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Talks with Svamiji
List of Topics
As part of the Mission of the Adhyatmik Foundation to dissemenate Vedic wisdom and Dr Svami Purna's teachings, Talks with Svamiji are being made available to all through this website, www.adfoundation.org. A broader selection of Teachings is available under Publications. The list of topics covered in detail below:
- Discipline
- The Laws of Nature and the Laws of Men
- Breaking Free from Your Programming
- Chasing a Shadow?
- Avoiding Emotional Derailment
- Spirituality and You
- Reflections on Guru Purnima
Discipline
The dictionary defines discipline as: Training to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.
Some people think that just sitting around the spiritual master, singing songs and doing meditation will bring about enlightenment… Well, devotional singing and meditation do play a role in attaining peace of mind, but this alone will not help your spiritual advancement. When you become involved in spiritual training, discipline becomes a necessary tool for your development.
At times the master and teacher may give you a certain task or practice in accordance with your talents and inclinations, but what about those things or chores you do not care for? Let’s say you do not care to clean the house or to fast for a day or two, what reaction can you expect of yourself? Most likely some form of resentment. However, if you decide that you want to fast for a day or to remain silent it becomes a very different matter. Any discipline invoked by you is much more effective than if it were enforced.
Discipline of any kind that you undertake is good – it is healthy and will make you stronger. Remind yourself that you are not a slave to the comforting demands of your body or mind and you will begin to enjoy the task you have set for yourself.
Consider the many direct and immediate benefits to most disciplines. Here are a few examples that involve no real hardship:
Fasting: This will clean your system and assist in clearer thought – besides, losing a few calories is not an unwelcome side effect for many …
Silence: If you decide not to speak for a day you can stop the constant chatter and focus on something more meaningful. Talking reduces energy. Contemplate the power of speech. Speech is very forceful. It can be as constructive as it can be highly destructive. Think of what one wrong word can do…
When you have a problem, silence is a good practice to go into the difficulty and contemplate on solving the problem. Make it a day of contemplation and meditation, a day of understanding yourself by invoking your spiritual energy.
Reading: Set aside one day just to read spiritual and uplifting literature and attune to that thought.
Freedom from Arguments: Assign one day to the complete absence of arguments and quarrels. No matter what takes place around you, you will not be drawn into an argument.
Truthfulness: Make it your determination that today I will be thoroughly truthful, especially avoiding the many little embellishments …
Doing Good: Set up one day to give reign to your generous spirit, that can be donating time, money or services wherever you may perceive the need. It can be taking a neighbor who is housebound out for a drive or to shop, help with the housework or with the homework of a struggling student… the possibilities are endless. Just look around you!
Loving and Kindness: Say to yourself: Today I will be kind and loving to everyone. No matter if someone wants to insult me or make me angry, I will smile and be pleasant…
In short, there are countless things in daily life that each one can explore, understand and implement as a discipline or practice. Look at yourself, feel yourself and begin to understand yourself. You may not realize this now, but this is the best way to learn to get to know yourself.
If you have mental or emotional issues that need “cleaning out”, go into the forest, select a big tree* and yell and shout all your frustration and abuse at this tree… No one is harmed that way and you can release much emotional tension.
The important point is to move on in your development, not to get stuck. Stagnation is serious business. You need to keep moving, growing, learning, evolving and developing.
Time is very precious, do not waste it, but make the utmost use of it. You are here to learn and to grow mentally, psychologically, psychically and spiritually. Growing pains do occur, but do not dwell on them; ignore them and they will disappear.
Footnote* If you feel that you may be ‘insulting’ the tree, know that the tree has a lot of hidden inner strength and will not come to any harm by your angry barrage. It really can handle your anger…
Laws of Nature and Laws of Men
It is sad that there is a tendency to forget the wonderful bounties Mother Nature has given to us. The elements of nature contain powerful and life-giving energy which is within us and around us. The majority of man-made laws are contrary to the laws of nature throughout the world and most individual practices therefore are equally contrary to the laws of nature. When the individual practices of the laws of men are not aligned with the laws of nature then anything designed by men will fail. Man has to align his practices according to the forces of Nature.
Ultimately natural forces will always prevail. We had mentioned that some people in the US, concerned where the trend of politics was going, tried to establish a “Natural Law Party”. It may not be easy to overcome stereotypical thinking, but when all man-made laws are aligned according to the laws of nature, then things will work very much better on Planet Earth. When you develop a childlike attitude to the natural forces, Mother Nature will take good care of you.
There is a story of Kali, the personification of the most destructive energy of Mother Nature. Kali also represents the highest form of transformation, the Absolute itself. She received her name because she devours Kala (Time).
The tale goes that at a time when the world was threatened by overwhelming negativities and the abuse of Mother Nature – in the analogy of demons - Siva had had enough and he asked his wife Parvati to destroy the demons to save the world. Thus Parvati transformed herself into Kali, ferocious in appearance and unleashed her terrible anger on the demons until there were none left. Kali’s anger was so intense; she became so intoxicated by her aroused fury that the entire humanity was in danger of being destroyed. Something had to be done. Several High Beings decided to approach Lord Siva to deal with Kali’s anger, pleading: “We cannot manage the anger of Kali, we request you to contain Kali’s forces.” Lord Siva was also concerned, thinking her anger being so much more powerful that she may not even recognize me in her state as Kali. He decided to lie himself down in the path of Kali - and as she was passing, she stepped on her Lord Siva. Startled and looking down, she recognized Siva, her anger evaporated and she became Parvati again.
It would be prudent to heed the analogy: When you become infused with a childlike attitude of complete innocence and trust you are protected, but when you are ruled by ego, you will be destroyed. It is ego itself that destroys you. There is no one who has survived with a prominent ego. Look at history; especially look at the so-called “mighty and powerful”.
A book has been written called “Untergang” (Downfall) that focuses on the last days of Hitler. He had changed history yet the book illustrates the complete disintegration of Hitler in mind, body and soul. It shows how helpless he became in the end when he could see no way out but to instruct his companions to take his life. There was no option left for him. In the end he was totally helpless. It was the same with Napoleon – left on St. Helena, unable to help himself; the only pleasure he had was to play with the children of his Guard. There are countless examples, in history as well as in the present, of the destructive force of individual ego gone rampant.
To rephrase: before the power of natural forces all creatures are nothing, yet especially when the human ego will feed you with thoughts that you are powerful, beautiful, smart, and so on, endowing you with countless wonderful attributes which are nothing but a veil, that veil will keep you locked in illusion. Ego will tempt you with the appearance of countless characteristics that might appeal to you.
On the spiritual path there is only one thing you can give to your Master and that is your ego – you give your ego by being humble and He/She will free you from your ego, but as long as you are the victim of your own ego, you will get nowhere. In fact, you are getting progressively weaker as time goes by. Then the thought enters: I used to be so strong, what ever happened?
At one time you may have been able to “kick” people, to assert yourself, but now one kick can knock you down. This is the effect of time: once you were powerful and now you are weak. However if you have prudently gathered the spiritual force, you will always be strong. Spiritual force does not diminish and will maintain your strength.
Those involved in the performance of arts for instance have a tendency to worry about age; they live in constant fear of ageing, particularly in the western society which only admires the slim, the young and the beautiful.
Many governments would prefer you to be “gone” after retirement when you are no longer productive in the job market. Then they could avoid having to pay the pension. It seems that no one really wants the retirees. This is cruel, but it is the reality of the world we live in. You need to be aware of that, and this is why you have to develop your own strength. You need spiritual strength; you need to recognize the true energy within you, the true light and the true life. Your true life, the force within you, is the Ultimate Force. That force is part of you. You have both light and dark forces within you; you have both, shadow and light, a light side and a dark side. That duality is within you and part of you. But it is up to you to decide which one you choose. Both sides are powerful. The power of light is the real power, whereas the dark side is always the destructive side. Once you can recognize the natural forces within you, you will also appreciate nature as part of you, integrated within you.
Breaking Free from Your Programming
Consider this: You are the creator of your body and your mind, of your senses, knowledge and wisdom; you have created everything that you have and that you are: you are your own creator.
In this approach, then what is the role of God? According to many beliefs the definition of God is that He/She is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. Do you have those qualities or are they only reserved for God? Can you imagine experiencing such qualities? For instance, you may visualize meeting Siva, Buddha or Jesus. If they were to manifest, how would you behave or interact?
You may have been raised with the concept of how a guest is
supposed to b e greeted: you are programmed to offer something.
You may perceive yourself as very sophisticated or civilized. You may
think that, but in fact you have been programmed from the time of your birth.
You have been told that you are this, that and the other, to do one thing, and not the other. All this is programming from your parents, your family, your schools, friends and your environment.
For some time you behave accordingly, then one day the time comes that you want to break free.
Take the example of hypnotism or mesmerism: It is said that the subject has to consent to be hypnotized or mesmerized effectively, Both methods have become established therapies for treating physical and emotional problems. The problem is that such methods can be misused. When you have consented to be controlled and manipulated, to be used and sometimes abused, to think in a particular way or to believe and accept certain concepts, you have handed over your own power of discrimination.
This is often also the case in relationships, when you empower someone else. You may empower each other to the extent that ther is a battle of wills. Both parties battle to take control, and which partner finally wins remains to be seen. This continues and it can become a battle for life. It is an insidious and enervating game which is played constantly: everyone participates in this great game of maya - illusion. A vivid example is in the context of families where children move on from any disagreement while adults dwell and create more suffering.
Thus people play games in an unending pattern. Perhaps this is how it should be as part of lila. Vedanta states that nothing is to be rejected; that everything is recycling, constantly changing, forming and reforming; merging, integrating, and disintegrating - Om purnamadah, purnamidam, purnat....*
You have been given a gift of planet Earth and the Cosmos. What do you do with it? You can make it beautiful or ugly. You may have the most stunningly beautiful landscapes of forests, lakes, deserts and mountains, yet somehow manage to spoil all this beauty with the ugliness of billboards and other squalid that blot the lovely landscape.
Moreover what do you do with your body? The physical body represents your personal planet. How do you manage it, how do you take care of it? When you learn to utilize your body for your own growth then you can make positive changes. It is important to consider human conduct or behavior. Would it not be nice to have people come to your door asking: what can I do for you today? Would it not be fulfilling to offer help when need is noticed, or to receive comfort when you are down? It takes so little effort; why are you reluctant, why consider it a burden to be nice to each other? What is it that makes you so miserable? You need to look at this, recognize it as unhealthy behavior and weed it out before it does more damage. You are allowing the weeds of negativity to grow within you, you are allowing them to gain a stranglehold on you, thereby killing all the beautiful flowers and taking over your garden. The result is that you are sad, depressed, full of sorrow and pain.
You have been given a choice; it is your freedom, it is up to you how you wish to create your garden. This is your problem, not God’s nor anyone else’s - it is your problem on how you chose to live and how you can bring yourself to your destiny. You may pollute your body and mind and your planet, but nature has a different way of coping. You would not want nature to deal with your problem. Yet when you really cannot handle your problem, nature will do so, and nature’s way will be extreme. It will be such an extreme that you would never want nature to intervene in your problem.
Look at this example of how nature deals with a problem: Let us say there are six feet of body that have been polluted, used and abused, a body full of disease, pain and suffering and all the negativities you can think of: you have so used and abused the body that it has come to the brink of non-existence. Then what will happen eventually? It dies -prematurely. Finally, when put into the extreme heat of cremation what remains? A tiny pile of ashes - and six feet of human body have been reduced to six inches of dust. Such is nature’s way of taking care; there is no pollution in sterile dust and finally, by throwing it into the wind, all is gone.
The higher the heat, the less quantity of substance. If nature has to deal with this planet, it can be reduced into a few handfuls of ashes. This is the reality: nature has the power. It is a shocking reality and we do not want to think of such unpleasantness, as seen in the debate over climate change and the documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, an appropriate term. No one wants the truth, it is inconvenient and troublesome and people avoid it.
For instance any talk about the changing environment will affect the economy and is therefore unpopular. It is often the same with religion and God. There are subjects which people prefer to avoid, such as Death.
It is the human tendency not to discuss anything perceived as unpleasant.
As I said before, people empower others to take care of their problems. That is the way the world is governed: by empowering each other. How to empower the right person? Take charge and become wise. Know what you are dealing with. Do your homework. Arm yourself with knowledge figures and then you can face any situation. Knowledge will make you free – truth too, but truth can also get you into trouble in the world of maya.
The sad thing is that at times you have to manipulate and hide your own truth – especially when it becomes “inconvenient”. It is a tragedy that you have to hide the truth many times, that you cannot share many things; that if you speak your mind and heart you will be ridiculed. You will be laughed at and mocked because others do not understand. Or you will be censored, punished.
People like to place you in a proverbial ‘box’ and once you are put in a box it is difficult to get out for you. Society expects you to conform and if you do not, you are in trouble. Therefore, beware of what box you might ‘check’, watch what you sign, for if not carefully selected you can sign yourself into real trouble. This is the world of contradiction and conflict, yet collectively you have all created this world, you cannot blame anyone else but yourselves.
Sometimes you may want to pretend to be what you are not because you do not recognize yourselves. People want confirmation of everything they are doing, at times in the form of clichés. You forget that you have to discard the baggage you carry. You cannot climb the mountain and reach the summit while carrying all your trappings on your back, which is like a collection of all you have gathered over lifetimes. On the path to enlightenment you want to be lighter, not heavier. Lighten your load; get rid of all your accumulated attachments.
Kabir says: “The house of your Beloved is very far and the path is very narrow”. If it is so narrow how you can take all your things with you? You need to be ‘slim’ and fit to navigate such narrow path. Literally it is in your hands on how you discriminate between what is helpful and what is a hindrance for you.
Nature and High Beings have given you much knowledge; the problem is that there is not enough practice! Do not turn your Teacher into an entertainer and magician. Implement his teachings instead.
Chasing a Shadow?
It is not possible to eliminate problems completely from your life. The very nature of a problem is to assert itself. However, it is definitely possible to reduce and even to resolve a problem, learning to handle and manage it in such a way that it is no longer perceived as a problem.
A problem can be magnified or minimized, depending on your attitude and perception, on the way you look at it. It may appear huge, yet be actually quite insubstantial, like a wisp of smoke. Take the example of children. Today children are much more mature because they are exposed to so much external stimulation and information and children can be like sponges, absorbing everything around them. However, they still have to go through the same stages of the growing process as their parents did.
Try not to look at them as a problem, but rather listen to them and look for the process that is necessary for children to evolve, to bring more sophistication and the finer qualities into their development.
Whatever is created in life, every thing depends on the way you look at it. Do you see a problem or do you see a challenge? If you see a problem, there will be worry and anxiety; yet if you see a challenge in solving a puzzle, it becomes a learning process.
I will always maintain that there is no problem that cannot be solved. In fact there is a solution inherent in every problem. The only difficulty is that you may not like the solution, you may want something else.
The point is that no matter where you go, it is impossible to eliminate problems completely. You may be sitting in a cave with no one around… then your mind will wander… and will create a problem. You may be sitting quietly, living on herbs and plants and suddenly your mind will remember all the delicious foods, chocolate… cake …whatever, and you will have a problem.
The spiritual master and teacher may give you a discipline, like six months in isolation … living in the wilderness… One year no bread, cake and other goodies … it can be anything and it may appear harsh, even seemingly unjust, but again, this depends on your attitude. If the discipline is accepted with love and devotion, it becomes very easy, even a joy, but if it is done only because you don’t want to be thrown out of the master’s presence, then there is resentment and resistance and it becomes a hardship. You have to understand that it is your decision on how you take it.
Some of you will be familiar with the example of Milarepa, the Tibetan Yogi, who rose above the miseries of his younger life by submitting to the often extreme and seemingly contradictory disciplines given to him by his master Marpa and eventually attaining enlightenment.
As long as you dwell in this body on this earth, there will be problems. You cannot run or hide; you are caught and you have to deal with life. So face your enemy with strength and knowledge. Otherwise it is not possible to live life. Set your own challenge, and try not to take the average little things too seriously. There is no room for getting too serious about the daily troubles – you will only create suffering.
The mind can be tricked and make you unhappy through illusion, fantasies and wrong perception. If your mind takes something for real, it will manifest as such. It is like chasing after a shadow and the shadow is running away from you. Following a shadow increases your problem and results in unhappiness and suffering. But when you leave the shadow, then the shadow will follow you. Don’t follow the shadow, follow yourself!
When we talk of problems, we talk of energy and there are countless types of energy. Try to feel, to be aware of the different energies, like the energy of food – take time to enjoy and relish the food so your body and mind will benefit. Consciously experience the energy of interaction with others, talking, listening, etc – try to indulge and bring joy into your contact with others. All this can be created in your mind, and it will manifest physically.
You have the capability to visualize what aspects you want to make part of your life. There are many new technological gadgets around that are supposed to aid in meditation, but it is better to create your own experience. In the final analysis only you can bring about the results. You can visualize a Spiritual Master, a Great Being, which can bring powerful healing images, invoking the energy of love, power and fulfillment. All this is dormant within you and it is in your power to awaken this energy. This is real.
In the ever increasing conflict of human civilizations, of nations, of collective and individual egos, the most effective attitude in overcoming difficulties is to accept others as they are.
Avoiding Emotional Derailment
A man had reached 100 years. This was headlines in the news and the man was being interviewed: “How did you manage to live so long and remain in good health?”
The man replied: “I made sure I did not forget to breathe, and I took frequent holidays.” This may sound very simplistic, but essentially the man was trying to explain his lifestyle. He may not have expressed himself very poetically, but when you contemplate what he said, it is actually quite profound. Breathing and relaxation become a lifestyle of physical discipline like exercise and walking, enjoying nature around you. These are all things that promote the breath of life – Pranayama. As long as you breathe, life is sustained. You need to understand your physical body and your mind.
It is so important to unwind, to release the daily hassles and irritations, all the nagging disturbances in your life. If you examine your days, there are very few incidents, thoughts, aspects, etc that give you pleasure… For instance, at work, you get the message that “the boss wants to see you”. What do you expect, what thoughts come into your mind? Is it fair to say that you may anticipate problems, conflict perhaps?
It is understandable that sometimes you want to run away from society – what you have created is not conducive to your health and happiness. Your environment, created by you, is not beneficial to your well-being. This lack of well being is what you are missing. So sometimes you just want to run away, as far as possible, to get away from all the unpleasantness – hoping that a distant place or land will give you some peace. For some time that may provide a temporary answer, but it is not a permanent solution. Try to find the permanent solution instead - a technique whereby you can enjoy life. The whole idea of following the path of yoga is to unite yourself, to feel one with oneness; to feel that you can connect yourself with the whole completely and that you are able to discipline yourself, to focus your mind and to grasp that essence. The final endeavor and goal should be to integrate all aspects of yourself and to be able to relax even while in the midst of contradiction, controversy and conflict. The mind is so powerful that the lifestyle you have created for yourself is producing so much disturbance that you feel you cannot escape. What is the solution?
There is only one solution. You have to go through it. If you are scared of the darkness, you have to go through it, go through your own fear. For disciples to learn this technique the teacher can create circumstances to throw them into a crisis to see how you manage. If a captain does not have a storm at sea, how can you evaluate the caliber of the captain? The disciple has to prove him or herself in a storm created by the teacher.
How do we know that all that we learn is right unless we go through it? Life itself is a great challenge to be faced. Imagine that when you wake up every morning you dread the day? Instead try to focus on all the little things of comfort you have done a 1000 times, yet you look forward to. Maybe the day will come when you say “enough…” but you continue to look forward. You cannot just give up; for ‘enough’ will be the end of you… But it can also be the beginning.
By way of example, one young and educated disciple, Narendra, approached his teacher with arrogance and rudeness, his attitude was blunt and condescending. He looked at the great teacher with contempt, thinking “what can he teach me… I know it all”. He was filled with adolescent self-importance, and with the energy and conceit of youth. The mind can create a mistaken identity: Narendra made an assessment of the teacher based on his limited experience. Only after years of service did he begin to understand who he was dealing with. Eventually he became known as Svami Vivekananda, one of the most influential spiritual lteachers of the philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga.
When you think you are the body and identify with it, remember that the photo on passport, for example, is not really you. Your external appearance is merely your ‘cover’, your façade. You measure yourself on physical and emotional levels. Look at the calm sea, there is no wind, then watch it during a storm… what do you see? Wild waves of enormous height… That is also part of you. Basically you may be calm and controlled, you are not possessive, you do not identify with your desire, anger, greed, and your attachment. But at the same time you have accepted your waves of anger and identified with them and when you are angry you feel destructive. All the many manifestations come upon you like ocean waves and when you are caught into the waves you forget who you are – and you are lost.
That is what Sri Ramakrishna tried to explain to the young Narendra, when he questioned him: “How do we know that what you say is right?” At that time, it is said, the teacher threw him into the deep water even though Narendra could not swim. When he felt he was drowning, the teacher rescued him. The young man then accused Sri Ramakrishna: “You cannot be a teacher…” Sri Ramakrishna asked: ‘When you were drowning, what were you thinking?”
“How could I think of anything except trying to survive?“ was the answer.
It is that kind of intensity that is necessary to progress. Do you have that intensity to learn? When you have that intensity and longing to learn, then the ground is prepared for growth. The seed has always been there but the ground has to be prepared. All the elements have to be in right order. Then creation starts, and you can see the explosion of energy and life.
When there is readiness, take the opportunity that presents itself. You must learn both to give and to receive. You cannot just receive. Look at the earth, one seed multiplies a thousand fold. You must receive and you must give back; it is the law of nature.
Life has to be in complete balance without extremes – any extreme can destroy you. Buddhists and Aristotelians advocate the Middle Path which spells balance. Love and hate are the two extremes that can cause disaster. Extremism is nothing new and must be avoided. Ideologies often demonstrate that you cannot change anyone by force, throughout time and history and throughout the world. There is no need for extremism ever, yet in continues. Extremists want to change the world, but they cannot change themselves. You cannot change others, crusades of any kind do not work, whether national, international, religious or family crusades. The only thing you can do is: Change yourself!
If I tried to change people by my own expectations I would not be here… People often want to create a fantasy, live in fantasy. You set a target which may be something you perceive as lacking in your life, like a house, children, a spouse, or holiday… so you create a fantasy around the object of your desires. Basically you are not satisfied with what you have and you want more. That only shows your desperation; you may think that once you had some happiness and you want it all restored. That desperation to regain whatever it is does not help you. The teacher shows you the balanced path but although he is a beacon of life, unfortunately the teaching is often ignored.
People often ask me: “What qualification do I need to be in touch with you?” The answer is simple: Sincerity!!! That word covers everything. Catch hold of this one thing and all else will come. Seize the main root of happiness. It is no good jumping from branch to branch; instead look at the root of happiness and don’t get side tracked. Then you will have all the benefits. Emotions are so powerful, but if you get caught, you create confusion. Self sufficiency is important and the spiritual path will help you to become more self reliant.
There are some so-called teachers who try to keep others needy and in ignorance; they would rather keep their knowledge secret, maybe because of some insecurity of being no longer needed after parting with their knowledge. But knowledge is to be shared. The bond between teacher and student becomes much stronger if you share; the relationship becomes deeper and more powerful. The true teacher/disciple relationship is eternal and does not end. Knowledge is perennial, it never runs out and it is never boring. We have to examine ourselves – the idea is to create a wholesome life, leaving all our little attachments, addictions and easy answers.
Maximum benefit is only achieved when you implement the spiritual techniques in your daily life. When you practice daily you will be happy every day. It is like a recharge for you and this battery will never die – you can compare it to a spiritual trickle charge. It will keep you on the right track and your train to happiness will not be derailed. Try to avoid any emotional derailment. It saddens me to see people emotionally derailed. When you are caught into a situation where you do not restore normalcy to your mind, you are in danger of derailment. Remember to get back on track before the wreckage and emotional debris is too much to clear.
Spirituality and You
Every now and then someone asks me where the best location to learn and evolve spiritually can be found?
Well, spiritual growth is not limited to locations. There are countless places and opportunities to evolve spiritually all around you. If your minds and hearts are open, you can learn from everything around you. For the sake of example, consider that many people have the opportunity to go on vacation. Why not combine the vacation with a spiritual retreat in pleasant and beautiful natural surroundings -- a combination that is beneficial to all?
You can have a spiritual experience with nature, and then nature becomes your teacher. Consider the countless examples in nature that humans could emulate: The stability of stone and rock, the flexible firmness of trees that bend but do not break in a storm, the unconditional giving of beauty and fragrance of flowers, the sun that shines on all, on the finest and on the poorest… there is no end to the amount of examples. So nature becomes your teacher. Try to be like the earth, absorbing the many lessons and teachings with joy and bliss. Then carry that in your heart and manifest those qualities in your life.
Others will notice what you have become; they will see the change and be attracted. The best way of influencing those who come in contact with you is by the way you behave and manifest. In this way you become teacher as well as student. You manifest positively and radiate accordingly. If, however, you behave like everyone else, then what is the point of following the spiritual path?
Spirituality is a serious business; it is deep and profound. Do not hide your spirituality; it is the key attribute of life, absolutely the most important thing in life. Instead, feel proud and honored. Be grateful that your life is made better and happier. You are not doing something wrong! Do not hide your belief for fear of negative feedback from the ignorant. Some of you develop a kind of insecurity because you pay too much attention to the opinions of others. On the other hand, some people will ask you questions with the express purpose of starting an argument and even try to ridicule you. You have to learn to be sensitive to the seriousness and genuineness of a question. Do not share what is sacred to you with the profane mind.
Whatever others might do, let them get on with it. You follow your own path; do your own spiritual practice. If you are a vegetarian, be proud that you are not part of the killing. You believe in non-violence. You lead a healthy life, believe in truth and non-violence, in fairness, sharing and caring --- why would you want to hide yourself?
Yet if someone really wants to know, you can explain. There is much ignorance in people, but also curiosity … If you explain, others can learn. You do not belong to a secret society; on the contrary, everything is “open plan”. One has to be clear in one’s own mind. The trouble is that when you become different from the crowd you may develop a tendency to feel “guilty”, that you have something to hide.
It is important to develop your self-confidence, your inner sense of security. Hiding often results in the opposite: Unwanted exposure! If you are able to explain properly, able to discuss clearly, then there is no problem. Of course you have to have confidence in your own self and reflect this confidence. When you are able to present yourself, others will appreciate and respect you if they have any sense of fairness.
It happens that others may get scared, because they feel they have lost “control”, and in a way they are right. Suddenly you have become wise and they have “lost” you. In families, one person may move ahead, others are left behind and upset; the same applies in a job situation when someone is smarter, faster, wiser or just more knowledgeable, then others may become afraid of something they are not familiar with. However, that does not mean that you should stop following your own path and your pursuit of happiness. Why should anyone else object? No one has the right to interfere with or to prevent your happiness. Indian thought takes this a step further -- in the spiritual sense: Having regard for the goal of “Ultimate Evolvement”, the great Indian sage and philosopher Tulsidas states: “Dissociate from those who are preventing your spiritual growth, however close they may seem.”
Spirituality is the crown of your life. It is your birthright. It should be the first priority in your life. Atma is of the ultimate importance, it is what you are motivated by, your innermost driving source – although you may not always be aware of it. For THAT you can sacrifice all.
Everything in life has relative value. You have priorities and you are governed by that force in life. Others are dear to you because Atma is dear to you. When you are ill with a fever, a migraine or other pain, you do not really care about anyone else. At that time the most important aspect is you. When you are happy and well you can love everyone; but as soon as something happens to you, nothing is clear to you any longer. That illustrates the importance of Atma. When your Atma comes into question, everything else takes second place, you leave everything behind.
The processes of growth, of developing yourself, the pursuit of happiness and of bliss are like components of a pyramid. With each stage of life your value system changes. Life is a process and priorities change. Life is change and you cannot afford to get stuck. Make it your business to accept change and try to adjust to it in every positive way. That is most important.
Reflections on Guru Purnima
The full moon has a very prominent place in India; each full moon has some spiritual significance and is always considered a positive force. The full moon of July/August is Guru Purnima. This is the day dedicated to the Guru, the teacher, and preceptor. The term guru literally means “dispeller or remover of darkness”, the one who brings light into your life, removing confusion and ignorance and bringing clarity and knowledge. You need to learn to recognize the Sat Guru. However one should avoid negative influences that cause conflict.
The concept of the Guru in India goes back to the beginning of time, to the time of creation.* It is a unique concept, given to the world by India. The relationship between guru and disciple is strictly spiritual and divine, not worldly, not material, quite unlike the relationship to your family and friends.
There are few things in this world which are as distinctive in the human civilization; these are aspects that should be preserved, kept closely guarded and maintained. That is the model of guru. Humans can have a collective guru as well as an individual Guru, preceptor, guide, or teacher. It is a beautiful tradition and it is said that without a Guru you are like a tree without fruit, a river without water, a field without crops and a garden without flowers - in other words: barren. That is the purpose and the importance of having a Guru in your life. You are in this body to learn and grow! Your mother is considered your first guru; when you have evolved enough to be ready for the final guru: the Sat Guru, he guides you across the vast ocean of eternity; He is the One to take you to your ultimate destination. Yet before you are ready for this step, you must go through various “gurus’” training.
Anyone can have an ordinary guru but to find the Sat Guru is very difficult indeed. The Sat Guru will only appear when you are qualified and ready for the final steps. Otherwise you will neither recognize, nor value or benefit from him. Of course you can also “graduate” from the school of an ordinary guru and join the “University” of the Sat Guru. There is an Indian proverb: that says: “Drink water only after filtering out any impurities”.
Many spiritual Masters – such as Buddha - have chosen the full moon as the time for annual celebration, rather than celebrating their physical birthdays. Many prefer Guru Purnima – the day of the Guru (spiritual Teacher, Master or guide) falling on the full moon of July/August. This is the day designated for those who are committed to the teachings (often called “disciples/students”) to demonstrate and renew their commitment and love toward their Guru and to follow the spiritual path. It is also a day for the Guru to assess the development of the disciples and the disciples to submit their commitment, as well as to evaluate how far they have come - and more importantly, how much further they have to go - as they integrate the spiritual path, awareness and practice into their lives as a whole. Key to this reflection and assessment is the concept of responsibility for self and a holistic approach to life, applying the spiritual teaching to everyday life and becoming self-sufficient while assisting fellow travelers on the path.
When teaching is imparted and knowledge is given, one is supposed to apply these principles and lessons in life. You can liken it to a given key that you are supposed to use wisely, opening the right door, not a wrong one. It is also your responsibility to use the knowledge you have been given the right way. This too requires contemplation and periodic reflection: Guru Purnima provides such an opportunity to reflect and to make positive changes in one’s life.
Many people want to escape reality. This is not a solution. Rather, face the reality of your own truth. It is only by facing your truth that you can face your fear or phobia. When you actually confront your fear, your reality, you will discover that there was nothing to fear to begin with. You have built up conditioning about something you did not know and created your own phobias.
Every day in your life you make a decision. Having been given spiritual knowledge you are more able and equipped to make the right decision, a balanced decision in the sense of what brings true fulfillment to your life.
Then what is the role of the Guru? This has been explained in many spiritual texts … the Guru is the remover of darkness and ignorance, leading you from untruth to truth, from darkness into light and from death to immortality (Asadoma Satagamaya…) toward enlightenment. The Guru gives you the key to open the right door and to take the right decisions. You should reflect upon how far your understanding has developed as a result of such experience and enjoy Guru Purnima in the spirit of positive growth and progress on the path. It is the time to reflect, review and restore your spiritual commitment to the path and to your Sat Guru.
Edited by Dr Linda S Spedding under guidance.
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