Most religions as preached and practiced today create confusion in the minds of rational and honest people. So this question is very appropriate.

There is a big difference between a religion and spirituality. Religions are usually organized and serve their own interests at the expense of others. It is our fault that we do not demand the best and we tolerate what is offered by others. There is a price to pay for ignorance, whether in worldly affairs or with a religion. It's your responsibility to separate the real from the phony. A real learning of the Gita will not fail you.

Real spirituality is universal. It may be compared to common denominators like the sun, air, or gravity. They remain relatively stable over time, places and circumstances. Spiritual knowledge can't be learned with the intellect but has to be felt from within.

This is a very difficult and demanding task, and it needs the guidance of a capable teacher. It needs to be conferred only on an individual basis as Krishna preached to Arjuna in the Gita. Unfortunately, in today's world these teachers are extremely rare and true knowledge cannot be realized where the masses are present.

-- Swami Radhanandaji