THE BEGINNING OF BLISSFUL EXISTENCE

Life is worth living only if it has a purpose. Without a purpose, life has no import. The highest purpose and true aim of life should be spiritual unfoldment. Human life is not meant just for eating, sleeping and enjoyment. Its aim is to work out one’s past karmas and progress in the spiritual field.

Whatever be one’s condition there is no barrier to live a spiritual life. It is absolutely essential to remember God at all moments and in all circumstances. Constant self discipline and regular effort will help us improve our lot and better our personality. All humans have the same potential. Each and every one can achieve success. Some may possibly do it faster. Some may go at a slower pace. It is the end result that counts!

The many trials and tribulations of life should be seen as part and parcel of life’s drama according to the karmic law. The karmic cycle of births and deaths are but stages in the supreme adventure. One is moving from one form of existence to another: evolving from the phenomenal to a finer or subtler plane of consciousness.

Life is full of challenges. The mix of pleasure and pain, suffering and inequalities should not deter from the right path. To achieve something in life one must be able to endure happiness and sorrow with an equal mind. Accepting them as they come and regarding them as part of life. One should not run away from life. To live in this world one has to participate fully in the play of life. While always endeavoring to live according to the universal moral precepts.

The path of righteousness is paved with thorns. Any wrong step may prove catastrophic. One has to be cautious and watchful all the time. One has to be prepared to go through several harsh tests. In the eternal struggle between the forces of good and evil, one has to prove oneself and remain above all temptations. To tread the spiritual path is like walking on a sword edge. Many start the journey but few will reach the goal in one life.

Man is endowed with the rare power of discrimination. And also, freedom of choice. Whether he chooses rightly or wrongly is in his power. He has to assume the full responsibility. He cannot blame anyone else for the consequences. Therefore it will be to his advantage to always make the proper choice by using his discrimination. The world is full of attractions which lead us astray from the goal of human birth, our true identity, the purpose of life: Self Realisation. One should aspire to be like the lotus flower which grows amidst mud yet remains unsoiled.

Life is not about having no problems; it’s about learning how to face up to them boldly. Fly from problems and they will keep following. Face them boldly and they will flee. Instead of closing oneself up in a shell and let life go by, one should live it, and feel brave enough to battle all problems. One will gradually come to reconcile with the karmic realities.

Decisions should not be based on likes and dislikes alone. Consideration should be given to what is moral and decent. For the welfare and happiness of all concerned. It is what is right and what is wrong that matters most, not what we like or dislike. A common mistake is that we tend to choose according to our likes and dislikes. Rarely do we choose what is decent over what is not decent. This is the grave blunder that slowly takes us to misfortune and downfall. Personal feelings if allowed to prevail will lead to selfishness, our worst enemy. With patience and perseverance one will definitely witness changes in oneself. One’s whole outlook will undergo a substantial overhaul.

Man is conditioned to spend his whole life toiling after a lesser state of happiness. One that is short-lived. A life of enjoyment without ethics or decorum is a life without beauty, joy or lasting satisfaction. All happiness in this phenomenal world usually ends in misery. Pleasures of life bring as much grief as joy. They are the two sides of a same coin. Man keeps craving for happiness that is short-lived and shuns that which never fails and is eternal: his spiritual perfection.

The greatest aid to spiritual unfoldment is meditation. Meditation is the scientific approach to God and religion. It gives us a holistic approach to life. It teaches us to live our life fully. It shows us the means to fight our problems; to be complete individuals.

It is through meditation and practice of the ethical values, the Yamas and Niyamas that we will escape from the vicious cycle of life and death. For life’s success ethical values have to be applied in daily life. They are the fundamentals of decent living and spiritual progress. Devoid of ethics, life is like a beautiful bouquet of flowers without perfume. It fails to attract as would a sweet smelling one.

As we endeavor more and more towards morality and altruism, such negative tendencies as anger, envy, greed, selfishness tend to decrease. Doubtless, this new significance ascribed to our existence gradually alters our personality. There is growing compassion and tolerance. We feel more considerate towards those suffering and needy. It is only by giving that one comes to benefit.

Some people think that meditation is for old age after they have spent their life in trivial pursuits. Others proclaim not to have the time for prayer. They are part of the majority who mistake routine for religion and do not take the time to simply close their eyes for some minutes and glance within to discover the light of their own soul. Yet, they are ever ready to spend their whole life slogging; and doing overtime for some extra pennies. Yet others do not want to retire for fear of breakdown or becoming mad! Work is worship, they declare!

As with everything, the earlier we start, the better it is. To avoid the risk of being swept away in the tsunami of materialism to our doom! Those who turn to God and regularly practice yoga and meditation look ahead to retirement, a time to devote to higher pursuits. For them there is no fear of any depression, breakdown, lunacy or Alzheimer. On the contrary they have the privilege of spiritual unfoldment, discovering their higher Self through yoga and meditation.

The Hindu scriptures advocate a spiritual path parallel to our mundane life. All paths of yoga have always existed from remote past. They were not devised or invented by man. They had been experienced by seers during the superconscious state. These different paths cater to different human tendencies. Each person is thus provided with the means to God realisation according to his inclination. No one can make any excuse not to do so.

Meditation is the highest form of worship, where the individual soul merges with its creator Lord. As a first step, prayer, fasting and idol worship etc may also be considered. But one has to go higher and higher, not stagnating at the level one has started. Not contented in kindergarten forever! Everyone will have to evolve to reach meditation and selfless action.

Sages and saints from timeless past have emphasized that the human is perfectly capable, through right prayers, to reach out to God. Any form of worship is acceptable; but only until one discovers meditation. When meditation is practiced it should be the main spiritual activity. Prayer is an external, lesser form of worship. The mechanical performance of prayer has very little immediate spiritual value. It does not yield any direct result. However, if performed in a selfless spirit and not as mere formality, it may with time, be conducive to deeper concentration which has real spiritual significance. Done with all humility and in a spirit of unselfishness it does purify the heart. Prayer has value until one discovers meditation, the final stage, the highest form of prayer.

Ever since the dawn of time the holy science of meditation has fascinated man’s imagination. By withdrawing his vision inward man can discover that luminous awareness through which the spirit reveals itself in all its glory and purity. Every human being is born to ultimately achieve self-realisation. One can do so by following one of the different paths of Yoga according to one’s natural tendencies. There is only one God but the roads to Him are many. Sincere efforts take us nearer and nearer to Him. Indeed, the path leading to Him becomes less difficult if one has absolute faith and perseverance. Patience is the keynote. Impatience severs the link.

Meditation is the finest, most exalted activity of human life. When meditating, one is transported to a higher state of consciousness and feels the presence of God. One becomes certain about having a soul, which is pure consciousness. One becomes aware there is a superior force that exists beyond this phenomenal world. Meditation is the highest form of concentration and the finest type of prayer, allowing direct perception of God. It is the glorious state of superconsciousness wherein the Self is revealed and God reveals Himself. Meditation is the beginning of real existence.

Today there is much unrest and social violence in the world in the name of God. The world is torn with ideological conflicts. There is more harm done, more ills caused in this world in the name of God or religion than from any other cause. So many wars fought, so much bloodshed; all in the name of God! A glance around the world will confirm this tragic fact. This unhappy state of affairs will prevail so long as man refuses to return to the source and experience for himself as his spiritual forefathers did.

The tragedy of life or humanity is that both highly developed and undeveloped countries are spiritually under-developed. In spite of all their wealth and sophisticated means, the highly industrialized countries are still in search of a miracle cure to all ills, social, economic, political, mental, psychological, environmental and so on, as are the underdeveloped or undeveloped countries with their limited means.

Man has to learn that all religions have the same God. There is no religion superior or inferior. What is necessary is God realisation in this very life. He who derides any one derides himself, his higher Self and his own God.

All prophets are signposts on the path to God. True religion happens when man has had the same perception which prophets and gurus proclaim. The highest creed is oneness. Man’s spirit is universal as his creator God is universal:

“Ekam Sad vipra bahuda vadante”

“That which exists is One, men call it by various names.” Rig Veda.

Man should offer all his hopes and aspirations on the altar of God’s love and make Him the goal of his life. When God becomes the way of life it is yoga. Yoga and meditation bring holiness to our lives. They are the essence of inner peace and harmony.

Doubtless, meditation is the beginning, but certainly not the end of existence. It is an unending experience, which must be discovered and experienced by each and everyone. There lies the secret of life delightful and existence blissful.