While travelling through our spiritual journey we
should learn one important point. Scriptures
talk about various disciplines for those who are entering or starting their
spiritual journey. They are:
Those who have only spirituality and no other
worldly things and possessions. Those who lead the life of a Sanyasi even while
living in Grihasthasramam.
A spiritual beginner can pursue Artha and Kama but
follow Dharmic way of life. He
should do Pancha Maha Yagna; Contribution to various segments. He can earn well
and contribute well. Greater the contribution greater the internal growth and
greater the pleasure for him. He should continue to be exposed to scriptural
teaching and attend spiritual discourse. Finally, renunciation and detachment
to things and beings including family members is required. He should not be
over attached to his spouse also. Detachment
should gradually grow. Detachment should give ananda. It should not be
suppression of attachment. Scriptures say that one should gradually go out of
attachment. Our mind should grow out of attachment. It is called Vairagyam. Vairagyam is talked about in
Bhagavad Gita and Uddhava Gita.
We should have the endurance to go through choiceless difficulties that we are faced
with. Old age is a choiceless problem. When there are choiceless difficulties
in life, we should allow them to go through because of our endurance. We should
avoid impulsive solutions. Before arriving at aggressive solution, always try a
peaceful solution first. Use aggressive remedy as a last resort only. If I
follow these principles then I have “Kshama”.
All difficulties in life are because of our own
past Karma. Our past karma work
through our own family members. Even during extreme pain or difficulty, we
should follow Dharma. We can follow Dharma when everything is favourable. Even
in poverty, we should not violate dharma. Earth
(pritivi) sustains all living beings because of endurance.
In Uddhava Gita Chapter II Avadutha in a dialogue
with Yadhu Maharaja tells about the lesson learnt by him from 24 Gurus. The
lessons are performing noble actions, noble values and noble attitude. Every follower of Veda or he who is a Hindu
requires Dharma as a way of life. Dharma gives many benefits to humanity. The
next higher level Dharma can give internal peace and happiness, which is
unique, compared to gross happiness coming from the external world. Dharma can
give you material well being, inner peace and joy. The 3rd and the
most important benefit is the spiritual benefit, which a spiritual seeker will
enjoy. It will also give the greater benefit of Moksha. Dharma will produce a desire for scriptural study. Brigadharanyaka
says Dharma will take one to a Guru and make him read Sastras. Dharma will help
in deriving the benefit of spiritual knowledge. Dharma is a versatile way of
life. In the 16th Chapter of BG Dharma is called by the name ‘Deivi Sampat’ that will convert a human
being into a divine being. Manushya will be converted into a Deva. The whole
world will revere him, admire him and worship him. Dharma will lead a person to
attain liberation. Incurable difficulties will be there in life. We should
learn to endure them without losing our internal peace and joy. We should have
the capacity to live in a moral way in spite of difficulties in life. It
requires internal guts for a person. In and through all these difficulties the
capacity to endure and contribute to the world is required for my own survival.
We should pay back to the world, family, scriptures and Acharya. Taking should be compensated by giving also
(paropakaraya palanthi virusha). Even if we do not have the resources to
contribute Veda says still you can contribute by praying sincerely. Sarve
Bhavanthu Sukinaga should be the prayer. Para upakara is required. If we offer help sincerely, it will benefit
the universe.
Be blissful.
S.SEKAR
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com
