The Aims and Objectives of Spiritual Disciplines

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Students study to become learned. Exercise is done to become wrestler. A farmer remains engrossed in ploughing, sowing, irrigating operation so that in due course he may reap the crop and fill godowns. Persons of all category businessmen, artists, craftsmen, etc. remain busy in their pursuit for some gainful purpose. The craving for fulfillment inspires them and a mental state of readiness and devotedness is formed.

There should be consistency between aim and pursuit. Action and cause should be coordinated. The state of confusion makes all pursuits useless and the person who exerts gets disappointment, irritation and tiresomeness. In such a condition, a condition, a man looses confidence on the dignity and utility of the aim and pursuit. Before commencing any work it should be ascertained that the way on which we are proceeding is proper and we will achieve what we want. If there is in- coherence between the aim and pursuit, success will never be possible. Enthusiasm aroused in a dubious state of mind ultimately turns into faithlessness. The learned persons have therefore, been advising that while making efforts there should be co-ordination between action and cause, aim and pursuit. Illusion s in such cases should be avoided. Impatience devoid of understanding of reality mars enthusiasm. It is necessary therefore to get rid off such illusion before entering the spiritual field.

The importance of worldly gains being achieved by spiritual pursuits is often described and propagated. But this appears to be a narration of the beginning and the end. There is not detailed mention of the intermediary efforts, because in those days when the scriptures were written, the thinking and character of an average man was exalted. All, in those days, were aware of this primary condition that the entrants of spiritual field should be pious & noble and so it was not considered necessary to describe this aspect in detail. By indicating the beginning and the end. It was taken for granted that the intermediate process was well known and must be within the knowledge of the common man.

The captain simply commands to shoot at the aim because he knows that the soldiers must be aware of the need of putting the cartridge in the magazine if the gun. If a soldier presses the trigger but does not put a cartridge in if and blames the captain, the aim and the gun for its failure to shoot, his wrath and accusation s will be considered meaningless and he will be told as to why he had forgotten this simple truth.

Ordinarily, people talk about taking medicines for getting cured. Diagnosis, dietary restriction, quantity, service etc, are not broadly discussed. Everybody knows that these preliminaries have to be followed if a patient is to be treated.

People have to run after and make efforts for seeking admission in Medical and Engineering colleges to become Doctor and Engineer. The students and their guardians know that satisfactory status in respect of money and fame will be attained on becoming doctor or engineer. The concentration is on seeking admission in the college. All out efforts are made and on procuring admission, one breathes a sigh of relief. The eyes start glimmering on account of over joyfulness and no one raises the question that studying g seriously for five years. Arranging expenses for books, fees, boarding expenses etc. will too be necessitated. Everybody knows that these are unavoidable and the goal cannot be achieved without them. Ordinarily, no one bothers to waste time e by repeating these matters of ordinary consideration, unless he is a totally, ignorant man.

People feel happy in finding proper match, settling marriage and securing happy marital life. But there is an underlying condition that the bride and the bridegroom should duly discharge their respective duties and responsibilities. If this is ignored marriage cannot be a success. Howsoever proper the selection of the couple may be. Still while making endeavors to settle marriage. Proper selection alone is considered to be adequate and nobody discusses as to how the couple will pull on. They think, the bride and the bridegroom might themselves be aware of these facts of their family members would make them aware of it. It is well known that the success of marital life does not depend on the ceremony of marriage. But on discharge of ones own duties by the couple. But in settling a marriage no one gives importance to this fact. Who makes a mountain out of a molehill in respect of a matter of common knowledge?

These instances have been given to illustrate that in the spiritual field too, the beginning and end alone are described to explain the nature, achievements and results of spiritual practices. It has not been elaborately discussed that an aspirant gets the fight of being called a ‘sadhak’ only on fulfilling the condition of adopting excellent thinking, ideal Character and sublime behavior. A mean and loathsome person cannot, merely by worshipping and with the help of ‘tantra-mantra’ achieve those successes, which have been detailed in the scriptures.

The first stage of ‘Yoga–sadhna’ is ‘Yam’ and ‘Niyam’ which means proper incorporation of righteousness and noble tendencies in one’s life. In devotion, “Namapradh” has been prescribed. If one does ‘Jap’ but remains engrossed in viciousness, he will be guilty of defaming the God and will be penalized for playing fraud. Instead of getting any good return of worship, he will be subjected to God’s anger. Those who preach the importance of practicing rituals (‘Karma-Kand’) will have to bear in mind that a devotee must incorporate adequately excellence in his outlook and idealism in his behaviour. If this is ignored, he will be ridicules like a conventional fool, who build castles in the air. These poor fellows committed the mistakes of thinking in the terms of beginning and end, visualized day dreams and ignored the role of intermediary factors .Such mistake is committed by those who see day dreams of amassing riches and divine powers merely by ‘mantra jap’. In fact head and

feet is not everything. The trunk located in between has also its utility and importance. Everyone should be aware of this fact. In between ‘sadhna’ and ‘siddhi’ excellence of thinking and character, self restraint (“sanyam”) and human welfare are unavoidably necessary in “Jeewan –Sadhna”.

The prevailing notion has been on account of perverted misconception that God and Goddesses are hungry for being worshipped and they can be overpowered and templed to do anything in lieu of such worship. Worshipping (upasana) has been regarded equivalent to jugglery and magical performance and it is thought that it will present amazing scenes by way of fun and frolic. The childish thinking favoured these cheap prescriptions for fulfillment of desires (‘manokamna–siddi’). The immature so called “sadhaks” dream that, all of a sudden they will be bestowed upon ‘riddhi-siddhis’ as a huge windfall without ability and exertion, simply by some movements of figures and murmuring of tongue.

The psychological weakness of man helps in regarding them true. The anomaly is that man is compelled to adopt unwholesome tendencies and viciousness by feeding the thought to work less and earn more profit. The craving for gambling, lottery and discovery of hidden wealth springs up, and the greed for getting enormous wealth in charity, inheritance, dowry etc. is so much intensified that looting and plundering others wealth are considered rightful acts. Such persons advance further, indulge in deception and manipulation and are often seen committing crime and assault. The tendency to become a social parasite and live of others earnings gives rise to immorality and undesirability. Whatever may be the reason for the growth of such a tendency, it deserves outright condemnation. Proper earning by efficiency and laboriousness is praise worth. All other ways of earnings are improper and harmful in all respect for the individual and the society.

It is unfortunate that the basis of “tatwa- gyan” and principles of ‘sadhana’ which were enunciated to enhance piousness and brilliance of personality has altogether changed. A man is encouraged to procure riches and get accomplished by hook or crook, while things should have been quite to the contrary. A spiritualist should be a contented man, destitute of all possessions beyond the basic minimum (‘Aparigrahi’) like an average Indian man. He should be a supporter of justice, mortality and righteousness. Whenever the desire fulfillment is considered the only goal of there is a tendency to snatch the desired benefits by immoral terpotudem irrespective of the limits of efficiency and labouriousness it should be considered that morality and justice and with it the basis of spiritual ‘tatwagyan’ has come to an end.

The God, Siddha-purush’ “dharmanusthan” and the science of sadhna are all bound by the dignity of justice and goodness. Virtuousness and lofty ideals need to be glorified and deeply recognized day by day. If on the contrary, these dignitaries are influenced by ordinary temptations and flattery and become partial to so-called is devotees, it should be understood that the ideal of goodness is coming to an end. Who will safeguard justice and morality, if the God and ‘siddha purush’ were to act in this manner proving themselves miserable? Who will safe guard righteousness? If God can be overpowered by bribery and flattery and his favour and anger could be gained or invoked irrespective of justice and efficiency, how could the common man be persuaded to get rid off bribery, flattery, favouring ones own relatives, partiality and similar other unacceptable elements?

It is well established that achievements can be secured on due payment. Why would one follow the difficult task of getting something virtuousness, if those possessing divine powers themselves ignore this basic principle and permit their devotees to do so? And then, there we will remain no need and utility to follow the difficult path of penance (“tapasya”), sanyam, courageousness and self-purification. Every one will go in for a short –cut. This will result practically in putting an end to goodness and discipline. If this thinking were to continue, only rituals (‘karma –kand ‘) and impropriety will flourish. The very foundation on which stands the need for religion, spirituality, devotees, God would topple down.

It is an aspect of human dignity to help one another in the hour of crisis and in their upliftment. This has to continue as it is. Those who possess the wealth of ‘atmabal’ use it for help but they keep in view the propriety of such use. If they were to use atma-bal’ in fulfilling proper and improper desires (‘manokamnas’) for gaining cheap popularity it should be understood that they have fallen much below the spiritual dignity of being called ‘siddha-purush’. There is a criterion of propriety between the donor and the donee. It is well maintained that the so-called devotees and siddh-purush even if they combine together, cannot get such corruption recognized. There are some fundamental principles of procuring achievements on payment of due price .It is totally a thing beyond universal system to acquire costly things at cheap rate.

The simplest way of getting worldly riches is increased efficiency, wholesome laboriousness, practical politeness and systematic organization. Individuals and societies have successfully reached the climax of success by adopting these virtues.

The students of spiritual science should keep in mind that this field for incorporating outstanding eminence in thinking and character. It is a well-recognized system of blending piousness and brilliance in ones own personality. The standard of efficiency and authenticity rises to the extent a man moves ahead in this direction. Accordingly, such a man is seen deeply engrossed in righteous activities of courageousness, determination and enterprise in the form of “atma–bal”. He is possessed if benevolence and righteousness. In such condition, there will be no birth of spiritual (‘atomic’) or even worldly wealth. One who has self-confidence, who has earned respect and co-operation of the masses, finds absolutely no difficulty in achieving worldly gains and success. Of course, it is necessary that a spiritualist engaged in ‘sadhana’ makes no use of worldly riches. Whatever may be these earnings, he accepts to lead the life of an average man. The balance is immediately

disbursed benevolently for doing good to others (‘lokmangal’) and on this rests the happiness, peace and tranquility of the people at large.

source : www.awgp.org