate religious differences and this can lead to conflict. The Constitution of India guarantees the right to freedom of religion in all its aspects. India is a secular state which means it does not have the right to interfere in matters of religion.

All religions have a formal, institutional framework as well as a mystical dimension where inner life is explored by contemplatives. All religions refer to a common spiritual experience and focus their attention upon the Divine. All religions are concerned with morality and ethical behaviour. Most people are born into a particular religion and adopt its traditions. The religion provides a sense of identity and influences their psychological make-up, attitudes and world view.

Many people are compelled to abandon traditional religious beliefs because they do not stand up to the critical examination of science. At the same time, people get corrupted easily by materialism and the addictions it generates. There is now a call for the development of spiritual values, meditation, virtues and spiritual and moral strength in family and professional life.

During the last 100 years, Western intellectuals have studied Indian spirituality and many Western people meditate regularly. Doctors prescribe meditation to help patients handle stress and illness. Many people are taking up spiritual practices and applying the required self-discipline. Spiritual practice strengthens the conscience and develops moral and ethical intuition.

Values and ethics are based on fundamental concepts. The conflict between science and religion is a conflict of fundamental concepts. Neither religion nor science has provided complete information about life, death, what is real, what is right and what is wrong. Advances in theoretical physics and psychology are beginning to converge with the concepts and discoveries of spirituality and a partnership is arising between the two.

Considering themselves secular in the sense of non-religious and non-spiritual, materialist cultures give importance to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This means assigning the highest value to human life, and avoiding physical death and suffering. Secular laws based on the values of human rights correspond to some extent to the laws of spirituality, but lack of knowledge of spirituality has limited their effectiveness. Those responsible for enforcing these laws often lack spiritual powers and qualities so the ideals of equality and justice are not practical realities.

The laws of spirituality are discerned intuitively and discovered by study and investigation. In this sense spirituality is like science, especially physics. These laws govern the relationship between humans and the Divine, between and among human beings and between human beings and the natural world. The laws of spirituality are fixed. As you sow, so shall you reap, is a well-known saying that describes the laws of action and the philosophy of karma. The laws of spirituality affect your relationship with the Supreme Being and the natural world in subtle ways. Anything you think, say or do that is against the Divine, blocks your spiritual contact and takes away your peace of mind. Anything you do against nature makes you suffer physically. Whatever you do against others causes suffering and isolation in your relationships. Spirituality explains how the external state of the world reflects the condition of individual souls.