Spiritual Practices for God realization

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

Definition of spiritual practice Start your spiritual journey What is individual spiritual practice and collective spiritual practice? Spiritual practice according to the basic principles of Spirituality Spiritual practice with expectation and without expectation Stages in spiritual growth Who is a seeker?

Some general concepts in Spirituality

Spirituality is to be experienced Spiritual practice should be done on a daily basis Increasing the level of spiritual practice regularly Learning to listen to an authority in Spirituality Do not waste your spiritual energy Gaining spiritual experiences from spiritual practice Own wish, Other's wish, and God's wish

Various generic paths to Final Liberation from the cycle of birth and death (Moksha)

Path of Action (Karmayoga): This is the path of action . People find satishfaction from service to others and the world . As the saying is Service to humanity is service is God Somebody who can see the divinity in humans, serves them is serving God Path of Knowledge (Gnynyoga): After studying various spiritual texts from new age philosophy to religious texts, a seeker finally turns to a

single one that is most suitable to him . Humans are made of defferent compositions and the paths for them are different. Path of Devotion (Bhaktiyoga): A seeker progresses from worship of several Deities to that of one, goes to one place of pilgrimage rather than to many, finally ends up dedicatin himself to one god and living his principles and is taken care of by od in that form . Path of Gurus Grace (Gurukrupyoga): After visiting several Saints, a seeker finally visits only one Guru. Irrespective of the path of Spirituality one follows, spiritual progress does not really occur beyond a certain level without the grace of a Guru. RajaYoga :Material to be further Reseached !!!

Recommended spiritual practice to develop skills in spiritual research

1. Prayer 2. Study of the science of Spirituality 3. Chanting 4. Company of the Truth 5. Service unto the Truth 6. Sacrifice 7. Spiritual love - love without expectations 8. Spiritual emotion 9. Removing personality defects 10. Reducing ego
DEFINITION OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

The Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SSRF) defines spiritual practice as honest and sincere efforts done consistently on a daily basis to develop Divine qualities and achieve everlasting happiness or Bliss (nand). Another way of defining spiritual practice is our personal journey of going inward beyond our five senses, mind and intellect to experience the Soul (the God) within each one of us. One of the qualities of God is perpetual Bliss and so by tapping into the Soul, we too experience Bliss.

For spiritual practice to generate rapid spiritual growth it should:

Conform to the six basic principles of spiritual practice Be done in progressively higher increments qualitatively and quantitatively
START YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

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The purpose of this section is to give you a quick understanding of what you can do to begin your spiritual journey (spiritual practice) today.

Whichever religious path or culture you come from, the Spiritual Science Research Foundation recommends three things you can do right away to begin or complement your spiritual journey.

Chanting the Name of God according to the religion of your birth.

Chanting a protective chant for ancestral problems.

Building your spiritual knowledge.

CHANTING THE NAME OF GOD ACCORDING TO YOUR RELIGION OF BIRTH:

We are born to the religion that is most conducive to begin our spiritual journey. Accordingly, the aspect of God that we worship depending on our religion is what is most beneficial for our spiritual growth at that stage. The various Names of God according to each religion, represent the various aspects of the one Supreme God. By repeating the Name of God according to the religion of our birth, we call upon this aspect of God and harness His divine energy. This would be akin to taking a general spiritual tonic that is most required for us. Let us look at a few examples of the Name of the Lord we should chant, depending on the religion of our birth.

WHAT IS INDIVIDUAL SPIRITUAL PRACTICE AND COLLECTIVE SPIRITUAL PRACTICE? 1. INTRODUCTION

There are two generic types of spiritual practice (sdhan): 1. Individual spiritual practice (vyashi sdhan): When we use the phrase 'individual spiritual practice', we refer to spiritual practice done to augment ones personal spiritual growth. A typical type of spiritual practice done primarily for individual spiritual growth would be chanting the Name of God or studying a spiritual text. Here only the individual gets the benefit from the practice. 2. Collective spiritual practice (samashi sdhan): When we use the phrase 'collective spiritual practice', we refer to spiritual practice done to augment other peoples spiritual growth. For example, when seekers volunteer their time and effort to set up lectures in Spirituality it is known as collective spiritual practice.
2. IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUAL VERSUS COLLECTIVE SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

In current times, for our spiritual growth collective spiritual practice is 70% important while individual spiritual practice is only 30% important. Hence, to progress spiritually it is important to motivate as many people as possible from society to practice Spirituality. This is service unto the Absolute Truth (satsv) in the real sense. However for this one needs to increase ones own spiritual level by paying attention to ones own individual spiritual practice. As seekers of God, we need to strike a balance in our efforts between our individual and collective spiritual practice. An analogy of a lamp that is lit will explain the importance of this balance more descriptively.

The oil in the lamp represents our individual spiritual practice and the light of the lamp our collective spiritual practice. If the oil is less, the lamp will not give a bright light so the base of our individual spiritual practice needs to be strong, as it gives us the fuel to sustain our collective spiritual practice. (In the case of the lamp, the flame is at the cost of the oil, but collective spiritual practice does not erode our individual spiritual practice. On the contrary it only enhances it.)
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

How can we ensure rapid spiritual progress towards achieving Bliss?

Rapid spiritual progress can be achieved when we do spiritual practice according to the basic principles of Spirituality. Even though there are many different types of spiritual practice, whether our spiritual practice adheres to the basic principles of Spirituality is a true litmus test for its effectiveness. If not, we run the risk of putting in a lot of effort but not seeing the results that match that effort. The six basic principles are
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. There are as many paths to God as there are people Going from many to one Progressing from gross (tangible) to subtle (intangible) Undertaking spiritual practice as per the spiritual level or spiritual capacity Doing spiritual practice relevant to the times Offering to God as per your talent or capacity

THERE ARE AS MANY PATHS TO GOD AS THERE ARE PEOPLE

When undertaking spiritual practice it is important to bear in mind that each individual is different and so what works for one person may not work for another. When climbing a mountain each climber thinks his way is the only way. But when he reaches the top of the mountain, he realizes that there were an infinite number of ways that could have taken him to the top. Likewise there are as many paths to God as there are people. If five patients were to go to a doctor and each was suffering from a different ailment, then giving all five the same medicine would not result in each of them being cured. So also each of us are different and hence the same spiritual practice cannot be recommended for all. In a spiritual context each of us is unique across the following parameters.

The composition of the 3 subtle basic components (trigus) i.e. whether they are sttvik, rjasik or tmasik by nature. The five Cosmic Principles (Panchamahbhts) or Earth (Pruthv), Water (pa), Fire (Tj), Air (Vyu) and Ether (ksh) The degree to which different aspects of spiritual practice have been completed in prior births. The different accumulated account, destiny and wilful action that each one has. A person may also adopt a certain path depending on his temperament.

GOING FROM MANY TO ONE

The impact of our efforts is much more powerful when we concentrate our efforts on the one, instead of the many. Which is more effective?

Digging one well to access water which is 10 meters deep or digging 10 wells of 1 meter each. Accruing frequent flyer miles from various airlines or sticking to just one airline.

The following is how this principle works depending on the various generic paths to God.

Path of Action (Karmayoga): In the initial stage, a seeker gives alms to several beggars. In the next stage, he focuses his efforts on a single cause such as a donation to a school or a hospital. Path of Knowledge (Dnynyoga): After studying various spiritual texts from new age philosophy to religious texts, a seeker finally turns to a single one that has the most percentage of spiritual truth in it. Path of Devotion (Bhaktiyoga): A seeker progresses from worship of several Deities to that of one, goes to one place of pilgrimage rather than to many, reads one book of Holy verses rather than many. Path of Chanting the Name of God (Namsankirtanyoga): Here, the seeker chants the Name of only one Deity instead of many. Path of Gurus Grace (Gurukrupyoga): After visiting several Saints, a seeker finally visits only one Guru. Irrespective of the path of Spirituality one follows, spiritual progress does not really occur beyond a certain level without the grace of a Guru.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITUALITY PROGRESSING FROM GROSS (TANGIBLE) TO SUBTLE (INTANGIBLE)

This principle states that we need to improve upon our spiritual practice by going from just physical actions, to a practice at a more subtle level. A subtle spiritual practice is more powerful than a gross one. Take for example, a relationship where two people shake hands in friendship, while in reality, they may not like each other. The physical display of friendship is merely a faade. On the other hand, two people may feel genuine goodwill towards each other even though there may be no physical contact. Likewise, when it comes to practicing Spirituality, going through the motions of external ritualistic worship (physical level) with no devotion needs to be replaced by having real inner devotion for God, or intense desire for spiritual growth.
UNDERTAKING SPIRITUAL PRACTICE AS PER THE SPIRITUAL LEVEL OR SPIRITUAL CAPACITY

We must check that the spiritual practice we choose is as per our spiritual capacity or spiritual level. A student, who has passed grade 3, will not be

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able to sit for the grade 4 exams if he has been continually studying only the grade 3 syllabus. So too spiritual seekers should try to improve their capacity to do spiritual practice so as to not get stuck at one level of spiritual practice. Let us go through the various stages of development from more gross forms of worship to more subtle forms as per the level of the seeker:
1. At an initial level we feel that we can make contact with the Divine only by going to a place of worship and through praying to a statue of God or a Divine Being. Next we feel a connection with the Divine not just through rituals but through reading spiritual books whilst sitting in the place of worship. In the next stage we feel that even words are too gross, and just experiencing the vibrations in a church or temple are enough to spiritually nourish a person. After this we do not need to even go to a place of worship, but can experience God in the beauty of Nature; high up in the mountains, at a serene lake, etc. At an even higher level, we do not need nature anymore but can experience God in daily living. Even if we are in an unpleasant place such as a filthy slum or in the middle of a war zone, we can perceive the comforting blanket of God's presence, and can worship Him there in the quiet presence of our hearts.

2. 3. 4. 5.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITUALITY DOING SPIRITUAL PRACTICE RELEVANT TO THE TIMES

In all things in life there is a time for them to happen. If the right thing happens at the wrong time then the desired result is not achieved. For example, if seeds are sown in the dry months instead of the rainy season, they do not take root no matter how fertile the land is. Similarly, certain spiritual practices are conducive according to the time or era.

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Satyayug: This was a very pure era when the average spiritual level of a person was 70% (this is the level of a Saint). These people were so pure spiritually that the Path of Knowledge was best suited to them as they had the potential to spontaneously understand the implied meanings of all spiritual scriptures. Trtyug: This was the era when the spiritual level of the average person dropped to 55% and so they lost their potential to follow the Path of Knowledge. But they were spiritually capable enough to undertake

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penance (the kind that allowed a seeker stand on one foot for 12 years) and meditation (the kind that made a seeker meditate long enough for an ant hill to grow all over him). Dwparyug: There was a further decline in spiritual levels and people lost their potential for rigorous penance and sustained meditation. So it was divinely ordained such that they would be able to make progress through ritualistic worship. These rituals and sacrificial fires (yadnyas) were very time consuming and laborious as they had to be done after searching for the right ingredients. Along with this there were numerous steps which had to be followed to the last detail. But people were religious-minded enough to spend the time, effort and money to do them. Kaliyug: This is translated as the Era of strife and is the current period. The average persons spiritual level has dropped to only 20%. Our capacity to do any of the above spiritual practices has greatly reduced. But considering the turbulent times we live in and the extent of the spiritual pollution God has made a simple provision for us to still grow spiritually. All He wants of us to do as spiritual practice, is repeat His Name.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITUALITY OFFERING TO GOD AS PER YOUR TALENT OR CAPACITY

All of us have some kind of resources at our disposal. These have been given to us by God. A basic principle in spiritual practice is that we use these same resources to serve Him as part of our spiritual practice and grow spiritually. The resources we have fall broadly into four categories: 1. Our body 2. Our wealth and worldly connections 3. Our mind and intellect 4. Our sixth sense Lets look at these four aspects in a little more detail:

1. Our body

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Serving by our body means using our body to serve God. For example:

Cleaning a venue and getting it ready for a lecture on Spirituality Driving seekers to the venue Putting up posters to advertise a lecture on Spirituality

2. Our wealth and worldly connections

An example of serving God by offering our wealth and worldly connections respectively would be:

Paying for the venue where a spiritual discourse is to be conducted Arranging for a lecture on Spirituality at an institute which one is associated with

3. Our mind and intellect

Using our mind and intellect is about using our creative and intellectual processes to serve God. Examples of this would include:

Using our intellect to study Spirituality, put it into practice and then tell others about it Using our writing skills to spread Spirituality by writing articles on Spirituality Helping in the maintaining of records and administration of an event

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4. Our sixth sense

Some of us have been gifted with sixth sense from an early age. This is due to spiritual practice from either a previous birth or from this birth. The onus is on us to use it only to facilitate spiritual growth in us and others. The use of our sixth sense needs to be under the guidance of a Spiritual Master.

In summary, the following points can be kept in mind:

By consistently offering what we have to serve God as part of our spiritual practice, we grow spiritually. Even if one does not have wealth or a high intellect he can still offer his body in service to God and thereby grow spiritually. The four types of offerings mentioned above are not mutually exclusive. If a person has a good intellect and a strong understanding of Spirituality he may be inclined just to offer his intellect. However the principle is about offering all what one has. As the person has a body and also may have some wealth, he should offer that along with his intellect. Out of all offerings, the mind and intellect is the most superior as through that medium one can help others understand and practice Spirituality.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE WITH EXPECTATION AND WITHOUT EXPECTATION

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1. Definitions 2. A comparison of sakam and nishkam modes of spiritual practice

1. DEFINITIONS
Spiritual practice with expectation (sakm sdhan): This is spiritual practice done with the expectation of worldly gain

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For example: Saying prayers, making offerings, fasting or doing some rituals to:
o o o o o o

Gain wealth Get a job Find lost objects Conceive a child Overcome an illness Ensure the safety of a loved one

Spiritual practice without expectation (nishkm sdhan): This is spiritual practice done with the sole aim of spiritual growth. Thus, in this mode of spiritual practice, seekers of spiritual growth will continue with their spiritual practice while using every event in their lives for spiritual growth. If at all they are faced with a difficult situation they will use the situation to grow spiritually by reducing their ego or surrendering the outcome of the situation to Gods wish (shwarchh).

Refer to the article on prayer with expectation and without expectation

2. A COMPARISON OF SAKAM AND NISHKAM MODES OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

When we do spiritual practice a certain amount of spiritual energy is generated. Now when the spiritual energy is directed towards worldly gain as in the sakam mode of spiritual practice, desires may be fulfilled but spiritual growth does not occur. This is akin to attempting to fill a jar with a leak; the jar never gets full. When we do nishkam spiritual practice then all the energy generated from spiritual practice is used to fuel spiritual growth. When a seeker of God does nishkam spiritual practice not only does spiritual growth occur, but his material and worldly requirements are also taken care of. The seeker experiences worldly happiness by doing sakam spiritual practice while he experiences Bliss (nand) by doing nishkam spiritual practice.

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When we do sakam spiritual practice, we activate the saviour aspect of the God principle. The final result of what we pray or wish for is mainly influenced by the intensity of our spiritual practice and our destiny. When we do nishkam spiritual practice we activate the Guru principle or the Teaching Principle of God that looks after our spiritual growth. However, along with this, we also activate the saviour (trak) aspect of God. If a seeker practicing nishkam spiritual practice is obstructed and troubled by someone, then the destroyer (mrak) form of God is activated to protect the seeker and give the person troubling the seeker his due. Sakam spiritual practice cannot give permanence. For example, suppose a person does spiritual practice to acquire a lot of wealth. Once he gets wealthy his desires do not stop there. He may ask for good health, a good spouse, a child, and so on. Thus he gets trapped in a vicious circle of trying to appease his various desires. Such a quest can never end, as there is always something yet to be fulfilled. So, one can never experience complete satisfaction from this mode of spiritual practice. However, in the nishkam mode of spiritual practice, once a persons sole aim of spiritual progress is achieved, he realises his true self and realises God. At this stage of spiritual evolvement, he gets the permanent experience of continuous Bliss. Sakam spiritual practice is about (experiencing) all creation or created objects, whereas nishkam spiritual practice is about (experiencing) the Creator. Sakam spiritual practice is about obtaining things in the Great Illusion (My), while nishkam spiritual practice is about realising and experiencing the Absolute Truth, which is God.

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STAGES IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH

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WHO IS A SEEKER?
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1. Introduction 2. Who is a seeker? 3. Difference between a non-seeker and a seeker 4. Qualities of a seeker 5. How to develop seekership 6. Conclusion

1. INTRODUCTION

Through spiritual research we have learnt that there are two reasons why we are born:
1. 2. To undergo destiny To make spiritual progress

Undergoing destiny is a process that we largely have no control over, but it is possible to make conscious efforts for spiritual progress. Having a spiritual aim in life and certain qualities helps us to make such efforts. In this article we describe who is a seeker, what qualities are useful on a seekers spiritual journey and how one can start developing them.
2. WHO IS A SEEKER?

A seeker is someone who:

makes honest and sincere efforts on a daily basis to grow spiritually has intense desire for spiritual growth, and strives to improve their spiritual practice both quantitatively and qualitatively on a regular basis.

It is important that a seekers efforts towards spiritual growth conform to the six basic principles of spiritual practice.
3. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NON-SEEKER AND A SEEKER

Spiritual introversion or a focus on God is needed to be a true seeker of God. Spiritual introversion gradually leads to a reduction of identification with the 5 senses, mind and intellect. Non-seekers, on the other hand, work to enhance identification with the 5 senses, mind and intellect. The following table shows the differences between a seeker and a non-seeker.

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Non-seeker Main aim is to grow materialistically Works toward enhancing the mind, body and intellect External journey Develops personality defects such as attachment, pride, anger, etc. Feels that I am the doer

Seeker Main aim is to grow spiritually Works toward dissolution of the mind, body and intellect Internal journey Develops Divine qualities like spiritual love, introversion, spiritual emotion towards God, etc. Feels that God is the doer

4. QUALITIES OF A SEEKER

A seeker has some basic qualities. These qualities help a seeker in their spiritual practice, as follows.

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In addition, there are some qualities of an ideal seeker. Below we have listed some of them.

Has intense desire for Liberation from the cycle of birth and death Has desire to change by removing personality defects and imbibing Divine qualities Tries to observe everything from a spiritual perspective Focuses on remembering God or Guru during service unto the Absolute Truth (satsv)

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Attempts to give the doership of each action to God Tries to perform each and every activity with perfection Tries to perform every action as spiritual practice and inspires others to do so Feels love for everything created by God

As a seeker progresses spiritually, they imbibe more and more of these ideal qualities. A disciple displays many of these qualities through every action.
5. HOW TO DEVELOP SEEKERSHIP

If we have the yearning to change ourselves to become a better seeker and human being, all efforts will happen more easily. In Spirituality desire to grow spiritually is of 80% importance. Below are some concrete steps one can take to develop the quality of seekership that can be praticed in day-to-day life, at work, at home etc.

Consistently increase the quality and quantity of the spiritual practice we are currently doing. For example, if we are chanting 2 hours per day along with our daily activities, we can try to chant 3 hours in the following month, then 4 hours in the month after that etc. Observe qualities in others and emulate them. E.g. tidiness, timeliness. For example, if we notice our friend always meets us on time, then we can ask ourselves whether we always come to meetings on time and make efforts to be punctual. Develop the attitude of learning from situations. For example, if a colleague keeps getting angry at us, instead of feeling angry ourselves we can try to see how to remain calm, learn how we can help the other person, keep a spiritual perspective towards the situation that developing love without expectations towards others is a Divine quality etc.

Readily working on the above points will itself develop seekership within us. It is important to remember that being a seeker is not a status, it is an attitude that is practiced in everyday life.
6. CONCLUSION

Spiritual growth is likely to be rapid if one inculcates the qualities of a seeker. The spiritual journey also becomes smoother by developing these qualities and one is likely to experience more Bliss (nand).

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We come across many people who have sincerely followed some form of spiritual practice, sometimes for even 20 or 30 years, and have not achieved the expected spiritual growth. To avoid this, apart from inculcating the qualities of a seeker, we recommend that spiritual practice conforms to the six basic principles of Spirituality.
Seekers, move swiftly, your Liberation is in your hands. H. H. Dr. Athavale

SOME GENERAL CONCEPTS IN SPIRITUALITY SPIRITUALITY IS TO BE EXPERIENCED

In Spirituality, words have only 2% importance while 98% importance lies in the experience.

In the diagram, we see two cliffs and between them there is a chasm. How does one cross over from pure intellectual knowledge to the other side so as to experience the knowledge? As you can see the bridge represents spiritual practice and is the key to experiencing the intellectual knowledge. Spiritual practice is a stumbling block for even the most intelligent person who reads or listens to any matter on Spirituality. The reason being most intellectuals tend to get caught up in the words and debate the holy scriptures. However ultimately one needs to experience Spirituality and the words written in the scriptures. (Refer to article on What are Spiritual Experiences?)

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This can be understood by the famous story of the scholar and the boatman. Once a scholar was being ferried across a river by a poor boatman. During the boat-ride, they spent a while in conversation. The scholar named a number of holy texts and asked the boatman if he had studied them. When the boatman replied in the negative, the scholar remarked, You have wasted half your life. As this discussion was going on, the boat sprang a leak and water rapidly entered it through the crevices. Seeing this, the boatman asked the scholar, Sir, can you swim? The scholar replied, I have read several books on swimming and gathered a lot of information on it, but I cannot swim. The boatman then commented, Then your entire life has gone to waste. The boat is about to sink! The scholars theoretical knowledge was of no use to him. Similarly, to be able to cross this vast ocean of worldly life and experience happiness through it, one should practice Spirituality and not just acquire verbal knowledge.

SPIRITUALITY IS TO BE EXPERIENCED

In Spirituality, words have only 2% importance while 98% importance lies in the experience.

In the diagram, we see two cliffs and between them there is a chasm. How does one cross over from pure intellectual knowledge to the other side so as to experience the knowledge?

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As you can see the bridge represents spiritual practice and is the key to experiencing the intellectual knowledge. Spiritual practice is a stumbling block for even the most intelligent person who reads or listens to any matter on Spirituality. The reason being most intellectuals tend to get caught up in the words and debate the holy scriptures. However ultimately one needs to experience Spirituality and the words written in the scriptures. (Refer to article on What are Spiritual Experiences?) This can be understood by the famous story of the scholar and the boatman. Once a scholar was being ferried across a river by a poor boatman. During the boat-ride, they spent a while in conversation. The scholar named a number of holy texts and asked the boatman if he had studied them. When the boatman replied in the negative, the scholar remarked, You have wasted half your life. As this discussion was going on, the boat sprang a leak and water rapidly entered it through the crevices. Seeing this, the boatman asked the scholar, Sir, can you swim? The scholar replied, I have read several books on swimming and gathered a lot of information on it, but I cannot swim. The boatman then commented, Then your entire life has gone to waste. The boat is about to sink! The scholars theoretical knowledge was of no use to him. Similarly, to be able to cross this vast ocean of worldly life and experience happiness through it, one should practice Spirituality and not just acquire verbal knowledge.

3.2 SPIRITUAL PRACTICE SHOULD BE DONE ON A DAILY BASIS

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If we are serious about any endeavour in life we need to be both persistent and regular. For example, if one wants to be fit one would need to do exercise regularly. So also if one wants permanent happiness one needs to do spiritual practice on a daily basis.

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INCREASING THE LEVEL OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE REGULARLY

Just as we increase our levels of fitness by steadily increasing our exercise regime, the same is true in spiritual practice. If we do the same spiritual practice year in and year out it would lead to stagnation. To avoid stagnation in spiritual growth we need to adopt increasing levels of spiritual practice.

INCREASING THE LEVEL OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE REGULARLY

Just as we increase our levels of fitness by steadily increasing our exercise regime, the same is true in spiritual practice. If we do the same spiritual practice year in and year out it would lead to stagnation. To avoid stagnation in spiritual growth we need to adopt increasing levels of spiritual practice.

General concepts in Spirituality

LEARNING TO LISTEN TO AN AUTHORITY IN SPIRITUALITY

When our television is not working, we take it to a service centre that specialises in repairing televisions. When we are ill, we go to a doctor. So also is the case with Spirituality. We need to listen to an authority in the field of Spirituality. According to the science of Spirituality an authority in the field of Spirituality is known as a Guru or a Saint.

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DO NOT WASTE YOUR SPIRITUAL ENERGY

By doing spiritual practice one gets spiritual energy. If we use this energy, for example in the form of prayer to get worldly benefits then the spiritual energy gets depleted. The reason for this is that we draw upon our spiritual energy to orchestrate something for our worldly gains. Therefore instead our spiritual energy being utilised to enhance our spiritual growth we could even regress spiritually. There is no end to worldly difficulties and most of them are due to our destiny. With spiritual growth one derives increasing ability to face destiny and ultimately overcome it.
GAINING SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES FROM SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

In Spirituality, only 2% of importance is given to intellectual knowledge and 98% of importance lies in the experience of that knowledge. These experiences are known as spiritual experiences and help us to generate faith in our intellectual understanding of the science of Spirituality. Spiritual experiences can manifest in many ways. Some of the more tangible aspects are when one experiences something with the five senses with no rational cause. For example, a person is in a quiet room meditating and he has shut the door and windows to seal off any disturbances. Suddenly he begins to perceive a fragrance of incense of sandalwood. He is puzzled and he looks around for the source of the fragrance by checking around the house and even opening the windows. The fragrance follows him wherever he goes. This is Gods way of encouraging us. For more information refer to the article on Spiritual experiences. On the other hand one may experience how divine intervention works by applying a spiritual principle or concept in their lives. As a result one gains faith in that principle and internalises it.
THE CONCEPT OF OWN WISH, OTHER'S WISH AND GOD'S WISH IN SPIRITUAL PRACTICE AND GROWTH 1. DEFINITIONS

The word ichh in Sanskrut means wish. Accordingly:

Swchh: Swa means me or mine. Behaving in swechha mode means doing everything as per ones own wish.

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Parchh: Par means others. Behaving in parechha mode means doing everything as per another persons wish. shwarchh: shwar means God. Behaving in Ishwarechha means doing whatever God wishes.

2. THE CONCEPT OF OWN WISH, OTHER'S WISH AND GOD'S WISH IN SPIRITUAL PRACTICE AND GROWTH

Almost all of us identify only with our body (five senses), mind and intellect. This is also known as our ego. However spirituality teaches us that our true nature is the soul (tm) or the God Principle within each of us. The nature of the soul is perpetual Bliss (nand), i.e. a superlative state of happiness that is not dependant on any stimulus. Broadly the aim of spiritual practice is to make us:

Reduce and finally dissolve our identification with our five senses, mind and intellect and Identify with and experience the soul (the God Principle) within us.

One way to do this is by moving from one's own wish to other's wish and finally to God's wish mode as part of our spiritual practice. When we do things as per our own wish it is in accordance with what our 5 senses, mind and intellect want. As we keep giving into these desires we only enhance our reliance and identification with our 5 senses, mind and intellect. This makes it impossible for us to understand and experience the soul within us. This mode of one's own wish is like that of an animal with little or no care for others. There is a saying that by ignoring something we reduce its effect on us. We can use this same principle in our spiritual practice. When we listen and comply with others wishes we automatically give less importance and ignore our own wishes. When we get into the habit of acting in other's wish mode, we begin to reduce our ego (i.e. dissolution of our 5 senses, mind and intellect). Lets take an example of a person being in other's wish mode. Mark and Elizabeth are a married couple and on a Friday night they both want to do different things. Elizabeth wants to go for a concert and Mark wants to go for a football game. Mark who is doing spiritual practice is aware of the concept of other's wish and therefore gives way to

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Elizabeths wishes. He forgoes the football game and goes to the concert with her. With this gesture Mark grows spiritually as he has in this instance ignored his own wishes rising from his 5 senses, mind and intellect. True following of other's wish is thinking of the other persons wish as your own. With regular and increasing amounts of spiritual practice coupled with being in other's wish mode, in time one dissolves enough of the identification one has with ones own five senses, mind and intellect. At this stage a Guru in the manifest form comes into ones life. A Guru has access to the Universal Mind and Intellect and acts as per Gods wish. By listening to Him and doing as per His instructions, one does as per Gods wish. When ones ego has dissolved enough (i.e. at the level of a Saint) one is able to have direct access to the Universal Mind and Intellect and then directly able to do as per Gods wish. Behaving in accordance with Gods wish gives us the experience of God Himself.

3. SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CONCEPT

1. To what extent should we follow another's wish? Suppose if somebody is asks us to do something that is incorrect should we still follow the other's wish or should we use our common sense and say no? Answer: We need to keep in mind that whenever following another's wish causes an obstruction to our spiritual practice, then it is incorrect to do so. If something is 50% right and 50% wrong then one can still follow another's wish. This is purely from a spiritual standpoint where the intention is to reduce ones ego by listening to another person and acting as per their wishes. This is not from a worldly viewpoint. The example in the next paragraph explains this further. 2. Should we follow another's wish at home with family only or try to do it with whomsoever we come in contact? Answer: We should do it whenever possible without any obstruction to our spiritual practice. For example: If someone would ask us to do something like going to movies everyday because they wish so, we need to exercise restraint in such cases. This is because we do not have the time to go to movies on a

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daily basis and also complete our worldly duties and spiritual practice. But lets say a friend of ours wanted us to come for a movie every week and even though we felt it a waste of time we could go from the perspective of being in other's wish mode. 3. What if we follow another's wish with resistance and anger? One needs to understand the spiritual benefit of following another's wish. Sometimes even after understanding at an intellectual level that one should be in other's wish mode in a certain situation one still has a lot of resistance and reactions to it. To overcome the resistance and reactions one can give oneself auto suggestions.
1. INTRODUCTION TO PATH OF ACTION OR KARMAYOGA

The word path of Action or Karmayoga conjures images of social workers, charity workers and volunteer workers. However, in most cases as the charity work done by most of these social and volunteer workers is done at an emotional level or for publicity or fame, it does not constitute path of Action or Karma yoga in the real sense of the word. Some people think that going about their day to day duties or doing their jobs properly and honestly constitute the path of Action. But this is again not true, i.e. doing this does not translate into their spiritual growth. So what exactly is the path of Action or Karma yoga?
2. SOME BASIC CONCEPTS

Before we go into the details of path of Action or Karma yoga, let us understand a few basic concepts
2.1 LAW OF KARMA

As per the science of Spirituality, every action or deed that we do earns us a fruit. The fruit is in the form of a merit or demerit depending on whether it is a good or bad deed respectively and a give-and-take account with the person or persons involved in the act.

Merits give us happiness and demerits give us unhappiness proportional to the intensity of the good or bad deed that we did. Nobody can escape from the fruits of his actions. If the fruits of our actions are not enjoyed or suffered in this very birth (and this happens in most cases) then we have to take another

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birth to undergo them. In such cases we have to wait till circumstances are conducive again on Earth region (Bhlok) for us to undergo them. That is till such time that the other people we have to complete our give-and-take account with are also there on Earth and the times on Earth are also conducive for the type of life we have to undergo. For example if we have to undergo lot of hardship as a result of demerits that we have collected then we have to wait for an overall period of hardships on Earth for us to be born. It is understandable that one would not like to undergo the results of demerits. However why would one not want the results of merits? One of the reasons we should not want

merits is that in the course of enjoying the fruits of our merits either in this or subsequent births we would do further deeds which would then incur further merits or demerits. This would trap us in an endless cycle of life and death as a result of the incomplete give-and-take account with people. In the present times on Earth, when Righteousness (Dharma) has gone down, the level of demerits with which we are born and the possibility of gaining further demerits during the course of ones life are quite high. Hence the life of a spiritually average person is filled with more unhappiness than happiness. Thus we get sucked into a vortex of perpetual unhappiness with comparatively lower periods and lesser intensity of happiness.

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2.2 KRIYA OR KRUTI

Kriy are those actions of ours that do not result in either merits or demerits. Generally speaking these are our unintentional and involuntary actions like blinking, sneezing, etc.

2.3 KARMA

Karma literally means action or deed done with intent. However please note that the word action or deed is not limited to just physical actions like walking, talking, smiling, etc. but includes all actions of the 5 sense organs, 5 motor organs, mind and the intellect. From a spiritual perspective however karma refers to those actions that result in merits or demerits. However even actions done without intent, e.g. unintentionally bumping into someone while walking on the road do earn us a demerit if the bump causes the other person some slight harm. But 80% of the extent of demerit earned depends on the intent. (Please note that the word karma used here is not synonymous with karma as in destiny.)
2.4 AKARMA-KARMA (NONACTION-ACTION)

This is the pinnacle of spiritual growth or the highest possible level achievable as per the path of Action. This is possible only in the case of spiritually evolved people above the 80% spiritual level. However the process of actions becoming akarma-karma starts at the 80% spiritual level and become absolute only at the 100% spiritual level. Here even voluntary/intentional actions like helping others happen as kriya. Examples of akarma-karma type of deeds are the actions of these spiritually evolved people, when in complete communion with God. In this state as they have lost all body consciousness (refers to going beyond the consciousness of all the bodies, viz. physical, mental, causal and supracausal bodies), the fruits of their actions do not belong to them. Also as these highly evolved people are so merged with God, whatever deed happens through them happen only as per Gods wish. Thus all their actions are basically nonactions. The importance of attaining this state or level is that thereafter the person is set free from the trap of the fruits of his actions. As people at this advanced spiritual level cease to identify with their 5 senses, mind and intellect, they not only do not generate

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merits or demerits but also are freed from their entire destiny and sanchit (accumulated give-and-take account). Hence they are liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
3. DEFINITION OF PATH OF ACTION

The path of spiritual practice that gives guidance about

Why we do actions or deeds? Why our actions or deeds trap or bond us?

How to do actions or deeds without getting trapped in their fruits? Which actions or deeds liberate us from the bond of the Great Illusion (My), i.e. cycles of birth and death? What is the importance of continuing doing actions even after attaining the state of Liberation when still embodied (Jvanmukta)?

4. SOME OTHER DEFINITIONS OF THE PATH OF ACTION

Doing actions or deeds in a manner that will result in spiritual growth or Liberation or God-realisation Doing all our actions or deeds, even the so called material or worldly actions, in such a way that no new impressions are created in our mind, thereby freeing us from the trap of bond of these impressions.

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Doing all deeds or actions as per Righteousness, without any attachment and without any expectation of the fruits of our actions. Doing all actions or deeds with the clear experience that I am not doing it but God or the power running the universe is doing it, i.e. doings actions without doership. In simple terms doership means thinking that we are doing the actions, not God.

(One may think that giving up of doership would result in irresponsible behaviour or lack of efforts. However we must understand that the path of Action advises us to make all efforts as if everything is in our hands, but to think about the fruits of these actions as if nothing is in our hands.)

5. BENEFIT TO SEEKERS OF OTHER PATHS OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

Even seekers following other paths of spiritual practice like the paths of Meditation or Devotion benefit in their spiritual practice if they complement their regular spiritual practice with the path of Action.
1. INTRODUCTION TO THE PATH OF GURUS GRACE

While there are many generic paths to God, the path of Gurus Grace (Gurukrupyoga) is the most important from the point of view of achieving the ultimate in spiritual evolution. In every aspect of life, it is best if we have a guide or a teacher to help us understand, learn and progress. Making spiritual progress is no exception to this Universal rule and it is only by the grace of the eternal Guru Principle (the Teaching Principle of God) acting through a Guru in human form, that a student makes rapid spiritual progress.

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No matter what spiritual path we are on, if we try and do it on our own, we can reach only up to a particular spiritual level. Beyond this, Gurus grace is an absolute necessity to take us to the next level.
2. DEFINITION OF THE PATH OF GURUS GRACE

The word krupa has been derived from the Sanskrut word krup which means to be compassionate. Krupa denotes compassion, initiation or a blessing. Accordingly Gurukrupayoga is the spiritual path where through Gurus grace, the embodied soul is united with God.
3. IMPORTANCE OF THE PATH OF GURUS GRACE 3.1 TIME TO PROGRESS

The most important advantage of following the path of Gurus grace is the time taken to grow spiritually. By serving a Gurus mission of spreading Spirituality a seeker acquires His grace and makes rapid spiritual progress. While there is no worldly achievement that can compare to acquiring a Gurus grace, the following example will help in understanding the spirit of the previous sentence. Imagine a student who is poor, but by sheer hard work catches the eye of a billionaire who then gives him a scholarship to a top university and takes care of his future career prospects. Just as that student gets saved from years of slowly climbing up the corporate ladder, so also a seeker of God who earns the grace of a Guru bypasses years of spiritual practice in any other spiritual path. With spiritual practice through any other path, one makes progress on average at the rate of 0.25% per year. If one undertakes spiritual practice as advised by the Guru then one can progress up to 2-3 % annually. If a disciple is able to acquire the grace of the Guru, then spiritual progress of even 5-8% per year is possible.

3.2 PROGRESSING BEYOND A CERTAIN LEVEL

There is a well known saying in Sanskrut: Gurukrupa he kevalam shishyaparammangalam. It means that only by the grace of the Guru can the disciple attain his ultimate benefaction, that is spiritual progress. It is impossible to reach the level of a Saint (i.e. the 70% spiritual level) and dissolve ones mind and intellect unless one has the grace of a Guru.

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No matter what spiritual path one follows other than the path of Gurus Grace no path can completely purify the mental body (manodha), causal body (kradha) and supracausal body (mahkradha). Consequently none of these paths have the capacity to make one attain the final liberation (Moksha). Other spiritual paths such as the path of action (Karmayoga), path of knowledge (Dnynyoga) and path of devotion (Bhaktiyoga) are significant in a seekers life only till one is blessed by a Guru. Since the disciple undertakes only the spiritual practice as advised by the Guru thereafter, only the path of Gurus grace remains. All paths to God finally culminate in a seeker acquiring the grace of a Guru to finally merge into God.

4. HOW DOES GURUS GRACE FUNCTION?

The Gurus grace can function through 2 mechanisms:

Resolve: Only when a Guru makes a resolve, may this disciple progress spiritually, does the disciple make real spiritual progress. This itself is termed as Gurus grace. Even a mere thought like may it occur in the mind of the Guru is sufficient for the occurrence of an event. Nothing else is required. However, this is possible only in the case of a Saint whose spiritual level exceeds 80%. Resolve for Gurus at the spiritual level of 70% is mostly limited to worldly help for their disciples. Presence: Mere presence, proximity or company of the Guru, is sufficient for a disciples spiritual practice and progress to occur automatically. A good example to illustrate this is the sun that awakens everyone and makes the flowers bloom when it rises. This happens simply with its existence. The sun does not ask anyone to wake up or the flowers to bloom. The mission of a Guru of a spiritual level of more than 90% is of this nature.

5. SPIRITUAL PRACTICE ACCORDING TO THE PATH OF GURUS GRACE

SSRF recommends the path of Gurus grace to make rapid spiritual progress in this lifetime itself and to take advantage of the current times that are very conducive for spiritual growth. The path of Gurus grace comprises of the following 8 practices:

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