Tuesday, August 7, 2018

SPIRITUAL JOURNEY – THINGS TO KNOW

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 

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