Spirituality is an Inner Phenomenon

Spirituality does not belong to the external world of objects, forms, or activities. It is something that unfolds within the human being, in the silent space beyond thoughts.

The materialistic world is made of matter: things that can be seen, touched, imagined, or thought about. Spirituality, however, is not a “thing.” It cannot be possessed or acquired as an object; instead, it is a state of being that must be realised from within.

This distinction can be better understood through the following analogies.

Analogy 1: The Sky and Clouds The mind is like the sky, and thoughts are like clouds drifting across it. Some clouds are white and gentle, others dark and heavy, and some are striking in their beauty. But no matter what kind of cloud appears, it covers the sky.

In the same way, thoughts about money, relationships, religion, rituals, or even God are all clouds. Even what we consider “good” or “spiritual” thoughts are still clouds.

Spirituality is the experience of the clear sky, not the clouds. Accumulating more thoughts, even spiritual ones, does not reveal the sky; it only keeps it hidden.

Analogy 2: Dust on a Mirror The human mind is like a mirror. Its natural state is to reflect truth clearly. However, over time, it becomes covered with dust in the form of thoughts, beliefs, concepts, and memories.

Because of this accumulation, the reflection is no longer clear. What we see is distorted, not because the mirror has lost its nature, but because it is obscured. In this sense, material thoughts are dust, and religious thoughts are also dust; their nature may differ, but their effect remains the same.

Even if the dust is “holy,” it still blocks the reflection. Liberation is not about decorating the dust; it is about removing it completely.

When all inner noise disappears, the silence of Truth reveals itself.

Analogy 3: Noise and Silence Imagine trying to hear a very subtle sound in a room filled with noise. The more noise there is, the less you are able to hear what is subtle and quiet. Even meaningful noise, such as music, speech, or chanting, can still drown out silence.

In the same way, spirituality is like pure silence, while the activity of the mind creates noise. Thinking about rituals, temples, philosophies, or scriptures is still mental noise. Even thinking about liberation is noise.

Only when all noise comes to an end is silence revealed. That silence is the true spiritual state.

Analogy 4: Removing a Thorn with a Thorn Sometimes, a thorn is used to remove another thorn. In the same way, certain practices can serve as tools rather than ends in themselves.

Religious practices, rituals, and philosophies may help remove gross distractions.

However, once the thorn is removed, both thorns must be thrown away. If one continues to hold on to the second thorn in the form of beliefs, concepts, or practices, it becomes a new obstruction.

Spirituality is not about doing, but about becoming still. It is not about adding anything, but about removing everything.

Every thought, whether material or spiritual, is still a movement of the mind. Liberation happens only when the mind becomes completely free from all movement.

Thinking about temples, idols, rituals, or philosophies may offer emotional comfort or moral direction, but they cannot take one beyond the mind. This is because they exist within thought, while liberation lies beyond thought.

Ultimately, anything that can be thought of cannot be the Truth, and anything that keeps thought active cannot lead to liberation.