Let us examine, in this piece, the concept of ‘spirituality and spiritual progress’.
Spirituality is essentially, a deeper connect with the atma, soul, spirit or the essence of our beings.
We begin to want to connect deeper with the atma or soul as we begin to see the futility of our thus-far obsession with an external reality, a reality that is forever in flux and in constant change.
The five senses of smell, taste, sight, touch and hearing are focused on the outside world and up to a point one looks for happiness there. However, a time comes when we begin to realize that no matter how much time and energy we spend on the external things, people, possessions, events, experiences etc they bring, at best, only a very short and temporary sense of satisfaction or happiness. At worst, they may bring great pain and injuy, loss and unhappiness.
Something then begins to draw one inwards. Some are drawn by deep questions like:
Who am I?
Where do I come from?
Where do I go after life ends here?
Why is there so much pain and suffering around?
Why can’t things be better?
Who is responsible for all the violence and hatred?
Why can’t people love each other?
These and similar questions need to be answered within which means one needs to find the answers within as usually others’ responses and answers to these questions do not always resonate.
A search then begins for a deeper truth, a deeper reality, a better understanding, peace, joy and so on…
That’s spirituality. And, naturally, spiritual progress means greater peace, calm, joy, acceptance and a sense of onesess with all that is!
Because, after all there is only the ONE! All else is an illusion of separateness and separation…
Yet, while one lives as a human being, a certain amount of separateness continues to hover around.
So, what causes the sense of separateness? Sanatan texts and wisdom simply says, ‘avidya’ or ignorance…an ignorance of one’s truth and deeper reality?
The ‘apparent’ reality of the physical world is a constant source of illusion. Reality as it appears is justbtyat – an appearance! It’s not the eternal truth.
The eternal truth is accessible within as one connects with the atma. To connect with the atma, one has to start breaking obsessions and connections with the external illusory world.
The external illusory world is sustained by the role of the ego and mind. That is why, Sanatan dharma explains and teaches many different techniques to start freeing oneself of the clutches of the ego and mind…
By drawing one’s attention inwards, and away from the external world by reducing the role of the five exterally-bound senses, one reduces the inflow of impressions that trigger emotions and through them old memories and the play of the mind.
As long as senses, mind and memory are at play, the ego will hold sway. A yogi, a spiritual seeker actively looks for ways to calm the senses, mind, memory and so on.
They are calmed easily with yoga, pranayama, dhyana, dharana and samadhi (part of the system of the eight-fold path of yoga). Hobbies, classical music, study of good books, nature walks etc also help.
The simplest goal of spirituality may then be seen as calming the mind.
Once the mind becomes calmer, so do emotions and the ego and that means one is not easily drawn into new karmic situations.
Over time, the drama of the external world begins to lose all control over a yogi or a spiritual seeker…and he steps progressively closer to the final reward – moksha or nirvana!
Moksha is the ultimate freedom from Karma! One may then express and experience his highest potential – as a divine being!
– rajyogi (rajesh kanoi)
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