The general public is not interested or superficially interested in religion. Even so, they adopt religion for their material gains or mental and emotional satisfaction.

Some of them do follow religion seriously for their own salvation from 'Satan', or 'Mukti'.

Even the so-called religious preachers are ignorant of-- or conveniently indifferent to-- the esoteric spiritual religion of the soul! Although they preach, propagate and exhort about spiritual matters, through quotations from scriptures, they themselves have little or no interest, faith or conviction about the spiritual religion of the Soul, i.e. Divine Grace and Light or 'Naam'!!!

Therefore, the outer show and profession of 'Religiosity' may not be a true expression of 'spirituality'!

We may go about as 'religious people' without any 'spiritualism'-- with God 'staying away' from us!

Very few seek God for his sake alone.

Only a handful of aspirants, devotees do really yearn and long for God, and cry for His Grace and Love.

Both the outer dogmatic and inner spiritual aspects of religions are supposed to be complementary and supplementary to each other, and source of inspiration and drive for the aspiring soul.

But the ignorance or misconceptions of either or both aspects of religions, makes them look like:

of each-other!

The outer dogmatic aspects of religions have already been discussed, described, explained and dilated into hair-splitting details in the various scriptures and by their preachers, in spite of which there is so much:

amongst their followers!

If there can be so much confusion and misconception about the outer aspects of religions, which are amenable to our intellectual research and analysis, then, the ignorance and misconceptions of the spiritual aspects of religion is imperative and natural, since it is the beyond the grasp of our intelligence.

In the pitch darkness, there are bound to be differences and controversies about the perception of things. When the light is put ON, we get the correct perception of everything and all confusion and controversies are solved.

The intellectual has, therefore, no authenticity of the Divine Vision and whatever he preaches is:

These religious preachers live in darkness of ignorance, without the Inner Intuitional Light.

'Ignorance' does not mean ignorance of 'why' and the 'wherefore' of creation, but it is a life lived in darkness of the 'soul'.

are artificial props of intellectual pillars, to support a well deliberated scheme of religious life, which are only:

in the path of soul-evolution.

The scholars, intellectuals and religious preachers, so-called saints and self-proclaimed gurus, mis-interpret Divine Nectar of Life, i.e. 'Naam', for mere intellectual 'gargling' so to say , while the blessed ones sip and drink the Nectar and live intoxicated life of Divine Bliss, Joy, Peace and Love, and bask in the cosy Sunshine of Divine Presence.

So long as we prefer to live in the darkness of illusive MAYA, there are bound to be:

and what not, in all aspects of our life, including Religion.

All ills and miseries of humanity, sprout from, and are aggravated by, the darkness of illusive Maya i.e. the absence of Divine Light.

This darkness of Maya cannot be removed or eliminated by egoistic human efforts alone. It can only be substituted with the Divine Light -- by the Grace of the Guru -- through the help and guidance of His Illuminated Souls -- 'Sadh Sangat'.

All scriptures have emphasized and exalted the value of 'Sadh Sangat' i.e. the sublime company of the Blessed Souls or Saints.

If a child gets admission in a good school and is placed under the tuition of a competent teacher, his smooth successful educational career is assured.

Similarly, if a student of the 'Science of Soul' finds place at the feet of Illuminated Blessed Souls, or Sadh-Sangat, his spiritual advancement and development is assured.

Therefore, the most important and crucial point for the Aspirant or 'Bhagta' is to seek the company of Awakened and Illuminated Souls, the Sadh-Sangat, who have been blessed with the Divine Grace and Light i.e. 'NAAM'.

The problem of spiritual life is that of finding truly Illuminated Souls or Sadh-Sangat.

Having found a True Guru, all we have to do, is to surrender ourselves completely and unconditionally to him and walk the way of implicit obedience. Nothing else is necessary. What is needed is loving surrender to the Guru. He is the ever-compassionate one. He awakens, ignites and illuminates our dormant soul with Divine Light, as we walk in the darkness of this world. He transmutes our senses and mind, and purifies and illuminates our heart. And holding us by the hand, He leads us on the path, until the curtain of illusive 'Maya' drops, the veils are removed, and we behold the Beloved face to face.

In the past, sages, Gurus and Prophets have been teaching the technique of 'turning inwards', to inspire, motivate and re-direct our consciousness, back to our Divine Home in our souls, by putting us in direct contact with the 'word-less WORD' -- the 'SHABAD' -- the Ultimate Divine Essence.

But we have conveniently ignored and forgotten these invaluable Divine Instructions, to our own detriment and peril!

Even now, the technique of 'turning inward', or transformation of consciousness, may be learned and achieved with the:

of

Souls or Saints -- 'SADH SANGAT'.

To be blessed with the company of sublime 'Sadh-Sangat', is a rare privelege. The very presence of such blessed souls gives more then a million books!

Out of 'LIFE' cometh life; and true Illuminated Souls can wake up within you, the centre of 'LIGHT'.

For the attainment of such exalted spiritual Consciousness, the following points are most important and essential: