24. Lean toward spirituality.....a master stroke

24. Lean to wards Spirituality: 

 A permanent solution to your mood swing problem lie in learning and leaning towards spiritually. This term is grossly misunderstood in the society. One who is old, sick, retired and not worthy to do anything is fit for spirituality. This is the general understanding among most of the people. We do not agree that spirituality is more of use to working class and young people than old and sick. Swami Vivekanand said “if you want to understand the teachings of mighty Krishan in Bhagavad Gita. You better play football and make your body strong.”

            Before knowing what spirituality is, we must first understand “what it is not.” Spirituality has such an infinite depth and width, that perhaps nobody would say I have understood it properly. And those who have understood it, will not speak out. It is like a boy who sitting on a sea shore, taking some water on its index finger and  say. “I have water of ocean in my hand or I have fathomed the ocean.’ It is like a worm, who is inside a potato  lying in a store room of huge ship, on high seas saying " I have fathomed the depth of the ocean.”

1. Spirituality is not cowardice: A Gujarati saint poet Narishmah Mehta says, “Spirituality is like walking barefoot on the edge of a sward. It is not for cowards.” Those who are weak, suspicious and lacking  confidence can not move a single step on this path. So, if you believe that the way of spirituality is not for you, because you are not weak because you are not superstitious  then you are under wrong impression.

            Spirituality requires highest degree of courage. It asks you to renounce and detach from everything, including your body.

2.      Spirituality is not indifference:

“I do not bother anything about my family and relatives, because it is all Maya” such statement though appears to be spiritual, is not at all spirituality. There is wide difference between indifference and true spirituality. Indifference is not detachment. Indifference, basically ignores others and their feelings, where as detached is one who performs his duty whole heartily and then leave everything to the God. A detached person is not concerned with the outcome of his action, but he is very much concerned about his action. He is very much aware of his duties and work. Leaving all allotted work is not spirituality.

1.      Spirituality is not inaction:

“Leaving all the work & job on hand and proceeding to Himalaya is not spirituality  because     your can not remain without action for a moment. The best idea is to do all duties and jobs diligently and ethically and leave rest to almighty.

2.      Spirituality is not fame:

Money and fame are both attached to modern GURU. One might believe that, spirituality is a life like a famous modern GURU. However, the fact of the matter is extremely simple person can be highly spiritual. Though money is not required for a spiritual life, money is not a hindrance in it, provided you are not after money and let the money be after you. Money is a good servant as long as it is in your pocket but it is bad master when it enters your mind.

            Now, let us see how spirituality can help you soothe you highly strained nerves. It is already proved that those who regularly visit Church, Mandir, Mosque, Temple Gurrudwara are less prone to high degree of stresses and stress related physical ailments.

Let us see how it works…………….

(a)    Surrender banishes anxiety & fear: when you surrender whole heartily  you drop all your performance anxieties. Knowingly well that, a diligent effort is only thing that you can do, rest all is left to God, you are not worried of the outcome. The psychology at work is that of a child who seeks his mothers lap. Know it for sure, that diligent work and total surrender both at a time will devolve all your problems.

(b)   Gratitude make you satisfied here and now: know it for sure, that all you have been given is by the grace of God. It is his true grace that has given you all, including your body. If your are worried about your health or your mood swing, ask yourself several time. “What if I was born blind, or handicap or even retarded? You did not do anything to get this body, mind, intelligence and so on.

Feel satisfied with what you, have been given. This is true gratitude. However don’t misunderstand gratitude with lack of ambition. It is your ambition to feel good again that has made you read this book.

As a part of gratitude exercise, write down five things that God have given you, without asking.

(c)    True love dissolve anger: Spirituality teaches you to love all because all are equal and equally blessed by the God. This in itself dissolve all your anger, jealously from you. A true love can cure all psychosomatic ailments.

(d)   Soul is immortal: Even if your body dies, your soul remains. It was here before this body and will remain after the end of this body. This idea – irrespective of its scientific validity – is in self quite soothing. This journey of soul is a continuous process and there is no dead end to it. May be your loved ones. who left their bodies still exists in the form of soul. To strengthen this idea, Hindus invite their forefather on particular fort night and worship them and even offer them food.

How amazing the idea is to feel comfortable with the demise of you loved one. How soothing it is, in your fear of death. Not only that, the next birth will be according to your deeds in this life. So, “keep on doing good things and do not be afraid of death.” is the main message.

      The other message is you can not avoid your struggle to uplift yourself. You have to continue the fight is next birth, so it is of no use to avoid or even escape it. So no escapism is allowed in spirituality. How much wisdom is packed here for those who want to end it all or even attempt a suicide. Cool down & remember the soul is immortal.

(e)    All powers are vested in God: God is almighty he alone can do the job. In fact all work you see – including moving of a leaf of tree – is only his wish. For Gods sake don’t misunderstand this, as one of the grand mother story. I mean it literary for moving a leaf you need wind and for wind to move you need patches of hot and cold air. This is possible only due to Sun it is not an exaggeration of the fact. All power is vested in sun and in turn vested in God.

Sant Kabir says,” Don’t be under wrong impression that you are doing the Job. You are only the instrument to perform a job; rather you are the instrument, selected by him, to perform a specific job!!

Take one example. If you take at ghee( butter) from the milk, what do you think? Have you produced butter? No. Butter was there inside the milk. You have only made some efforts to take it out. Rather, you have been selected to do the job of separating at butter from the milk. If you only could do it, try taking out butte from water.

So relax, make diligent efforts and leave rest to him.

(f). Life fragile:

Where will you be from ten years hence, twenty years ………thirty years hence. Your life span is indefinite. It can end tomorrow or may be after twenty years. The basic idea is to live happily, lovingly and helping others. This idea, in spirituality, will take of immense load from your head abut your health or disease and your future insecurity. The best way you can spent your life is joyful at this moment. To remain in equanimity is the main idea of spirituality.

            Everybody know that. The life is fragile, but nobody understand it . I would like you to feel this.

            A ward of caution here. Don’t live your life extravagantly hysterically and in a state of frenzy as if you have to taste and enjoy all that is available around you to day only. Also please do not get disturbed thinking you may die tomorrow also.

Thank God ! you are alive today, be happy today.

(g). Results are not in your hand: This is the basic theme of Shrimad Bhagwad Gita. You have choice of working diligently and not to select to result of your action. It is all up to almighty to give – or make you wait indefinitely – or not to give the fruits of you action at all.

            This idea is grossly misunderstood e.g. why a student should study hard if he has no power to choose the results. Why a businessman should plan his business expansion if he has now power to select the results. Does these men one should not plan at all or always attempt half heartily. No, not at all.

            The basic idea is to start your work with full force complete planning and diligent work, but after you complete the work leave the results to God or in other words accept the results. This idea is hard to digest in the competitive world, but it is worth trying. Sometimes you have to accept the results of someone else’s miss deeds. Thinking, why such things should happen to me? Or what wrong I have done? Why good people have to suffer? All questions will not help you. Just accept as it comes.

People with mood swings generally don’t accept their bad moods, their health, the situation, the job, the spouse, the behavior of their children and what not.

            Accept, just accept. When you accept the situation you stop fighting with yourself and start finding the way out.

            A few words of caution. Accepting a situation or a result does not men staying there life long. The first step is acceptance, second step is awareness, third step is surrender to almighty and forth step is fright back, and fifth step is slowly moving towards the goal. Remember in all probably you may have to modify or reconsider your goal and priorities once you have a set back. The acceptance, surrender and moving forward in itself is a GOAL. Learn and lean towards, spirituality...a master stroke.