Bubble Bath

Imagine being tucked up in a cosy bed on a cold winter morning. Your alarm goes off at 6.00am, and after repeated snoozing you eventually resign yourself to waking up. As you struggle out of bed, you head for the bathroom. Turning the shower knob to deep red you expect hot water, but the initial gush of freezing cold water gives you the shock of your life! Now you are well and truly awake. As the water continues flowing, it slowly becomes warmer and much more comfortable. Gradually your body feels cleansed and completely fresh. By now the experience has become so pleasurable, that you don’t want to leave the shower! Five minutes easily turns into fifteen. You could stay there all day!

We don’t think twice about taking our daily bath. It’s just something you do. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t really feel ready to face the day ahead. Great sages explain that just as we bathe in water everyday to cleanse the body, we should similarly bathe in the words of the wisdom literatures on a daily basis to cleanse our consciousness. That philosophical bath wakes you up to reality, cleans out the negativity and unhealthy qualities, and ultimately becomes a relishable and enlivening activity. It’s absolutely essential for our spiritual health.

We can all make excuses to avoid books like the Bhagavad-gita. It’s not a question of time constraint, rather a question of priority. It’s not a question of intelligence to grasp the knowledge, but simply a question of having the desire. The deep insights help to burst the bubble of mundane existence and give us an eternal perspective. It reminds us not to take the illusion too seriously. As Mahatma Gandhi once said “When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to the Bhagavad-gita and find a verse to comfort me: and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it everyday.” The scriptures are not a spare wheel that we utilise in an emergency, but are actually meant to be the steering wheel of our life.

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Comparative Religion

It seems a natural instinct to measure success by comparing ourselves to others. Swami Prabhupada once met the Chief Executive of the Dai Nippon printing company based in Japan. He asked him what his goal in life was. Without saying a word, the tycoon reached for a stack of business cards of all his acquaintances. He then carefully removed his own personal card from the bottom of the stack and proceeded to slam it on top of the pile. He smiled at the Swami. The message was loud and clear. Often, this competitive desire to “be the best” can carry over into our divine pursuit. We mentally create a spiritual CV and proceed to judge our success based on the achievements, recognition and respect that we can build up within our spiritual circle. Admittedly, we often find security, reassurance and self-worth in feeling ourselves to be better than others.

Unfortunately, such a mentality actually stifles personal growth, damages relationships and ultimately leaves us feeling empty and dissatisfied. When we measure ourselves as “better” than others we develop pride and complacency. We cement ourselves in an illusory picture of our progress far beyond where we are really at. Furthermore, when we see others excel and surpass us it can feel threatening and discouraging. It dents our ego. A wisdom teacher once said: “more difficult than feeling sorry in someone else’s suffering, is to feel genuinely happy in someone else’s success.”

In actuality, there is no need to compare. Everyone has been divinely endowed with distinctive abilities. As we learn to complement each other’s unique personalities and cooperate to bring out the best in one another, then everyone can simultaneously advance in their spiritual journey. Everyone in an orchestra has an important part to play. The role that each instrumentalist plays, however, is not as important as the final musical composition. In the same way, the measure of our spiritual success is not in the external achievements and the recognition that we gain along the journey, but rather in the internal development of purity and selflessness that we are ultimately striving for. Rather than comparing with others, let us compare with ourselves so that we can constantly improve, develop and refine the content of our character.

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Split personality

Many of us on the spiritual path lead double lives. Carefully avoiding the image of an over-zealous religious nerd, we sometimes end up hiding our spirituality and even compromising our principles so we fit into the crowd. Initially, people may appreciate the added spiritual dimension to life, but when one’s interest grows, commitment deepens and priorities begin to change, that’s when the alarm bells start to ring. Parents are happy with the morality and principles that the practice of spirituality brings, but later they fear you may become too detached from the world, lose your drive for success and renounce your duties towards the family. Friends think it’s cool and funky to ’think deeper’, but later they complain that you’ve changed and how your company no longer stimulates them. How do we balance our spiritual journey with our worldly relationships? Is it possible to maintain your principles without becoming a social recluse?

In the second chapter of the Bhagavad-gita Krishna explains that “what is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.” Once, when asked what the purport of this statement was, Srila Prabhupada replied “they think you are crazy and you think they are crazy!” Materialists look at spiritualists and pity what they see as a conservative life of self denial and childish fairytale. Spiritualists look at materialists and lament their illusory pursuits for pleasure, foreseeing the frustration that comes from seeking substance in the shadow. Everyone has their own take on life. I guess the most important thing for a spiritualist is to come to terms with who they really are. There comes a point when you realize that life is too short to put up false pretences and masks. If you’re not comfortable with yourself, we can't really expect anyone else to be.

Interestingly, as a spiritualist matures, he is not only unaffected by the scepticism of others, but by his conviction and inspiration he can often influence and transform those very same people. Going to a deeper level, we realize we have lots in common with others. Everyone, despite their aspirations and goals in life are all actually looking for the same things – peace, love, achievement, relationships, security etc. The only difference is that we are all looking in different places. In this way, a spiritualist need not see himself as a black sheep, standing out like a sore thumb in society. Rather they can be likened to a drop of red ink thrown into a pool of water. By boldly taking the plunge and confidently expressing themselves, they will colourfully enrich the lives of everyone around them.

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Mr Motivator

In his paper "A theory of motivation", Abraham Maslow outlined the famous “Hierarchy of Needs" model. He explained that individuals are driven to pursue various things in life. However, only when basic needs are met can one begin to focus on higher pursuits. The climax of one's journey is “Self Actualisation” - the most satisfying and fulfilling state of human existence. At that stage one recognizes their purpose, their meaning, their inner-calling and their true identity.

The "Hierarchy of Needs" starts with the most basic necessities of human existence. We require food, clothing and shelter for our survival, and until we have them it’s difficult to contemplate anything else.  Once we have acquired those items, the next stage is to strive for security and safety in that position. Thereafter, the individual pursues emotional fulfilment through relationships, family, community and a meaningful bond with other people. They seek to share their life experiences with others. Beyond that, one focuses on boosting their esteem through achievements, distinction and recognition in their social circle. After someone realises these four objectives, Maslow posited the final goal to be “self actualization.” At this stage, the individual aims to discover the true meaning of life. They dig a little deeper, and search out the more profound meaning behind their existence. According to Maslow only 2% of the world’s population get anywhere near this stage.

In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna explains that “out of many thousands of people, one may endeavour for spiritual perfection, and out of those who have attained such perfection, only a rare few actually reawaken their personal connection with the Supreme Truth.” We look for happiness on many levels; through our bodily faculties, through emotional comfort and through intelligence and ego. Maslow’s first four levels deal with these external coverings. However, all such attempts at happiness do not touch the essence of our being. Beyond the body, the mind, and the intelligence, is the spirit soul. Thus, only spiritual food can really satisfy us. To understand this and realign our daily priorities accordingly is real self-actualisation.

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Stepping Forward

Recently I witnessed a gruesome car crash right in front of my eyes. Two drivers collided at full-speed, while another car careered off the motorway flipping over three times in the process. Within minutes there were dozens of police, ambulances and fire-engines. It reminded me how life sometimes changes its course in such sudden ways. We’ve all experienced those surreal and dreamlike moments – a car accident, the death of a loved one, a misfortune or some unexpected news. In a few short moments, everything seems to have changed. Our plans fly out the window, and we’re left completely disorientated. What next? As the reality of the situation dawns, the natural reaction is one of anger and frustration.

Once, Mahatma Gandhi and a friend jostled their way into to a crowded Indian carriage. As the train departed, Gandhi suddenly looked down and realised he only had one slipper on. He and his friend peered out the doorway and saw the other slipper lying on the platform and disappearing out of sight. Gandhi simply smiled. He then took off his slipper and hurled it down the platform, where it perfectly met its pair. He offered an explanation to his bemused friend – “keeping the slipper would have frustrated me, and whoever had found that other slipper would have been similarly annoyed. Now I can forget the incident and move on, and someone else can benefit from some free footwear!” There are two very important lessons to learn. Whenever we face some reversal in life, we have to come to a level of acceptance as soon as possible. Secondly, we have to move forward with positivity, optimism and progressiveness, making the best of the situation.

Easy on paper, hard in practice. I know. But what other choice do we have? Accepting the plans of providence liberates us. You don’t have to fight an inner battle any more. It’s futile to invest excessive emotional resource in that which is never going to change. Furthermore, the acceptance should give birth to an attitude of embracing challenges. As they say, you can’t direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails of your life. We must learn the art of finding opportunities in every situation. Beyond physical and emotional pain, the Bhagavad-gita explains that we are indestructible spiritual beings, empowered and equipped to face anything. As we become rooted in the eternal wisdom of the ‘greater purpose’, we become more and more aware that this life is just one chapter in a much longer story. It’s a chapter which inevitably has numerous twists and turns, and doesn’t always turn out the way we expect. 

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Heat of the moment

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is by far the biggest of its kind in the world. The average daily trading reaches $170 billion, while the total capitalisation of listed companies on the NYSE is well over $14 trillion. As you can imagine, daily events there can often reach fever-pitch. In the late 60’s, a few artful “yippies” conspired to create a publicity stunt at the Wall Street establishment. While swarms of brokers were cutting deals worth millions of dollars, these individuals quietly climbed to a vantage point overlooking the manic trading floor. They attracted everyone’s attention with a loud call, and proceeded to shower down fistfuls of fake dollar bills! As the individuals on the trading floor saw this astonishing sight, a frantic scramble ensued, as they shrugged each other off to grab the cash, while leaving all their lucrative deals hanging! It was incredulous – there was practically no financial benefit in their petty scramble, yet the mere sight of physical cash completely captivated them. For those few moments, their better intelligence lost them. As they realized the trick they quickly retreated back to their business in a desperate attempt to recoup their losses!

The world is full of temptations, allurements and a variety of attractive enticements. A cool-headed analysis of them confirms their ultimate uselessness and striking inability to bring us what we really desire. Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment, such temptations are practically irresistable. The opportunity for instant gratification captures our mind. The urge within seems too intense to tolerate. We know it would be a mistake, but we dont have the inner strength to say 'no'. Nevertheless, the comical Wall Street episode teaches us an age-old lesson. The net result of giving-in to empty, insubstantial temptations is that we feel frustrated, angry, cheated, and disappointed with ourselves. Furthermore, we simultaneously neglect and damage our progressive path in life which is more valuable, fulfilling and long-lasting. The necessity of forgoing immediate pleasure to attain something far greater holds true in every sphere of life – material or spiritual. The Bhagavad-gita offers a variety of solutions for those looking to embrace long-term wellbeing. Learning that art will COST you:

Conviction – be convinced of the great thing you are trying to achieve, and why it requires a certain discipline and self-restraint.

Openness – regardless of success or failure, be open with a friend and seek their advice, support, guidance and feedback.

Safety – be conscious to avoid provoking situations, people and mindsets which may compromise your principles.

Taste – work hard to experience the ‘better life’, and solidify your resolve by feeling the benefits of your restraint.

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Countdown

Recently I was in Trafalgar Square. There were crowds of tourists taking holiday snaps by the Olympic Countdown Clock. As I saw the digits slowly decreasing, it made me think that maybe up there in the heavens is a similar clock which is counting down my life span. At the age of thirty, I’m already beginning to feel the pains of old age! How long do I have left in this world? The Royal Advisor Canakya once said – “if you want material success, continue on thinking you’ll live forever, but if you want to succeed spiritually, then seriously consider that death may come tomorrow.” Throughout history we've seen numerous examples of individuals who had their spiritual journey spurred on by news of their imminent departure from this world. Thoughts of the end definitely shuffle up our life priorities.

At the same time, it’s clear that we can’t be gung-ho and over-zealous in our spiritual journey. We have to lead sustainable lives and make practical plans to survive in this world. We have to factor balance and maturity into the spiritual commitments we make. What if I don’t die tomorrow, but end up living another forty years? Could I still maintain the spiritual programme I have chalked out for myself? It seems contradictory. On one hand we have to feel incredible urgency and seek immediate transformation. On the other hand we have to plan our spiritual journey for a lifetime and be patient and measured in our approach. How do we reconcile these seemingly incompatible perspectives?

Think of the athletes training for the Olympics. If they over-do it, they may end up injured, debilitated and permanently restricted from the sport. Conversely, if they take the laid-back approach and fail to push themselves, they may not achieve the physical edge needed for victory and success. Thus, every good athlete engages a personal trainer. Spirituality is no different. We need the advice and guidance of gurus who are outside the box of our life. They can offer a mature perspective that bends you without breaking you. They remind you of the urgent need for complete spiritual dedication, yet simultaneously present practical solutions that progress you to that point.

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Joyful insignificance

Recently, thoughts of humility have been playing on my mind more than usual. Great prayers stress that one should be more humble than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, and ready to offer all respects to others while desiring none for oneself. In fact, the injunction is so crucial that one saint has advised the spiritualist to string it around his neck and wear it constantly. It seems that a humble disposition is the key to opening up the treasure house of spiritual experience. It brings freedom and joy, and helps us to live life the way it should be lived. Being humble is actually incredibly liberating.

Freedom from Expectation – a humble person is not disturbed by letdowns and misfortunes. Seeing themselves as an instrument in the divine plan, they work conscientiously and determinedly, but remain internally dependent on the divine will, careful to avoid placing personal expectations and demands on how life’s events and interactions should transpire.

Freedom from Pretentiousness - a humble person is happy to be himself. There is no false pretense, no image they want to project, nor any pressure to be a certain type of person. They recognize that whatever they have been given in terms of character and ability is endowed by the divine, and they happily utilize that for the divine. They have no desire to be the best, but are more concerned with trying their best.

Freedom from Blame – a humble person takes responsibility for whatever happens in their life. In all situations, the humble person is ready to learn, change and grow, carefully avoiding the temptation to play the blame game. They are fully aware that if they point one finger at someone else, there are another two fingers pointing back at them.

Freedom from Isolation – a humble person can see divine involvement in every situation, and thus feel supported and protected. In times of success and prosperity they develop feelings of gratitude and appreciation for the divine kindness. In times of struggle and upheaval, one is grateful for the lessons, and recognizes the value of ‘tough love’.

Trying to become a beggar, praying for some humility, we hope to one day experience the freedom that comes from joyful insignificance.

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