In the day and age that we live in, there are many misconceptions pertaining to the spiritual way of life. Many people think that spirituality is only concerned with ritualistic meditation. There are many who never even try to comprehend the true scope of the spiritual journey before making a perception about it. Either often people think of the spiritual path as a complete waste of time or they think of it as a complete waste of money and time. All in all the common perception of spirituality is quite sullied in today’s day and age.
While I was thinking in the same vein, I started asking myself some fundamental questions pertaining to true spirituality; as in what true spirituality yields the seeker in the end. Upon a great deal of introspection and meditation, I realized that there is one thing that truly differentiates an accomplished spiritual seeker from the common man; it is innocence.
Many would disagree at the aforementioned fact, for they think of innocence as a trait that is generally associated with young children. Look at a child’s face and you will simply be enamored by the innocence that is showcased in his smile. Just look into his eyes as they shine and sparkle bringing to your mind a complete and satisfied picture of pure bliss. It indeed is great joy to gaze upon a waddling toddler as he flashes a toothless grin up at you.
The reason why we derive such great joy from watching babies is the innocence that rests within them. Babies are virginal beings who are untouched by the illusions of this world. Granted that they too are a part of the redundant and recursive human existence, but they are yet unaffected by its shady quagmires. There is no self-identity within a child; there is no sense of ego; and there is no yearning of instinctive self-gratification. A child is an epitome of virginal bliss. There is great transparency within his eyes. Through his eyes, we can see God.
Innocence is indeed nothing but that. Innocence means complete transparency. There is no ego; there is no self, engrained within the soul and the supersoul. There is no feeling of instinctive self-identity on part of the soul and hence it always aspires and emulates the supersoul. In a way, innocence opens up the gates of heaven for the aspiring seeker. It brings within him a sense of insurmountable bliss and harmony. Even though a seeker’s innocence may prove detrimental in the worldly way of life, the accomplished seeker cares for it not. He knows it deep within himself that the Lord would look to his needs and that he would care for his child. Take a look at a baby, for instance; do you ever see him insecure? Do you ever see him in fear? It is only after he gets accustomed to the earthly existence, that the feeling of insecurity sets in. It is only then that the feeling of instinctive self-identity sets in; and it is there that the child loses his innocence and turns into a man.
If someone were to ask me, what I received after walking on the spiritual path, I would say naught but simply and smile and look into his eyes. The skeptics mind would deny the cognition, but the spirit would understand it. The spiritual path embellishes the spirit with a childlike ingenuity and virginal innocence. It embellishes the spirit with fearlessness and complete satisfaction.
Innocence is indeed a great trait. It is a state of being that is indeed very hard to attain. As one lives through the rot of worldly life, he can never retain his innocence; yet if one chooses to adopt a truly spiritual way of life, he would realize that the rewards that his spirit receives are beyond his wildest dreams…
The saint in the image attached herewith is Ramana Maharshi.
Mediocrity is the single greatest threat to achieving success. Mediocrity is entirely comprised of instinctive impulses which are drawn from baser desires. A mediocre person can hardly ever think out of the box; hence achieving enduring superlative success always remains beyond his scope. We are always prone to succumb to mediocre desires because they demand negligible efforts on our part.
As you well know that our spiritual quotient is ultimately drawn from our physical quotient and our emotional quotient. In the last chapter, we discussed in brief about the physical quotient and the ways in which we can enhance the quality of our lives to ensure that we remain pro-active as long as we live. In this chapter, we are essentially going to elaborate on our emotional quotient. What does emotional quotient mean? How is it so instrumental in determining our rate of success on the spiritual path? How can we improve our emotional quotient? The answers lie herein.
It is often observed that many people value their emotions first and foremost in their lives. Many people literally feel that their emotions truly make them human; and that the journey of life is made more endearing and more enjoyable through emotions. While the fact remains that our emotions essentially connect us to our human side, they are at the same time the source of all our weaknesses. When we inherently make any decision based on our emotions, we often see that it leads us to ultimate misery and regret. The reason as to why this happens is based in the fact that our emotions always cloud our discerning intellect. When we are emotionally charged we cannot make dispassionate judgments of different situations. Often we go into any situation with a pre-conceived notion that is drawn from our emotions. Thus when the situation demands a specific solution from us, we are unable to provide a good one.
Emotions always result in multiple entanglements. Our emotions that essentially spur from our mind are always entrenched in duality. We can never get a consistent response from an emotional person. He is always bound to be meandering aimlessly as his emotion dictate. Thus, the person who is inherently emotional in nature can hardly survive the journey of life.
So at this point one may ask as to how one can truly live his life. Is he supposed to ignore all his emotions and live life like a machine? Is he supposed to become heartless and unresponsive to other people’s emotions? Well the answer is divided on that account. When it comes to your own case, always keep in mind, that your emotions must never dictate your actions. It is easier said than done. One has to always be aware of his feelings and his underlying thoughts to discern whether his emotions are truly directing the course of his actions. One needs to be perpetually aware and self-introspective in nature. But in doing so, the seeker has to ensure that he cannot turn into a ruthless and emotionally depraved individual. Often it so happens that when our own emotions are not regarded, we tend to hurt other people’s feelings. This must never be the case, or you would always be at the receiving end of other’s hatred.
What the seeker has to indeed accomplish is to strike a perfect balance between sensitivity and sensibility. He must be considerate enough to understand the emotional turbulences that take place in those around him and yet he must be stoic enough to be able to take his decision based on the dispassionate analysis of the situation. Upon doing so, he ultimately realize that his decisions pay out great dividends in the future.
Emotions are but momentary impulses of our troubled minds. To ignore them would indeed be dangerous; and to comply with them would indeed be foolish. What we have to accomplish is a wholesome approach to life, where our emotional receptivity towards others is high and yet we ourselves remain dispassionate enough to make the right choice and seamlessly progress in the path that leads towards our ultimate salvation.
In the season finale of the Satsang series, Rutugandha recounts the day when the master spoke of emotional quotient and the effects that it has on a seeker’s spiritual growth. Man is always bound by his emotions; riding the waves of his impulses. When we take any decision solely based on our emotions, we end up making a grave mistake. How can we ensure that we can remain practical and object-oriented in life? At the same time, how can we make sure that we don’t turn into heartless machine? For the answers to all these questions and many more, listen to the following audio snippet.
Many times in this world, we come across people who are insensitive and hurtful. Often we fail to understand the reason behind their way of life. The fact remains that embroiled in the rat race that appropriately epitomizes the human existence, man truly forgets the importance of kindness. At times being utterly self-centered and narcissistic, an individual ends up hurting those that truly care about him. Why does man end up being such a heartless person? Why can’t man extend a genuine feeling of kindness and empathy to those around him? These questions often torment the seeker as he steadily progresses on the spiritual path.
To understand the reason as to why man fails to imbibe the quality of kindness within himself, we would first have to understand what kindness truly means. Kindness is nothing but a feeling of mutual belonging and empathy towards your fellow brothers. Kindness is nothing but love for humanity. When a person learns to truly love every single individual irrespective of his vices, he truly imbibes the virtue of kindness within himself. Kindness gives you a sense of belonging; it gives you a great sense of understanding. Above all kindness endears you to God.
If one wishes to see instances of kindness, one need not look any farther than the saints that have walked this earth for long. These saints are great, realized souls, who have within themselves overflowing and insurmountable love for humanity. Their sense of belonging and empathy is so great that they can even feel the pain of a tree that is hacked mercilessly to the ground. Their love is so pure and unadulterated that it manifests itself in the form of a magnanimous gesture of kindness that envelopes the entire world within itself.
So why does man fail to imbibe this priceless trait within himself? What essentially makes him fall into a ceaseless cycle of self-centeredness? Well the answer to the aforementioned questions lie in the fact that every human being is essentially attached to his own identity. He is always aware of his own difficulties. The hardships that he faces through his life make him believe that indeed it is only he who is made to suffer so much. He is unaware of the fact that every other person who is trapped in this redundant and recursive existence is fighting the same battle; the battle for survival.
If a man was to realize this fact, he would indeed be more considerate and empathize with all that pass his way. If only a man was to realize that the grief and regret that he derives from life is the same as that of everyone else, he would indeed find solace in the fact that he is not all alone. Thus, therein, he would realize that his kindness, which imbibes in him a sense of belonging and goodwill, is indeed a great boon. I say that it is a great boon owing to the fact that kindness is always rewarded in kind. If you were to but empathize with a fellow human being, give him hope and say in simple words, “I am there for you”; you would indeed find that in your times of grief there would be someone, who would be there for you. Kindness has a habit of showing up at unexpected places; all you have to do is ensure that there remains enough kindness in the world; all you have to do is ensure that you remain kind-hearted; for that is the simplest way through which you can reach God’s holy kingdom.
Our physical body represents us in our physical existence. The spiritual journey is a long and arduous one. We cannot hope to make it till the end, unless we are physically capable to do so. Our physical body has a great significance in our spiritual journey. In this penultimate episode of the Satsang series, Rutugandha recounts the day, when the master spoke of the importance of physical quotient in the overall spiritual growth of any seeker. What does physical quotient truly mean? Why is it so important to our spiritual journey? How can we increase it? Listen to the following audio snippet to find the answers…
Hello and welcome back to the discussion. We have been consistently moving ahead with different subjects that concern man’s lofty quest here on The Last Pilgrimage weblog. Last time we discussed a term that was an entirely new concept for the spiritual seeker. For those that recall, we briefly discussed about the spiritual quotient that every individual has within himself. This spiritual quotient could be effectively described as a spiritual aptitude in the journey of life. There are many factors that make up an individual’s spiritual quotient. Today we are essentially going to elaborate on one of those factors; namely intelligence quotient.
To understand what Intelligent Quotient or IQ truly means, we would first have to understand what intelligence means. Many people have a deluded impression of intelligence. Many are confused when it comes to segregating intelligence from intellect. To put it simply, I would say that intelligence is intellect in action. Now a person’s intellectual capacity is something that cannot be changed. You either have it or you don’t. But if there is one thing that an individual can improve on, it is his intelligence. Intelligence is essentially intellect in its pro-active form. To put it simply, you are effectively using the brain-power that you have with you. Now this brain power would vary from person to person; but if you truly learn to apply your intellect, you will find yourself succeeding in all walks of life.
When I say that you can improve your intelligence, I literally mean that. Intellect is basically the resource that you have with you. How effectively and productively you employ that resource is entirely up to you. If you learn to effectively utilize the level of intellect that you have, you would indeed find that you are able to surpass many of life’s great obstacles.
The relevance that intelligence essentially has with a person’s spiritual quotient is indeed great. An intelligent person knows how to remain productive and creative in life. He can take the opportunities that come into his life and effectively achieve enduring success. Not only that, but an individual’s intelligence always gives him the motivation to stay creative. Any intelligent person would always find new and innovative ways to make life simpler for himself and for those around him. Effectively what it accomplishes is that it tremendously accelerates an individual’s journey of evolution.
Ultimately, we have to acknowledge that the spiritual journey transcends the worldly life. To be successful spiritually, you need to be an achiever; not in somebody else’s eyes, but in your own eyes. You have to be pro-active and creative; you have to be prudent; and you have to be responsible in every single act that you commit in life. That would be what would make any aspiring seeker an achiever. Intelligence merely helps facilitate this process. In the end, we have to say that intelligence is everything that the intellect is. It is all that and much more; for it is truly creative and productive. However, in the end, the one thing that truly separates intelligence from intellect is that an intelligent man is indeed very humble and appreciative of the work that others do. He takes every moment in his life as a learning opportunity and through every single moment, he learns and ingests all that life has to offer him; in the end, moving towards completeness…
Many times we hear the word intelligent quotient used in the sense of intellectual benchmarking. There are many tests out there that help determine a person’s IQ. The fact that they come nowhere close to determining his true intelligence is an entirely different issue. Point of the matter is that it is indeed very hard to determine an individual’s intelligence based on some tests. It is even harder to state what intelligence truly means. In this episode of the Satsang series Rutugandha recounts the day when the master spoke of true intelligence and ways in which it is conducive to our spiritual growth.
In today’s world when man is indeed embroiled in the rat race that constitutes an eternal part of his existence, he indeed finds little time to introspect. As he lives through the daily motions of life, he hardly ever gets the time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor. He hardly ever gets the time to truly be at peace; because every now and then he is posed with great challenges and even greater ambitions. Owing to this overly competitive lifestyle, he can hardly gain satisfaction from life.
Through his life, as man works to fulfill his personal or professional ambitions he never realizes the fact that he is indeed walking a road that leads to nowhere. Man cannot realize the fact that his ambitions and desires only end up infusing a sense of perpetual dissatisfaction in him. He also fails to realize the fact that the challenges that he could take on are indeed countless; but he has to his disposal only a few precious moments in his life. How he chooses to utilize those moments is entirely up to him. When man goes into an incessant streak of ambitious achievement, he often realizes at the end, that he never ever took time to appreciate the little things in life; that he never took time to smell the roses and feel the wind blowing through his hair; that he never took the time to self-introspect. In the end he realizes that he indeed took great efforts to find success; but what he found in the end was a hollow sense of unrequited desire and perpetual disquiet in his heart.
The reason as to why any ambitious man finally comes to this stage in his life is that he equates success with satisfaction. Man often desires satisfaction from his job. To facilitate this, he tries to find new and innovative ways within his line of work. In a sense, he tries to find that one thing in the organization that truly bears semblance to what he is. In a way, he tries to find his place, his identity and his soul in the well-oiled machine that the corporate world represents. At such times, he is deluded into accepting that his rate of productivity and his rate of success in the organization would essentially translate into satisfaction for him. Thus he goes ahead and works days on end, at times even bearing great dis-regard for personal problems and health issues; all for one thing; to gain a sense of achievement; through which he hopes to gain a sense of satisfaction and peace.
What man in the end doesn’t realize is that he cannot hope to get inner peace and satisfaction in the well-oiled corporate machine that is his organization. He cannot realize the fact that he has to search for that sense of satisfaction and bliss within himself. He can never get it anywhere else. Man also has to realize that he simply cannot hope to get perpetual satisfaction through success alone. He has to realize that to be truly satisfied in life, he has to have a spiritual outlook towards life. Only then will he find satisfaction amidst the chaotic channels of change that he encounters in his life; only then will he find the inner silence; and only then will he truly be unconditionally happy.
The aforementioned directives seem simple to the casual observer, but are surprisingly hard to implement. For the moment it would suffice to say, that man indeed has to search for ways to derive happiness and satisfaction from life. He cannot get it; rather he will not get it from his job. So what would any man do to truly be satisfied in life? Well I would say, indulge creatively. Every man should find that one thing, doing which truly yields him boundless satisfaction. It may be anything. Poetry, Music, Dance, Reading, Gardening; the list is indeed endless. But it would suffice to say that every man should indeed make it a point to nurture a hobby that would indeed inspire the creativity within him to flow boundlessly. Once he does that, he would indeed find himself in a better place; not just personally but professionally as well…
Well guys, here is a term that was completely unheard of prior to this chapter being unveiled on “The Last Pilgrimage” weblog. Sure it was being discussed in different polls and debates throughout the world wide web, but it was hardly ever elaborated upon and discussed in detail. Today we are essentially going to focus on this topic simply owing to the fact that it needs to be discussed. What does spiritual quotient truly mean? Why do we need it? and what can we accomplish if we have it?
Well before answering the first question, I would like to answer the second one. Why do we need to be spiritual? Well the answer to that is plain and simple; because we need to survive. Today the rate at which human life is proceeding, it is indeed very hard to find a few moments of solace and peace. You are under relentless pressure at your job; you have a heft mortgage on your home that you hope pay off from the money that you receive at the end of every month. You have even more personal responsibilities to attend to. All in all, your life has been completely engulfed amidst the storm of physical existence that surrounds you. Many times when we reflect back upon our childhood, we feel that we indeed lived in simpler times. Many times we feel that we that we were much happy and carefree when we were mere children. Thomas Hood perfect expressed this in his poem titled I Remember, I Remember.
He said “I remember, I remember ,The fir-trees dark and high; I used to think their slender tops; Were close against the sky; It was a childish ignorance, But now ’tis little joy To know I’m farther off from Heaven Than when I was a boy.”
Being spiritual truly helps us move closer to God. It literally helps us to realize the God that resides within us. The spiritual journey is a journey of self-realization; and it brings with itself a great amount of peace, satisfaction and unconditional happiness. Being spiritual not only helps you to remain calm, quiet and peaceful in life, but it also helps you to develop a more pro-active attitude towards your worldly duties. The spiritual journey gives you a purpose which makes every facet of your life seem completely worthwhile. Indeed the spiritual journey gives you unparalleled insight and deep knowledge of the countless intricacies of existence.
Our spiritual quotient is essentially a reflection of our personality. It reflects our affinity towards our true selves. It determines our capability to look past the worldly illusions that surround us in life. Our spiritual quotient is what ultimately determines the amount of joy that we can derive from our mundane lives. A person with a greater spiritual quotient could be engulfed in multiple problems of worldly existence; and yet he would have within himself a spring of boundless joy and ecstasy. Not only that he would also be well equipped to deal with his worldly qualms, for he would be in a better place spiritually. Our spiritual quotient is indeed a healthy mix of our physical capabilities, our intelligence and our emotional receptivity. There is a thin line of perfection that traverses these three traits; and that ultimately determines our orientation and our receptivity to the divine power that resides within us.
Ultimately pertaining to the question as to what we can accomplish through developing a spiritual attitude towards life; I would say that we would accomplish nothing but a perpetual state of unconditional bliss. It would indeed be a great achievement, for then we would have no other desires; we would have no regrets; and we would indeed be forever at one with the final expression of undefined divinity that we call God…
A Spiritual Revolution added to Articles. Embracing Reality added to Articles. Rebellion added to Articles. The State of Liberation added to Articles. Hypocrisy in Spirituality added to Articles. Pointless Spirituality added to Articles. Two Bytes of Life added to Articles. Change, Consistency & Success added to Articles.
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March 22, 2010 10:13 am | 
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