Awful Hindrances on Spiritual Path

The spiritual practitioner faces many odds and hurdles in life. He has to go through many blazing situations while treading his path. He has to display/ manifest/ pop out his inherent/ latent qualities also for the purpose. Some call/ address such a person as a ‘Sadhu’ as he is an aspirant (‘Sadhak’) to achieve godly knowledge through tiring persistent efforts and practise them in life. History is replete with many sordid tales of saints and seers etc. devoted to this path including Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Mira Bai, Bhagat Prahalada, Jesus Christ and Rishi Vishwamitra who suffered at the hands of evil entities/ elements only because of sticking to their morals, ethics and principles etc. They also led lopsided lives and removed blockades like small stones and boulders coming on their way.

          The whole world is super glued and trapped in attachment and emotions, for favourable results, which are not real, though desired for the life to move on till it becomes a burden or some prick is felt. Attachment is a link to create and maintain relations. The real attachment and love is towards God which will only create an ultimate and infinite bond which can be achieved through spiritual practices. It is a great challenge, a sacrifice and difficult path to tread by forgoing one’s comforts and enjoyment. The worldly attachment is nothing but an illusion (‘Maya’ ). The attachments to worldly possessions have compelled us to surrender our will and dignity to them. This un-necessary desire always comes on the way of spiritual aspirants. We are stuck-up with worldly comforts in such a way that nothing but strong will is needed to renounce them. To overcome this, it is pre-requisite to control our minds. We all know that death is certain and we have to leave behind everything but we are still busy in amassing wealth and possessions in a big way of which we are trustees only but still our life is unpleasant. We can survive only by developing an art of dying while living.

          It may not be so difficult to get rid of certain things in life but it is extremely difficult to renounce old habits so easily. It is proved, beyond doubt, that hurdles lead us to advancement. Another hurdle for the aspirant is ego which confronts him at every step. Ego is a ferocious and dreadful monster which needs to be removed/ plucked out/ weeded out from the way at the earliest possible. Please don’t forget the egoistic end result of Ravana and Hirnakapisu.  To achieve the goal one has to sternly control his sense organs with determination lest they go astray. Also he has to maintain perfect health to live in adverse climate and circumstances. The consumption of non-vegetarian food, alcohol and drug addiction not only eat away aspirant’s body but mind also, which become dull, and do not allow him to tread simple, right and godly path. His food should be simple and a little short of hunger. He has to forgo the opulence of life and may prefer to live in solitude, away from the din of city life and maintain neat and clean character. Also he has to tolerate many odds of life. He may prefer to lead celibacy in life. It is necessary for the spiritual practitioner to cleanse his outer and inner image for which he need not don saffron/ ochre or white clothes or smear body with holy ashes/ sandal-wood paste. He should be master of scriptures and know and be able to explain in detail the meaning, purpose and impact of performing many rites and rituals.

          Some more common and difficult habits to renounce for the aspirant are:- (1) Avoiding use of curt, circuitous and sarcastic language. (2) Discrimination in any form. (3) Joining political forums. (4) Not connecting with God. (5) Not serving people with selfless motive. (6) Not spreading spiritual message to improve the lot of people. (7) Not keeping regular company of saints/ sages and making the mind blunt and impure in the absence of interactive sessions. (8) Devoid of faith and love with God. (9) Criticizing the religion and way of life of others. (10) Encouraging violent and passionate ways. (11) Caring and preferring values of life than truth. (12) Not forgiving the wrong doers, this helps to maintain relations to move on in life. (13) Not being sublime but afflicted of anger.

          Please don’t forget that had Sri Rama not gone to a jungle, in exile and not faced many hurdles, then how Ramayana would have taken a shape of famous epic? Also how people would have come to know about the principles and heroic deeds of Sri Rama?

          We have gained and learnt a lot due to the hurdles faced by the spiritual practitioners in many ways. He maintains good character and discipline and can contain many adversities of life. He will become a possessed man of God and a person of simple living and high thinking. His blessings to people carry grace of God. Such persons help us in protecting our religion, culture, morals, ethics, and righteousness and to lead austere life. He becomes an informidable person to achieve anything. He will extricate us from all the troubles by extending his hands. He acts as a fire-fly (phosphorescent beetle) to provide shimmering light in the darkness of knowledge to the needy. He is a pillar of interfaith amity. The seeker achieves  liberation from the cycle of birth and death and concentration of mind by meditating upon the Supreme Lord. He endeavours to enlighten the people and nourishes their minds by disseminating spirituality and divine discourses.

          We should keep in mind that nothing like glamour, name and fame etc. go with us at the time of discarding our body but only the balance sheet of our ‘karmas’ (deeds) , Gita proclaims so. One, who treads the spiritual path, finds the journey very rough, tedious and thorny in the beginning. Once he overcomes these difficulties and hindrances with his grit/ determination, his life turns smooth and enriched and he feels solace and pleasure due to grace of God. Being a person of spiritual mettle he becomes a champion of life. Thus he leaves behind a fulfilled cherished life.