The meeting place of holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati is known as Triveni juncture. According to mythology Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are the supreme Gods of creation, sustenance and annihilation. Saraswati, Laxmi and Kali are embodiment of divine powers. Gayatri, the Goddess of wisdom has three phases, which are known as Vedmata (mother of knowledge), Deumata (mother of divine powers) and Vishwamata (mother of universe). There are three aspects of life, which are known as thinking, character and behaviour. They have been described as divine power, life and nature or to be more exact as soul, physical body and world. This trinity is visible everywhere. On this basis, various activities of nature are in vogue, in the form of origin, sustenance and annihilation. Soul, physical body and matter, these are three constituents of human life. Everyone tries to make his body healthy and beautiful and his soul refined and cultured. He wants to become materially prosperous and luxurious. Overall form of spiritual training of life (Jiwan Sadhana) consists of proper co-ordination of these three phases of life to maintain progress and peace. Chief among them is consciousness, which may also be called soul. One’s outlook is formed according to the level of his consciousness. It is the soul, the inner self of a man, which decides which direction his desires, sentiments and beliefs should take. His characteristic, action and nature are moulded accordingly.
It is the spiritual side of a man, which decides what he has to do, in which direction he has to move? Spiritual power has, therefore, been regarded as foremost wealth and success. On its basis, man exercises self restraint and improves health. His mind becomes vigorous, virile and brilliant. The spiritual training of life, therefore, means spiritual progress. Upliftment of the inner self implies overall uprising of human life. The entire structure of physical well being, material advancement and public contact should be raised on spiritual basis so that all round progress, success and meaningful aim of life could be attained
The universal method of spiritual progress is self training. It may also be called symbolic ‘worship’. It is easy to gain knowledge but difficult to bring it into practice. Symbolic worship is nothing but this practice, which is also known as Yogabhyas (practicing Yog), Tapashcharya (self mortification, asceticism). Jap (repeating utterance of sacred incantation of Vedic hymns), meditation, Pranayam (Yogic exercise to control vital breath, mind etc.) Different religious sects have different methods of worship, but all have the same object of self training and awakening of emotional sensitivity. Devoid of such an objective, symbolic worship would result in treading a beaten track. A lifeless body, although it has the same shape is unable to do anything. In the same way, rituals and symbolic worship will not be able to fulfil the purpose of spiritual advancement in the absence of upliftment of emotional empathy.
This is what is going on these days. People somehow fulfil rituals and formalities of worship but never care to arouse emotional sensitivity. The result is that there are no symptoms of development in the life of most of the people. There is no sense in wishful thinking that desired boons will be grabbed by pleasing God by performing such rituals. God is not one, who takes bribe or likes flattery. One should, therefore, fully understand the reality and not waste time in blindly following mob mentality of indulging in symbolic worship and performing rituals without understanding the real meaning behind them, so that the object of attaining all round spiritual progress may easily be achieved.
Food, water and air are essentially needed for maintaining body. Similarly for fulfilling the need of spiritual advancement, Upasana (worship), Sadhana (spiritual training) and Aradhana (adoration and benevolence) are the three essentials. Upasana (worship) means sitting near and establishing close relationship with God. God has no form. His image, effigy or portrait are established for the sake of convenience of meditation and contemplation. One can have a glimpse of God and establish a close relationship, close proximity with him only by devotion through exalted thinking and idealistic, emotional upsurge. God is embodiment of all divine virtues. If he has to be worshipped in some form, close relationship and deep love has to be established in some imaginary image, idol or portrait. Great persons like Ram, Krishna, Buddha, Gandhi etc., who sacrificed their life for public good in fulfilment of high ideals may be regarded as partial incarnations and can be worshipped as one’s own favourite deity. Everything which is done to establish proximity with higher ideals, virtues and sentiments is known as Upasana (worship).
Next comes Sadhana (spiritual training). In other words, spiritual training of life means character building. Incorporation of devotion, love and emotional sensitivity in one’s thinking comes under the purview of worship. Physical routine, way of living, self restraint, performance of duties, development of virtues, eradication of evil tendencies, etc. come under the purview of spiritual training. Spiritual training of life is taming of life, which implies leading a well planned, disciplined, self restrained life routine. Just as a circus artist trains and tames ferocious, wild animals; a farmer turns uneven, rough, rugged land into plain, fertile land; a gardener develops a beautiful well planned attractive garden, so also a devotee makes magnificent use of all the grandeur of human life by spiritual training. It is a process by which one’s own individuality is made pure, authentic and brilliant. Then alone, it is possible for God to descend in human life. Best dyeing of clothes is possible only if they are duly washed. Divine blessings shower on men of character. They become true devotees of God and get divine powers, self satisfaction, fulfilment of peace, self realisation and liberation. Although apparently leading an ordinary life, they become great and divine men as all characteristics of culture, good will, modesty, politeness emerge in them.
Third phase is Aradhana, which is known as adoration, reverence. In other words, it is known as the highest good, beneficence, benevolence or charity. Man is a social being. He is indebted to the society. One has to become benevolent to discharge this debt. Aradhana (adoration) implies remaining engrossed in serving humanity, the universe, its objects and living beings as this world is physical manifestation of Almighty God.
Sadhana (spiritual training), Swadhyaya (spiritual study and knowledge), Sanyam (self restraint) and Seva (service for public good), these four are essential for all-round progress. Regular study and self restraint are needed in Jiwan Sadhana. Regular contributions of one’s time, money and voluntary labour have to be made for promoting public welfare. Self restraint (Sanyam) can be exercised by a person himself in body, mind and behaviour, but for rendering human service, he has to contribute in the form of applying his time and resources. A significant portion of one’s own self earned income should regularly be set apart for undertaking benevolent activities of public welfare. The triple activities of worship (Upasana), spiritual training (Sadhana) and adoration (Aradhana), the process of refining one’s own thinking, character and behaviour should be made regular daily routine of life. Man has to take food, do exercise and sleep daily. Irregularity in any of these activities affect health adversely and disturb daily routine.
Life is a well planned system. Man should avoid indulging in day dreaming or building castles in the air. Even animals, birds live regular, natural life. Man is a precious gem of God’s creation. He has not only to maintain himself but fulfil his responsibilities and duties. He has to maintain dignity, magnanimity, observe moderation and abandon certain prohibitions. He has to exert piously and honestly for universal good for which he gets uninterrupted flow of blessings from God.
Spiritual training of life is a cash transaction. One has not to wait for an indefinite period for getting its return. The saying ‘early sow early mow’ materialises at every step. If spiritual training is performed correctly, logically with prudence, it immediately results in abandoning accumulated beastly tendencies, stringent sins and impurities. The devotee feels that there is constant development in his personality and he is advancing towards divinity as a result of excellence. This achievement of high ideals can be regarded as success and meaningfulness of human life. It is advent of divinity in man. In philosophical language, it is known as God realisation or liberation from worldly bondage. Man remains deprived of these obvious achievements because the philosophy of spiritual training of life is not properly understood and for want of knowledge it is not correctly practised.
Source: Spiritual Training of Life Secret of Spiritual Knowledge
Author : Pandit Sriram Sharma Acharya
