What is Spirituality and Self-Realization?

In Sanskrit, Spirituality means Adhyatma. The word ‘adhyatma’ is derived from two words – adhi meaning ‘pertaining to’ and Atma meaning the ‘Soul’. Therefore Spirituality means ‘pertaining to the Soul’.

Spirituality is the process of leading the total energy of the body to the Soul. It encompasses the “sat” i.e. “eternal truth”. It gives answers to a lot of questions like who am I, who runs the world, what is karma, what is liberation, how are karmas charged, etc...

Many a times, people tend to mix spirituality with religion, although they both are completely different. Religion and religious practices help a person to refrain from doing bad deeds and instead encourage him to do good deeds. Good deeds helps one bind merit karmas which in turn bring worldly happiness and bad deeds bind demerit karmas that bring difficulties and suffering. While spirituality raises one above good and bad deeds and directs one’s journey towards liberation which means freedom from the bondage of good or bad karma.

In spirituality, one becomes separate from all good and bad deeds as he realizes he is really a Soul. Unless and until one knows Soul (one’s original identity) one cannot attain liberation. One needs to realize their true Self. Right now what one knows is all about his/her worldly identity. The way in which one is identified in the worldly life is different from person to person, but everyone’s real identity is the same i.e. each one is really a Pure Soul. To know who we really are is called “Self-Realization”. Spirituality and Self-Realization go hand in hand.

Spiritual knowledge or spiritual science is required for attaining Self-Realization. When one knows ‘who am I’ and ‘really who is the doer’ in this world, he is able to come out of sufferings and miseries of day to day life. By attaining Self Realization, people not only become happy and peaceful in their worldly life, but also those who are really seekers, they develop a goal for themselves to be free from all karmas and direct their life towards attaining liberation from the vicious cycle of birth and death. Through Self Realization, the ignorance gets broken and one can experience the Self by the direct light. Lord Mahavir, Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Lord Shiva achieved a state which is beyond our intellect and ego and hence they are worshipped as God.

The ultimate purpose of life is to get Self-Realization, complete all the karmas and attain ultimate liberation. But in this fast paced lifestyle is it really possible to do so? How? There are 2 paths to liberation : 

1. The step-by-step path of Self-Realization which includes penance, fasting, meditation and leaving the worldly comforts; and

 2. The stepless path to liberation through Akram Vignan which is the new age spiritual science, whereby one gets Self realized only in 2 hours by the grace of Gnani Purush.

The need of the scriptures is only until one meets a Living Gnani and Self-Realization is attained. Once we achieve this spiritual knowledge, we can be free from all worldly sufferings and attain ultimate salvation.

Source: https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/what-is-spirituality-and-self-realization-0