Love is the most powerful force in the universe, and this is what God is. This force does not judge, it loves us unconditionally. The greatest wish of God is that we also learn to love. As our soul or spirit is a drop of this ocean of consciousness called God, the way back to God is by living a life of love, a spiritual life.
A life in harmony with spirit, or a Spiritual life, means that we must strive to live a good or God-like life; one which embraces good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. Doing so, will lead to higher consciousness and help us realize the ideals of love, peace and unity with our fellow man, our planet and all creation.
Accordingly, observing the steps of truthfulness, practicing purity of life, non-violence, humility, and moderation, being of good character, and performing selfless service to mankind in our daily lives are all helping factors for a spiritual life.
#1 - Truthfulness
All spiritual practices begin by being true to oneself. Being true to ourselves means that our hearts, tongues and brains agree with what we say. So, we must mean what we say; and say what we mean.
Once a woman brought her little child to Gandhi because she was concerned that the child was eating too much sugar. Gandhi asked her to bring him back after three days. After three days when she returned, Gandhi simply told her child, "Well, child, DON'T EAT SUGAR." The mother asked Gandhi why he couldn’t have just said that three days earlier when she first came. "Because I was eating sugar then." Story of Mohandas Gandhi as told by Sant Kirpal Singh
If you yourself don't live up to what you say, how can your words carry any effect ? With all our preaching, our lives have not changed, because the preachers are themselves not living up to what they say. This is one thing.
Then, there is also the need to test the usefulness of the truth you are telling; is it kind, beneficial, loving and encourages loving feelings towards others, or does it harm others. If it is going to harm others, then don't speak. If you see something wrong somewhere, take the person aside and just point it out to them privately - heart to heart. But before speaking, think twice: What are you going to say? What will be the result of it? There are many ways to say something. As in the case of Father Abraham, he never spoke lies, but told half-truths; he only spoke that part of the truth which did not go to harm anyone.
#2 - Purity of Life
The body is the temple of God, the true temple of God. This is why it is also said that the health of the body and mind rests on spiritual health. The Light of God and the Voice of God are already within your body. You can hear it; you can see it with the help of a Godman. For this reason, we have to take care of how we keep this human temple of God.
"Cleanliness is next to Godliness." Keeping your body clean means not only the outer body, but to the inner body as well. Don't put anything into it which goes to defile it. This refers not only to the food we eat, and to how it is prepared, but also to how we earned the means to purchase our food.
So, the first thing required is that our livelihood has been earned by the sweat of our brow, in which there has been no dishonesty. Remember, your very consciousness, the God in you, is watching your every action. It does not matter whether somebody else is seeing you or not; you yourself, the God in you sees what you are doing. Knowing this, how can you commit any dishonesty? You hurt yourself first, then others.
"Whom you cannot give life to, don't take their life. Fruits, vegetables, milk and grain I give you for meat."
Essene Gospel of John
Furthermore, the food you are able to buy because of your labor, should be that kind of food that is a helping factor spiritually. You will find that this is generally fruits, vegetables, grains, milk and any products. All Masters advised this. Even Christ said that. If you read the Essene Gospel of John you will find it there: "Whom you cannot give life to, don't take their life. Fruits, vegetables, milk and grain I give you for meat." This is the exact wording. All other Masters have had the same thing to say..
It is equally important that whoever handles your food should have pure thoughts, because whatever thought reverberates in someone’s mind, good or bad, that energy will be absorbed by you, as everything has a radiation.. So, for those who cook, or who prepare the food, they should be pure, with very noble thoughts of God and love for all: with no anger, no enmity, nothing of the sort.
#3 - Non-violence or Ahimsa
Ahimsa means doing no harm, practicing non-violence towards all living things, in thought, word and deed; the underlying principle being love for all creation.
One who practices ahimsa, cannot tell a lie, cheat others or have ill-gotten gains.
All Masters told us, "Love one another. Not just by actions, but try not to harm even the feelings of others. Words are powerful and carry much effect; they can either console or flare up hurtful feelings. But, your thoughts are even more potent than that, because thoughts radiate. If you have loving thoughts, those thoughts will radiate love. Thoughts are living and possess great power.
Once, at a Satsang meeting in Delhi, while I was giving a talk, a cobra came out and stood on the stage in front of me. The people were shouting that a cobra was coming! I said, "Never mind; let him come and stand here." And he - that cobra - stood for one full hour, hearing the talk that was going on, looking at me.
When the talk was over, he sneaked away, and the people wanted to kill him. "Why? He has not done anything. Why kill him?" If you have no evil thoughts for anybody, they won't do any harm to you. So, simply, we should love all and live in fellowship with all creatures, with all life.
#4- Humility
Only one who is humble can learn something, and can be open to healthy influences. When you feel you know everything, then naturally you are stuck fast in your own ignorance. People are not open to truth, because in their own egotism, they consider that they are right even if they may not be.
Only a glass which is held under a pitcher of water, will be filled. It means that all good resides in a heart which is lowly, in those who are meek. St. Augustine was asked, "What is the way back to God?" And he said, "First, humility; second, humility; and third, humility."
Only when one is humble can he learn from others. In reality, there is something we can learn from the life of everyone.
The height of humility is to know that you have done nothing. You will find that the Saints who have become conscious co-workers of the Divine Plan are truly humble: because they see, "It is He Who is doing it, not I."
#5 - Be of good character
We should keep our thoughts clean. In the human body of someone whose thoughts are clean, you will find the good ground for God to manifest. Let no thought other than that of God strike. Even if you are living in the world, amongst your children, your families, your friends, the needle of your compass should be towards God. It is God who has given; it is God residing in them.
If you always think: all men are alike; they have the same privileges from God and are born the same way; they are the same embodied souls, and the very same God-power is controlling them in the body; their bodies are the true temples of God; then, naturally, you will have respect for all. So this is the purity required for being able to progress from day to day.
#6 - Lead a life of Self-control
Human beings were not born simply to eat, drink and make merry with no thought other than to feed the senses. Continuously feeding the bodily needs leads to loss of energy and diseases.
For example, the food you eat which is digested, will give you strength; undigested food flares up diseases in us. Thus, Masters tell us that the more you keep the stomach empty, the more therein you will find the light of God developed. Doing anything in moderation, gives the body energy. Similarly, chastity is life. Taking a companion in life is not only for begetting children. It is also for some higher purpose. You should both help each other to know God. This is the ultimate goal of the human body which we have. Chastity opens the door of meditation. You will have quicker results.
So all Masters say, simplify, simplify and simplify! Live in a simple way. Then you won't need to earn more money, and you won’t have to cheat or trample on the rights of others to make more money. Even from your hard-earned money, after you have spent what is needed for your own maintenance, you can share with others. Generally, we say, "We cannot live within our earnings." This is because we spend it only on accumulating things which we don’t really need. You'll find, the fewer wants we have, the happier we are.
#7 - Selfless Service
Man is truly one who lives for the sake of others. He should share with others; because we are all brothers and sisters in God. When you learn to give for the good of others, naturally you will feel joy; because your self expands.
Have love for all, love for God and love for all others. All Masters said this same thing: Kabir said so; Guru Nanak said so: "Peace be unto all the world over, under Thy will, 0 God." Christ said so: "Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and love thy neighbor as thyself." Love knows service and sacrifice. Love knows giving, sharing with others. Even if you sacrifice your own interests for the sake of others, that will go to expand your self.
Understand the Spiritual Path
The circumstances into which we are born; our religion, our race, our nationality, constrain and limit us to a particular way of thinking and acting towards our fellow man. Human birth, however, is a precious gift given to us for the sole purpose that we may evolve beyond these limitations and grow into the Highest consciousness.
He who cannot forgo self-interest can never realize the oneness of all life, or the closeness of God. These helping factors are very important things. So the measure of the extent to which you are living a spiritual life, is whether your actions, words or thoughts go to increase love and unity.
What are we after, really? We are really after knowing God and adopting certain ways which go to help us on the way. Try to understand the spiritual path, and then live up to it. We can change, especially when we are helped by others who are competent to give us help, who will take us in their charge.
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