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Relationships and Spirituality |
Spiritual life is the science of wonderful relationships based on love.
One of our main problems in this world is that we scarcely have good and loving relationships. This is also why we seek liberation from material existence and try to attain a higher truth. We desire real love and happiness.
We are born into a world where relationships are not based on respect. Man is merely a number, customer or object of enjoyment.
Children don’t listen to their parents, and parents only respect them insofar as career and success can be expected. Hardly anyone cares for the elders. Females enjoy attention only while they are sexually attractive. Leaders don’t respect their constituents. The government does not care for the citizens and the police is established mainly for protecting the valuables of the rich from all those who have nothing.
But we still try to understand the love that may connect us from soul to soul.
In the Vedas, spiritual relationship is called nitya-sambandha, eternal relationship. This eternal relationship can be likened to the concept that we are still our mother’s son, long after she has passed away from this world. We feel that a kind of constancy exists, though in our previous lives, we have had many different mothers and other types of relationships. Whatever happens to us in this world is not eternal. Just like George Harrison sings: All things Must Pass.
While searching for a relationship with the eternal world, we cannot avoid asking what the origin of our consciousness and individuality is? Without receiving an answer, we cannot really understand what takes place around us.
If there exists only one piece of something, then its value is unique. Every being is unique and irreplaceable. Just like the tiny blue Mauritius stamp worth three million dollars.
But still there is a problem. In our selfishness, we too easily imagine that others have no real value. In this way we also discredit our own value, gradually losing our self-esteem. If there is no one to say thank you to, life gets frozen around us. At this time, our mind pursues crooked ways; we complain about the entire creation and at last we flee into self-annihilation.
We don’t notice the great treasure of our life, because we have never been taught to respect life and to respect others.
It is imperative to make up for this deficiency, otherwise we miss the great chance of human life. Denying ourselves this opportunity is just as easy as pushing a glass off a table. This is why the Vedas say that the human form of life is meant for finding the truth.
I believe searching for truth is the most wonderful opportunity in this world for us. Searching for truth and living up to it transforms the whole world into a great celebration.
But let us understand what karma is, and what reincarnation is. Voltaire said: There is nothing strange about being reborn, if we consider how special it is to be born just once. Unfortunately, the common man does not know too much about the nature of the soul; he does not feel that every man and every animal is our brother. Human beings are great experts in killing, but they hardly care about how to mould their relationships with others. If things continue this way, we will have even greater problems in the future, and our culture will be destroyed.
But it is possible to live in a different way.
By becoming elevated from the mode of ignorance and passion to the mode of goodness, our relationships will become auspicious. But it is practically impossible to attain the platform of goodness without any deeper experience. It is accessible only if we have some spiritual experience, if we turn to God. This is accomplished by chanting the Holy Names, performing Mahamantra meditation and rendering loving service to God through bhakti yoga. In my experience, transcendental love cannot be achieved by any other approach. I am not saying that this is the only way, but it works; it is successful and joyous.
On the platform of goodness we will be able to form sincere relationships and make our existence a positive, useful experience. We must stop causing trouble to others, starting with our spouses, children, brothers, and sisters. In our society even close relatives and friends oftentimes quarrel.
This is the secret of love. You have to give what you wish to get. It is so simple. If you long for love, give love. If you say there is no love within you, ask your guru, and he will give you more than you can bear. If you want knowledge, then give knowledge to others. If you want friends, be a friend to others.
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