Spirituality is a topic often discussed very passionately. If one goes to a place like Dharamshala in India, this topic is often the most discussed. The person who suggested that I travel there is also a very spiritual person and someone who spends a great deal of her time protecting and taking care of animals.
Hundreds of Indians and non-Indians come to Dharamshala to experience or find something. However, my reason to travel there was not a spiritual one. It was not to find “the true me” or find peace. It was to get a break from my routine and get back in the world. In all honesty, after years of struggling, I finally have the means to take care of the people I care about as well as spend on myself.
As someone born in a lower-middle-class family, spirituality has always been a luxury for me. I still think of it as a hobby for someone who has had & still has the luxury of spending time & money on themselves before anyone else. Random things keep happening in life; loved ones die. Some people then try to process what’s happening in their way and form opinions or belief systems. They then start to feel they know the meaning of life better than others. Very similar to the thought process of religious people. They, too, think they know the right or better way to live.
I’m just a web designer and not very great at it either. I have not traveled much, so what do I know about life? Not Much. But it’s not difficult for one to see that the spiritual or religious beliefs & practices people follow are mostly those that allow them to live comfortably, hell even luxuriously. Siddhartha left his kingdom to be enlightened or something like that. For hundreds of years, people practicing Buddhism have built grand temples & monasteries worldwide. Most people practice or follow those things which do not take them out of their comfort level.
So many people travel to India to find spirituality. Do they discover the meaning of life or set them on the right path? Maybe or maybe not. Perhaps just understanding a different culture is enough for them to realize their problems are not as huge as they think, which eventually makes them worry less.
We don’t have much control over most of the things in our life, and no one knows anything for sure except that we are going to die. Even our death is something we can’t control unless one decides to commit suicide and then has the guts to go through with it. If having a belief system, whether it’s spiritual or religious, helps you get through the day, then it’s great. But feeling spiritually superior over others is not very different from the ISIS guys thinking their way is the only way to live, and the rest are infidels.
Finally, after attending to the needs of people I love & care about and myself, if I have extra time, I’d prefer to spend it to help those around me in whatever capacity I can and not spend that time on being spiritual or religious. Spirituality or religion won’t help cure cancer, but humans can. If you get hit by a car, not your spirituality or GOD, but PEOPLE will help you whether they share your beliefs or not.
So I’ll end this by saying that spirituality or religion is similar to a language for me. There are too many ways to live a life. Don’t let your belief system make you feel superior or motivate you to hurt others.
2 responses to “What do I think about Spirituality?”
Hello Harshit,
I landed up on your website from WordPress Forums and I had to read this post as being and “Indian and Atheist”; if somebody is talking about spirituality it draws my attention. I must say at first glance on your title, I though it’s another random post on “Spirituality” and being “Near to God” kind of thing!
When I read the whole post, I must say – this is what I always felt deeply and this is what is required in this world. Indeed, being spiritual is a luxury and even if one has extra time and money there are so many things to address instead “SEEKING” something in the void.
I heartily appreciate your views here and looking forward on this place with more and more vital content near to reality! Keep up the great work :)
Hey Chintan,
I’m glad you liked the post.