The Hindu Article - Parochial tendency must be curbed

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Date:22/01/2003 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2003/01/22/stories/2003012201090800.htm

 

 

Miscellaneous - Religion

 

Parochial tendency must be curbed

 

CHENNAI JAN.22 . It is natural for a spiritual aspirant to be

assailed by doubts, from time to time. Timely guidance comes to the

sincere seeker through saints who are in tune with God and can thus

speak from personal experience. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa once

happened to overhear a conversation among his devotees about the

potency of the Divine name as a spiritual aid. One of them remarked

that chanting the names of God was not very efficacious. Immediately

the saint clarified that the Divine name was indeed very effective as

a means to realise God. Just as a seed's potency can be seen only

after it sprouts and grows into a big tree, similarly chanting the

Divine name is a spiritual practice, which will bear fruit only when

the time is ripe. Only one who has realised God knows its efficacy. A

devotee must repose faith in the scriptural prescriptions and

teachings of saints to progress in spiritual life.

 

In his discourse, Swami Gautamananda said worldly life was conducive

to both material and spiritual pursuits. A spiritual seeker must

therefore have clarity about his goal and with discrimination eschew

whatever is detrimental to his progress. Just as the mud in a pool

does not smudge a fish swimming in it so also can a spiritual

aspirant remain unaffected by worldly influences with vigilance.

Discrimination is a trait that has to be consciously cultivated. An

ant, for instance, will only choose a grain of sugar from a mixture

of sand and sugar. Thus it becomes imperative to exercise one's

choice with discrimination in life situations so that all thoughts

and actions contribute to spiritual growth.

 

Sri Ramakrishna had on many occasions stressed the importance of

developing an all-embracing outlook in religious life. This is

especially important for peaceful coexistence of people of different

faiths. Parochial tendency is counterproductive because every

individual is entitled to his belief. Moreover, all paths lead to the

same goal and hence there is no need to compare one faith with

another. This teaching of the saint is as relevant today as it was

more than a century ago when he taught it while witnessing sectarian

strife. It is possible to love other religions while remaining

steadfast in one's faith. The example of a person spending the major

part of his income on his family and earmarking some amount for

charity can be applied here. He certainly loves his family more but

his gesture shows that he loves others also.

 

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