Way of progress in the spiritual path

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Posted by: " Milan Mrj. " milan_mrj

 

There are quite a number of devotees who are initiated disciples. They often

say: 'We have received Mantra-Diksha, but we don't seem to have made any

progress in the spiritual path. Why is it so?' In answer it has to be pointed

out first of all that one has to become serious about the goal. For most of us

that goal consists in the fulfilment of certain worldly ambitions. Most people

desire to become doctors, engineers, administrative officers or business

magnates. But the supreme aim, the goal, should be to attain perfection in this

very life - to realise our true nature, which is absolute existence, absolute

knowledge and absolute bliss. If this is the Goal Supreme of human life, then

this goal becomes easy to attain, provided we are fortunate enough to learn the

path from a Sad-Guru, a realised soul, who is the visible representative of our

chosen ideal or Ishtam.

Now, who really aspires after the Goal Supreme? Only the one who hears the call

from within. When Swami Vivekananda met his Great Master, Sri Ramakrishna, he

sang two songs and the Master was very much pleased. The first line of one of

the songs is:

 

'O mind! go back to your own abode.'

 

This is not our real abode. Our real abode is elsewhere. That does not mean that

our abode is high up in the heavens. It is within us.

As Jesus said, 'The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.' As Sri Krishna says to

Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra in verse 61, chapter 18 of the Bhagavad

Gita.

 

Isvarah sarva-bhutanam

hrd-dese' arjuna tisthati |

bhramayan sarva bhutani

yantr'arudhani mayaya ||

 

The Lord abides in the hearts of all beings,

Arjuna, causing them to spin round by His power,

as if they were mounted on a machine.

 

It is within, but if we run after the so-called pleasures of the world, then our

life goes in vain. As Jesus said, we have got this human life only to become

perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect.

 

The other song sung by Swami Vivekananda when he met Sri Ramakrishna runs thus:

 

'Oh Lord! must all my days pass utterly in vain?'