“Religion is nothing but institutionalized mysticism. The catch is, mysticism does not lend itself to institutionalization. The moment we attempt to organize mysticism, we destroy its essence. Religion, then, is mysticism in which the mystical has been killed. Or, at least diminished.”
― Tom Robbins, Skinny Legs and All
Mysticism is spirituality in its messy firsthand experiential immediacy. Religion is the vain attempt to neatly categorize and organize spirituality into a morally encoded social institution. The most you will ever get out of religion is a comfortable sense of group identity that revels in its specialness in contrast to the rest of humanity. Mysticism otoh takes you to the very throbbing core of spirit, transforming oneself into a vessel for the awe and profundity of just being alive and conscious. Religion is a mask or persona we wear to define one's ego with. Mysticism is a lifelong experience of transcending the ego for the beauty and terror of Being itself.
― Tom Robbins, Skinny Legs and All
Mysticism is spirituality in its messy firsthand experiential immediacy. Religion is the vain attempt to neatly categorize and organize spirituality into a morally encoded social institution. The most you will ever get out of religion is a comfortable sense of group identity that revels in its specialness in contrast to the rest of humanity. Mysticism otoh takes you to the very throbbing core of spirit, transforming oneself into a vessel for the awe and profundity of just being alive and conscious. Religion is a mask or persona we wear to define one's ego with. Mysticism is a lifelong experience of transcending the ego for the beauty and terror of Being itself.