You’re spiritual, but not religious. What’s the difference?

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.

-- Edith Wharton

You know that there is something more to life and you believe in a higher source of power, yet you’re not too keen on thumping the bible or any other religious text for that matter. You’re not interested in trying to convert others to any specific religion or religious doctrine, rather you believe that all life has a divine purpose and it is up to each of us to seek out that purpose to live our best life possible.

So, what’s the difference between being spiritual and religious? Merriam-Webster has defined spiritual as "relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit :  incorporeal <spiritual needs>", while defining religious as "1: relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity <a religious person> <religious attitudes>, 2 :  of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances <joined a religious order>".

So, in essence, being spiritual means that you are aware of the fact that you are a soul with spiritual needs and that your soul is a divine spirit connected to a higher source. You seek out knowledge that helps you become fully connected to the divine source of all that is, allows you to grow on a spiritual level and guides you towards your true purpose. You remain opened minded. You don't mind sharing what you know with others, and you don't try to force your spiritual beliefs upon them. You simply share the information and the rest is up to them. If they choose to investigate deeper, then you are happy to guide them in the direction of the knowledge they seek, and you may even engage in philosophical debate over the information discovered. All of this takes place without you imposing your beliefs on the other, leaving them free to decide what's best for them, their spiritual needs, and their life's journey. 

In contrast, being religious means that you subscribe to the doctrine of a specific branch of organized religion. You practice the traditions set by that religion and you actively engage in recruiting for that religion. You may even hold a deep seated belief that your religion is the only true religion and that all other religions are pagan. You may be very devout or you may be a backslider, either way you firmly believe in your religion and you cannot be swayed. You believe that your religious practices take care of your spiritual needs and you desire to share your religion with others so that they, too, can benefit from it, which leads you to recruit for your religion.

So, which path is the right path?

The answer to the question above is subjective to the person answering the question, so only you can determine which path is right for you. Path seekers on this site tend to be more spiritual than religious, but almost everyone is welcome here, as we are all on a journey of self discovery. We all seek to find our place in the sun; building our best life possible, while creating passive streams of income that makes it possible for us to fully indulge in our lives. 

Meditation helps us with this process. It puts us in a better frame of mind, so that our creativity can start to flow making it possible to once again see the light at the end of the tunnel or overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.

But, what if you're religious. Does this mean that you can't be apart of the path seekers tribe? Of course you can still be a path seeker! It has been my experience that souls whom tend to be very religious also tend to be very closed minded, but this doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone. If you are an open minded person with a burning desire to create passive streams of income to improve the quality of your life, than you are welcome here. If you have a desire to share inspiration and motivation with follow path seekers, than you are welcomed here.

Whither you are Spiritual or Religious, you can still benefit from the practice of meditation. It is a very effective way to reduces stress, clear your mind, and refresh/realign your energy so you can be more effective at accomplishing your goals.

I've never heard of meditation being a practice prohibited by any form of organized religion, so I'd suggest you give it a try or not, the choice is yours.

(Clicking the blue meditation link will get you a FREE meditation audio mp3, my gift to you)

The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.

-- Benjamin Disraeli

Stay the course, Path Seeker!

Sincerely,

Abena Dakwa, M.B.A.

References

Spiritual definition taken from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiritual

Religious definition taken from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religious