What Is Spirituality?

We are going through the three year residential course here and your are just visiting us for these few days. A natural feeling that might come to your minds to those who are really interested in this subject and the application of this philosophy in life you will be probably feeling a little sorry that you were not young enough or you are not single to have taken this course earlier. Or that you are denied this opportunity that these youngsters are given here. It would be a natural feeling especially when it was mentioned that we are doing three year residential course. Secondly it was mentioned that there are three courses spiritual course, which most of you if not all of you know because I am told that you are all members of study classes. You should already be acquainted with the three main courses relating to the body – Karma yoga, mind – Bhakti yoga and intellect – Jnani Yoga. These are the three courses that lead you to the ultimate state of meditation which is the gateway to Realization. Now you also been told that you will get the taste of these three courses while you are here. Now what is important for you to analyze is not whether you are handicapped or whether you are in a superior position then those people that are already here for the three year course. Are they in a better position then you? Or are you in a worst position than them? Now if you carefully analyze what is spirituality? What makes a person essentially spiritual or could you evolve spiritually? These are the few things that you should be concerned whether you are inside the academy or outside or in-between. I can’t understand the difference now I will give you a simple illustration which you already know, which will put you on the right track to analyze yourself.

Now friends there are people all over who are great devotees of Krishna. Oh am only giving you Krishna as an example. There are ardent devotees of Christ, staunch Muslims swear by Mohammed and the Quran. Most devoted Christians who live by the name of Christ and those who are ardent followers of Krishna, not necessarily Krishna Consciousness people. I am not asking you to sit in judgment. I am asking you to analyze a person who goes into raptures singing the name of Krishna. One look at him or her you will be inspired, what devotion! What beautiful bhavana he got! Now the question is does that makes him spiritual? A beautiful bhavana attitude melting away singing the songs of Krishna and reveling in it. I am not talking about a person who’s putting on an air or hoodwinking often, showing off. Genuinely they step out of the prayer room and conduct most atrocious things. I am only magnifying so you understand. So let’s say there are 25 bhaktas of Krishna and all of them are most dedicated to Krishna with all the love and devotion they are praying, chanting and singing in the name of Krishna. Is it the length the duration of their songs on worship that makes them spiritual? Now what will make them spiritual? There are 25 persons you’re examined. Whom would you say even as a layman this person is spiritual? The person that sings most beautifully, tears in the eyes, tears flowing, forgets everything else would you call that person longest and sweetest songs as spiritual? Or what he is doing the rest of the time? Not the person who just sings that matters but what he does beyond that 1hr or 2hr that determines his spirituality. Anyone will accept or not accept the fact he is singing so beautifully leading others to sing but the rest of the time most selfish most self centered. Doesn’t have an atom of love and affection for anybody. So it is not what one does in the academy or outside the academy in the terms of what you call as spiritual that matters. What is your character, what is your conduct the rest of the time that matters. In fact including that time, it includes the time that you worship. A person who is, constant remembrance of a Divinity that shapes us, what is that which is guiding us, protecting us, a constant vision a constant memory of that something which I don’t understand, you don’t understand. A constant vision and a memory of that, followed by a sense of gratitude throughout the day. He may or may not worship, may or may not sing songs and perform rituals. Is he spiritual or the person who is singing those songs most ardently and living the most self centered life that matters, now think about it. A man might plunge in what is commonly known as karma. He is doing great karma. Now besides that what else is he doing whether he is engaged in few hours a day or many hours a day. In that role of doing karma but the rest of the time what is he doing? Does that matter in his spiritual status or what he is doing in the period he calls as spiritual? You waste all your lifetime in this colossal misunderstanding at the physical level one has no control over himself. He indulges freely in the senses which means he is totally involve in the world and his actions, besides that period engaged in what you all call karma yoga. His actions are all self centered. What can I get out of the society rather than what can I do for the society. So it is not the number of persons you serve in the society that matters. Serve one man you served the society. Your are not able to serve one person you can serve the rest of the world it doesn’t matter. Its not the number of good sentences that you speak well that matters. If you speak one sentence improperly that is your standard. If one person you can’t do service, if one person you can do service to that determines the entire. Don’t say ‘Yes Sir I do it to my son’ – that is no service you are serving yourself. Yes even if you’re able to serve son, daughter, and daughter in law you have served the world. Pick up one person here that you have  the quality of selflessness. You can’t even pick up one person. Everyone else except that you have a label of doing selfless work because that action itself is labeled as Karma Yoga. You are digging wells, building parks etc all this but the rest of the time you want to grab from society. This is not Karma Yoga. So at the level of the senses it is not one darshan in the morning and evening that matters. It is not a period of time that you engage in seeing auspicious things, hearing auspicious sounds and the rest of the time you are indulging in your senses, action and perception. It is totally unrelated to the period you are spending in what you call as a spiritual life. Therefore I am boosting your chances. It doesn’t matter these three years, these three days, these 3 hours that you spend here, what matters in spirituality is what you are, where are you? That matters. “Vasyasindriyani, tasya prajna pratishtha” who is a sithaprejna? Who is a master? who is a spiritually perfected individual? He who is able to control the senses, from the perception level. It is not the number of temples or deites that you see. It is not the number of auspicious things that you do here that matters. But the rest of the time what are you doing with the senses. That person has reached perfection. How spiritual you are depends on how much control you have. Similarly your actions. It’s not the number of good things that you do that matters, so called good things. In fact if you have done one good thing you have done everything. It is not possible, what people consider has Karma Yoga is not Karma Yoga. And that is why they say charity begins at home. Charity begins at home doesn’t mean yes I must take care of my house. Many people start like that; let me be charitable to my own folks. Then I’ll be charitable to you. Charity begins at home means within you, it must spring and once it is there it is applicable to every person every where. So action what type of action you executing rather than being engaged in a few actions, however good they are. There are people who cry out to Krishna who talk to Krishna and they are genuinely devoted to Krishna. Is that spirituality or what he does what feelings he entertains. There’s no discount here. What you do, what you feel, what you think, beyond the periphery of the so called spiritual periods, periods of spiritual practice. That is what matters. You may ask what is the use of the spiritual practices? To keep the whole thing going you spend certain amount of time and effort. So even in 3years,, 3 months or in 3 days it doesn’t matter as long as you keep up your character and conduct free of self centered feelings and activities. There is nothing else you need to do an attitude of serving and sacrificing. Instead of gaining and aggrandizing. The moment you control your senses you have reached that perfection. The moment you controlled your actions. It is not what good actions you have done in the spiritual field that matters. But what you have done with all actions makes you spiritual or unspiritual. It’s not the number of temples you visit or the number of chants that you practice that matters. What are you doing with your sense the rest of the time? Senses are indulging in sensuality that’s what matters.