Talk on Philosophy, Religion and Spirituality by Sri Chinmoy

Dear seekers of the highest Truth, dear brothers and sisters, I wish to give a short talk on philosophy, religion and spirituality. As you all know, philosophy is a vast subject. Religion is a vast subject. Spirituality is a vast subject. Time will not permit me to do justice to these lofty subjects. Yet, with your kind permission, with your loving good will, I shall say a few words from the spiritual point of view on each one.

Philosophy is in the thinking mind. Philosophy is of the searching mind. Philosophy is for the illumining mind.

Religion is our conscious or unconscious response to the beckoning Light. Religion is our firm belief in the lofty experiences of our predecessors. Religion is our great satisfaction in our glorious past.

Spirituality is in the aspiring heart. Spirituality is of the liberating soul. Spirituality is for the fulfilling and immortalising God.

A lover of philosophy talks about God’s Vision. A lover of religion talks about God’s Power. A lover of spirituality talks about God’s Compassion. A lover of philosophy wants to see God’s Face. A lover of religion wants to see God’s Eye. A lover of spirituality wishes to grow into God’s all compassionate Heart.

A man of philosophy is a dreamer. A man of religion is an observer. A man of spirituality is a divine lover. A divine dreamer, a divine observer and a divine lover are good friends.

A man of philosophy wants to see the height of life. A man of religion wants to see the depth of life. A man of spirituality wants to see the reality of life and the reality in life.

There is a human philosophy and there is a divine philosophy. The human philosophy is a dry piece of wood. The human philosophy is a soulless goal. The divine philosophy is a fruitful tree. The divine philosophy is an all illumining life and an all fulfilling goal. The divine philosophy knows that its Source is transcendental Silence. The divine philosophy knows that its Source is transcendental Delight.

There is a human religion and a divine religion. The human religion is a baseless self aggrandisement. The human religion is a lifeless confidence. The divine religion is a constant God proclamation from the very depth of the seeker’s heart. It is in the inmost recesses of his heart that a seeker proclaims God’s Reality, God’s Divinity, God’s Immortality.

There is a human spirituality and a divine spirituality. The human spirituality, in the name of God, deceives mankind. The human spirituality, in the name of God, deceives its own true being by offering a false God realisation to aspiring humanity. The divine spirituality knows that at God’s choice Hour each follower of religion will be inundated with infinite Light, Peace and Bliss. The divine spirituality is fully aware of the fact that each practitioner of spirituality is a conscious, chosen instrument of God, crying for the dawn of Life immortal here on earth.

A man of true philosophy, a man of true religion and a man of true spirituality need God. For them there is no other choice.

I am extremely happy to learn that the motto of the state of Colorado is “Nothing without Deity.” Without God, without the Inner Pilot, we are nothing. With the Inner Pilot, we are everything. God is the Realisation tree, and this Realisation tree has many branches. Philosophy, religion and spirituality are three branches of God the Realisation tree. The man of philosophy can sit under the philosophy branch, the man of religion can sit under the religion branch, and the man of spirituality can sit under the spirituality branch. It is in the protection and shelter of the Divinity that we can grow into Immortality.

The man of philosophy, the man of religion and the man of spirituality are three brothers walking along three different roads. But they have started their journey, and they are destined to reach their goal at God’s choice Hour. Each human being has philosophy to some extent, religion to some extent and spirituality to some extent. But if a seeker enters into the life of aspiration, and if his inner being compels him to love God for God’s sake, then automatically the wealth of philosophy, the wealth of religion and the wealth of spirituality will all loom large in his life of aspiration. Philosophy will tell him who God is. Religion will tell him where God is. Spirituality will tell him why God is.

– Sri Chinmoy

April 23rd, 1974
9:00 p.m.
University of Colorado
The Physics Building
Boulder, Colorado