Listen to All 8 Parts in a podcast
Part 7 of an 8 Part Series
Much of what I have written in the previous segment is not really easy to do. It will take a lot of effort and a lot of determination. But the wonderful thing is that we will get as many chances as we need. Every new lifetime is another new opportunity to try. If we improve with each attempt, it becomes easier the next time around. We have within us the innate sense that we ought to do better. We’re just not sure how to do that. That’s why we stumble around blindly, trying this and that based on what we have learned about the world. We are hampered by the fact that those appointed to teach us are usually equally ignorant of our life’s real purpose. They can teach you what they have learned about how to cope with the material world, and that’s all. They can teach you how to acquire wealth and power, how to deal with people and situations and so on. But they cannot teach you how to exit the cycle of rebirth, which is the most important lesson we are here to learn.
There used to be a time when education was focused on discovering the inner self and learning how to evolve spiritually. But all that was destroyed in the wake of materialistic colonisation. While religions became mired in mindless rituals, humankind became addicted to accumulating material wealth and seeking physical comforts and sensual satisfaction. We are fortunate that there has been a resurgence in spiritual seeking. There are now many opportunities to obtain spiritual guidance. However, gurus who are properly guided never seek out students. They simply make themselves available. It is for the student to seek out a guru.
When a student is ready, he will certainly find a guru. He will become sensitive to the silent messages being transmitted by gurus and discover the one he needs for the stage of learning he has attained. As he advances, he will discover other gurus according to his need. One who has become sensitised to spiritual learning will be able to observe that there are gurus all around us. We only have to open our eyes and other senses and reach out. The five elements are gurus. Every person we encounter has something to teach us. There are even lessons to be learned from the interactions of animals. The goal of each lifetime is to strive to understand and realise our purpose – to evolve towards Union with Divinity.
Whether one pursues the path of bhakthi, or karma or njana or kriya, or any combination of these, the goal is the same – to realise with a deep understanding that our body and mind are just the vehicles through which we strive towards our goal. The world around us, including the people in it, is simply the stage set up for us to overcome our compulsions, express the true nature of our selves and learn to treat everyone with kindness and compassion. We need to use every lifetime to aspire towards a higher level of attainment. If we can successfully disconnect from the attachments, both positive and negative, that tie us down, we can, upon leaving the body, relinquish the vignjanamayakosha and bask in the bliss of the anandamayakosha.
Notes:
- Guru – a teacher or mentor who guides the student along a chosen path
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