Indulging in religion (religious practices, rituals) what can human beings expect to gain? The path towards God is covered by indulging in spirituality. We are primarily a spirit, consciousness existing in heart.
The present physical form was manifested by our soul atman to cleanse itself of dross impurities within. In reality our soul atman is the absolute master and controller of human body. For this very reason fruits of all karma indulged by human beings belonged to the real master, soul atman.
When the cosmic journey of life belongs to the spiritual being and not the manifest physical human form, religion had no role to play in the spiritual life of human beings.
In the ancient stages of human life when the human brain had not yet evolved, we were purely a pawn in the hands of fate, nature. To save self from calamities masses indulged in prayers, worship to god. But this routine never let human beings towards God.
Only when the human intellect evolved and first words of God Vedas were invoked by highly evolved Sages and Rishis, did mankind come to know more about God and his system. Rather than indulging in rituals, Rishis and sages indulged more in contemplation (chintan) of God.
It is while doing so these sages and Rishis realized that there was more to life than visible. All accomplished sages and Rishis finally realized that ultimate goal of human life always was reaching God. And to accomplish this indulgence in spirituality was necessitated.
And what is spirituality all about?
We are primarily a spiritual traveler on its cosmic sojourn of 8.4 million manifestations. The initial 7.3 million manifestations by a soul atman, the spiritual traveler are covered in insect, plant and animal life and in the remaining 1.1 million manifestations in human form one is expected to reach state of enlightenment, self realization god realization.
Enlightenment, self realization, god realization simply means becoming a pure soul atman, regaining its lost original pure prime pristine primordial form. When souls’ atmans started their cosmic journey they were pure. In their cosmic sojourn they gathered impurities. To cleanse themselves of dross impurities within started their cosmic life cycle.
It is only in human form can a soul atman gain release from cycle of birth and death forever, never in lower forms of life.
The ultimate goal of life for all spiritualists is emancipating self from cycle of birth and death at the earliest. This becomes possible when indulging in spirituality detailed in Bhagavad Gita human beings negated their karma to zero, reaching a state of absolute purity. Becoming a pure soul atman is the ultimate goal of life on mother earth.
All travelers of spiritual path indulged in scriptures, sacred texts of different religions of world so that they could negate their karma to zero.
The first step in spiritual journey was demolition of ego in totality. Only then we could realize presence of a spirit, consciousness in our heart. Reducing our desires and wishes in stages we finally succeed establishing control over five senses and mind.
Furthermore practicing absolute celibacy for 12 years in continuation we awakened our kundalini shakti fully, the coiled Serpentine energy lying dormant in base of spine. No sooner that happens Sahasra Pushpa (thousand petalled Lotus) existing in brain behind forehead opens fully. One immediately becomes an enlightened one, a bodhi, a Jina … a Mahavira forever.
The moment an enlightened one left mortal frame one gains moksha salvation, permanent release from cycle of birth and death and gains entry into abode of god (Vaikuntha in Hinduism)!
In present times the only purport of religion is keeping the flock of human beings bonded together.