Religion is the enquiry into the beyond that marks the difference between the lives of human and animals. This is how Swami Vivekananda explained the essence of religion. He said: “So if man rests content with the present and gives up all search into the beyond, mankind will have to go back to the animal plane.” Religion is a complex human phenomenon encompassing various spiritual practices. It throws light into the inner world as well as engages in exploring answers to timeless, existential questions.

Religious feelings descend from one generation to the next. Swami Vivekananda held that the lowest stage of religion is the religion of fear when people turn to God and perform rituals and religious practices to protect themselves from harm. These are the external forms of devotion through which one has to pass. But according to Vivekananda “Temples or churches, books or forms are simply the kindergarten of religion, to make the spiritual child strong enough to take higher steps, and these first steps are necessary if he wants religion. “But if he is sincere, if he really wants to reach the truth, he goes higher than this, to a plane where forms are as nothing… External worship, material worship is the lowest stage; struggling to rise high, mental prayer, is the next stage; but the highest stage is when the Lord is realised…We have to analyse our own souls and find what is there…Only the man who has actually perceived God and the soul has religion…But if there is a God, He is in our own hearts.

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Have you ever seen Him?” Religion is, therefore, realization. This was the assertion of Vivekananda about the highest stage of religion. He said: “This is one great idea to learn and to hold on to, this idea of realisation. This turmoil and fight and difference in religions will cease only when we understand........

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