Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar offers remarkable insights on spirituality and the path to self-explorations
One of the most misconstrued subjects is spirituality. We think spirituality is for people who are depressed or who have nothing to do, or it is something that is to be taken up as a hobby post your retirement. This is what many people assume it to be. Moreover, there is also a misconception that spirituality is against worldly experiences or worldly enjoyments. Because of these conflicting ideas, people try to run away from it.
But with most of the world in lockdown, the time has come for us to explore spirituality.
What is spirituality?
Scientifically speaking, we are made up of both matter and consciousness. Our body is made up of amino acids, carbohydrates, and proteins. And we need to have a properly balanced diet to take care of our bodies. Similarly, our consciousness is made up of happiness, peace, joy, confidence, clarity of mind, intuitive ability, intelligence - all these are fine qualities.
Spirituality is anything that uplifts your consciousness, brings you peace of mind, and gives you self-confidence. Those attributes that help you to communicate better with people, promote better understanding about yourself, others, and about the universe are a part of spirituality.
Is spirituality for everyone?
We cannot avoid spirituality in our life because it is a part of us. Nobody says, ‘I don’t want to be happy’ or ‘I don’t want peace’. And, true peace and happiness are what spirituality brings to you. It’s the understanding of your consciousness which gives you unconditional happiness and unshakable peace. This means everyone on this planet is a spiritual seeker because everyone wants happiness, peace, and love. Your consciousness is made up of love and experiencing it at will is all spirituality is about.
Explore your spiritual side
Spirituality helps you get rid of tension and stress, and the cloud of misery that your mind has created. It helps you peep into your personality and explore that there is so much more than what you thought.
Spirituality is not only about believing in some god up there. Spirituality is exploring the godliness inside of you. God is in every particle and the aspect of godliness is in you as well. Spirituality is that which gets you connected to your godliness, to your potential, to your own higher values, higher qualities, and abilities that your consciousness possesses.
But how do we get access to this?
It’s very simple. In Hindi, there is a saying, “Phool todne mein deri ho sakti hai, parmatma se milne mein nahi.” (It may take little time to pluck a flower, but not even that much time is needed to connect with oneself, to the Divinity within you.)
You simply have to know how to relax and rest deep in your heart. This is what meditation is all about.
To do this, to get out of the stressed, tensed mind and to get into the bottom of our existence, we need to practice a few things.
What are they? The first is pranayama which is focused breathing exercises. Practicing pranayama helps us get free from stress and following it up with meditation takes us deep into our true nature, which is Sat-Chit-Anand, i.e. beauty, love, and pure consciousness.
It’s time to stop making excuses about time.
Usually, people complain, ‘I don’t have time.’ But with the world in the lockdown, we have all the time that we needed. Just take that tiny step to explore the source of happiness that is lying deep within you.
Get access codes to the wisdom that you already have. For example, on your computer, you have a lot of data and videos but you cannot access them if you don’t have the access code to your computer. And that’s how we have been living our lives.
This is the best time to do it and here is the access code - log on and you will find an experience which is beyond words. Explore your spiritual side with the Art of Living Meditation and Breath Workshop.
