by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No. 54
August . 2005

MEASURING THE SPIRITUAL PROGRESS- Part 3.

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

To recapitulate Sri Aurobindo’s three experiences or results that are central to sadhana, firstly it is the experience of falling in love with God and then automatically falling in love with everything connected with God.

In the sanatan philosophy if one can single out the most significant feeling that is central to sadhana, then it has to be ‘Love’. The entire creation functions on the basis of love. Even mumuksha or intense craving for liberation is non-sustainable without love.

In the next kind of experience, there is a “constant inward remembrance of the one central liberating knowledge, and a constant active externalizing of it in works comes in to intensify the remembrance.”

This is what the scriptures often refer as being God possessed. There may or may not be any external show of emotions. On the contrary deeper feelings seldom show surface symptoms. But for the practitioner it is the beginning of his psychic self coming out in the front and asserting itself.

Some say, and rightly so, that this stage in the aspirant’s sadhana is a very vulnerable stage where a true Guru’s intervention can work miracles for the sadhaka by quickening the pace of rise of consciousness and arresting any stagnancy.

When it comes to realizing knowledge or jnAna, that is the most difficult part of sadhana. We all know that it is the lack of knowledge that is responsible for the jiva’s miserable existence and liberation comes with dawning of knowledge. As The taittiriya Upanishad says: Jnanam anantam Brahma. Brahman is verily the knowledge. If acquiring knowledge were easy we all would have been realized souls.

But the jiva or individual soul continues to live in misery because it continues to live in dark ignorance. When you live in darkness without light and the burden of misery does not seem to be any lighter, it is easy to become a victim of despair and fear. While you cry out to heaven for mercy, you may also be overwhelmed by self-doubt. That is the state of great setback to sadhana. There is hardly anyone who at times does not get overtaken by this despair and see his faith and hope badly shaken.

This is precisely the time for the advent and intervention of the Guru. The sanatan dharma lays great importance of a Guru in the life of the aspirant. The Guru, with his firm knowledge and determination that there is surely light at the end of every tunnel, imparts to the disciple some of his own conviction and confidence and guides the sadhak towards the road ahead.

We speak so much about finding a Guru. But the interesting fact is that when the time comes, The Guru arrives in every sadhak’s life. That is the way the Divine works. Whether in form of a person, or the contents from the scriptures or by the nature around, the chord in the heart of every sadhak is struck by the Guru at the right moment and lifts him from the mire of despondency and puts him back on the road to progress. The Lord never fails anyone.

All he asks for is trust. Trust out of love.

However, if the sadhaka is not fortunate enough in receiving the helping guidance of a true Guru, no great setback happens. The grace of the Lord acting through the nature (prakrti), keeps the light of consciousness burning, may be slowly but it is never wiped out. The assurance of Lord Krishna is there.

yogakshemam vahaamyaham- I preserve whatever has been your gain from yoga.

Finally when this ‘God possessed’ attitude takes over the sadhaka’s mind, it “compels us to renounce all the inner supports of egoism”, quite understandably.

When God takes the chair, the ego steps down. The ego withers away in the presence of consciousness.

No kind of sacrifice brings better benefits to the soul than when ego is sacrificed at the feet of the Lord- at the altar of knowledge consciousness.

Therefore, if one has to at all assess the extent to which one’s sadhana is taking roots, one may do well to submit his own self to the tests like the ones we discussed. Such as:

a) ‘ How often in the course of our day-today life, that certain feeling of consciousness or simple awareness of the Lord touches us. A simple sense of good feeling is felt within, be it momentary. How much has the heart (or more precisely the antahkarana) is able to feel that true peace while being in love with the Lord, equally at times of pain and pleasure.

b)‘How much – if not fully- the mind is ready to replace negative feelings with a positive demeanor , not merely towards friends and well-wishers, but even to a person who harbors ill-will towards us.’ Just before the anger strikes how many times one could hold back his venom towards a person, or a situation?

c) ‘How often the mind turns to the knowledge of God consciousness – the adhyatma jnana- as a natural urge from within.’ How often one simply feels like picking up a book of religion and spirituality and feel like leafing through the pages?

d) ‘How much one is ready to live in the humility by pushing the ego away from the mind.’ Against the constant urge to tell everyone around of one’s own achievements, how often one holds back realizing that the credit belongs somewhere else?

If the intentions are pure, and these questions are put to oneself, any one can know where he stands.

Thereafter something quite interesting keeps on happening in the life of all practitioners providing tell-tale signs that keep boosting one’s determination.

We so often talk of ‘unforeseen mishaps’, ‘bolts from blue’ etc in life. We also speak of ‘strokes of good luck’, ‘miraculous happenings’, ‘unexpected gains’ etc. etc. Although we describe them as such, there are perfectly logical explanations for this and these are related to our own actions borne out of our own attitudes developed over the course of our sadhana. Whether we are ready yet to accept or not the spiritual link is unmistakable in every happening of life.

One of the axiomatic truths of life is that ‘God, having created us, is not interested in misfortunes per se striking us. Rather everything around us keep on happening to assist us in our forward movement.

Misfortunes visit us only when we have failed read certain signs and conditions rightly and have taken a wrong turn. Our ability to take as many right turns as possible and avoid wrong turns, depends on the level our antahkarana ( mind, intellect and ego-self) has developed to and has learnt to live in harmony with the divine laws and principles.

As our antahkarana through spiritual practices acquires a degree of self-strength to read external signs, that so-called uncanny ability to take more right decisions develops. This is not of onetime happening or of short bursts of sunny days, but it becomes the pattern of life. Scriptures describe it as dukham heyam anAgatam, ‘warding off of misfortune before it arrives’.

Spiritual persons are seen to live in a comparative state of serenity even in the midst of hectic life activities. Ups and downs of life for them generally come as ripples and not as waves. We are amazed watching them and conclude that they obviously possess supernatural powers.

All these are within the reach of every one of us.

Spirituality brings these changes within every one. With unpleasant things warded off more and more, the space is filled automatically with more agreeable conditions.

That is the secret of happy life. Simply being spiritual, and remaining aware and linked to God even sub-consciously, is the surest and only recipe for peace in life.

Do you notice these positive changes within yourself? That will tell you your own personal level of progress. (CONCLUDED)