A Discussion With Manatita on Spiritual Philosophy - Part 12 - the End
By loving more and more,
One day we shall be able to solve
All our problems.
— Sri ChinmoyThe End of the Adventure
This is the end of this marvellous Spiritual Adventure, my friends. It was a blessing to me, and I hope that it helped you too, to understand that every moment, we live a Spiritual Life, that we are Spirits in human bodies and we are here to learn, to enjoy, to make choices and to Love!
I will never find words capable of expressing my gratitude to my Spiritual Brother Manatita for this blessing, but I know, and this pleases me, that the Supreme will reward him in the right way for the Love and the patience he showed as he has to deal with my ignorance and my undisciplined mind.
I want to express my gratitude to all of you, the readers and the commenters for your participation in this adventure. Your response was incredible! Thank you with all my Heart and Soul!
Let's enjoy this last part...
Spiritual Adventure, Part 12
Ioannis: I am glad to hear that someone can "meet" a Guru that has already passed away and become his disciple. It is a great hope for many seekers around the world!
It is evident to me that a God-realised Master can use all the worlds, like the world of dreams, to teach and help a disciple or a true seeker. My Spiritual teacher - he doesn't like me to call him Master - found me in my dreams, and there continues to help me on my Spiritual Path.
I am also glad because you answered what would have been my next question.
How can a seeker know that he has met his "real" Guru and not a fake one? Because I know people, who have been deceived by some "saviours" and destroyed their lives.
As you said, a Guru will not ask you to be attached to him, but to be devoted to God. He will guide you to your true Higher Self. He will not ask you for money or to use your influence to support his fame. And the most significant and miraculous thing, is that he will teach you in Silence. I have experienced it, and it is one of the things that changed my life in such an exceptional way.
When the student is ready or crying at the feet of God, the Master generally appears.
My next question comes from something you have said, and I have also read it in your book. I think that is a complicated issue for the most of us who have not met Sri Chinmoy or a Master of his calibre.
What do you mean when you say that Sri Chinmoy had a conscious exit from this earthly plane?
Manatita: Fame and the Guru cannot live together. They even speak of goodness as being infinitely superior to greatness. It is man and even followers that make them great.
A real Guru has all he needs, but comes here voluntarily, to inspire us and remind us of our eternal Home. It is God's Love that brings the Guru here. That is, the Satguru, or Realized soul.
Real Spiritual Masters do not die. They have conquered death. The Lion Yogi Babaji is reputed to be over 1000 years old. Masters take Maha Samadhi, which literally means great death or void when their mission is complete.
It is a Yogi's conscious exit from this world. He is aware that he is leaving or passing into the curtains beyond. Usually, like the Christ, their bodies emit Light after they are gone, and they also reappear to many.
The Sage of Arunachala had this experience while still 14 and Yogi's go in and out of it. It is quite easy for them. You can say, if you like, that the soul is taking an exit of which it is very much aware and at its own choosing, once the work has been done.
The Realized soul takes or makes a conscious exit when God wants him to do so. He or she works in harmony with God's Will. An Avatar (Direct descent of God in human form), do not die in the true sense.
The soul is immortal. It is birthless and deathless. We all get this spiritual capacity when we are very advanced or Realised Souls.
Ioannis: Do you still feel that Sri Chinmoy, although he passed away, is with you to help you in your Spiritual Path?
Manatita: Yes.
He is still my Guru and has told us that He will look after us. He is also the Guru of those joining now. Christ is still a Guru. It is a matter of Faith, preparation and receptivity.
Practice the basics of the spiritual life and remember that purity is essential! If not, then self-control of desires ... a slow and steady approach to celibacy. Necessary to retain the Higher energy.
Vegetarianism, no alcohol and drugs except prescribed by a doctor. All these recommendations would help to enhance your spiritual life and experiences. Our Path is very much alive!
Ioannis: Speaking of practice, I would like to ask you about the difficulties which someone will face when he or she tries the Spiritual Transitioning. I ask because I suppose you have encountered those difficulties and you have seen other disciples face them, so you have some experience.
Manatita: Some things are easy, others come so fast that one hardly notices them; some are tricky and stay for years.
I was never a smoker, but a light drinker. These things were easy to drop. I was already leaning towards the vegetarian lifestyle, so again that was not too bad.
It is the temptations I had problems with ... the allure of sensual desires. But let me say that weaknesses differ for different disciples. But a life of self- control becomes necessary sooner or later.
I gave up toxic friends quite easily and withdrew from parties. I also had to resist the constant invitation from friends. One needs to be prudent or discerning.
I have to say, and all the Godmen also say, that the company of satsangis’ are the best. Those who aspire such as we do. Helps with the higher discipline required for spiritual practice.
Psychically, stuff can come up as meditation makes our inherent weaknesses more visible. Being conscious of our guilt, fears, anger, insecurity and ego, can be quite daunting for many.
Serving in the Master's way can seem difficult at times, and the disciples may find it hard to relate internationally. All this is temporary, and one soon settles into the Path.
Nevertheless, it is a beautiful journey and the 'clearing' out from within is generally a good thing, with patience and perseverance being necessary. Read my Chapter three, I believe.
Ioannis: As you correctly said, these difficulties differ for different seekers.
I don't smoke, I don't drink alcohol, I am a vegetarian for 30 years now, and my family gave up toxic friends years ago. So all these are easy for me, but they could be difficult enough for someone else. On the other hand, things that may be natural for you or another brother may be considerable obstacles for me. I think this is one point in which the presence of the Master becomes significant, for helping the seeker to distinguish the important from the less substantive.
Staying at the practicing, I consider that it is substantial for a seeker to serve in any way he or she can, because I think this will help to control selfishness, fears, material addictions and all these which are blocking the path.
You said that serving in the Master's way can seem difficult at times.
What can a seeker do to serve mankind, as he or she seeks the right path?
And what does a disciple have to do, to serve in the Master's way?
Manatita: There are many things one can do to serve. Still, we sometimes serve better when we belong to a Path where others are also serving or being encouraged to serve.
Having said that, Yoga Philosophy has 4 major ways of service. Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnani Yoga and Raja Yoga.
Karma Yoga is pertinent here, as it is the Path of selfless action. Whether you are doing things for your wife or children; doing your duty in the war, or having interviews with Manatita. All these are forms of service.
Christ way is God's way and vice versa. In the same way, the Master's way is God's way. So we do the things that we feel Christ or Guru would be happy doing.
Monday I was at a Sri Chinmoy's race for the public in Battersea Park. Disciples ran feeding stations, marshalling, registration and so forth. All these are forms of service.
We have several online resources. Again acts of service. We help with races up to 3100 miles long. A few disciples climb mountains and swim the English Channel.
Some, not all. We travel around the world giving free musical concerts, painting exhibitions and recite Guru's poetry. We organize strongman events and take Sri Chinmoy's weights around the world.
We write books and give seminars and classes on the meditative life. Some disciples did not do much meditation, but were day and night workers at selfless service.
Guru used to choose them as he knew their natures. Today they still serve in very physical ways constantly and lovingly. That's the key. Soulfully and with a consciousness of the Divine.
So Karma Yoga is another way of making progress. Serving expands the Heart and prepares us for the higher experiences from within. It is a super-excellent tool, for working on the ego.
We work at our sports shops, restaurants, health food shops etc. But we also serve with cleaning, painting and any other forms of service.
Both aspiration and manifestation (prayer and service) are necessary. I do both, but Guruji had many disciples who preferred to serve by working for the Master. They did very well.
We serve mankind best by being conscious of our own divinity and working for our own realization. As we progress, the Spirit Itself will dictate from within and encourage us to serve.
Truly speaking, it is impossible to go to God without inspiring progress in other humans. But we do this not by preaching and cajoling, simply by cleaning our own mirrors and being benchmarks for the Supreme.
Once our mothers and fathers see change ... our friends, school peers and colleagues see our transformation, then we are bound to make progress. As their souls will be comforted by what we do. Hari Om!
End of this adventure. Praise the Lord of Love...
The Book
© 2018 Ioannis Arvanitis