Habits of Highly Spiritual People

Jai Sai Ram! We are here to present our thoughts as our little effort. We will talk here general spirituality and how Swami's teachings are coherent to those ancient feelings of all the religions and spiritual visionaries. We believe that we have no aversion to any one who would like to comment in a positive way to correct our faults; and would also like to know if someone would like to share his or her thoughts on the feeling about this post. We intend to post a sort of series, which would bring around habits of highly spiritual people, as we gauge them. We hope that Swami would be pleased with our efforts and that readers would also like it. Here is the first one among them:

Habit 1--Putting God first

There are thousands or even uncountable number of definitions in the world about spirituality. Every religion lays its norms and regulations that the people or seekers belonging to that religion should follow-they are all beneficial and should be practiced without any reservation about their efficacy and potency. It should be noticed here that Swami has always emphasized the teachings of all the religions of the world, and sometimes so subtle meaning to them that people belonging to that faith marvel at those explanations.

In spiritual life, there are many stages or so to say-steps that the seekers take in order to reach to their destination, namely God. To understand this, we must start from the start-a person, who has just starts reading or practicing some sorts of spiritual disciplines, goes on to understand it better and becomes steadier and gains strength as the time passes. Nobody who wants to reach somewhere can start from the destination itself (though, it is said that when a seeker reaches the highest point of his search, he understands that he has traveled from himself to Himself). We perhaps would find beneficial here if we have some time to understand some terms. Dualism, qualified dualism, and non-dualism: how these terms describe beautifully our present talk. We need to start from dualism and reach to non-dualism. We can't start right away from monoism, though if somebody can, we can deny it either (we need to consider this exception for the simple reason that sometimes people are sent to this earth by God who are already fully realize, and sometimes He Himself comes down). We need to rise from the state or stage of dualism to non-dualism. Anyway, we are here dealing with these stages. Why venture into this subject-because we need to understand that though there are many people who tried spirituality, but very few reaches the stage which is their sought-after goal.

It is said that few among many reach the stage of evolved seekers, where everything appears to them as God-विष्णुमयं इदं जगत् (The lord pervades everything)! And it is in such exalted seekers that the search spells its true beauty. It is said in the Vedas-पशु इति पश्यति (he who sees is a Jiva)! This line means that a person see the outward form is like a Jiva; however, who turns his vision inwards, he becomes पशुपति (Pashupati, a name of Lord Shiva, which means the master of Jivis). So, we can see that until we gain that stage of vision, we are not entitled to be called as truly spiritual.

The topic of this chapter is "putting God first". It means that highly spiritual people, or the seekers who have reached that stage, put God before everything and anything. For them, outer form or any apparent appearance does not matter much-inner vision of them makes them believe that the same principle of love in inherent in one and all, and they keep going on these lines.

If you are a reader of history, you will find many instances when the opposite forces stood before such seekers, and challenged them to prove the worth of their vision; for, as we have already said, they had not reached the stage of that vision, and therefore, knew nothing of the value of that stage. Many great seekers world-over have proved this again and again that there is a single entity that pervades everything.

However, we would need to analyze it a bit deeper, as how the God tests His devotees also. It is true that God makes those opposite forces to stand in front, so that when the good triumphs, truth can be hailed as all-powerful and all-prevailing.

From here on, we will take a very analytical view of our analysis-we will take an example and study it like a case-study that is analyzed in many organizations to understand the scenario better, and which serves as a vital link between the thoughts of upper management and the people that are responsible to execute those thoughts, namely, engineers, employees, and the workers. OK, here we are! We will come back to India and would need to go to historical times.

There lived a saint named Eknath in Maharashtra in the 14th century. His name is very popular in that part of Southern India. It is one of the incidents of this saint that we will need to study the first habit of highly spiritual people.

We will need to consider some scenarios here that were prevalent at those times, and specially in India. There were not so much sources of traveling and transportation at that times, and people traveled on horses, or on feet. The times during the life of this saint was highly spiritual in India, or so to say--it must be understood that Brahmins of that time were highly respected across the country. The ritual aspects of the country were highly respected among all the people, and people thought it very sacred to go to pilgrimages, and attain salvation through the company of good people.

Okay, here are we, in our own world visualizing those times. It happened that Saint Eknath was traveling with some of his friends or co-seekers to Kashi--a highly sacred place in India, which lies in West Bengal of present India. As it has been already said that people used their feet to travel long distance, so did Saint Eknath. Moreover, being saints, they all preferred to and had to walk on feet. Though the geographical distance of the place from where Saint Eknath started to Kashi is not known here; however, it can be easily believed that nobody in the present times undertakes such daring traveling activity--it is far, far away by any means.

The pilgrimage to Kashi holds a special reason, as people of those times believed that it is doubly sacred to bring the waters of sacred Ganga from there and to pour that water on the Shivlimga that is placed by Lord Rama on the sea shore while he had to cross the ocean to bring back Mother Sita. The place is called Rameshwaram and lies in the extreme south in the state of Kerala. Pouring of Ganga water on Shivlimga is highly sacred ritual Indians of those times, and it was special to pour Kashi Ganga water on Rameshwaran Limga. West Bengal lies in the East part of the country, and Rameshwaram lies in the Southern most part of India. in Kerela--so, we can easily visualize that the journey was undertaken like a penance that promised great fruits for the undertaker. It was a very popular ritual at those times, and many ardent devotees take similar foot-jouneys even now, though not of that length. However, we can't deny the fact that somebody may try that one also and venture into a journey like this. But in those times, it was believed almost necessary for people to undertake such kind of journeys, and especially for saints, it was a general practice.

It so happened that when Saint Eknath was returning from Kashi, he saw a donkey struggling for its life. Saint Eknath moved closer to him and noticed that the donkey was breathing almost its last because of its thirst--his tongue had lolled out his mouth, which is a clear sign that it is thirsty. For bathing the Limga at Rameshwaram, Saint Eknath was holding the sacred Ganga water with him. Without any second thought, the saint poured out whole of sacred Ganga water into donkey's mouth. The donkey revived and was saved from its certain death. When he was about to pour the sacred water, his co-seekers dissuaded him that it was not right for him to waste that sacred water for a mere donkey--the water which was meant to bathe the sacred Limga of Rameshwaram. It was almost a virtual shock for them that someone could so easily pour that water in a donkey's mouth, when they had undertaken so much pain to bring that water on shoulders to bathe the Lord at Rameshwaram. It is almost clear that nobody among them joined Saint Eknath in his attempt to save the donket, but they all was very much eager to get him out of this almost blasphemous act as per their own thinking.

The story takes many directions here, as some believe that Lord Shiva appreared in His beloved form to reveal that it was indeed He who drank that water in the form of a donkey. All the merits of bathing the Limga was bestowed on Saint Eknath at that spot, namely, the vision of God. We do not intend here to justify any of the claim that whether he received the vision, as some proclaim that he knew that it was like the ritual of bathing the Limga itself when he poured out the water for that donkey. It turns almost symbolic here that he was right in his move, and he was amply rewarded by the Lord for his act. We are not to ascertain here that whether he was given a glimpse of God's form, or whether he received all the merits that he was supposed to get if he would have bathed the Limga at Rameshwaram with the sacred Ganga waters. We only mean to say that it was accepted by the Lord that Saint Eknath was right in his action, and others who dissuaded him were wrong. Our motive here is solely to take the good from the story, and to understand what it can give us in the present context of our lives.

OK, we move out of the story and analyze it in the present context. The test was to check the intensity of Saint Eknath. He was given a real tough one. First, donkey is one of those animals, which does not invoke any sense of delight, compassion, or love in the minds of general people. It is highly unlikely that many people will rush forward to help a donkey. Instead, if there were a rabbit or a deer, many people might have done the same thing. God tested the wisdom of Saint Eknath in a really tough way; but it can be justified, as the reward of this test was also the highest, namely, the vision of the God! However, it is also believed that whom God tests, He also gives the power to pass it. It is a general practice to downgrade someone if he or she is not good for anything--"you are like a donkey", is one of the commonest phrase that people use while criticizing someone. It seems being a donkey is a real pity in the beautiful world of our dear Lord, where there are some many other beautiful forms. It seems trivial in this story, but deeply analyzed, it can be clearly noticed that the first difficulty of the test started with the choice of the animal that Lord made. However, Saint Eknath passed the test of apparent appearance. He was not much concerned about the appearance or the form, and justified his vision through his practicality.

Next comes the question of pouring out water that was meant for a sacred ritual--meant to bathe God. However, Saint Eknath acted in the most unselfish way. He decided that by pouring that water on Limga, it is he who is going to be benefitted. However, if he gives the water to the thirsty donkey, he might be able to save its life. He decided what a truly spiritual seeker should do--sacrifice his or her benefits for the benefit of others. One point remains here. In those times on India, it was almost blasphemous to go against the social norms or to act in a manner, which would be considered against the scripture (or apparently so, for, no scripture says that we should not save a dying animal). But Saint Eknath thought otherwise: for him God, who resides in everything, comes first. He had to heed the calling of that Being, which is present in all, and later to the callings of social norms.

Another point that rises here that he could have searched for water elsewhere--there is no mention in the story that water was not available there. And this is exactly where the teachings of our beloved Swami take forefront--intensity! Intensity is, what Swami says, needed to attain the Lord. It is the intensity of our prayers, our devotion, our yearning that melts the heart of the Lord and forces him, or so to say, to reveal His beautiful form to the devotee. Swami has often mentioned that the prayers of devotees should be intense in a sense that they should bind the heart of Lord, so that the Lord may deign to come to them. It is often said in Eastern philosophy or in certain schools of thought that the Lord becomes the servent of his devotees--servant in a sense that He needs to all the works of His devotees, for, they have lost their consciousness or have surrendered to Him. Lord Krishna in Gita has also stressed this point. This point will go a bit longer but, we will need to consider it clearly, and we will use another story to depict it clearly--a story told by Swami Himself:

One day, Lord Krishna was seated with His queens, and Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas was also present there. Presently, Lord Krishna was eating a sugarcane. We do not know how sugarcane is eaten in other countries, but even to the present time, sugarcane is one of the most cherished item that one enjoys when one is free and has time to enjoy it. However, the characteristics of sugarcane makes it a bit cutting, and sometimes lips of the person are cut a little, though this does not happen often. However, we do not know exactly here how Lord Krishna's finger as cut--the only possible way is that He might be using a knife or some sharp object to cut the sugarcane. But as almost the story demanded, a finger of Lord Krishna was cut and blood started oozing out. It so happened that the queens like Sathyabhama rushed to their apartments to get the bandage or called their maid-servants to fetch the bandage. However, as Druapadi was a guest there, she did not own an apartment and had no maid-servant to call to help. She tore-off her Sari and wrapped it on Lord Krishna's finger. This is where intensity comes--Swami points out that in such times, a devotee who does not care for conventionalism, for his or her benefits, but acts in a totally unselfish manner, examplifies the intensity of his or her character. Draupadi was also a queen, and it looks so unbecoming for a queen to tore-off her Sari, and easpecially in those ancient times. Lord Krishna did not ask her to do so either. However, it was her intensity which made her to feel that Lord Krishna is hurt (though He can't be), and she must do whatever she can to mitigate that pain. It happened to her that if she wrap that Sari on His finger, the oozing of blood may subside a little, though the healing of the cut could not be achieve by it. She did not think that what other might would say about her torn Sari: she did out of her Love for Lord Krishna. And Swami says that it is this act which made Lord Krishna to come to her aid when she was dis-robed in the assembly. It was this piece of Sari that became unending during her trial. She did not waited for the conventional manners to stop the bleeding, and so did Lord Krishna! He did not came to stop that act, but made the robe unending.

In the present story, Saint Eknath also acted similarly. He did not wait for someone to fetch the water or go himself in search of it. It is never mentioned in the story that was water was not available nearby, and that Ganga water was the only water available. He did not knew whether the donkey suffered from some other ailment apart from the fact that he was thirsty. Saint Eknath knew the gravity of the present situation--the donkey was thirsty, and it was necessary to provide him some potable water. And what water can excel the sacred Ganga water--a water that does not get spoiled even after containing it for many days! He acted as best as he could in his present capacity, and this showed his intensity.

At the last, come his companions or his co-seekers, who had gone with him to the pilgrimage, and like him, was carrying the sacred water to bathe the Limga. They dissuaded him to waste the water for that unworthy animal, because they believed that such opportunity should not be wasted thus--they had traveled miles to get that sacred water, and they were almost nearing the destination of their return--Rameshwaram. They were so near the fruits that they might acquire from that ritual-bathing of the Lord. However, they took that process as a mere ritual, and were not very much practical in their thinking. No wonder that Saint Eknath was rewarded for his wisdom, which exemplified the theory of scriptures through his selfless practical work. It is here when highly spiritual people or truly evolved people gets differentiated from others--their actions speak for their wisdom. They do not need to prattle about their knowledge or intellectual power--they are simple in their behavior, for, they do what they believe or preach.

There are thousands of such examples of similar devotees of Lord, and we can easily gauge the vision that they had--for them God came first and everything else, later. God, who they believed resides in everything and permeates the whole universe, should be practically seen in everything and everywhere. This is what the non-dualistic philosophy propagates. The first sign of a spiritual person lies in the fact that they know to whom the first place should be given--God!

Our Lord Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba always stresses on this point: we should not see the outer form; we should not be attached or averse to any form; for, all forms are of God. We should have a vision that can transcend that form and see the inner divinity. Otherwise, we would get some trinkles as the fruits of those studies and rituals that we perform, unlike the ripen fruit of liberation through the practicality of our wisdom--we must act selflessly and give God His due place in our lives--we will be spiritually elevated to gain closeness to God and ultimately will be allowed the Mergence. It is clear that if we practice this one habit of those highly spiritual people, we would be able to bring a good conglomeration of Swami's teaching being automatically followed. For, when we would see God in His first place, we would not be able to work against Him in any manner, and would not be able to degrade ourselves from our chosen path--the path that will lead us to Him!

As we close this discussion, we would like to receive the comments of people who would like to share such stories of highly spiritual people across the globe depicting their selfless motives and their vision that were purified to the extent that they saw God in all! To give you a clue, if you have read about Bhai Kanhaiya ji, you would be propelled to take his name among those people. We would be delighted also to hear comments over what readers feel about this discussion--it will help us improve in our own thought and to look at the teachings of Swami in a clearer manner. Jai Sai Ram!