But some of us want to come out into the light and rise to a higher plane with the help of the spiritual current, which may be likened to the elevator which takes people from one floor to another. If we look within ourselves, we find that our body is a part of the ocean of matter and that cosmic energy is flowing through it and sustaining it. But no effort is wasted. This is also the ancient teaching of the sages of India: “The resplendent and pure Self, whom pure and sinless souls, free from evil or impurities, have realized as residing in the body, can be attained by truthfulness, concentration, true knowledge, and perfect chastity.”. But the enlightened ones speak in a different language. Art Linkletter , from the TV program: ‘Kids say the darndest things’ said: Because there is always something out there yet for me. Is just the truth. This is the questions I aim to explore, as I believe the answers to be crucial for us to overcome one of the biggest hindrances, as I see it, in finding truly viable solutions to pressing problems. . In spiritual life, we use the word “obstacles” with reference to both the inner and the outer world, to physical and subtle objects, and to conditions and situations which stand in the way of our spiritual progress. If you enjoyed this post and would like to read similar ones: God bless, and more of His grace & revelations. Internally we can deal with spiritual bondage and idols … Personal insight into your strengths and weaknesses is an … The Lord had removed all his vices—his obstacles in the spiritual path—and filled his soul with his loving, divine presence. You can develop faster spiritually if these hindrances are overcome or eliminated in your life. The proper thing is to do all we can and also to pray. It was then that he was drawn to Sri Ramakrishna. As one gets the fragrance of a flower by handling it, as one gets the fragrance of sandalwood by rubbing it against a stone, in the same way one gets spiritual awakening by constantly thinking of God. . This is a matter of actual experience for many spiritual aspirants. As we become purer and purer, we come more and more in direct contact with the cosmic spiritual current. Owing to ignorance, the spirit forgets itself and becomes identified with the ego, with the mind and the senses, with attachment and aversion, with the sense objects, with the body and its functions—all products of ignorance. Study 9 THE HINDRANCES TO A SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE. It is very important … The mind has become soiled by worldliness. Simply enter your email address to subscribe to my blog and receive weekly treasures from my heart. Well, spiritual development is similar to that. Most of us may not care to rise to a higher plane. James Fraser of Brea (1639-1698) was originally from the Black Isle, Ross-shire. It is the masks that become impure, not the Atman. This is impossible for us to do on our own anyway! There’es always one hill higher, with a better view. There is restlessness and restlessness—that of the worldly man hankering for the pleasures of the world; and of the spiritual seeker yearning for progress, wanting to move from a lower plan of consciousness to a higher one. Vidya tends to help us towards Self-realization and freedom. Without intense and unremitting striving on our part, we can never experience divine grace. Sometimes we want to get into the elevator but the door does not open; this is one of the obstacles. . Doubt and unbelief are hindrances to spiritual exploit. Both these, serving different needs, present themselves to humanity. When the young man said, “My mind is restless,” he was not speaking of ordinary restlessness and unhappiness. Young Narendra, who later became Swami Vivekananda, was very friendly with Girish and was warned by the Master not to associate with him too much: “Girish is like a cup in which garlic is kept. (Hebrews 6) Through this development you will achieve peace and freedom by way of revelation about God's word and overcoming the misapplication of God to your life. Similarly our soul must also be in a fit condition, in a state of purity and harmony, so that it may remain in direct touch with the cosmic spiritual forces. To keep the mind in good health, we must follow the moral laws which stand for harmony and purity. . It is essential that we have a correct idea, a balanced estimate, of our conditions and environments. Be blessed. : adhibhautika or that caused by other living beings such as beasts, thieves, and evil-minded persons; and the adhidaivika or the misery brought about by natural phenomena such as extremes of temperature, floods and storms, earthquakes, pestilences , etc. Sometimes the spiritual current does not move at all; sometimes it moves for a time and stops; sometimes it tends to move in wrong directions. One of the hindrances to prayer is lack of trust, Most times, our prayers are not … A great help to our moral and spiritual life is the remembering of the supreme truth that we are the Atman. The third hindrance to spiritual development is an inappropriate spiritual climate. Let us try to understand its secret through the illustration of a seed. Suppose a light is brought into a room that had been dark a thousand years, does it illumine the room little by little, or in a flash?”, Girish: “I have no sincerity; please grant it to me.”. The last time some of us saw Girish, he told us: “As I move my hand, I feel that it is not I but the Lord who is moving it.” His eyes and face were radiant with the glow of his inner illumination and unbounded love for the Lord. {For example, some believers … We cannot have the one without the other. We are all born with subtle impressions and tendencies brought from previous lives and we also acquire new ones in our present life. If you do your part Jesus will do his part. The door opens and we get into the box but the box does not move—this is another kind of obstacle. A glorious illustration of how a most sinful person can become righteous and attain the highest illumination and peace through the grace of the Supreme Spirit is seen in the life of Girish Chandra Ghosh, the famous actor-dramatist and a great disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. It will be just like the man who, finding his house on fire, started praying for rain instead of trying to put the fire out through means available then and there. Lust, greed, anger, all gradually leave one who practices spiritual disciplines.”. Spiritual life is the cleansing of this second nature of ours, the cleansing of the masks—the coverings of the ego, the mind, and the body. His book, Meditation and Spiritual Life, a compilation of his class talks, is considered one of the finest compendiums on spiritual life. The microcosm develops properly when it is in tune with the macrocosm. The breeze of his grace is always blowing. If we have evil tendencies, we also have good ones—even more of the good than the evil. For every obstacle there is a clear way to overcome it – to … And we must beware of morbid theologians who think only in terms of sin, who always speak of humanity as a bundle of sin. Obstacles continue to confront us till we have known God’s grace and attain the peace and blessedness that come from divine realization. She replied: “Through these spiritual disciplines, the ties of past karma are cut asunder. There are five things that Gautama Buddha … Michelle du Toit lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. Let us not, however, imagine that life is only full of obstacles. Worship, japa, meditation—do these help one?”, Devotee: “Then how does one attain to the wisdom of God?”, Mother: “It is only through his grace. Swami Yatiswarananda was famed for his meditative life and spiritual attainment. Here are the most common obstacles to spiritual growth as well as strategies for overcoming those obstacles. The spiritual current, when properly roused, takes us from one center of consciousness, or chakra, to another. Thank you, I love hearing from my readers. We have to rise higher and higher and also expand more and more in our consciousness. The 90-Day Spiritual Awakening Journal is a devotional workbook/journal that teaches you with proven Biblical principles in simple daily exercises and writing prompts “how” to enjoy the rich presence of peace, love, and joy your heart is looking for!. Ill-Will. “You have to be stronger than your obstacles, and braver … Both the good and the pleasant come to humanity. The Katha Upanishad declares: “As the sun, which forms the eye of the universe, is never defiled by the external impurities seen by the eyes, so the one Self that resides in all beings is never touched by the evils of the world.”. Something of this kind happened to me when I spoke to Swami Brahmananda of some obstacles standing in the way of my spiritual progress. The Atman puts on the masks of the causal body, the subtle body, and the gross body. . . That removes the impurities of the mind. Though we … 5 Hindrances to Spiritual Growth When it comes to spiritual growth, there are internal and external obstacles we all face when achieving our goals. Not Giving God complete control. Read 7 Ways to Overcome Any Challenge by Whitney Hopler - Christian career and job development advice,tips and help! Failure to self evaluate. One of the best ways to combat such feelings is to avoid reckless actions. Till my days are over, never fully fill my cup. The Master assured him, “All the smell disappears when a blazing fire is lighted; if you heat the cup in the fire you will get rid of the smell,” and he declared that people would be astounded at the marvelous change that would come over Girish. These may act as hindrances to spiritual life. The Five Hindrances On The Spiritual Path & Their Antidotes When we do our meditation, mindfulness or a reflection practice, it will not always be plain sailing. I get a kick out of living in the here and now. With the help of an illuminating conversation between a devotee and Sri Sarada Devi—the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna, also known as the Holy Mother—we can clearly understand the connection between spiritual practice and divine grace. … 1. The individual must be in tune with the cosmos. Spiritual life is a twofold movement, one of which may be represented as vertical and the other as horizontal. There are different kinds of obstacles, and we come across them in the different stages of our spiritual life. Our individual mind is a part of the cosmic mind, and our individual soul is a part of the cosmic soul. It is rightly said that even as every saint has a past, so has every sinner a future. What we term self-effort and divine grace supplement each other. The deliberate idea of overcoming these five hindrances is important because it is the five hindrances that block the door to both the jhānas, and wisdom. The question may be asked, how do I know the mind of the young man? Something waiting to be learned that I never knew. But one must practice meditation and japa. All our spiritual teachers declare unanimously that the soul in its essential nature is pure spirit. There are objects causing aversion; frequently giving unwise … to get in the way of my personal spiritual growth. Vivek, Kali: In Our Hearts and Minds Led by David Nelson. This purity is essential for our spiritual growth and brings us in touch with the cosmic spiritual forces which the devotee calls the grace of God. The aspirant should first learn about the spiritual path from some great soul and then follow it methodically. . Let us choose the path of good and become purer in body and mind. Increasing our knowledge base and understanding God’s Word is key. The swami then spent ten years teaching Vedanta in the United States, returning to India to head several Centers, eventually becoming Vice-President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. It is then that the cosmic will or the divine grace flows through the soul and assures its progress. Brahman is like the sun that is reflected in the water. Gradually his mind became purified, though he had to go a long way. It’s the five hindrances that fuel avijjā. If we come across many obstacles and hindrances, we get also many helps and aids both within us and without. This keeps the mind in contact with the cosmic mind and so in good health. Spiritual life is like a stream and should move towards the ocean of Sat-Chit-Ananda or Infinite Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, call it Godhead, Brahman, the Lord, Allah, or Tao, as you please. “Mommy,” the girl explained, “First I prayed that my brother may be a better boy, then I prayed that no more birds may fall into the trap, and then . Lose yourself in prayer and meditation; otherwise, how can the door to spiritual truth be opened? All our practices must be carried out in a spirit of prayer, self-surrender, and dedication to the Divine. I want to be sure to live a life worthy of the calling I received from You, help me to start growing. Directed by the Master, Girish followed the path of absolute self-surrender to the divine will—a path very few can follow. As a result of this, however, he felt continually the presence of the Lord, and became a man of God. The task in our spiritual life is to make this current move; move in the right direction and move steadily till the goal is reached. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Sri Krishna gives this categorical assurance: “Even the most sinful amongst people, if that person worships me, the Supreme Spirit, with unswerving devotion, must be regarded as virtuous, for that person has resolved rightly. Until then, however, we have to persist steadily in our spiritual practices; we have to continue the struggle however insurmountable the obstacles may seem for the time being. Spending time reading the word is a part of growing who we want to be. A young man was once asked about this spiritual progress by Swami Brahmananda, his teacher. The battle field IS the mind and we are in a battle. You may wash it a thousand times but can never get rid of the smell altogether.” Girish heard this and felt offended. Great to hear from a reader. In the Sankhya Sutras, Kapila mentions duhkhas of three types: adhyatmika or that caused within ourselves—in the body by illness and unhealthy living, and the mind by evil desires, anger, greed, folly, pride, envy, etc. The Supreme Reality, or God, is like the sun. Thinking this was wrong and cruel, she became very sad and wept. A little girl’s brother used to set a trap to catch birds. The fourth is the door opens, we get out on the floor, move about for a time, but are not able to find our way back to the elevator when we want to rise higher. It is our second nature that becomes impure, and it can and should be purified. At least 80% of diseases … Avidya darkens the understanding and binds the soul. But you can realize him right now if you become free from desire.”. In order to keep the body in good health, we must follow the physical laws. Swami Brahmananda used to tell us: “To obtain God’s grace is the most important aid in spiritual life. He would not promise to undergo even the simplest spiritual discipline, and was very happy when Sri Ramakrishna asked him to give “the power of attorney” and promised to assume all responsibility for his spiritual life. Building spiritual growth is a day-to-day process. She is married to Adrian, with two children. While good tendencies help, evil ones obstruct our spiritual progress. Blinded by their own narrow ideas, theologians make too much of a mystery about divine grace, which they say can be attained only by following their own pet doctrines and dogmas. Take the time to go through the list and repent of your sins you can relate and remove the hindrances to divine healing in your life. We can only overcome the enemy by our faith in God. Just unfurl your sail.” This means that we should keep ourselves open to the divine grace—the cosmic spiritual current—by attaining purity through the performance of regular spiritual practice. There seems to be an obstacle inside me. If the seed is planted in the proper bed and is kept in touch with nature—with earth, water, heat, air, and space—it grows into a plant and finally develops into a mighty tree. Vidya is that current which leads us Godward; it manifests itself as discrimination, nonattachment, devotion, and love for God. The body is like a vessel, the mind is like the water in it. The good news is that, we do not have to fight overcoming them all by ourselves. A plant needs sunlight. .” she added triumphantly, “I went out and kicked the old trap to pieces.” So prayer is to be combined with self-effort to break old unethical habits and form new good ones. If we have within us such enemies of spiritual life as egotism, sensuality, greed, and anger, we have also such friends as selflessness, self-control, charity, and compassion. If the person proceeds haphazardly he or she cannot make much progress, and if the person gives up entirely, the effort to begin again will be twice as difficult. . The article below was taken from the Jan-Feb 1959 Vedanta in the West. Spiritual life, if properly lived, must lead us from the egocentric to the cosmocentric position. Proper food, moral practices, and spiritual exercises remove the obstacles in body, mind, and ego, keep us in tune with the cosmic will and fit to receive divine grace. The purity attained through spiritual disciplines may be of a very high order, but it is not perfect. It reflects itself on the pure mind. . Girish at that time thought that the path of self-surrender was the easiest but later on realized what a most exacting thing it was. There are several common obstacles, and by … In general, there are obstacles of various kinds producing misery, or duhkha of various types. Proper food, moral practices, and spiritual exercises remove the obstacles in body, mind, and ego, keep us in tune with the cosmic will and fit to receive divine grace. If you or someone you love is on the verge of a spiritual … You'll be surprised by the fourth obstacle but it's a major one for women. One of the congregation congratulated him, “We never knew what sin was until you came!” What a compliment! He spent seven years teaching Vedanta in Europe, where he founded an ashram in Switzerland, though he lectured on Vedanta from Madrid to Warsaw. We are like Pluto’s men in the cave who took the shadows to be real and were quite satisfied with the life of darkness they lived. 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