A change of heart, not of location

Elizabeth Gilbert was fortunate that she could take a year away from her regular life and focus on fulfilling some of her dreams, and find some spirituality in the process. Most people have trouble finding a weekend to do the same. Does this mean that the spiritual life is out of the reach of most people? It is, if we think that "dropping out" is necessary, if we have to separate ourselves from our normal everyday lives in order to find deep spiritual meaning, then we will never have it but as a passing and rare moment or concept at best. Therefore, while having an opportunity to take a break from "the rat race" is good, what is much more valuable and worthwhile is that we find a method of having spiritual meaning and depth in our daily existence. There are various ways that people have found to do this. I will draw from the Hindu tradition and yoga in explaining a way it can be done.

Spirituality is a fundamental aspect of Hindu life. (This does not mean that all those who call themselves Hindu take it seriously, for many do not.) The aim of Hindu spirituality is traditionally said to be liberation from the cycle of birth and death. For many, this is true. However, since the rise of the earliest devotional movements in India more than fifteen hundred years ago, others have seen love of the divine as the ultimate goal. Nevertheless, the paths to liberation or devotion both utilize similar practices in order to reorient the practitioner's relationship to the world and to God. The Hindu term used for such practices is "sadhana." These practices have little or nothing to do with what religious label one chooses to identify or with what one chooses to believe. Instead, they focus on one's actions and lifestyle. They traditionally include practices such as prayer, religious rituals, the various limbs of yoga, fasting, keeping silence, etc. While householders are expected to do some practice each day, although it is not mandatory, sadhus (renunciants) are expected to fill their lives with sadhana. It is, after all, the purpose of their existence.

When I first became a sadhu, I was told rather specifically what sadhana practices I should do. These included various forms of asceticism, as well as all eight limbs of the standard system of yoga. Over the years, however, it was left increasingly up to me to decide what practices I would undertake. I came to realize that the real purpose of sadhana is to purify our hearts and minds to help us realize and commune with the eternal divine within. This is why there was never an emphasis on external labels, and any vows that were taken had to be personally chosen. It also became clear me that anything we do that can take us closer to those goals and to God can be a part of our sadhana. This is important since it means that sadhana can happen right here and now and does not require leaving our everyday lives. It only requires a change in the way we approach and undertake it.

So where can one begin? The practice of yoga is a good place for this, especially since the physical aspect of yoga has already become popular in the west. However, its ethical foundation, which is elucidated in the first two limbs of the system, is unfortunately
barely known. Yet, this provides the spiritual basis for the entire system. In these two limbs, there are a total of ten values and practices given. The first two are worthy of discussion here, and if undertaken seriously and as a form of sadhana, can in themselves lead to a deep spiritual transformation within nearly anyone's life. They are truth and nonviolence and are mentioned in some of the earliest writings in the Hindu tradition, as well as being integral to both Jainism and Buddhism. Mahatma Gandhi called them the wheels of the chariot that takes one to God. If one can begin to establish or increase the presence of these in one's life on a regular basis, then many of the other virtues that are associated with the spiritual path, such as compassion, non-attachment, forgiveness, humility, wisdom, and tolerance will also become a part of one's life.

How then can one accomplish this? Well, start our by speaking the truth as a regular practice. If everyone started doing this, the whole world would begin to change. I realize for many this might mean breaking well established habits. One could start by being totally truthful (in thought, word, and action) as a form of sadhana once a week. On that day, one could reflect on how often we exaggerate, omit information, or out right lie for personal benefit, often at the expense and harm of others. It would be a great opportunity and challenge to take a deeper look at how we communicate with others, and with ourselves. We could see how much truth is actually missing in our lives. Imagine if everyone in the country practiced this one day a week. Of course, our politicians and many of our attorneys would likely have to keep silence that day, but that in itself would benefit most of us anyway.

Next, we could add one day a week of non-violence as a part of our sadhana. Again, this would be in thought word, and action. Imagine if everyone committed to doing this at least one day a week. We could cut down on domestic violence, child abuse, and the murder of millions of innocent animals that are killed every single day to simply appease the taste buds of Americans. We would also take a big step toward cleaning up environmental pollution and slowing down global warming. The livestock industry is one of the largest polluters of water and land in our country and the largest human induced cause of methane gas, second only to carbon dioxide as a global warming gas.

The vast majority of Americans and others who live in an urban society, work, and are trying to make ends meet as they raise a family already lead lives that are so full that they find little time to step away from it all and devote much energy to a deep spiritual
transformation. Yet, everyone of us can take steps toward making truth and nonviolence more integral parts of our lives. If this is done as a part of our personal sadhana with a spiritual goal in mind, then none of us need to drop out of our everyday lives or go on a spiritual retreat. Every day will provide us with an opportunity for a deep spiritual transformation, both individually and as a society. It requires no change of religion, only a change of heart.

By Ramdas Lamb  |  August 16, 2010; 1:43 PM ET Save & Share:                 
Previous: Freedom of religion: having the courage of our convictions | Next: Difference between good, could and should

The comments to this entry are closed.