‘When belief is transformed into real experience,’ Kamlesh D. Patel highlights what distinguishes spirituality from religion

We live in a world where the line between religion and spirituality seems thin. Sometimes, even the deeper essence of inner transformation gets lost in translation. We tried getting a better perspective, and thus, we got in touch with the spiritual leader Kamlesh D. Patel. Fondly called Daaji, his insights drew a clear line between merely believing and truly experiencing the divine.

What distinguishes spirituality from religion?

“Believing in God and worshipping God fall under religion. But when, after believing, we practice with devotion, experiences begin to arise. Inner experiences start unfolding within us. What was once external becomes internal,” said Daaji while speaking to us exclusively.


He continued, “Earlier, we only believed. Now, belief is no longer necessary because we have experienced it. Just like when you see something, a foot, a plant, the sun, the stars, you don’t need to ‘believe' in them because you can see them with your own eyes. In the same way, the experience of divinity tells us that something divine truly exists and that it is always with us. We can experience it whenever we wish. That is spirituality, when belief is transformed into real experience.”

The journey beyond

The spiritual leader further shared that spirituality is not where the journey ends; it is the journey itself. Once experienced, it is important to go beyond. He said, “We must go further. People often feel satisfied after having an experience; they think, “I have experienced it.” But there is still a shortcoming there. One experience, or even a year of such experiences, is not enough. What comes next is important.”


Highlighting how it’s a very subtle point, he explained with an example. “Imagine you go to stay with a friend, maybe a close friend or cousin, and you spend three or four months with them. You enjoy their hospitality and think, “My friend is wonderful, so kind, so prosperous.” The experience feels good. But somewhere inside, you may also feel, ‘It would be nice if I could become like them,’” he said.


“In the same way, we may experience divinity, but true peace does not come until we ourselves become divine. After the experience, there should arise a deep urge within the heart, a kind of restlessness that pushes us to transform ourselves. Experiencing divinity is not enough; we must become it,” he added.

Moving towards Shoonya

“And even after becoming, a stage comes where the mind says, “Let go of this too.” One automatically transcends even that. Eventually, the mind feels fulfilled, and the journey continues toward emptiness, Shoonya. That is why our scriptures, the Vedas and Upanishads, say “Neti, Neti” (not this, not that). That state cannot be described in words, because it is emptiness,” concluded Daaji, as he highlighted the true essence of spirituality.