The religious fish and the spiritual fish

THE FALSE NARRATIVE OF THE “SPIRITUAL” FISH Vs THE RELIGIOUS FISH

Take a good look at the cartoon attached.

What might strike you immediately is “Oh !how very profound and true is its message!”.

But if you paused a bit and thought more deeply you’ll admit it’s in fact misrepresenting both religion and spirituality . … And it betrays too a serious lack of understanding of both.

Spirituality by itself is a vague thing .. 90% of all human experience is only through physicality and the senses. We can spend an entire lifetime without even once grasping the reality of our spirit. Our experiential world is rooted in the physical .

Under the circumstances, to say glibly that I’m 100% “spiritual” or I go about seeking only 100% spiritual freedom in life — and I have no use for religion — is rather self-delusional if not highly self-conceited.

Religious discipline or rigor is required essentially to help us in life to gradually come to a deep intuitive awareness of our essential spirit and to have us released from our acute body-centredness.

Spiritual awareness does not come by itself . It has to be worked upon in life . And religious practice actually helps in that gradual process.

Religion aids Spirituality. It does not hamper it.

To seek the spirit without religious training first is like putting the cart before the horse rather behind it.

It is also a bit like setting out into the wide seas on a boat but without a navigational compass .

In any case … please take a look again at the cartoon and you won’t miss seeing the fact that the little fish inside the bowl is safe … while the other fellow outside is always going to be at the risk of being gobbled up by other predators at sea or blown hither thither by a storm at sea.

In fact the fish outside is only perhaps frantically trying to get inside the comfort of the bowl in which he sees the other little fella happily ensconced.

It’s the way you perceive reality that defines it all. So, when you try to derive lessons from smart artistic slick graphics like this cartoon purportedly conveying lofty spiritual truth, beware and make sure you keep your eyes peeled wide open and your mind perceives truth not as you wish to see it but as it clearly is.

Sudarshan Madabushi