The Essence of the Spiritual Life

[Guest guest]

The Essence of the Spiritual Life

 

That " I " is everywhere, manifesting Itself as everything. But in the

human being there is a peculiarity. That " I " manifests as self-

awareness. Unfortunately that self-awareness is not an awareness of

the grandeur, the unknowableness of the " I " , but rather, that self-

awareness identifies with a body and mind. This we call ego. It

means we feel separate.

 

The word hell comes from an old English word meaning to be walled

off from. So hell means to be separate. On the other hand, the word

heaven comes from the same root as the word harmony. So hell means

separation and heaven means harmony. Thus, when the principle of

self-awareness in the human being identifies with the body, it feels

separate, and that is hell. When it identifies with the true " I " —I

am That—it is in harmony, it is in heaven.

 

The whole purpose of the spiritual life is to convert this self-

awareness in the human being from a mistaken awareness that " I am

the body " to a true awareness that " I am That. " How is this done? It

is not just enough to discover this truth intellectually, nor even

to feel this truth, we must actually become this truth. That means

we can no longer assert the separate " I " . The separate " I " has to

surrender to the true " I " ; it has to take refuge in the true " I " ; it

has to follow the true " I " . There is nothing else to the spiritual

life, in the final analysis, except this.

 

Following the ego keeps us in hell and compounds the hell. When we

repent, which means to turn around and go in the other direction, we

surrender our individuality, our separateness, and exchange it for

harmony with the Whole. This is spiritual life. And if our spiritual

life doesn't contain this element of surrender, if it doesn't

contain this movement from separation to harmony, it perhaps

explains why we don't feel that we're making the progress we had

hoped for.

 

Therefore, the essence of the spiritual life is moving from being

separate to being in harmony. The ego doesn't usually want to do it

until it has suffered so much that it sees that there is no other

way. Thus, often suffering can be a great blessing. But we needn't

suffer if we have the humility to see that the essence of the

spiritual life is in surrendering our individuality and taking

refuge in God, that it is in surrendering our sense of separation,

so that we are in harmony.

 

Question :

 

I have been a follower of Sai Baba and I have always believed that I

am doing the right thing by praying to Baba & seeking His blessings

instead of support of a guru, Lately, I have started reading some

literature which emphasises is on the importance of having a Guru to

support and guide. I am thoroughly confused. I staunchly believe

that I can pray to Baba directly and seek whatever I am looking for

directly from Him. I have always questioned the need of a guru.

 

Answer :

 

Our soul reflected as conscience is the inner Guru. The Guru Saints

influence that inner self and evolve the devotee. What you are doing

is fine. Read books on Baba, think about Him and have Satsang i.e.

exchanging experience with devotional people. When Baba is in your

heart a physical Guru may not be necessary. Take Baba as a

physically existing Guru.

 

Baba Said....

 

" Really no Saint or Guru will ever force His orthodox disciple to

eat forbidden food, and defile (pollute) himself there by. " .

 

Baba is every where just feel him and keep on saying `Om Sai Ram' to

whom so ever you meet.