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014. What is Spirituality in Daily Life?

Spirit is for the tapasvi, life is for the householder is our tradition. Our tradition is religious. Thousands of people accepting one's realisation of the Spirit is religion, as monarchy accords the divine right to rule over the nation to the royal family. Each man discovering his own Spirit is spirituality, as in democracy each one is entitled to rule the nation. Martin Luther thus pleaded for the individual's spiritual illumination, eliminating the priest who is the intermediary. Is it possible for each one of us to become a saint? Modern technology has brought the great benefits of scientific discovery in the shape of newer products to every consumer. So also with spirituality. Its benefits can be availed of by everyone, if not the ultimate illumination.

Stated simply, any situation poses the alternatives of Truth and Falsehood. To choose the alternative of Truth is spirituality in that situation. Stated otherwise, any work can be done with interest making it alive or executed as a dead routine. One is spiritual whereas the other is not. Spirituality in life comes to us as values of honesty, loyalty, integrity, diligence, sincerity, industry, truthfulness, dynamism, etc. Dedicated work, intelligent reading, faithful friendship, responsible work at home, careful handling of materials, attention to people, etc. lead to self-reliance, self-respect, and individuality. If such people invoke the Spirit, it readily responds.

Office employees who are devoted to their work often evoke the jealousy of co-workers. Devotion is Spiritual. Such spiritual people rarely get into trouble in their career. Only when they are in great good luck, the co-workers succeed in giving them untold trouble. To them the Spirit readily responds when called. Without exception they are lifted far higher than their present position because of overcoming these obstacles. They see that obstacles, in practice, are opportunities.

There was a time in our life when the entire community lived every detail of their lives according to a spiritual principle. Every religion works to create a culture where every work will be done religiously -- according to Jesus or Koran, etc. The religious life India was familiar with was based on one man's spiritual realisation, a Shankara or Ramanuja. Its basic tenet was karma. To fashion our entire lives on the basis of inner Spirit is spiritual life. This cannot be done religiously, based on a guru's realisation. It must be on our own invocation of spirit.

In a very broad sense the world is more receptive to Spirituality today than a hundred years ago. The respect given to individual lives, the individual human being even when he is an invalid -- more so because he is an invalid - is a respect given to his soul. As he is recognised as a Soul rather than a body, the society as well as the government goes out of their way to make his life more livable.

As this is an age-old practice of every society, the question whether it is possible need not be raised. When man sees that the Spirit in life is far more powerful than his mind and is convinced that such a wholesale change is possible, he will not rest on his oars.

In the last three hundred years we see life has moved in terms of comfort, happiness, security, etc., as several stages. In the next thirty years, man can move as many steps further to avail of unthought of facilities issuing out of the new power commissioned into life.

India is a land of Rishis and Spirit.

There awaits it a life of plenty and prosperity



story | by Dr. Radut