There are several daily spiritual practices that we can follow to enhance our life. If we truly seek God, and if followed with sincerity, these practices can lead us to the ultimate goal of life, Enlightenment, God-realization and Moksha. One important yet simple practice is meditation.
Meditation, however, is not about sitting cross-legged on the floor, with eyes closed, a still body and a straight spine. It is about stilling the mind. Meditation is about being in silence.
Meditation enables us to cut off the outside noise, so that we can hear the divine voice. Without An Enlightened Guru, You Cannot Attain GOD | Finding Your Guiding Light- @AiRAtmaninRavi When we meditate, we stop the onslaught of thoughts by the mind. Our mind can throw at us, up to 50 thoughts a minute — this can be upto 50000 thoughts a day.
We must quieten our mind. We must move from the state of mind to the state of consciousness, a state where thoughts no longer come in a rush, but come one by one, like cable cars on a ropeway. We have to watch each thought as it comes.
We have to become a witness, an observer. Once we stop the bombardment of thoughts, we experience peace. It is in this state of ‘thought-lessness’, mindfulness, consciousness, that we can be enlightened with the truth.
But what is the truth? Unfortunately, few of us know or realize it. We live in the darkness of ignorance, believing that we are the body, mind and ego. The truth is that we are the Soul, a Spark Of Unique Life.
Everybody is a Soul, a Spark Of Unique Life. And the Soul is a part of the Supreme Immortal Power we call God. Realizing who we are is Self-realization.
Self-Realization leads to God-realization, the realization that we are all Souls. Also Read: Atman in Ravi (AIR) shares daily spiritual practices to enhance your life From meditation, we can move on to contemplation — another powerful spiritual practice. It is important to contemplate, ask questions and investigate our findings.
This will lead us to the truth. There are two important questions that we must find answers to — who am I and why am I here? Then, we will realize that we come into existence long before the body is formed in the womb of our mother. We start as a single cell which then multiplies.
In the moment of death, people say that he or she has gone, passed away. Who has gone? Therefore, we cannot be the body. The mind does not even exist.
Has anyone seen the mind? No. So, how can we be the mind? Then, who are we? Neti Neti. Tat Twam Asi.
Not this body, not this mind. That thou art. We are that, the Soul.
If we look at the world around us — at the mountains and the seas, the butterflies and the bees, the flowers and the trees, the clouds in the sky, the birds that fly — the Divine manifests through all of them. Each one of us is a manifestation of the Divine. In fact, everything is God.
We must realize the truth of this beautiful Mantra — Satyam Shivam Sundaram. The truth is that the Divine is beautiful, and all beauty is because of Divinity. When the Divine leaves, so does the beauty.
Also Read: Atman in Ravi (AiR) explains the difference between mind and intellect Yoga is another transformative spiritual practice that we can follow. Yoga, however, is not about Asanas (exercises) or Pranayama (breathing techniques). While Asanas and Pranayama indeed can contribute to our sense of wellness, Yoga is much more than this.
Yoga means to be in union with God, to be ever-connected with God, just like a good SIM card is connected to the satellite. We can be in Yoga through Dhyana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Gyana Yoga or Prema Yoga. If not in Yoga, we are in Bhoga, which means we are lost in the material desires of the world.
Praying is a spiritual practice that can also enhance our life. It gives us strength, courage and peace. The ultimate prayer is to ask God for God, to become one with God.
But praying does not mean mumbling some prayer or Mantra meaninglessly. It is not just lip movement as the mind wanders to other things. Prayer is a two-way communication with God.
It’s not just speaking to God. It’s also listening to the voice of the supreme. God communicates with us in different ways — a message, a flash, something we see or hear.
If we are blessed to get the guidance of a Guru, a Spiritual Master, the impact of following these practices will be greater. A Guru can take us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of truth, to Enlightenment. Nonetheless, all these practices can help us live with peace and happiness and make a positive difference in our life.
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