Only a small percentage of population tread spiritual path!
Why very few are attracted to spirituality?
If nine tenth of the world literature revolve around worldly subjects, hardly one tenth contains religious affiliated one and scriptures of various religions. Majority of human beings, focus on worldly life, materialistic existence, and enjoyments through the senses. A few are interested in God related topics and spirituality. It is natural since all our senses are outgoing in nature and a pure intellect alone can dwell on God related aims. Even the saints and sages of the world advice the ordinary worldly people to devote at least five minutes every day in simple prayers. Yes, they are aware of the pulls exerted by the senses on the mind of man. The mind too is attached to the body comforts and pleasures. Hence the mind reacts vehemently when man is put to test by nature and god.
In some previous hubs, I have explained in detail, the necessity of evil in creation and how it serves the spiritual evolvement of man. Yes, only during travails and troubles, man turns his attention to a superior power, when his efforts fail miserably. We have seen how tasty fruits are covered by a hard rind and outer skin. The clear example is a jack fruit. It is not easy to peel the jack fruit with hand just like a banana or mango. We need sharp knife to cut the thick and needle studded outer skin. It requires lot of expertise to peel a jack fruit! Once we remove the hard outer skin and soft interiors, what we get is very tasty jack fruit. A fully ripe jack fruit tastes so sweet!
The earthly existence can be compared to the hard outer rind or skin of the jack fruit. The fruit vendors use oil to extract the fruit since a gum like resin ooze while we cut the outer skin. This is like a strong gum and attach to the fingers like black soot. Hence an individual who wants to extract the sweet fruit of God’s love need to apply a coat of discrimination before attempting to find god. He has to cut the thick outer skin of EGO and body consciousness, in order to reach the Godward path. Even after extracting the fruit of God’s love, one has to partake to enjoy its sweetness!
Many individuals find it difficult to enter into the spiritual path, fearing the labor involved in relinquishing the tough ego and body consciousness. Yes, everyone has to put much effort and do not leave in the middle. It is time consuming as well as strenuous. With proper tools, one can cut asunder the thick Ego which is nothing but attachment to the fickle body which is like a water bubble. As I have explained in various hubs about the fickle nature of mind which is alike a mad monkey that too in a drunken state, “how can we rely upon such flimsy things? The mind is really a double edged knife which is very sharp. One must be an expert to handle such an instrument. A moment of carelessness will cause deep cut or wound on the person who handle it. It is very tricky to handle the mind which is nothing but a conglomeration of thoughts!
Bereft of thoughts, what is really a mind? Bereft of cotton, where is the question of cloth? Hence, the basis for mind is the thoughts which hover around every second and noticed through the medium of mind in the conscious. Each thought really create ripples in the otherwise calm surface of our inner consciousness. It is those ripples when become more and more agitate our mind like a rough sea affected by bad weather. When the ocean surface is furious, how a small boat can survive on it? We are all individual boats coursing our ways through the rough surface of ocean to reach the other shore! Hence one should be agile and possess ‘presence of mind’ to save himself and the raft. The raft is the body while the traveler is the individual soul. Hence, it is the foremost duty of each spiritual aspirant to keep his mind calm and contented.
How can we suppress the thought patterns which seem to arise without our volition? Yes, we have no control over our thoughts. Once, Sri Sathya Saibaba has revealed that thoughts arise due to food and environment. We are slaves to taste. We eat whatever is available at the time of hunger. We really never bother about the harmful effects of food we eat. It is a known fact that all tasty foods to the palate are really harmful to the stomach. We take extra efforts to fry the vegetables in oil, that too deep fry, add chilies and condiments liberally to taste it like heaven. Hence the ancient seers have categorized the food into three categories, one that sooth and calm our nerves and mind, one which infuriate our nerves, the third one which dulls our mind and intelligence.
Naturally available green vegetables, fresh fruits, yogurt, and sprouted grains-these are all very much conducive for spiritualists. The one which kindles our passions are fried food, with lot of chilies and salt. The one which dulls our mind is food prepared about six hours before, old fish, meat and other preparations kept in the refrigerator etc. They generate sloth and sleep in the individual. If one needs to become calm and peaceful, he should select the first category. As far as possible, spiritualists should avoid non vegetarian items.
The aim of human life is to obtain God realization. There is no point in leading a life seeking pleasures and comforts like animals. Animals eat, drink, sleep, mate and die. But, we are blessed with intelligence and discrimination which can lead us to Godward path! The means are ‘chanting the glory of god, helping the poor and destitute and avoiding harm to any being on earth. In fact, killing causes agony to the animals, pain and torture. But, the human beings never care for these feelings. They kill the animals; catch the fishes through nets for the sake of food alone. There is no dearth of vegetables, fruits and grains in the world. Because, there is hoarding and other illegal activities, there is no equitable distribution of food!
