Pujya Ramsukhdasji Maharaj

[Guest guest]

Effortless (non-activity based) Spiritual Practice

 

Question: Though there is effortlessness (no activity) in the

Supreme Consciousness (God); but spiritual practices must be

essentially based on effort or activity (karan saapeksha), correct ?

 

Swamiji: There is no objection to doing spiritual practices that are

based on effort (action). There are two types of spiritual

practices. One is that from the state we are currently in, we have

to rise above that state. The other is, that where we need to reach,

there we have already arrived (penetrated) . For rising above the

current state, there is effort (activity based) spiritual practice.

However, to realize the arrived state there is no effort (activity-

based) practice.

 

Just like when you want to go from here to a different place, you

have to walk to get there. However, where we need to go, if we

already are at that place (entered), would we need to walk (i.e.

make an effort) ? Similarly, from the very beginning, if you see

that Supreme Essence (Consciousness) that is naturally present, then

you realize that it eternally IS, it is unchanging and ever-present.

In this, what effort (spiritual activity) is necessary? We simply

have to wipe out our false notion, or mistake in understanding. Only

the mistake that we have once made, has to be rectified.

 

It is a rule that when we understand a mistake to be a mistake, then

that mistake or false understanding is wiped out. What is the effort

in this case? Just like when I said to you that this body was not

there at one time, and it will not be there at some future time, and

right now as many days that the body has remained with us, that much

time it is constantly separating from us (Self). Now what is the

effort that needs to be undertaken in this ? What spiritual practice

are to be done ? First our attention was not there. The attention

was on, the living process. But after hearing this, it will be

understood that actually we are in the dying / seperation process.

The only thing that changed was knowledge. In this, what effort

(activity) was needed for our spiritual practice?

 

When we have to learn something it requires effort (activity).

Because if someone has to study, read a book, memorize the words,

then this is considered effort (activity based), but in the

Essential State, where is there any effort or activity to be

performed? Only our attention has to be diverted towards what

already IS.