Ruined Lives due to Spiritual Path ?

[Guest guest]

Namaste to All my brothers and sisters,

 

I prayed to Amma so that I would NOT REACT but rather RESPOND to

above topic. I hope this is OK as a response.

 

And, actually( guess what?) it is quite a common occurrence

especially with people who were/are ready for the total

transformation from material life to spiritual life. Maybe it does

not have to happen in every case and it could happen suddenly,

gradually, etc. But it does seem to happen quite a bit. What happens

is that the material life is destroyed( sometimes health also ), then

spirit takes over and a new life of spirituality, compassion, or

maybe total withdrawal( for some ) in a Himalayan cave emerges.

 

Now most of us come to spiritual path because of difficulties(

financial, personal, relationship, job, health, religion, etc, etc )

in life. And the promise that mediation, prayer, or whatever

spiritual path will make everything right. And it does seem to help

to some extent but it is different for everyone.

 

Difficulties in my life is the reason I started my spiritual path. At

age 31, I was being forced out of my career which barley started as a

physicist, out of my relationship, etc, etc. But once started I was

glad to be free of my past life ~ it was such a relief ~ no money but

happy. To my relatives it seemed as my life was destroyed and that I

was a big failure. One of my brother-in-laws and his friend even told

me so ~ after gossiping about my life which they did not understand

at all ~ it's OK ~ I didn't understand it either. Perhaps, the rest

of the story I'll save for later. I did not always work and only made

enough to save for the times I didn't work, take care of my invalid

father, help my mother, etc. Now, I would not trade my 35 years on

the spiritual path for the material life that I lived before.

 

Along, these lines I am sure others can share also. Please do.

 

Then there are the life stories of spiritual mahatmas( great

souls ) like Nisargadatta, Ramana Maharshi, Robert Adams, Bernadette

Roberts( a Christian Mystic ~ may still be living ? ), Saint Francis

and many others.

 

The Awakening of both Ramana and Robert in their teens destroyed

their student lives. Nisargadatta abandoned his family and lost his

several shops by the time he realized he did not have to; he returned

to his family and one remaining shop and became a renouned spiritual

teacher.

 

Eckhart Tolle was a succesful reasearch scientist and at age 30 was

Awakened; his life as a scientist was gradually( 2 years ) destroyed

and he sat at a park bench for two years immersed in Bliss; then he

became a spiritual teacher ~ now he even has a wife and great CDs to

listen to.

 

Robert Adams after some time also married. Not sure about exact

details, but he may have had two of his own children and adopted

others who were disadvantaged/handicapped ~ he not only educated them

but gave them a strong spiritual foundation. He also felt a very

strong bond with the animals like Amma has.

 

Shree Maa was born to one of the wealthiest families. She wanted to

run away from her college studies and lead spiritual in the forest;

visions of Jesus and Ramakrishna prevented her for a while. But

eventually she left her family and all that wealth for a life in the

forest. Now, She resides in California doing austere yagyas to help

all of us transform from materialistic life to spiritual life.

 

Bob and Gail Gupton's story of their spiritual journey covers a span

of over 30 years and is an account of how life's adversities can

cause one to turn within and discover that life is not composed of

learning how to overcome the pain of life with the good feelings that

can be found in day to day living. There is something in the pain of

life that brings about the awakening of the reasons why, and that

understanding frees one from the effects of the seeming pain. The

search for God, and the many ways the peace of this awareness can

make life purposeful, is what their story is about.

www.beyondprayerandmeditation.com => ENTER => OUR STORY

 

So, can all these difficulties be avoided and succes had in both

spiritual and material life at the same time as some teachers claim?

 

Perhaps the safest way is to follow the advice of Amma, Jesus and

Others who say:

 

"First seek God within you

and/or serve the poor seeing God within them

and then enjoy the bliss of doing God's Will."

 

Hope this helps.

 

Amma's Blessings,

amarnath