People, regardless of religious persuasion often find themselves facing many obstacles as they individually or congregationally seek to further spiritualize their lives in the modern world. They experience ‘spiritual burnout’ before any real merit is acquired. Of course, time is the usual culprit and used by many to excuse themselves. However, the answer to this problem is as simple as making our daily prayers, fasting, religious duties and spiritual practices sustainable so we stop faltering.
For every new year, it is the custom to make resolutions and at the top of the list would be those related to health, education, relationship, job and life goals. However, this practice is proven to fail most of the time. The reason is that starting off with a bang causes us to finish with a peep. When making sacrifices and achieving spiritual goals, we rarely have the opportunity to leave everything behind and meditate for years under a tree in a forest. However, we are lucky to achieve such goals in accordance with our stage in life (Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, Sanyasa). I wouldn’t say it is impossible but if we divert from these stages, it would be very difficult to achieve great spiritual merit given that our scriptures ordain that humankind adhere to them. The most powerful reason is that no one can reach God if not initiated with a Guru. Secondly, mother and father are the two main sources of unfathomable blessings if they are pleased. Lastly, our contributions to society must be met, as Lord Krishna announces in the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ in discussions of duty. We must live our life in moderation taking into account ‘desh, kaal aur avasar’ (place, time and circumstance).
When undertaking any spiritual task, it is necessary to set our goals and ensure that promises are kept considering our abilities to perform such tasks. It is impossible for everyone to fast nine days for Nau Raatri or wake the entire night for Shiv Raatri but not being able to do so will not make you any less of a devotee. This is the misconception and ego-driven sacrifices devotees make. They praise themselves for being able to make such sacrifices but condemn others who do not. This causes the individual to lose merit. Our scriptures are laden with the sacrifices of many saints and sages and even the ‘outcasts’ who all attained salvation in their own way. For instance, Shaberi, in the ‘Ramcharitmanas’ only knew the mantra ‘Ram’, that one powerful name of God and with diligence and unconditional love, got the opportunity to wash his feet and feed Shree Ram with her own hands. Sustained daily devotion resulted in such an opportunity yet many fail to realise this simplicity when worshipping the divine. They labour and grab at misleading books, knowledge about the universe written by men, not realising the name of God is all it takes to achieve liberation. Such extreme practices, observances and pathways cause confusion as Shankaracharyaji would constantly warn his chelas: “Many engage in intellectual gymnastics losing the substance of spirituality and the divine.”
In conclusion, let the development of our spirituality, religious practices and longing for the divine follow a method of moderation, eventually becoming habitual, whereby over time the substance of what we do will not become lost and forgotten but strengthened and beneficial in our journey to achieving supreme bliss or Paramaatma.
By Pt. Varistha Persad
