Image: facebook.com/kamlesdaji/

We live in a world where the line between religion and spirituality seems thin. Sometimes, the deeper essence of inner change also gets lost in translation. We tried to get a better perspective and thus, we came in contact with spiritual leader Kamlesh D. Patel. Affectionately called Daaji, his insights drew a clear line between merely believing and actually experiencing the divine.

What separates spirituality from religion?

“Believing in God and worshiping God comes under religion. But when after believing, we practice with devotion, experiences start arising. Internal experiences start manifesting within us. What was once external becomes internal,” said Daaji while speaking exclusively to us.He further said, “Earlier, we simply believed. Now, it is not necessary to believe because we have experienced it. Just like when you see something, a foot, a plant, the sun, the stars, you don’t have to ‘believe’ in them because you can see them with your own eyes. In the same way, the experience of the divine tells us that something divine really exists and is always with us. We can experience it whenever we want. That is spirituality, when faith turns into real experience.“

further journey

The spiritual leader further explained that spirituality is not where the journey ends; It is the journey itself. Once an experience is gained, it is important to move beyond it. He said, “We must go further. People often feel satisfied after gaining experience; they think, “I have experienced this.” But there is still a gap there. One experience, or even a year of such experiences, is not enough. What comes next is important.”Highlighting this as a very subtle point, he explained with an example. “Imagine you go to live with a friend, maybe a close friend or a cousin, and you spend three or four months with them. You enjoy their hospitality and think, “My friend is wonderful, so kind, so rich.” The experience feels good. But somewhere deep inside you may also feel, ‘It would be nice if I could be like them,'” he said.“In the same way, we can experience divinity, but true peace is not found until we become divine ourselves. After the experience, there must arise within the heart a deep inspiration, a kind of restlessness that moves us to change ourselves.” It is not enough to experience divinity; We must become this,” he said.

moving towards zero

“And even after being formed, a stage comes when the mind says, “Leave this too.” The person automatically transcends that too. Ultimately, the mind experiences satisfaction, and the journey continues towards emptiness, the void. That is why our scriptures, Vedas and Upanishads say, “Neti, Neti” (not this, not that). That state cannot be described in words, because it is emptiness,” Daaji concluded, as he highlighted the true essence of spirituality.