Overcoming constraints to spiritual awakening

Overcoming constraints to spiritual awakening

Our desires for wealth, materialistic pleasure and fame are said to be some major constraints to spiritual attainments. But at the same time, with inadequate consumption, the realisation of higher realities remains a dream. Since the primary objective of human life is spiritual upliftment, in what way can the trade-offs be tackled?

Indic philosophy comes up with a resolution: Attend to the minimum possible requirements, and devote the rest of the time and energy to fulfilling spiritual needs. Now, the crucial point is how to determine the ‘minimum’. It naturally varies in relation to several factors, including the physical, social, cultural, spatial and psychological attributes, making the process more difficult. This is where rationality comes into play. And this rationality is known as knowledge.

in the true sense would mean awareness that helps observe oneself in the backdrop of infinite space, so that one does not end up optimising for the self alone. When we contemplate upon the all-inclusive universe, the concept of timelessness becomes evident, along with the tininess of the ‘self’. In the milieu of this larger perspective, as we proceed to pursue our action to determine the minimum requirement in the material world, we can never be misled. Once the karma is selfless, the rest is easy. Just with a little feeling we need to surrender that selfless action as a flower of love at the feet of Infinity, so that no desire to attain success remains as a residue. After all, this residue is the disturbance itself, resulting in digressions that may delay spiritual advancement.

If the true spirit of surrender is present, there is nothing to worry about. It is the devotion which actualises surrender. Thus, the tripartite mechanism of knowledge, action and devotion will have to be set in life in such a manner that every moment is transformed into the manifestation of eternity. After all, life is nothing but an opportunity to realise within the limited space, the existence of vastness.

Beyond the audible sound there is a continuity of unstruck sound; beyond the light that strikes sight, there is an uninterrupted flow of glow; and beyond all relationships, there is an all-encompassing affection encircling the individual existence. However, since we do not seek, we remain stuck in mundane matters and do not realise the joy that remains beyond earthly achievements. One who becomes realised, attains the state of liberation of the spirit even while alive. One can master the art of avoiding the issues which tend to entangle, exactly as an efficient driver tries to shun accidents on the street.

Worldly experiences are essential to remind us that we need to look beyond them so that spiritual awakening happens. The pain that we earn from the world forces us to move towards joy. In this infinite space, like an oasis in the desert, there are planets comprising life and creating time so that we get an opportunity to transform ourselves and acquire the ability to have the feeling of being one and the same with the universe.

How long or how often we can hold on to that experience is an important question. Efforts will have to be made, but ultimately it is the divine grace that matters. And as Ramakrishna says, grace can gather only if there is a container of humility. Water cannot collect in the high land; it needs deep hovels to form a waterbody.