PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY ... 3
INTRODUTION
Spirituality being the basis of life, it is of utmost importance that we spend some amount of time daily in spiritual reflection. It could be meditation, chanting the Ishta mantra, reflecting on holy places and personages, reading the scriptures or associating with monks/nuns. But the direction of it all must be inward. The outgoing mind must be withdrawn from sense objects and redirected it towards the Spirit. A daily discipline of these practices will in course of time bring about a state of inner tranquillity, a never-failing poise of the being and a collectedness that will not only conduce to mental well-being but will result in physical well-being as well. Health will improve and with it the quality of life. Decision-making in life will be better and disasters brought about by rash decisions averted.
Now let us discuss the practices individually.
1. MEDITATION
Meditation slows down the breathing rate and makes breathing deeper which facilitates fuller oxygen intake. This vitalises the body and keeps the energy going. This in turn results in better efficiency in work, larger output, increased productivity and qualitative improvement in work. Stresses are reduced, fatigue minimised and a cheerfulness of being maintained throughout the day which makes for better human relationships. But most important of all, mediation makes one's mind more focused and enhances mental concentration. This not only helps one perform better in work but develops one's personality giving it an unmistakable authority in bearing.
2. CHANTING
Chanting the mantra induces a like state of the mind but the mantra is better received from a qualified Guru than from a quack. The Guru must be a shrotriya, that is, one who is well-versed in a spiritual tradition and is a proper interpreter of the scriptures. He must be a Brahma-nishthha, that is, he must be devoted to the practice of spiritual discrimination and renunciation of the results of action. Lastly, he must be akaamahata, that is, he must not be smitten by desire. Prolonged chanting over years produces a tranquil state which leads to gradual realisation of the higher principles of the Spirit.
3. REFLECTION ON HOLY PLACES AND PERSONAGES
Meditation may be of various kinds. One such is the reflection on holy places, say, pilgrimages, and holy personages like monks of exalted spiritual status or saints, sages, divine incarnations and the like. Such reflection on them gradually induces in one's personality the attributes of these luminous beings and the vibrations of the pilgrimages also adhere to one's being in a like manner.
4. SCRIPTURAL STUDY
The study of the scriptures clarifies the mind of the aspirant as to what true spirituality is and guards him against the advances of fraudulent men masquerading as messiahs. The loud utterance of Sanskrit shlokas generates energy in the system and makes it vibrate at a higher frequency for the while. Prolonged loud chanting of the Vedic mantras gradually upgrades the system and transforms personality from the intensely material to one that is tending to the spiritual. The daily reading of scriptures like 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' or the 'Bhagavad Geeta' is most beneficial in this regard, although, these need not be read out loud.
5. HOLY ASSOCIATION
Finally, holy company is most helpful in awakening spirituality in aspirants. The sattva of holy people quickens the sattva in those associating with them by a process akin to magnetic induction in ferromagnetic substances. Thus, constant holy association over years completely transforms the human personality and awakens dispassion for the world in those fortunate ones.
CONCLUSION
These are the benefits of the disciplined daily practice of spirituality. It makes this life a much more bearable experience instead of it being a burdensome unbearable one full of despair, defeats and disappointments. So, let us practice hard.
Written by Sugata Bose
INTRODUTION
Spirituality being the basis of life, it is of utmost importance that we spend some amount of time daily in spiritual reflection. It could be meditation, chanting the Ishta mantra, reflecting on holy places and personages, reading the scriptures or associating with monks/nuns. But the direction of it all must be inward. The outgoing mind must be withdrawn from sense objects and redirected it towards the Spirit. A daily discipline of these practices will in course of time bring about a state of inner tranquillity, a never-failing poise of the being and a collectedness that will not only conduce to mental well-being but will result in physical well-being as well. Health will improve and with it the quality of life. Decision-making in life will be better and disasters brought about by rash decisions averted.
Now let us discuss the practices individually.
1. MEDITATION
Meditation slows down the breathing rate and makes breathing deeper which facilitates fuller oxygen intake. This vitalises the body and keeps the energy going. This in turn results in better efficiency in work, larger output, increased productivity and qualitative improvement in work. Stresses are reduced, fatigue minimised and a cheerfulness of being maintained throughout the day which makes for better human relationships. But most important of all, mediation makes one's mind more focused and enhances mental concentration. This not only helps one perform better in work but develops one's personality giving it an unmistakable authority in bearing.
2. CHANTING
Chanting the mantra induces a like state of the mind but the mantra is better received from a qualified Guru than from a quack. The Guru must be a shrotriya, that is, one who is well-versed in a spiritual tradition and is a proper interpreter of the scriptures. He must be a Brahma-nishthha, that is, he must be devoted to the practice of spiritual discrimination and renunciation of the results of action. Lastly, he must be akaamahata, that is, he must not be smitten by desire. Prolonged chanting over years produces a tranquil state which leads to gradual realisation of the higher principles of the Spirit.
3. REFLECTION ON HOLY PLACES AND PERSONAGES
Meditation may be of various kinds. One such is the reflection on holy places, say, pilgrimages, and holy personages like monks of exalted spiritual status or saints, sages, divine incarnations and the like. Such reflection on them gradually induces in one's personality the attributes of these luminous beings and the vibrations of the pilgrimages also adhere to one's being in a like manner.
4. SCRIPTURAL STUDY
The study of the scriptures clarifies the mind of the aspirant as to what true spirituality is and guards him against the advances of fraudulent men masquerading as messiahs. The loud utterance of Sanskrit shlokas generates energy in the system and makes it vibrate at a higher frequency for the while. Prolonged loud chanting of the Vedic mantras gradually upgrades the system and transforms personality from the intensely material to one that is tending to the spiritual. The daily reading of scriptures like 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' or the 'Bhagavad Geeta' is most beneficial in this regard, although, these need not be read out loud.
5. HOLY ASSOCIATION
Finally, holy company is most helpful in awakening spirituality in aspirants. The sattva of holy people quickens the sattva in those associating with them by a process akin to magnetic induction in ferromagnetic substances. Thus, constant holy association over years completely transforms the human personality and awakens dispassion for the world in those fortunate ones.
CONCLUSION
These are the benefits of the disciplined daily practice of spirituality. It makes this life a much more bearable experience instead of it being a burdensome unbearable one full of despair, defeats and disappointments. So, let us practice hard.
Written by Sugata Bose
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