Guiding Light: The Choice Is Yours!

It is perhaps true to say that in recent times, people are beginning to take their spiritual life seriously. They are devoting more time, attention and effort to spiritual matters.

There are certain norms for those who wish to tread this spiritual path. The choice is yours: either to enjoy the luxuries of the world or to make friends with the One who ever abides, who faileth not.

You have to choose between the two paths – the easy, tempting, alluring worldly path which may give you power and wealth, but which will lead you to unhappiness and discontent; or the difficult, thorny and painful spiritual path, the path of yearning and intense aspiration, which will lead you to the Ultimate Bliss! You have to decide for yourself, which path to follow, – and what goal you will try to achieve!

Always remember, that it is futile to run after material things. Can we take it along with us when we leave this earth? Will it ‘buy’ us accommodation in heaven? How pointless then, to think that our wealth belongs to us! Everything belongs to Him, the Creator. The best use to which we can put our wealth is to spend it all judiciously, in the service of the poor and the broken ones.

The worldly attachments hound you when you sit in silence or in meditation. Thoughts of all the things to which you are attached begin to trouble you. Detachment is essential if you wish to tread the pilgrim path to self-realisation.

The spiritual path needs integration of thought, word and mind. It needs a focused mind that is free from desire and attachment. True, you cannot cut your bonds all of a sudden. You cannot detach yourself in an instant. It is a gradual process. It will take time. But you have to take the first step on the path and initiate the process of withdrawing from the world. It is better to do it today, rather than tomorrow; now, rather than later.

Dada J P Vaswani is a humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator, messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader

Published on: Tuesday, August 20, 2024, 06:00 AM IST