Spiritual but not religious

Nowadays we can see many people saying that they are spiritual but not religious.

Such people could be atheists or those who accept God who is not restricted to any particular religion. The main idea here is morality or spirituality is independent of any religion known to man.

Actually Vedic Hindu view is compatible with the above as God is indwelling in all whether one is a believer in any religion or not. 

Even then, people holding such a view have to follow some dos and donts in life in order to be spiritual. And following dos and donts constitutes religion. So the idea of spiritual but not religious

is a kind of oxymoron.

But it can be argued that the golden rule of morality "to look upon others as oneself"is beyond all religions. But this golden rule gets validity only when God is seen as immanently present in all as the inner Self of all, which is the basic tenet of Hindu religion 

So it is only in the Hindu religion based on the Vedas, one can see the coming together of 

spirituality and religion as the ultimate God is identified as the Supreme Brahman that pervades and indwells in all as the absolute Self.

Namaste

Suresh

Brahma Vishnu and Shiva

It is very well known that the four faced Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the sustainer and Shiva is the destroyer. Brahma is not worshiped widely by Hindus, but nevertheless he is held in high esteem and respect.

Vishnu and Shiva are widely worshiped and there are many vedic mantras that herald them as the supreme. But question may arise as to who is the most supreme among them.

Shiva means one who is auspicious and Vishnu means one who is everywhere. Shiva stands for the vishwa tattva or  this entire universe and Vishnu for the Vishwatma tattva or the universal spirit Self that pervades the universe. Shiva stands for dharma and Vishnu for Truth which are always inseparable. 

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Sri Krishna, shows His universal form or Vishwa rupa and identifies

himself as the Kaala or Time that devours everything. It is the maha kaala rupa of Shiva.

So the vedantic Brahman though non-dual, manifests in two forms - Truth and dharma

which stands for Vishnu and Shiva respectively. 

Intelligent Hindus should therefore worship them both and meditate on that supreme

universal being in whom all beings are existing.

Namaste

Suresh