What is Spirituality

Isn’t it surprising that I am still unclear about spirituality? I left a home, nearly broke my relationships and family for the pursuit of something I am still not clear about. I always felt that spirituality is about searching for the meaning of life, connecting to something bigger than ourselves. Hindus connect everything with God and so do I. So, the search for spirituality is also the path for the search for God, the Eternal Truth, the Ultimate being.

Elements of Spirituality

The basic element of spirituality should have

• Deep awakening
• Enlightenment
• Compassion for everyone and everything
• Forgiveness
• Karma

Once a person increases his spiritual quotient, he can find inner peace and this will lead to bliss.

Thus, on one hand, spirituality and religion are different. But, as the ends of both are same; attaining inner peace and bliss, they are used as synonyms. This is not debated in India at all.

People can increase their spiritual quotient by many methods. Even doing their work diligently and praying to God can increase it. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। 

मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥ २-४७

Karmanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,

Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani

In the simplest form, this can be translated as “Do your work without expectation of the fruits of the labor, nor use attachments be the reason for inaction.”

Several great men and thinkers have interpreted this shokla according to their wisdom. I think it means that we should also do good work without thinking about what we will get in return and without looking at our worldly attachments. I should help others without thinking that I will get “Punya”.Punya has no literal translation in English. Put very simply it is the opposite of sin. We can call Punjya as positive marks.

  

What does Sanatan Sanstha say about spirituality

Sanatan Sanstha does not attempt to define spirituality. It says that the science of spirituality is called Adhyaatm Shastra. There is no defined path for increasing spirituality. Though satsangs and dharmasabhas are held regularly at Sanatan Ashram Ponda, we are not able to define the path. When questioned about this we are told that it is our ego which is questioning the sanstha. We are asked to do more naamjap (chanting) and devote ourselves to the seva of Guru, Dr Jayant Athavale.

Sanatan says there are several spiritual practices that lead to spiritual enlightenment. They prescribe methods for everything, there is a way of taking bath (we should take bath without removing clothes), how we should comb our hair, how to maintain hair, even on how to urinate. The scientific explanations are very vague and always refer to our holy texts without giving any specific reference. There are several instances when the reasoning contradict each other.

One big contradiction in my life was the responsibilities of a woman in Grihstha ashram and my stay at the Sanatan Ashram Ponda.

Hindu Dharma has divided our life into four stages called ashrams

• Brahmacharya ashram: the first stage of life from our birth onwards till we get married. Celibacy and education are the main focus in this ashram.
• Grihstha ashram: the second stage of life commences when education is completed and a person marries. The main duties of a married person is to maintain a household, raise and educate children and live a family-centric and dharmic social life.
• Vanaprastha ashram: This is actually a transition stage when a person retires and hands over the responsibilities to the next generation. He should hold the hands till they can handle their responsibilities. The focus shifts from the materialistic world to the spiritual world.
• Sannyasa ashram: the person renounces the materialistic world and adopts the spiritual world. He is engaged in the pursuit of God.

Vedic philosophy allows for a person to shift from Brahmacharya ashram to Sannyasa ashram. This is allowed only for very Enlighted souls who have been born to serve God. However, a person like me in Grihashta ashram cannot renounce her worldly duties. Sanatan Sanstha has given a spin to this angle itself. They lay the blame on my husband’s shoulders directly and also tell me that I have not renounced my life. I am just concentrating more on my spiritual progress.

Other spiritual Gurus do not prescribe to this, but then Sanatan does not care about their views. People like me do not question them, we have relinquished the control of our mind. Families get torn apart.

Broken dreams and broken relationships.