THE OTHER day I was talking about the distinction in religion and spirituality. Spirituality is about liberation, and religion, as it is understood and practiced, is about control.

At the lowest level, religions tend to control through ignorance and blind belief. They do not wish to be questioned, because they have no answers themselves. The Vedic culture of the Hindus, while being true of all mankind as a whole (and thus not technically Hindu), is very different and clear on this. What they laid out as scriptures are, but only the eternal and immutable truths called sruti. The best that I like about them, why only I, anyone for that matter would is that they are not regulations - nothing is doctrinal about them. There are no strict commandments. They are the epitome examples of leave it or take it. It’s something like saying, ’I have said; now it is up to you’. This is an admirable stance to take; just as a flower would feel utterly thankful when it has released its fragrance to the winds; it would never bother whether you partake of it or not. Accidentally, as a passer-by you may, but that is not important at all to the flower; flowers do not seek followers. Similarly, the Vedic and the Upanisadic teachings are simply the guidelines for evolution, for the flowering of your consciousness; it is up to you to accept or reject. Why should it matter? And for what?

Sruti means ‘the heard’, that’s all – that is hear the truth – to follow or not to follow, is determined by your level of understanding or the degree of your evolvement. Do we not find the same attitude of the universe, existence, god – call it by whatever name you want. This attitude needs tremendous strength of character. Other than sruti, there is another branch of truth called smriti.

Smriti means ‘memory’, that is memorise what has been said. Memorise, because it is utilitarian and essential to your living, and although the truths here are temporal in nature, they are useful to be kept or held in the mind. Even in smriti, there is no command, only a drawing of attention, regulated for a day-to-day living. Thus the regulations in smriti are changeable, as they are required to evolve with time and space – room for modernisation. There is no rigidity, there is no compulsion, and there is no pronouncement that these are god-given and therefore cannot be questioned.

’To follow truth is to be religious’; this seems to be the message. These truths, which sprang from Vedic culture stood for individual freedom; only such freedom can lead towards awareness and liberation. Religions that tend to control through ignorance graduate into control through fear and greed. These are the two steps which work as the basis of a number of religions, extant in the world today.

Spirituality is about losing fear and overcoming greed. Krishna advises us in the Bhagavad-Gita to drop aversion and attachment, because even aversion is a form of attachment, in order to reach him.

Unfortunately, some religions foster fear and greed through regulations that they impose on you. They will tell you that if you do this or that, you will be a sinner and go to hell; and if you stay away from all such evil actions, you will be redeemed and will go to heaven.

There is no heaven and hell. They exist only in our minds. You commit sin because you are in hell; you do not go to hell because you commit sin. Redemption is liberation and heaven, when you reach that inner awareness that you are one with all. And then the bliss that engulfs you is that heaven. Heaven is not any geographical location where wine, women, and extensions of worldly pleasures lie in wait for you 24 hours a day. Such a place would, in fact be hell, as it would lead to infinite boredom.

Drop all notions of sin and merit and of hell and heaven and live with awareness. You will reach nitya ananda, eternal bliss, the pouring rain of joy!

Be blissful!