Embracing faith, cultivating humility and awakening spiritual awareness can elevate life
I am well and truly surprised that good people don’t turn to God more actively than doing some rituals, going to a religious place participating in some festivals, etc. They probably are not realising what they are missing. God is ever so keen to take us in His team. He needs lots of us either to act as His ‘nimitta’ (instrument) as Arjuna was for a specific purpose or just be active mediums. Good people are best placed to be mediums for God’s bounties to be given to other good people.They form the bulk of people, who support the working of the Creation. And they are amply rewarded for their ‘karmas” (acts). For example, farmers are crucial for keeping humanity well-fed. Teachers are crucial for educating the masses.
Parents keep the Creation going by giving birth to children and then rearing them till they can be useful citizens. Doctors look after the health of people. Workers take the load of manual requirements of humanity. Good officers fulfil the administrative requirements of our societies. Priests enable us to be in contact with God. I can go on with policemen, shopkeepers, bankers, etc. They all benefit by doing so.Why aren’t these actively pursuing a good connection with God? They can gain much more.
The first reason has to be a lack of faith due to widespread ignorance. The common man, even the educated class, is hopelessly unaware of all the benefits one can gain by taking shelter from God, who owns everything. We get attracted to the richest, the most powerful, the very famous, etc., but ignore the real owner of all, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God. To top it all, God controls everything. The richest normally try to accumulate more, and many have some money to give to charity, but God has everything to give; you just have to become deserving.
The second reason has to be the overinflated ego of practically everyone. It is hard to accept that God is too big to comprehend and we are too small to accept. But that is reality. By closing our eyes like a duck we don’t do ourselves any favour. And we remain sitting ducks against ‘karmaphalas’, which surely manifest and cause havoc in the lives of all, barring a few, who have taken shelter in God.The third reason is keeping poor company.
Who do we like to spend time with? Those who criticise one and all and who can tell jokes of the kind you know. Public image is another handicap. Only the losers turn to God. We don’t have to; we will manage. Surely, this management ends in painful death only. Devotees of God and their lives on a high and are assured of better birth also. Then spiritual activities do not enthuse; they appear so childish. We would rather be grown-ups and be subservient to fellow beings, who are likely to exploit us as much as possible. So we don’t get started and lose out.
This article is an open invitation to fence sitters if they chance to read it. I will cite a few amazing benefits if one does that. There will be great cleaning of the self both internally and externally. Such are the powers of spiritual activities. One will become dutiful and most likely begin to live by dharma. One will not limit oneself just to knowing spiritual truths but will also implement them in life. If a painter knows how to paint and does not paint, what is he or she likely to gain? The Creation has been designed to smoothen the lives of devotees.
(The writer is a spiritual teacher; views are personal)