are not worthy of discussion since anything we say regarding these cannot be verified by directobservation.One may rightly despair whether this stand-off between Science and Religion can ever getresolved. The resolution, I believe, is possible provided we have a right understanding of science and religion and also of the mediating role of spirituality.
Spirituality vs. Religion
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Spirituality does not conflict with religion; on the other hand, as mentioned earlier, it is oftenconsidered inseparable from religion. This does not mean that the two are the same. It is truethat for a religion to be effective it must include core spiritual truths. The spiritual nature andspiritual development are same in all individuals regardless of time, space, gender, race,nationality etc. Therefore, the various religions that have come into vogue at different epochs indifferent cultures, even though looking very different, must necessarily incorporate manysimilar, if not identical, core beliefs about spirituality. Thus, all religions1) Place greatest emphasis on controlling the tumultuous mind and living adisciplined, virtuous life,2) Believe in the existence of a higher power whose Will dictates the events of theworld and experiences of the individuals,3) Preach love and self-less service and require surrender of personal will to the higherWill,4) Discount the importance of the perishable body in deference to the imperishableindwelling “soul” within each individual,5) Hold that spiritual practices bring peace and happiness to daily life, and6) Recognize the potential of all souls to reach Perfection, though some religionssuggest that this potential is realized only for own believers.But religions do not stop with just acknowledging and promoting these spiritual truths. Theyhave found it necessary and useful to surround the core truths with several layers of additionaltheories and practices. The relevance of these additional layers is not universal since they arethe product of the particular time, space, and culture in which they are created. As such they donot have the same absolute validity as the core spiritual truths do.The anatomy of a religion can be represented as rings surrounding a central core of spiritualtruths (Fig 1.) The outmost ring consists of the institutions, the temples and churches, the clergyofficiating in various positions, the social customs, dress and dietary habits, its festivals etc.This is the external face the religion presents to the world. In the next layer inside are thevarious rituals and sacraments that the followers are expected to observe. Usually, this facet of a religion is not open to everyone, but only to its adherents. The third layer is perhaps the mostsignificant of all. It includes the legends and mythologies associated with the various prophets,saints, and deities of the religion. The personalities, ideals and beliefs introduced in this layeroften are the factors determining the character of the religion. In the next inner layerimmediately surrounding the core, is Theology dealing with its beliefs regarding God, origin of
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This part of the paper is excerpted from a forthcoming book by this author “Law of Love and the Mathematics of Spirituality”.
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