Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Utility of Religion and Spirituality in Personality Development
(Elocution Speech - Excel Expression 2007)
Respected judges, dignitaries and dear friends. Today I am here to discuss the utilitarian aspects of religion and spirituality for developing one’s personality.

A very narrow notion regarding personality is that it is one’s look, his outfits and style etc but the actual personality is made up of one’s thoughts, feelings and attitudes towards life. It is the way one copes with the troubles and traumas. This is expressed in his behavior. That behavior should be colored and covered by spirituality or religion.

But what is spirituality? First, let’s see what not spirituality is. Some people frequently ruin the gift and card shops for guarding the culture. Is it religion? No, way.

I think the real religion creates devoted love for the Omnipotent, the Omnipresent and His creation. I.e. human beings. On top of that, it teaches us how to implement the moral ethos in daily life.


People often give much priority to sect and institutions rather than the god Himself but religion says, “Refuse all models and go alone. Dare to love god without any mediator.”

In every crisis, people rush in flocks to the Swamijis and Babas. This is nothing but a futile personality cult. Science has proven that the human brain possesses unthinkable powers and that’s what religion shows.

It convinces that a person must be self-reliant because every individual has infinite resources at his command. A very effective way to utilize spirituality in developing our personality is through the renunciation of all standards and laws externally imposed. At this point I am tempted to recount the words of the American transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson,

“No law can be sacred to me but that of my own nature. The only right is what is after my constitution, the only wrong what is against it.”

One’s personality is how he deals with others and whether his mindset is broad, narrow or balanced.

Some people may doubt if spirituality can help in day to day life. Yes, it does influence our personality because often we are in Arjun-like dilemma where we have to battle with our own weaknesses. But it would be very easy only if we follo0w what Lord-Krishna taught him in the second chapter of Srimad Bhagwad-Geeta. He challenges Arjun,

“Hato va Prapyasi Swargam, Jitwa Va Bhokshyase Mahim;
Tasmaad Utishtha Kaunteya, Yuddhaay Krut Nishchaya."

The crux of human personality is love –one of the most interesting tenets of any religion.

Love for the humankind is very crucial today because every now and then the world has to face wars. After all, everyone is in a small way the image of God. An individual is much more superior to the orthodox temples and Churches.

Thus, a personality benefited by religion is on which never follows anyone like a sheep taking everything for granted. Henry David Thoreau correctly writes,

“No way of thinking or doing, however ancient can be trusted without proof.”

One need not alter the course of his life only because society is not convinced.

The most perfect example of religion’s role in human personality is Swami Vivekananda – spirituality personified. He himself first denied the existence of the Ultimate force. To convince him was a hard nut to crack for Ramakrishna. Dr.Kalam writes in ‘Wings of Fire’ that since childhood his personality is influenced by Gita and Quran.


Recently many classes have mushroomed with money back guarantee for developing terrific personality but the master-key is spirituality. It is said that a man without religion is like a horse without a bridle. That’s what we all must look forward for.













No comments:

Post a Comment