Acharya Prashant explains that man exists between two poles: one of chaotic movement and seeking, and the other of total relaxation and non-movement. Religion corresponds to the mind that believes it is incomplete and must journey toward a distant truth or God. This belief in a path, vehicle, and destination is a product of the mind's identification with the body and senses, which always perceive things as distant. He notes that religion is often egotistical, as rituals imply that man can decode or influence the mind of God. Even secular pursuits like careerism function as religions because they promise future satisfaction and security. Spirituality, by contrast, is described as the 'non-pole' where there is no journeying, no objectification of God, and no desire. It is the center that has no location and is already present. Acharya Prashant suggests that the rightful end of religion is self-dissolution into spirituality; when religion drops its ego and pretenses, spirituality remains. He characterizes spirituality as a state of 'restless-lessness' where one realizes they were never truly lost. While religion is based on expectation and the fulfillment of desires, spirituality is rooted in gratitude and the realization that all fundamental desires are already fulfilled. He emphasizes that one cannot simply 'drop' religion because the feeling of incompleteness is deeply entrenched. Instead, he advises being 'truly religious' by adding total sincerity and totality to whatever one is doing. By exhausting all paths and rituals with full devotion, one eventually sees their futility and reaches a 'dead end,' which is the beginning of spiritual rebirth. In this state, actions are no longer result-oriented or purposeful but are performed out of a sense of being already 'at home' in God. Spirituality is not a tool to be used for personal gain but a natural state of being free and unbounded.
