My Bhavyatra….My emotional voyages ….
Hello… Greetings!
Remembering a beautiful spiritual metaphor today, I am moved to present it.
In a small village nestled among green hills lived a young man named Arjuna. Arjuna was restless, constantly searching for the deeper meaning of life. Although he had abundant material comforts, he felt a kind of emptiness that he could not fully understand.
One day, he happened to meet an old sage whose influence brought peace around. Out of curiosity, Arjuna asked the sage the secret of this peace. The sage smiled and said, “The path to peace is the spiritual path. It starts from within.”
Arjuna decided to follow the sage’s advice. He started meditating every morning by focusing on his breathing. At first, his mind wandered, but he persevered in studying. Gradually he began to feel peace.
The sage taught him the importance of living in the present moment. “The past is gone, the future is uncertain. Only the present is real,” explained the sage. Arjun began practicing mindfulness in his daily activities, whether eating, walking or working.
As months passed, Arjun noticed a change. He no longer felt restless. His mind was clear, and he felt a profound connection with the world around him. He learned the art of listening to the silence within and was able to find answers to his deepest .. deep questions… solutions.
One evening, sitting on the bank of a river, Arjuna realized that the spiritual path was not a way to run away from life but to fully embrace it..a way to live, it was about finding the divine in the mundane, the undertaking to find the extraordinary in the ordinary!
He thanked the sage for guiding him and continued his journey with a heart full of gratitude. Arjuna understood that the spiritual path was a lifelong journey, but he had found his way.
With every step, he felt closer to his true ‘self’, realizing that peace and happiness are not destinations but companions along the way.
The above incident, metaphor or story is purely fictional, it may happen to a traveler on the spiritual path. A discernment of what is attainable and what is false is imperative. The Theosophical Society or other similar spiritual organizations can awaken this conscience by shining a light into the seeker’s life. All such institutions are only means, ‘Sadhya’ can only be the ultimate state. Sadhakdharma becomes meaningful or fulfilling only if we can get something. Only tireless courage of the seeker can bring success.
Truth cannot be taught by carrying any form of ignorance. Mere preaching cannot make a success. Often the preachers themselves become ill-tempered and feed their egotism, hypocrisy. It does not benefit anyone. There is a vast empire of this class of people around us, it can be beneficial to be a guide with great caution, prudence.
All fetters must be loosened while progressing on the spiritual path. These binds are garments..covers that do not allow us to know ourselves. If ‘Mahaveer’ is seen as a wonderful spiritual event, the shedding of these garments can be surreal.
Indeed, the only thing worth letting go of in life is letting go from time to time. Melancholy can be born in a state of ignorance or arrogance. Only if we can think of something in the spiritual field, we can move forward in that direction. For that too one has to be a vessel of Gurudeva’s grace. It has been my original thinking that this qualification has been purely moral.
Good morning!
- Deepak Pandya, Kadoli – TS & TOS
(Translated from Gujarati.)