Commentaries by Vee Jay Attri during the Book Study – Secrets of Karma
Let’s continue with our study from the Secrets of Karma. We were reading on the law of balance, an extremely important subject to ponder upon deeply.
Also, in many instances, certain events can help bringing people back on the path they need to tread to manifest their mission for that lifetime. The following episode from the life of the revered Saint Tulsidas is a classic example to this:
The poet sage Tulsidas was so passionately in love with his wife that he used to follow her even when she was away for a day at her parents’ home. Once, out of disgust she said; “Had you put your mind on Lord Rama, you would have done good to yourself and others.” This made the passion driven Tulsidas realize his spiritual mission and compose his great epic work Tulsidas Ramayan and made him a revered saint.
Sometimes, little bit of reminders are needed for the soul to help the soul realize its mission in a particular lifetime. That is the reason why, within adversity there is always something good hidden.
So, sometimes it might be very painful for us to be insulted and to be reminded about things that we already know and already we should refrain from but then unless and until these levels of external reminders happen in a rather harsh way, the soul never recognizes.
That is the reason why, we have to learn to understand there is constantly something good that happens in all that happens to us and that the universe gives us some reminder or the other from time to time to help us fall back on the track that we truly belong to.
So, this kind of mild shock or even severe ones are very essential for the soul.
Sometimes you might dislike what you do and feel forced to do it due to the circumstances of your life.
It happens to many of us. Maybe you don’t like the job you are doing, maybe you don’t like the family you are into or any such thing that happens to you but then, as you ponder upon deeply within the condition is hidden something that is extremely essential and good for you. Embrace it cheerfully!
The key to progress is if a situation cannot be avoided, learn acceptance, unconditional acceptance. Not just simply accepting things because you have to, there is no other choice but accepting with awareness and exploring the lesson that is contained in any condition or situation.
In any way, if you look into the majority of the people, many people have to do things by force, out of utter necessity. Though they don’t like to do but then, they have to do it. That is the part of the necessity for survival. But in the case of the spiritual aspirant, the difference is that the spiritual aspirant goes through every situation with awareness.
So, the pain and the misery, even the spiritual aspirant experiences, sometimes many manifolds but at the same time there is a deeper level of awareness of the lessons that one need to learn to neutralize certain aspect of the karma. So, leading a life moment to moment with awareness truly, is one of the mightiest blessings that the spiritual aspirant can aspire for.
Once you understand the purpose behind all your experiences and accept them as part of your chosen path you can then, use those experiences to make rapid progress in all levels of your life. You have to remember, it’s all about the lessons the soul is expected to get.
The moment the lessons are thoroughly learned, the situation has to transform. That means, the purpose of every situation is to help the soul strengthen the spiritual muscles by learning a specific lesson which it is weak in.
Sometime back, I took the example, some of you might be remembering, that when you go to a gym and when you are quite used to certain set of body building activities and suddenly, the gym instructor, he gives you a weight and asks you to move it in a different way. And suddenly, you find that it is so difficult because this particular muscle is very weak.
So, you are quite accustomed to face and do activities in a particular way and when there is change or a shift, you really feel the pinch of it. Same thing happens in our life with our spiritual path. So, never ever be complacent, never enjoy comfortable darkness. It is extremely important that you embrace challenging situations joyfully, cheerfully.
It is in doing so, that you are going to develop the muscles that are actually weak without your knowledge. Once you develop those muscles, some other muscles will have to be developed. That means, evolution is an ongoing process. That is why, a warrior never shies challenges.
And remind yourself that the very purpose of you being on the plane of matter is because you are actually enrolled, not in a simple earth school but in a battlefield. You have to slowly learn to become a mighty warrior.
As you progressively keep facing different situations cheerfully, with full of courage, you are becoming better and better and better. That means, once you are out of a situation, you have already progressed leaps and bounds. You are not the same person.
That is the most beautiful aspect about all these conditions that are set for your life. You can never be the same person once you sail through a set of conditions. Suddenly, you feel the power, you feel that “Yes I can do anything!”
Look into the life of some of the athletes, the most successful athletes, whether it is in football or in any other fields, then, you understand that all the struggles led them into something very meaningful and constructive. That is exactly how it is for the spiritual path.
Earth School – Inner Reflection
Alright, let us do the review for the Earth school, Inner Reflection. You may please close your eyes. Take a deep breath! Try to blend in whatever I am reading and just be aware.
- I am in the earth school to learn and to evolve spiritually. All situations and all the experiences of my life are just a means to accomplish this.
- Lessons that I do not learn will repeatedly come back to me. I will learn my lessons properly.
- I accept my chosen path and bring excellence in all that I do.
- All is well and exactly the way it needs to happen now. My good times will come.
- The new has nine days. I will not be too attached to anything. I will take advantage of good times to grow spiritually.
- I will not give up. When the wheel comes down, it will go up. I will just do what I can and be patient. I will make it.
- All conditions of my life are part of my chosen path. I will take advantage of all my experiences and grow spiritually. So be it!
Chapter 7 – Path to Freedom
Alright we come to the last Chapter, chapter 7. The first one is Awareness because awareness is what frees you! There is a profound quotation here by the Author.
Time is a great healer but the process is slow.
Awareness heals you instantly.
-The Author
So, you would have heard this normal proverb that says, “Time is a healer!” but then, once you cultivate awareness the healing happens instantly. Awareness is an extraordinarily powerful tool, one of the most powerful tool or force of the universe we can say.
Once Prince Siddharta stepped out of his palace and saw a sick person, an old man and a dead body. The three events changed the course of his life.
The awareness of dukkha, suffering, made him renounce his princely life to discover the cause of suffering and the path to end it; and made him the Buddha, “the Enlightened One.”
In contrast, we experience and witness sufferings all through our lives but we seldom think about them. We are mired with pursuit for happiness, though it deludes us all the time, and we do not want to give up anything like the peanut monkey. Alright, let us look at the peanut monkey story:
Sometimes monkeys are trapped in strange ways! The monkey trappers keep small earthen pots with peanuts in the forest. The pot has a small mouth just enough for the monkey to put its hand inside.
Once the monkey grabs the peanuts, it cannot take its hand out unless it leaves the peanuts. The monkey will scream but will not let go of the peanuts and thus gets trapped! It is a very familiar story for all of us.
Peanuts are dear to people as well and they are not even aware of it! They hold on to petty issues and keep screaming with pain and agony but cannot let go of the peanuts. They want peace but will not give up that which causes distress!
The path to freedom begins by learning to ignore petty issues and practicing to let go when it becomes necessary.
So, for that matter, even if it is the most precious thing of your life and that becomes the cause of your misery and pain, you need to think what to do with that issue.
That is exactly where we have to learn to certain extent detachment. We have to practice being an observer. These are the two most important qualities that will certainly help you on the long way on your spiritual path.
Further reading, Secrets of Karma, Page 126 – 132