Persevering with your meditation practice under the guidance of an experienced teacher is well worth the benefits meditation can bestow on mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. This allows the student to dive deeply into the true meaning of meditation – a state of awareness in which the meditator ‘absorbs’ into the experience.
When we turn outward to the world, via our senses and our mind, suffering is inevitable. It is the nature of the world and the nature of sense gratification. There is enjoyment followed by suffering. The Buddha’s search was for the end of suffering. Usually everyone’s search also starts with the need to escape suffering.
When we turn outward to the world, via our senses and our mind, suffering is inevitable. It is the nature of the world and the nature of sense gratification. There is enjoyment followed by suffering. The Buddha’s search was for the end of suffering. Usually everyone’s search also starts with the need to escape suffering.
In our tradition, we have a deep understanding of the things that drive us while we are on earth – both materialistic and spiritual. The Hindu scholars developed the Purushartha. These are the objects or goals of human existence. These objects recognise the material and the spiritual pursuits in life:
1. Dharma - right conduct
Being righteous in everything we do and in accordance with universal order. To become a true human being involves duty, right conduct, moral codes, laws and virtues.
2. Artha –materialistic means to live
This pursuit includes work, wealth, economic prosperity. Having materialistic desires to a certain level to live a comfortable life.
3. Kaama – desires, wishes, pleasures, love and passions
It also includes emotions, sense pleasures and enjoyment in life.
4. Moksha - liberation or freedom
True purpose of life and the final truth. We all want peace at the end of the day. This is the most important goal in life.
Dharma is considered the most important of the first three goals and moksha is the ultimate reason we took a human birth. The first three goals, whilst important, involve temporary pursuits and achievements. We will all come to a place where we will question ‘what is permanent?’ As a driver of your body-mind vehicle, you are permanent. You are a pure being, without limit. You are beyond space and time. There was never a time you did not exist and there never will be a time when you will not exist.
Understanding these four goals in your life provides you with a balanced life. The witness (Soul) within you cannot be made a fool of. You can chase material wealth without sickness and you put it above all else. But to chase spiritual wealth and come to the temple for God, you have no time, you have pains and sickness. You have so many excuses! Don’t you know that when you surrender to Bhagwan (God), all the pain and sickness will go away. Take a step first, towards your spiritual goals too.
When you get a taste of who you are, the temporary trappings become less important to you. We have body consciousness. We also want soul consciousness. In life, when we run after the soul, the body will follow. Neither can start without one another. You have to have both living together. During this time we do a lot of soul searching. The one who gets a human birth is the fortunate one. Many people say eat, drink and be merry. Whoever has touched reality would like to keep going deeper. Spirituality is like that – when you find bliss within yourself you want to go deeper to taste it again. I always say – run after spirituality and the world will run after you.
