Simple steps to help us and others
In life, we are always in relationship with ourselves, with others, and with life’s different situations. But how we relate with life, is very important. Whether we connect with life with fear and aggression; or with love, compassion and wisdom; that makes all the difference in the quality of our lives.
Spiritual practice is also a relationship. It teaches us to relate with life, in a more positive, constructive and loving way.
We are all small parts of this whole “universe”, limited in time and space. But generally our tendency is to see our existence, our thoughts, and feelings as separate from the rest of the world. This optical delusion of consciousness restricts us to our personal desires and our affections only for a few persons nearest to us. But unless we come out from our little selves, and embrace all with loving kindness, we cannot be truly happy.
Albert Einstein once described spiritual life as, “our task must be to free ourselves from this prison, by widening our circle of understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty”. The same view is expressed by all enlightened souls of the world. Swami Vivekananda said each soul is potentially divine; we just have to recognize it, and try to live in whatever means we can.
But today we give more importance to our separateness, to our individuality rather than our integral nature. Today for our limited and myopic vision, we are losing loving connection between each other, and worse is we are losing connection to our spiritual values in life.
Today our children are being raised by day care centers and television. Their tender minds are being molded to value superficial glamour, and money more, than to build up values in life. “If children are brought up with love and good values, they can contribute a lot to the society. But we create a generation of discontented, wounded, needy individuals” (Jack Kornfield, A Path With Heart, p. 292).
As the society is promoting more the culture of mindless consumerism, our lives are also being cluttered up more with confusions and miseries.
We are all feeling suffocated with life’s pressure, but do not know how to get out of it. The real dilemma is, we neither can swallow the present situation, nor can we reject it. But at the same time, very sincerely we all want to experience peace, joy and tranquility of spiritual life.
Everything is possible in life, because there is always hope and new possibilities in life. As sun rays dispel the darkness of night like that, wisdom from enlightened souls also dispels ignorance from human minds and shows the path of true joy and happiness. In Bhagvad Gita it is said when there is a decline in dharma (righteousness) and rise in adharma (unrighteousness), then I body myself forth. For the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of dharma, I come into being in every age (chapter IV/verse 7).
Great spiritual personalities like, Krishna, Christ, Rama and Buddha appeared on this earth from time to time to teach us how to live, and laid some spiritual guidelines for us to follow. They are not passive statements. They are like scientific formulas, capable to bring magical change in life, if they are followed with sincere regularity.
Those simple formulas are, not to kill, not to steal, not to lie, not to misbehave sexually or through harmful speech, and not to use intoxicant substances which causes loss of awareness and makes us careless.
Non killing means reverence for life. We must try to protect and respect every form of life. Non stealing means, not to take others property without their consent, it also implies not to rob the treasures of our mother earth to satisfy our selfish greed. By not lying we develop our voice of compassion, understanding and justice. Fourthly our intimate relations, family life can glow with joy and happiness if we restrain from misbehavior in sexuality. Lastly by standing away from intoxicant substances, we can always be alert and consciously awake to take right action in all circumstances of life.
When life blossoms like a fragrant flower with all good qualities in it, it spreads its values, peace, joy and wisdom everywhere. That is the goal of life. Life is not to take but to give. Not by taking, but by giving, life gets full, and helps others to be full also.
“The sky rains kisses in showers
The earth returns them in flowers”.
(Tagore, Lekhan)
We should come out from our little cocoon and try to help our fellow travelers of this troubled world. Our love and compassion should not be restricted only to our family and friends; even it should help our enemies to reap the blessings of peace.
