What is spiritualism? Definition of spiritualism is to come face to face with soul. To come face to face with soul is spiritualism. spiritualism means to use all realization seeking instruments day and night for realization of self religious rites and other things are unimportant. If you are performing them then it’s all right. But be aware that, it is neither the ultimate aim nor the real instrument. instruments for self realization are totally different. Yes? those are called real instruments. most important among these instruments is the self realized person and the scriptures written from his speech and in the absence of living self realized person, the next one is an experienced self realized person, her speech, her interpretations of writings, her thoughts. many other monks, saints, bishops, sages and others, all come next to self realized person they have written a large number of scriptures, found in religion. but it is all a mixture. It’s a mixture of soul and religion. Rather than making a clear cut demarcation, it creates further confusion. And when confusion increases we know that it not the right thing.

Real knowledge clears confusion. it increases our clarity; clarifies our understanding and shows some results in our lives. Yes? it shows some result. real self realized person calls those real scriptures. scriptures are in tune with time and place. They are applicable to our practical lives. We can use them. And they give us result in our lives. Yes? that is real spiritualism. and ultimate real instrument is to meet the living self realized person, who will realize our souls. That is called the ultimate real instrument. Yes? if everything else is tried but the real instrument is not tried, then there will be confusion, confusion and more confusion. There is no end to it. Yes? when one enters spiritualism, his worries, tensions disappear. Yes? his anger, pride, attachment, greed start decreasing. The understanding changes quite a bit. internal peace increases. his unhappy results decrease. many things like insult or any fear, reduce significantly. seeker of spiritualism, true, true practitioner of spiritualism must get these results. Yes? it takes you towards the soul. yes?

And religion and spiritualism are two totally different things. Yes? religion holds us. Yes? It prevents downfall. one that holds us is religion. and spiritualism is far advanced, and where is the thing about holding?  He is not only holding himself but also gives a great deal of inspiration to others for holding themselves. and in the beginning of spiritualism, his worries and anger are controlled. all his activities are for realization of self. Day & night, all his efforts are for self realization. Externally, he is doing his normal activities still his internal craving is only for realization of soul. and while doing this, realization dawns. when?
When he meets some self realized person. Live, face to face. Only lighted lamp can light our
Lamp. Live self realized person is very, very important. If we want to realize our soul; that is to light our lamp,and we keep everything ready, wick is ready, oil is ready, everything is ready but if there is no lighted lamp till then, our lamp will not light. Therefore, live meeting with the living, self realized person is very precious. One whose lamp is lighted, who has realized soul,such soul realized person is needed. and meeting such a person, one gets knowledge. Yes? He obtains real knowledge of true self. And after practicing soul knowledge and progressing, in the end, one seeks absolute science.

Absolute science is the ultimate thing. Then nothing needs to be done in absolute science. Yes? Nothing is to be done. It is based on perfect principles. H2 and o combining together will automatically form water. It is like that, but natural. There is no doership there. In religion doership persists till the end. Avoid sins and gather virtuous deeds, avoid inauspicious and seek auspicious. Doership remains till the end in religion. But after getting the knowledge of the soul, doership starts decreasing. And in absolute science, even the tiniest bit of doership is absent. There is totally non-doer state. Because soul itself is in totally non doer state. there is nothing to be done. to do anything is not its property. that is called soul.

When the soul comes into absolute science, it is said to be in its solid state. Soul is now solid in absolute knowledge and in absolute science. When ‘spiritual knowledge (Gnan)’ is given, the realization that “I am pure soul” clicks in awareness. But still his ‘karma’s are troubling him. And struggle to overcome them is on. when soul comes into solid absolute science state, it becomes absolute science itself. this is the ultimate thing. soul comes in its last, ultimate state of knower. Then everything is over. Yes? no struggle. Exact separation remains. Exact separation remains all the time. for ever. it is a state. non-doership. still everything is happening naturally, spontaneous activity is going on, and still not a least bit of doership arises. during any occasions of sorrow or happiness, occasions of body, bodily pains, or in any other occasion   the inside feeling that “I am soul” ‘I am pure soul” does not shake. There is no suffering of any kind. thus his first step is to get the absolute knowledge. Yes? the knowledge that presents itself during joy and grief is called absolute knowledge. and absolute science is that which is present in presence or absence of either joy or sorrow. It is present through out in all states. the awareness of separation is present all the time. that is called absolute science. There is no doership. Absolute science follows principles. it is natural. There is no contradiction anywhere. not a single contradiction. That is called absolute science. Yes? meeting such ‘Gnani’ should happen. Then further further steps we can climb. Yes? if we meet such a self realized person then we can climb further steps. Yes? 

Some say that religion is doing penance. some say renunciation is religion some say reading and prayers are religion and others say chanting is. everyone, believes and practices religion individually, according to what fits them. all these are actions, auspicious actions. it is neither false nor bad thing. but it is not called religion in true sense. Yes?
Penances are of two types. One is outer penance and other is inner penance. We people recognize outer penance. But do not recognize inner penance. Inner penance is real thing leading towards religion. no, it is not in the activity form. when someone insults or abuses him very much and still, inside he remains in absolute sameness. He does penance and still sees no one guilty. He sees the insulter or the abuser as an innocent. at that moment the inner result is called inner penance. That will exhaust our karmas. It will also prevent worries and anger. And thus it will stop charging new karmas. that in real sense is called inner penance. Yes?  
Then renunciation they say is called religion. real religion is not the renunciation of wife, children, home or money. But renunciation of ego and attachment is called real renunciation. Yes? if ego and attachment are present inside and outside whatever else is renounced, it will certainly come back again. if not now then later. here if he has renounced children wife, money, business, everything and has left for forest, Himalayas or monastery, whichever suited him. but inside, if ego and attachment are still present as it is. and not gone. then wherever he may go all these will definitely cling back to him. if not children then disciples will cling. devotees will cling. Yes? money business, job is renounced then on other hand reputation, fame will cling. Yes? meaning all this is definitely there. Yes? it is not freedom. It’s not that easy. Yes? what is renunciation in true sense must be understood. Yes?
According to some others, doing meditation is religion. but whose meditation? Actually, it is not meditation in real sense, it is only concentration. Yes? If we sit concentrating in any one thing then it is called concentration. Yes? not meditation. Meditation is the result. It is not the thing to be done. It is not any action. It is a spontaneous thing. and when we talk about ‘Arthadhyan’, ‘Raudradhyan’ ‘Dharmadhyan’ and ‘Shukladhyan’, they are ‘dhyan’ or constant vision. Lord mahavir has mentioned four types of ‘dhyan’. it just happens on its own without any efforts and such a climate is created inside us, that from its support, all these ‘dhyan’s arise inside spontaneously. yes? That is called real ‘dhyan’.
Real ‘Dharmadhyan’ and ‘Shukladhyan’ are things leading to salvation. After realization of soul, there is ‘Shukladhyan’. that’s why real religion is the religion of soul. All the rest are relative religions. in relative religion, the support of mind, speech, body or some other thing is taken. and in the real religion, no external support is sought; it is ‘niraalambh’. It is internal thing. It is about awareness of soul. Yes? thus, what we practice now are all relative religions. It has many kinds of sects and factions, all different. None is wrong but all of them are relative religions. And each one is correct in its own place. relative means in comparison of. He will view from the degree he is sitting at. for example, a circle is of 3600. All religions jain religion, vaishnav religion, Lord shiva religion, parsi religion, christian religions, muslim religion sit at their own different degrees. each can practice or follow only that much, what one can see from one’s own degree. Yes? while following it, he tries to move from inauspicious to auspicious. his religion can lead him till there. Yes? then each individual depending upon his depth can progress further.
And the real religion is on the other side. This is not in degrees but in the center. where there is no difference of opinion, neither any attachment nor hatred; nothing. there is no “I am right, you are wrong.” All are correct in their respective places. one follows only that path that suits him, that fits him. and one, who, at last comes to the center then he has no difference of opinion with anyone anywhere. he feels absolute sameness towards everyone. It is correct. when does one come to the center? When vision for the soul arises. Yes? then, from religion, he goes towards spiritualism. Spiritualism is not religious rites. reading, thinking, learning, chanting. chanting or worshipping or no other activity. But spiritualism is a vision. Yes? while religion is all those activities that we are doing. to go from inauspicious to auspicious. and we believe only that is religion.
 on the other hand, spiritualism is a vision. a vision. the self realized person gives us that vision for soul. that vision starts developing by listening to the self realized person,  doing deep reflection, meditation of his speech. as this vision for soul starts expanding, we start seeing the reality, as it is. And all these types of confusions gradually start to solve, solve. And we come out of it. what is the vision? we can progress only when we see. what can we do if we can’t see? thus we must seek the vision. Yes? What is vision? It tells us what is correct and what is incorrect. what will bind  ‘karma’s and what will free us from ‘karma’s? that demarcation occurs. This internal vision opens. that is called spiritualism. Yes? and
We all have been practicing religion. Yes? we should progress from there and be spiritual. Then get the real knowledge of self and progress till absolute science. Ultimately, to achieve absolute knowledge and then salvation. strive to reach ‘siddhakshetra’. These all are different stepping from religion to salvation. we, ourselves only, should examine our own selves and judge where are we? at which level are we? Where have we halted? where do we want to go? what is stopping us? we should see this. Yes? and once we identify the cause halting us, we can progress from there.
Here, this ‘spiritual discourses (satsang)’ of ours is of question answers, so all are invited to ask questions whoever wants to ask anything may ask. Yes? ask and get your explanations. Yes? there are only confusions, till inner clarity has not occurred. we have been doing everything. practicing religion, all religious rites, observance, austerities, chants, fasts everything we have done. We’ve left nothing. still something is pricking us inside that something is left out. Something is missing. Something is missing. But we don’t know what is missing. But there is no ‘trupti’ inside. Just by keeping the name ‘trupti’, you will not get satisfaction. Many have ‘trupti’ as their names. One sister was telling me although my name is ‘trupti’; I have never felt ‘trupti’. Hey, how can you get ‘trupti’ just by keeping it your name? just by keeping the name ‘shaanti’, how can you get ‘shaanti’? Then everyone will keep their names ‘shaanti’. Men will also keep the name ‘shaantinath’. ‘mr. Shaantilal’ and mrs. ‘Shaantiben’. still, there is no peace. Yes?
It is about understanding. in understanding, understand and progress. Yes? practice whatever, whichever religion or whatever else; but understand and then do. Yes? if you keep on doing, keep on doing without understanding but there is no result inside; then we are where we were. Just there. Yes? and we are developed in all respects. Yes? we have studied spiritualism beautifully our intellectual level is so developed that we can understand its meanings. We are progressing in all fields then why not this? and it is the matter of understanding only. Yes? and if you don’t understand, you will tumble. Therefore, Narsinh Mehta, a famous gujarati devotee poet has put it nicely “if you blindly follow and sing what I sing, you will tumble more.” “but if you sing after understanding, you will go to Lord Krishna.” (Pujya Niruma laughs) here, he has talked about understanding only. These saints’ devotees have talked about understanding only. but people just keep on doing, keep on doing without understanding a bit.  Yes? do devotion, do this, do whatever but finally you will have to understand. whichever path you may follow, you may follow the path of devotion; still in the end, you will have to obtain real knowledge. you may follow the path of yoga, still you will have to obtain knowledge of the soul. If you follow path of karma even then you will have to obtain the knowledge of soul. You may follow any path, but without true knowledge, how can you progress further? you will progress further on true path according to how much you understand, yes? therefore just keep on understanding, yes? 
Dada has given a beautiful sentence, he said, understanding is the mother of absolute cognition. And there is absolute knowledge following absolute cognition,. Understanding, correct understanding, yes? correct understanding. We have lots of understanding but all wrong understanding. the very first and fundamental wrong understanding is ‘who am I?’ there is ignorance till the misunderstanding about ‘who am I’ persists and till then one has to go to and fro between ‘religion (dharma)’ and ‘adharma’. Yes? actually we must understand ‘who am I? we don’t know in which form we recognize our self. Yes? we believe the name that is given to us, the manner in which people recognize us; that manner that is me. Yes? we do not know our true self.  And whoever we come across, any living being, we recognize it in the same manner in which others recognize it. We are not able to recognize its true self. Yes? this is about knowing your true self. that true form your very own is not there outside. It is within you. And that is true self. All..  Any god you may believe in, ‘Lord Rama’, ‘Lord Krishna’, ‘Lord mahavir’, ‘Lord shiva’, all of them are in that form only. You may call it soul form, highest state of soul, elemental form.  yes? spiritualism takes you towards realizing your true self.
And religion does not know a thing about true self but it teaches you devotion, worship, and scripture reading of those who have realized their true self. while doing all these somewhere he may turn to spiritualism and start wondering that for thousands and thousands, millions of years why do I bow down to these people? why do I worship them? why do I bow to them lying on the ground? what is there in them? in their life story what is their further achievement? what have they achieved? that way, there may be a flash, a light, inside. then thereafter he searches that oh! I worship Lord Krishna and what did have? what spirituality did he pass on to Arjuna? then no. He just made him realize his soul. and told, that is the main thing. Lord mahavir also talked about soul only. if the difference between a bound soul and unbound soul is erased then you yourself are pure soul; it is said. Saint Vasishtha has taught Lord Rama the same thing. to realize the soul. in the scripture ‘yoga Vasishtha’, after doing all these, ultimately, vision comes back to what is all this?
What is the element? thus spiritualism leads towards philosophy. about the elements, eternal things, what are the eternal things in this world? That is to be understood and achieved. Spiritualism explains its importance. It guides us. it is a different thing when we achieve that. after that the total perception changes, whole life changes. Internal changes occur. Yes? following a religion neither brings internal changes, nor inner peace yes? worries, problems, tensions, attachment, hatred all just refuse to go. Yes? only when they go, then believe that we have progressed in real sense. have achieved something. This life has some meaning. if that has not happened, then to innumerable rebirths that we have wandered through add this one.  thus
What is the last, ultimate essence of all these? many will show the path of religion. but to explain spiritualism in true sense to guide towards knowledge of self happens only rarely by some rare self realized person. when we finally meet him, then our ultimate work is done. at last, after doing so much, wandering so much, taking many a rebirth we just stop at this point. What now? What next? how? we know all these but how to achieve it? for attainment some self realized person, scientist of the soul must meet us. we do not have to do anything else. if he asks to do anything, then beware, he is not a self realized person. no talk about doing anything; he simply makes you realize your true self. dada was such a self realized person in this era and he used to tell all of us that I am not telling you to do anything. During countless births you had just kept on doing. if I ask you to do anything, then I am not called a self realized person. No, not a self realized person. Then don’t believe that you have met a self realized person. if we ask you to do anything after meeting us then what’s the point? nothing is to be done. Just get it. then that knowledge of self itself is self acting. Then do from within and to do what?  The clarity starts increasing inside. Yes? the whole vision changes. how much can a man do in darkness? and even if he tries, he will just stumble in darkness. Once there is light then everything gets corrected naturally. Nobody has to do it.