SPIRITUALITY

I have read lots and experienced some. I chose to talk & write about only that "some". The rest is theory & supposition and until I go through it myself and experience it, it would be only talking like the blind men & the elephant. Each describing what he has touched, heard, read & understood but not experienced and clearly not seen the complete image - the grand scheme of things.

On our journey, we meet people, join groups, read & listen to thoughts/ideas that influence and shape us. I want to share some of these here with you.

Fusion of East & West, the convergence of the Eastern spirit with the Western intellect is extremely potent. As Babuji put it, "Eastern hearts & Western minds". Even as a child I was always drawn to spirituality. There had to be a meaning to this life, a reason to this existence and a purpose even if we have not seen it as yet.

There may be many tunnels that lead to this, but choose the one that is the shortest, and most suitable to you. If you have the ability, choose the one that has the right slope, the right difficulties and so on, but if you don't then pray. Pray that God/divinity/whatever you call it, that force, help you find your path and if the prayer is sincere, nature ensures that you find it. I do believe there is an element of destiny, and element of pre-set fate if you wish to call it that but all this melts if you have an honest, unselfish, and true prayer in your heart. It opens doors where doors don't exist. Windows of change flow through windows that are drawn, & created as we go along. Prayers are very potent and a simple tool. Within reach of everyone, and yet unused and dormant. Sometimes life presents such hurdles, such difficulties that we are shaken from our stupor and jolted out of the mundane existence and despite our suffering, it's these that help awaken within us the urge to explore and discover more. Thus Master asks us to invite sufferings and asks us to undergo those as divine blessings. On the face of it, this may sound rather idealistic and even impossible, however, a bit of contemplative attention shows the deep truth that is hidden within this simple lesson of life. There is no one that does not suffer, and the more we curse our fate or destiny and drive away from this, the more samskaras we add. A cyclic development from which we never truly escape until someone "special", someone who has been through it, and that someone that wants to help us makes us realize & experience the deep meaning to this simple statement. That's when it strikes us and what changes is not the suffering but our perception of the misery, our threshold of pain, our capacity to deal with it and most of all our attitude. And when we are able to accept this, and deal with it the way it should be, He removes with one stroke that which is not necessary any more. The sorrow of the Guru is that we don't realize this soon enough. We don't taste this and jolt from our current existence fast enough and no matter how many lectures/sermons we hear they just skim the surface and nothing more. So unless there is an inner change, and inner transformation that takes place, we are even unable to accept our position, leave aside change it. How can we fix something when we are unwilling to even acknowledge it? And thus we remain in our sad & miserable condition. Few are fortunate enough to be born with an insight that teaches these lessons of life. And thus, I believe that our mentoring & tutoring must include as early as possible, the spiritual aspects. Some take to it like fish to water and others are like a horse refusing to drink the water. For the horse, it's a matter of time before its thirst compels it to re-consider. We are what we are but we must become what we should.

Who can answer this better than our inner voice?

That soft chirping that ever corrects us, ever guides us, ever nudges/cajoles & encourages us.

But do we stop to listen?

Sadly, we don't.

So what does meditation help with?

• At first it quietens the voices that are shouting so the others can't be heard.
• Then it focuses our attention on the apparently meek voice that somewhere within us we know is the truth but for our own reasons we choose not to listen to.
• And then even that gets silenced.
• We experience the wonderful calmness of few thoughts.
• Most get enchanted with this and stay there, and fight if someone suggests we move on.
• Some of those who do move on, experience the lights, symbols, images. Few cross this.
• It's the few that go beyond this that can get glimpses of reality.

At a time when we talk about convergence in the e-worlds, and the unification of quantum physics with Newtonian theories, we are so far away in our notions & ideas of religion & spirituality and much like the big bang theory we are still drifting away. Still there is hope that if we; as people, as brothers and sisters make that change within us, make that transformation within us, that we will be able to become the catalysts of change, and within a short span of time, become that critical mass which will engulf humanity in love, peace & harmony. It's possible, and well within our realms, and all that's needed is a personal transformation. A change within us. Without getting caught up in the travails and tribulations of what's happening around and who is doing what, if we as individuals can make that change, then we the collective would have done it already - maybe even before we realize that the collective we has already changed. So that's the reasons, the Masters, the Gurus, the Rishis all tell us to seek within and change ourselves. And when we do, help comes since nature wants to see us change. Nature would like to see the harmony and love resonate inside as well as outside. And for this to happen, we need to take the first step. The first move, the first effort so that God/Nature/Divinity can see the work unfold.

The opportunities of life and choices we make set the future course. While it's true that we are undergoing the samskaras of our past, at every instant we are setting course of the future with our present and that's why it's so critical that we make the right choices. Select the right path, choose the right direction so that we don't need to turn around and start again wasting time & energy which consumes our willpower. Our heart is the rudder and willpower the fuel helping us sail the waters of life.