Stop. Just stop. Stop pretending to be religious when you’re not. Stop lying to yourself, and to others, about your supposed piety. It’s a charade, a farce, a mockery of the very essence of spirituality. You can’t claim to be religious while your heart is a cauldron of hatred, anger, and resentment. If these negative emotions still hold sway over your soul, you can’t possibly be truly religious. So, don’t fake it. Don’t put on a mask of holiness, don’t feign spirituality when deep inside, your hatred still festers.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with feeling hatred, anger, or resentment. These are human emotions, and we all experience them. But it’s the pretense that’s ugly. It’s ugly when you cloak your negative emotions in the guise of morality or virtue. It’s ugly when you use your supposed religiousness as an excuse for your anger, grudges, or resentments. It’s not just ugly, it’s foolish. You’re only fooling yourself.
When you truly understand spiritual teachings, there’s no more striving, no more struggling. If you’ve truly grasped the essence of these teachings, you’ve already attained it. You’ve internalized the wisdom, you’ve lived the teachings. If you haven’t, don’t pretend that you have. It won’t do you any favors. It won’t bring you any closer to true spirituality.
There’s no more room for excuses. No more saying you need more time to get over the past, to let go of your anger, to forgive those who’ve wronged you. If you’ve truly understood the teachings, if you’ve truly internalized the wisdom, there’s no more waiting. You can transcend your negative emotions in an instant. You can shed your old self, your old ways, your old grudges, in a heartbeat. You can let go of your hatred, your resentment, your ego, right now. No more time is needed if you’ve truly understood.
But if you haven’t, don’t pretend that you have. Don’t pretend that you’re free of desires, that you’re kind and loving, when hatred, grudges, and resentment are still overwhelming you. It’s better to acknowledge these emotions, to be honest with yourself, to observe these thoughts and understand their futility.
Stop faking it. Stop pretending. Be honest with yourself. Be true to your spiritual journey. Only then can you hope to attain true enlightenment. Only then can you hope to be truly religious.
Now, I urge you to take a step back. Take a deep breath. Open your heart and your mind, and immerse yourself in the teachings that you claim to follow. Read them, study them, ponder over them. Don’t just skim through the words, but truly understand their meaning. Internalize them. Let them seep into your consciousness, let them permeate your thoughts, your actions, your very being.
These teachings are not just words on a page, they are a guide to life, a roadmap to true spirituality. They hold the power to transform you, to free you from the negativity, to elevate you to a state of true peace and enlightenment. But they can only do so if you let them. If you open your heart to their wisdom, if you truly internalize their teachings. So, don’t just read the words, live them. Let them guide your actions, let them shape your thoughts, let them transform your life. Only then can you hope to attain true spirituality. Only then can you hope to be truly religious.
