Spiritual quest – when?

One friend asked, "If one is fine with the way life is going with usual pleasures and pains, is it necessary to go in for any kind of spiritual practices?"

Answer will be, "There is no need". For such a person time has not yet come. In this state of mind even if one takes to some practice, one would not be able to continue with that as there would be no compelling reason / force or motivation.

But it is also a fact that we are not limited beings - limited by our bodies and minds - but have the very source of creation within us. Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva says that he is not against small pleasures of life like having a few drinks, he is not judging whether it is right or wrong to do so, but it is pity that people settle for such small things when much bigger treasures are waiting to be experienced within.

If listening to someone like him speaking about the ultimate peace, love and joy within us, one out of greed takes to some spiritual practice, as mentioned earlier, it will not last long. Further, charmed by the powers which evolved ones have, there is also a danger of one going for acquiring Siddhies and get derailed - moving from bad to worse.

It is for this reason that normally Gurus advise persons like my friend to continue their lives as usual. Life in it's normal course (though a hard way) will take one to the first truth of which Bhagwan Buddha spoke – life is suffering (Jeevan dukha hai). Unless one has realised this truth, one cannot go into the 'reasons for suffering', 'ways to be free of suffering' and reach 'a stage where there is no suffering' – other three truths enunciated by Bhagwan Buddha.

Till then one could read autobiographies of some saints, read some spiritual texts and casually visit some saints and even sadhakas. Whatever needs to happen, will happen.

Another question is that there are persons who suffer immensely and still do not turn spiritual – why? This happens because of low level like energy (Pran) or predominance of Tamas. Such persons are incapable of coming out repetitive thought or emotional patterns on their own and are susceptible to depression and addictions. They need to force themselves or be persuaded by someone into methods of meditations involving vigorous physical activity or deep and fast breathing (like meditations given by Osho, Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva, Paramhamsa Nithyanand and Sri Sri Ravishankarji). If interested in knowing more on this issue, one may refer to earlier posts dated 29.06.2011 and 06.08.2010 titled “Clear the subconscious first” and “Mental trap – dwelling into past and future”.

One or many a Guru

Many of us feel that one should follow one path and one Guru. That one could be initiated only by one Guru. Following many Gurus and practices is something like digging wells at various locations, not going deeper in any one place. These efforts will go waste.

There are,however, innumerable examples of evolved souls like Bhagwan Buddha who on the way got assistance from many a master. We are complex beings and need chiseling from many directions to break our mental constructions and make us truly free of barriers.

It is rare that one meets the final guru in the very first instance (this might happen in the cases of very evolved souls). Further, a guru may be enlightened but may not be one’s guru. In the biography of Shri Sai Kaka it is mentioned that he met a number of enlightened masters before he found Baba Muktanandji. Normally, one is led from guru to guru as is the case with formal education at different levels. There is book titled as ‘Towards the Silver Crest of the Himalayas’ published by Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan (name of the writer is Shri G. K. Pradhan) which brings this aspect of sadhana very beautifully. It is a light, instructive and interesting book. There is another great autobiography titled "The Journey Home" by Radhanath Swamy (he is with ISKON now) which descibes spiritual journey of an American which obviously includes search of a master.

Almost every beginner on the path has a question as to how to identify a Param Guru. This issue is discussed at length in one of my earlier post dated 14.08.2010 titled "Spiritual practice from an authentic source - finding a Guru". In brief, Guru-geeta puts it in two verses as under :

Yashya darshan-matrena mansah syat pasannata,
swayama bhooyat dhratis-shantih sa bhavet parmo guruh.

"If just a look at the guru creates happiness in the mind and patience (dhairya or contentment) and peace come on their own, such a guru is Param Guru."

Yashay smarana-matrena gyanum-utpayate swayam,
sah eva sarva-sampattih tasmat-sampujyed-gurum.

"One whose remembrance by itself reveals gyan (awareness of the self – feeling of joy), he is endowed with all the qualities (sampada). We should worship such a guru.

Once I was sitting with Shri Vrijeshavaraji with my co-brother who is yet to enter into the field of spiritual quest. On being asked how to find a guru, he simply said ‘Keep meeting the saints and wherever you feel peaceful and joyous, sit there.’

Though, in fact there is only one guru (Guru Tatwa) who appears in many bodies, we are receptive to different physical manifestations of Guru at different stages of our evolution.

The test whether we are on the right path is whether our spiritual pursuit is making us free from compulsive urges of our body and mind. And whether we are growing in our effortless acceptance of the acts of others, which we are programmed to treat as wrong? Do we find that we get only that what we deserve and there is nobody who is trying to be unkind and unjust to us? If answer is yes, we are on the right path. Otherwise one may have to move on.

In earlier posts I have discussed as to how I was helped by different masters at different stages. I have in fact been told by many a Gurus that I am helped by the blessings of many. Nithyanandji once said that one should go to as many gardens as possible, collect flowers from everywhere and make a garland out of them.

As mentioned in earlier posts, I started with Osho (1985). I followed his methods of meditations for years on end (17years). After physical absence of Osho, I continued in touch with him through his books, CDs and Swami Anand Gautam, a close disciple of Osho who was also running a meditation centre at Indore for more than 30 years. This removed lot of negativity from me, particularly relating to anger and fear.

Then I came in contact with preceptors from Vipassana. This put an understanding – everything which can be perceived with senses, is momentary (Anitya - transitory) – into deeper layers of my mind, and may be, into bio-memory of body cells. This has the effect, one involuntarily knowing, “This too shall pass”. With this experience, negative circumstances (relating to health, working environment etc.) cannot bog one down.

Thereafter, I was led (Osho’s assertion that living master is a must) to be in touch with Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva. Following his practices quite vigorously, I became open to subtle energy available in temples, samadhis, and around evolved persons. Incidentally, these practices substantially freed me of dominant sexual urge and got me rid of Tamas (Paramhamsa Nithyanandji says that 90% of Sadhana is breaking Tamas).

These were initial years (1985 – 2004).

They say that guru appears when Shishya (disciple) is ready. It is at this stage that I came in contact with B. P. Gaur saheb and through him with Professor Mungale, Supeji and Paramhamsa Nithyanandji. Gaur saheb and Professor Mungale started to lead me in their subtle ways. With Paramhamsa Nithyanandji, I went through all his meditation programmes including Deeksha for healing, had several one-to-one interactions and went with him on 15 days teertha yatra to Himalayas. Being with Paramhamsa Nithyanandji and following his practices, energized some of my chakras and cleaned them – made them faultless – as Professor Mungaleji observed.

On the way, I met Shri Sai Kaka, a close disciple of Baba Muktanandji (of Ganeshpuri), Shri Prahlad Shetty (a tantrik), Shri Vrijeshavara (a highly qualified scientist, renunciant and a guru – now teaches the path of devotion – chanting name of Rama), Janglee Maharaj, Maa Amritanandmai, Satyamitrananji and others.

Repeated visits to Shri Raj Supe and Shri Vrijeshavara put the idea of japa in my mind. When I made a mention of it, Professor Mungale was very happy and asked me to go for it. I started japa and started enjoying it.

It is at this stage that Professor Mungale found me fit for Deeksha and gave me Mantra. Here I would like to add that one can be accepted as a shishya and go on getting free of one’s negativities because of proximity with the guru and following his instructions but being fit to receive Deeksha appears to me a different stage.

Guru-geeta puts it in a verse as under :

Chitt-tyag-niyuktashcha krodhe-garva-vivarjitah,
Dvait-bhav-parityagi tasya deeksha vidheeyate.

"Such person is eligible to receive initiation who is free of anger, feeling of pride, duality and the one who is engaged in an effort to be free of chitt (here it may mean mana)."

Very next month when I received deeksha from Professor Mungale, I got deeksha from Shri Vithal Maharaj, Supeji’s guruji also. I am told by the masters that it is OK and finally all the practices and mantras will coalesce into one.