Miscellaneous - Religion   

Stay connected to God

CHENNAI: Scriptures state that spiritual inquiry takes root only when the longing for worldly objects is relinquished. But how can one ignore the world when he is very much part of it? In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says that all who are born cannot escape the compulsion to work in some form or other.

Sri Ramakrishna had an answer for this: there is no problem when one gets involved in work, but what is important is the spirit in which one performs one's work, said Swami Gautamananda in a lecture.

The sense of I and Mine is the thing to be avoided when one performs actions. To perceive that the whole world is God's and that all have been cast into it to perform particular roles for specific periods helps to keep off the tendency to attach the sense of I and Mine to people and possessions.

Imbibing the Shakespearean concept that the world is a stage where everyone plays a temporary part is necessary to cope with life. This truth takes away the differences caused by status, birth, etc., that otherwise affect one's attitude to life.

As when watching a game of sports, where it is possible to appreciate the fine points in both teams impartially if one does not take sides, one can relax and enjoy the gracious aspects of life when one understands that the Lord is the supreme force behind all creation.

One is rid of fear by accepting His supremacy and seeking refuge in Him. Whatever be the situation, and whatever one experiences, one has to believe that it is all God's grace. There is only one force that is supreme and that is God. He who has devotion and faith in that one force will not have any cause to fear anything.

To be free of the sense of I and Mine is a very difficult proposition. It can be cultivated by learning from those great people who led detached lives, and by constant practice. It is similar to the skill of a thief who steals but never gets caught.

All of us are born with the divine spark within us. But we do not realise this truth. We must first learn the way in which we can be in contact with Him. Meditation (Dhyana) creates the situation when in solitude and silence the voice of God is heard with clarity. Turning one's gaze inwards helps to understand the link between the self and God.

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