A Royal Meeting

Last week I had the good fortune of meeting Her Majesty The Queen and His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. A multi-faith reception was held at Lambeth Palace; one of the first public engagements to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year. The event was attended by representatives from the Christian, Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Zoroastrian communities. It was an opportunity to pay tribute to the spiritual contribution of all religions in the UK, and to show continued support for the free practice of faith in the country.

The Queen expressed how spiritual traditions provide critical guidance for the way we live our lives, and for the way in which we treat each other. She wonderfully underlined how the lives of great teachers remind us of the responsibilities we have beyond ourselves. As I spoke to the leaders of various denominations, our discussions revolved around making spirituality applicable and dynamic in the modern context. In an age of growing secularism, there are doubts about the necessity of spirituality as an integral part of a vibrant society. It is sometimes seen as sentimental and unscientific, and on a social level often divisive and provocative. Others argue that ancient teachings are outdated and irrelevant, and function simply to give people a sense of identity and social belonging.

Amidst this tide of skepticism, spiritual practitioners have an incredible responsibility to share their teachings with greater acumen and astuteness. Through rationality, logic and common sense, they have to reveal the synthesis between science and spirituality, and firmly establish that metaphysical phenomena can be grounded in reason and argument. Through cooperation, appreciation and loving relationships, they have to demonstrate that genuine spirituality builds bridges, serves society in times of need, and promotes peace and unity. Through sagacity and dialogue, ancient traditions must offer cutting edge spiritual solutions to the problems of the modern world – solutions which are universally applicable, long lasting and free from detrimental side effects. Most essential, is to educate and inspire people to recognize that spirituality is more than a Sunday ritual, but rather an offer of worldviews, values, and spiritual practices which drive our daily functioning and journey within this world.

I walked away from Lambeth Palace with a greater sense of purpose. We definitely have our work cut out.

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Servant Leaders

The Bhagavad-gita is found within the ancient epic “Mahabharata”, famed as the longest poem in the world with over 100,000 verses. It contains numerous passages which are not only captivating but simultaneously instructive and insightful. In one such episode, the devoted Queen Kunti is faced with a quandary. Presently childless, she is fully aware of the urgency to beget offspring who can continue the family lineage and subsequently become the future leaders of society. Unfortunately, her husband Pandu has been cursed to die the moment he engages in sexual union. To solve the dilemma she invokes a divine boon and summons the heavenly gods to impregnate her by dint of their mystic potency. The sons produced become known as the “Pandavas”, the emblems of spiritual leadership.

Kunti first called upon the god of Judgement, Yamaraja. Consequently, the son Yuddhistira was born who was considered exemplary in morality, truthfulness and integrity. Next she summoned the god of wind, Vayu. From him, the son Bhima was born, who was famed as an embodiment of strength, vigor and power. Thirdly, she called upon the god of heaven, Indra. The outcome of that union was the famed Arjuna, who was a personification of devotion, spirituality and divine faith. A closer look reveals that Kunti strategically chose the heavenly gods to produce sons who would be fully qualified to guide society.

Leaders must embody these three qualities. They must have strength – the ability to make bold decisions, maintain clarity under pressure, show courage in daunting situations, and be willing to lead from the front. This strength needs to be tempered with morality – knowing the difference between right and wrong, being sensitive to human feelings, and showing maturity and awareness of the ramifications of each decision. However, both qualities must be founded upon a deep spiritual basis. Leaders who have this profound element to their character stand out – their ornaments are humility, compassion, incredible tolerance, positivity and unshakable faith. They function as servant leaders, uninterested in personal fame and selfish gain, but instead completely focused on bringing out the best in others. As Abraham Lincoln said “it’s amazing what you can achieve when you don’t care who gets the credit.”

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Are you Buddhist?

For many people a shaved head plus orange robes equals a Buddhist. At least that’s been my experience as a traveling monk. While the Buddhist and Vedic path are two distinct schools, they do share many things in common. The teachings, culture and spiritual practices bear striking resemblance to each other, and the ways of thought and action are both intriguing. Interestingly, followers of the Vedic tradition accept Buddha as an incarnation of Krishna, the speaker of Bhagavad-gita. The Buddha’s life and teachings are discussed in numerous passages of the Vedic texts, where his mission, contribution and spiritual achievements are expounded and predicted.

Fundamental meditations in Buddhism awaken one to the unpleasant facts of life, the nature of this world, and the reality of suffering. In the Buddhist teachings we find particular emphasis on the development of saintly qualities such as nonviolence, compassion and truthfulness. Buddhist texts describe how the root of suffering is found within the powerful material desires embedded in our hearts. The Buddha talked of karma, reincarnation, and transcending samsara (cycle of birth and death) through mind and sense control. The very same teachings are elucidated within the Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic texts. Followers of both traditions work at quieting unnecessary passions or desires, and instead cultivating desires of the spirit, pursuing the passion for truth.

So is there any difference? For Buddhists, nirvana, or cessation of material existence, is the goal. In the Bhagavad-gita, however, Krishna explains that relief from distress is only an intermediate stage on the path, but that spirituality ultimately evolves into positive emotion and action. One path is likened to awakening from a bad nightmare and experiencing relief and freedom. The other path encourages one to get up from bed, and go on to experience life to its fullest extent.  As Buddhism focuses on escaping this material world, the Bhagavad-gita talks of entering the spiritual world. That world is known as Vaikuntha, the place of no distress, but also the place where every word is a song, every step is a dance, every action is selfless, and every relationship permeated by love.

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The road less travelled

Last week I drove into Central London at 4.00am. It was refreshing - no cars, no traffic jams, no stress. Unfortunately it didn’t last very long. Cruising toward my destination I unexpectedly encountered major roadworks and got stuck in a huge tailback. Despite the strategic timing of my journey, I still ended up delayed! It reminded me of the challenges encountered in our early morning spiritual practices. Every day we dedicate the two hours around sunrise to focused personal meditation. Through the process of mantra, we whisper sacred names of Krishna and try to conscientiously hear that transcendental vibration. Attentive aural reception frees the mind, cleanses the heart, and brings one in contact with the spiritual reality. You simply have to focus on the vibration. Nothing else. Sounds simple, but in practice is quite problematic since the mind is notoriously difficult to control. One thought leads to another, which leads to a third, and soon we are drifting off and straying far from our purpose.

The early morning hours are considered the most conducive for spiritual practice since the mind can peacefully flow toward the spiritual goal. However, just as early morning road works slowed down my car journey to London, mental agitation can similarly inhibit the strength of one’s spiritual connection. As I sat down this morning in preparation for my chanting, a million things were going through my mind. There were doubts and uncertainties about pending situations. There were quarrels and conflicts of opinion on pertinent issues. There were worries about friends and pressures of expectation from respected associates. There was also excitement about future opportunities, a sense of pride at this week’s achievements and anticipation at the day ahead. What can I say... the mind is a busy place! How in the world would I be able to put this all to one side, pacify the mind, and concentrate on the task at hand – to simply hear the mantra and focus on the spiritual reality?

I tried to cultivate a broader mindset. Everything in my life can be resolved if I deepen my spirituality. The problem is not other people – but it’s actually my lack of tolerance, empathy and sensitivity. The problem is not the situations I find myself if in – but it’s actually my rigidity, stubbornness and lack of broader vision. It even occurred to me that all my aspirations and dreams can manifest beyond my imagination, but only after I fine tune my motivations and eradicate my ulterior selfish motivations. Everything is coming from spiritual purity, and spiritual purity is coming from determined and focused spiritual practice. As I sat down I thought to myself - “let me just focus on this mantra for the next two hours; after that, life will look quite different; situations and perspectives will change.” It worked. Bucket loads of mental energy saved, and real solutions found. I’ll try the same tomorrow. Wish me luck.

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