Interview | Spirituality is about elevation of thoughts, unfoldment of divinity within: Swami Mukundananda

Ever wondered that if time waits for none, won’t it be travelling alone? Or think about the last time you saw a sky full of stars. Can you name the book you read last? Hardly. In a world of illusion and glitter, we seldom have the time and energy to think about what scheme things around us follow or whether there is a greater rationality in the universe. It rarely but surely happens when, amidst this chaotic and spontaneous life, we face some compelling questions to which sheer objectivity has no answers. And to find them, we look upon the treasure of wisdom meticulously collected by our sagacious ancestors and woven into our traditions in the form of scriptures. In the 7th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Bhagwan says, “Amongst thousands of persons, hardly one strives for perfection; and amongst those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” Certainly, one has to be really deserving to attain that. And in the 16th Chapter of Gita, the supreme divine personality himself says: “O scion of Bharat, these are the saintly virtues of those endowed with a divine nature—fearlessness, purity of mind, steadfastness in spiritual knowledge, charity, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of the sacred books, austerity, and straightforwardness; non-violence, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, restraint from fault-finding, compassion towards all living beings, absence of covetousness, gentleness, modesty, and lack of fickleness; vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, bearing enmity towards none, and absence of vanity.” But to understand these nuances and sublimity, consciousness is required, which has to be guided by a Guru, whose wise words flow like the holy Ganges, quenching the thirst of curiosity in the disciple for the welfare of humanity. And to enlighten us on that, we have with us Swami Mukundananda, a renowned spiritual master, an IIT-IIM graduate, and bestselling author, whose latest book, Questions You Always Wanted to Ask, deals with similar questions. Swami ji, spirituality and materialism: How far do you think both can be balanced? There is a common misconception that spirituality and materialism cannot coexist. Spiritual practitioners proclaim that, since we are the soul, bodily matters are a waste of time. Simply engage in devotion all day long. In contrast, materialists view spiritual science as futile and an impediment to economic progress. However, from the Vedic perspective, both material science and spirituality have their relevance in life. Dwe vidye veditavye para chaivapara cha. The Mundaka Upanishad states that there are two branches of knowledge—spiritual science and material science—and we must learn both for successful living. Consider the two aspects of your personality—the body and the mind. The upkeep of the body requires knowledge of the external world, which is acquired through material science. But we also need wisdom for the elevation of our mind. This comes from spirituality. It helps us comprehend our inner self, and to manifest the divinity of the soul within. Thus, just as a train runs on two tracks, in our lives too we need to utilize both these sciences. We will achieve the goal of our life, not by contradicting these two bodies of knowledge, but by harmonizing them. [caption id=“attachment_13404912” align=“alignnone” width=“207”] Book: Questions You Always Wanted to Ask | Author:
Swami Mukundananda[/caption] Your book’s title is ‘Questions You Always Wanted to Ask.’ What role does introspection play in our lives? Introspection turns our gaze inwards, and brings our attention to our inner state. It helps us observe the nature of our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. It puts us in touch with our shortcomings as well as our unique abilities. Hence, we get a better understanding of ourselves as individuals. This inward journey of self-discovery often leads us to ask many deep questions: ‘Who am I?’ ‘What is the purpose of life?’ ‘What is true happiness?’ ‘How can I become a better person?’ and so forth. These important queries make us aware of our life’s purpose and the values we live by. Further, through introspection, we understand the distinction between our lower instincts such as pride and selfish desires, and our higher self which radiates compassion and love. Once we evaluate ourselves on these parameters, we can then eradicate our lower tendencies and live by higher principles. Hence, introspection is an excellent tool for self-improvement. It allows us to take an inventory of where we stand in our character and personality. As a consequence, it helps us set beneficial goals for ourselves and inspires us to take steps for inner transformation and success that we all seek. Why do Indian philosophical schools place so much emphasis on the Guru-Shishya tradition? Perhaps more than anywhere else. The Indian philosophical schools exalt spiritual attainment as the foremost virtue in their value system. Consequently, cultivation of divine wisdom and its practice are greatly revered in Indian culture, as they are means of knowing the Absolute Truth. This knowledge is available to us through the vast Vedic literature consisting of the Vedas, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Puranas, and others. However, these scriptures are not amenable to self-study because they are profound and divine. Thus, just as we acquire material knowledge through teachers, spiritual knowledge must also be acquired through a spiritual teacher, who is called ‘Guru’ in the Indian tradition. The Bhagavad Gita states: “Learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him with reverence and render service unto him. Such an enlightened saint can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (4.34) Both Bhagavan Ram and Shree Krishna confirmed this principle through their own example. They both accepted a spiritual master, even though they were All-knowing, and had no need for a Guru to acquire knowledge. Yet, they established a precedent of the Guru-Shishya tradition, for us to emulate. In this way, the custom has been an integral part of Indian society for centuries and continues to be an important aspect of education and spiritual growth. What role does physical penance play in spiritual development? Spirituality is about the elevation of our thoughts and unfoldment of the divinity within. It requires purification of the senses, body, and mind. Just as impurities are removed from metals by placing them on fire, likewise the practice of physical penances purifies our consciousness. It is also called Tapasya in Indian culture. Tapasya, or austerity, is the voluntary acceptance of discomfort for the accomplishment of a higher purpose. These austerities are of three kinds—of the body, of the mind, and of speech. The austerity of the body is to hold the senses in check. This includes abstaining from all sensual enjoyment, in general, and sexual indulgence, in particular. Austerities of speech involves controlling our tongue, and uttering only words that are beneficial, truthful, inoffensive, and pleasing to the listener. Austerities of the mind means keeping the mind clear of negative and impure thoughts. And further, filling your consciousness with sublime and noble ideas. It is important to note that the intention behind performing the Tapasya is important. Austerities are purifying only when they are done with the correct intention. When the intent is impure, such as receiving honour and wealth, it does not purify. Any austerity becomes perfect when it is pleasing to God. Therefore, the highest austerity is to engage the body, mind, and intellect in the service of God. My mother says Bhakti Marga is walking on thorns. Is it? Bhakti Yog, or the path of devotion, is easy to practice. It involves attaching the mind to God and developing a loving relationship with Him. By surrendering to Him, and uniting the individual will with the divine will, the devotee attracts the grace of God and achieves the goal of spiritual perfection more easily than by the other paths. Devotion can be done anywhere, with anything, everywhere, and at all times. One does not have to sit in a temple and do bhakti. Instead, every activity can be an act of worship–whether it is eating, lying down, working at the office, or interacting with people–by offering them all to God, for His pleasure, classifies them as devotion. Hence, bhakti does not have rigid injunctions and can be practiced by everyone with ease. That said, as we progress on the path of divine love, we realize there is a paradox in bhakti–it is simple, yet difficult. That is because it requires us to become completely selfless. One needs to give up the desire for self-happiness and love God for His happiness. This goes against our innate instinct of self-seeking. Hence, people rightly describe it as walking on the edge of a sword. Lastly, personally, for me, living in a cosmopolitan city with temptations all around, it becomes quite tough to maintain the discipline and self-control necessary for a devotional life. What is the remedy? Everything worthwhile and of high value is achieved through hard work and commitment. Self-improvement is a deliberate practice that requires consistent effort. It mandates us to forsake easily available pleasures and embrace austerities. Since the mind is averse to these, we need to enhance our self-control to empower us to do the right thing, even though it is inconvenient. We can do that in two ways: Exercise your willpower muscle and it will strengthen. Just as you build muscle through exercise, you can build your willpower through repeated practice. Every time you restrain yourself from worldly temptations and divert your energies towards meaningful pursuits, you grow in discipline. For example, the mind suggests surfing the internet for hours. Simply desist the urge and slowly this desire will loosen its grip over the mind. Subdue the mind with your intellect. The intellect is the discerning faculty in us that controls the mind and can steer it in the right direction. We must empower it with wisdom of ‘why’ something is important and then create a higher sense of purpose for ourselves. For example, feed yourself the knowledge that you are a divine being, not merely the body. This will ignite within you an urge to engage in activities that result in inner growth and enduring fulfillment, rather than pursue activities that provide fleeting pleasures. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._ Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.