Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The spiritual path is not an escape from life

Sri Sri: Actually, the spiritual path makes life more difficult! In India people think the spiritual life is easy — go to an ashram where you don’t have to work hard. No! The spiritual path is not an escape from hard work or sincere action, just as social service is not an escape to a comfortable life. In both situations you have to put your heart and soul into your actions and be ready to give of yourself hundred percent. The spiritual life will bring you enormous joy, more contentment, more peace and more energy than you can find — but it’s not an escape. Remember that.

The spiritual path means taking responsibility. If you think it is difficult to manage your children and your husband or your wife, you will be given more people to care for. If you are ready to take responsibility for twenty people, two thousand people, twenty million people — then you are on the path. The spiritual path is not an escape from responsibility, but taking responsibility.

Intelligent, effective work is part of the spiritual life. When you are working hard you may think you deserve compassion. I say that if you are working hard and doing it with intelligence, then you need appreciation — not compassion. If someone is taking 5 hours to complete something that can be done in half an hour, it doesn’t need compassion.

Another aspect of spiritual life is peace — knowing that peace is your nature. At any moment, in any place, you can just sit and let go, knowing inside you there is a pure clear space that’s vast and deep. That inner space is what you are. Feeling this is knowing your spiritual dimension. ‘‘I have come from peace, I am in peace, I will go back to peace. Peace is my origin and my goal’’ - this inner affirmation or experience makes you a seeker.

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