How does one find a spiritual path?
Transcript
Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.
So when spiritual teachers are difficult to find, how can we find a spiritual teacher in today's world? There are two different things. First is searching for a spiritual teacher. And second is searching for the ultimate reality.
So if we have some basic understanding of the existence of some ultimate reality, whom we may call God or by different names, then ultimately we are searching for that reality. And the spiritual teacher is a way to that reality. So if we think of the spiritual search as a horizontal search, that means there is this guru, there is this path, there is this book, there is this organization, then it can become a very complicated search.
So if I see the spiritual search simply as a horizontal search among many options. If I search, let's say, there are so many universities, I want to choose one university. Or if there are so many career options, I want to choose a particular career option.
So if we see it at that level, it becomes very difficult to search. Because in this field, we may not even know exactly what are the criteria based on which we should search. So if we see it more as a vertical search, that means, yes, I am going to follow a particular teacher, choose a particular path, but ultimately I am putting faith in God.
And if the path is right, He will reveal it to me. If the path has some problems, He will reveal that also to me. So that way if you see, then whatever path we follow, rather than seeing it rigidly in terms of right or wrong, we can see it more as how much it is helping me to raise my consciousness, how much it is giving me spiritual understanding, how much it is giving me spiritual experience, spiritual realization.
So firstly, we need to see, so even if a particular path I pursue and then I find out, this is not for me, this is not the right thing, this doesn't work, whatever reason. Second thought, we won't see that particular pursuit as a waste. We will see that as a progression.
To some extent, I learned some things. To some extent, I developed some knowledge. To some extent, I got some experiences.
And based on that, I move on. I may move on thereafter to another path, another organization, that's fine. As is required, we will move on.
So then we see it, this is the right, this is the wrong. I went here, that was wrong. But if I see it as an ascent in consciousness, then one path may help me to raise my consciousness up to a particular level.
And after that I find, this is not helping me anymore. Then we will have to move onwards. So we see it primarily as a putting faith in God and in order to move closer to Him.
And Krishna is very clear, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja He says, give up all varieties of religion, surrender to Me. What that means is, He is saying that actually you are, religion is meant for God, God is not meant for religion. So whichever path you follow, it's ultimately meant for God.
And Krishna is telling, focus on that essence of approaching Me, of surrendering to Me. Now, having said that, when we put faith, we can look for two things, there is blind faith, there is reasonable faith. The main difference between blind and reasonable faith is in terms of whether it makes sense.
Suppose I go to a doctor and the doctor gives me a prescription. I can't know in advance whether the doctor's prescription is going to work or not. But what I can see is whether the doctor's prescription helps me, whether it, firstly it makes sense, and secondly whether it heals me.
So whether it makes sense is the sensible part. Whether it heals me is the verifiable part. Similarly, with respect to spirituality, we can see whether whatever we are doing, it makes sense, it's reasonable, and whether it heals us, whether it helps, frees us from our lower desires, whether it makes us calmer, whether it makes us more focused, helps us to move towards a more pure life, then we understand that this is the way, and we move onwards.
So, look at whether it's sensible and verifiable. So on my website, I have a whole talk on Tests for Choosing a Spiritual Path. So the test is acronym T-E-S-T-S.
There are about five criteria over there. T is time-honored. It's not that just because something is old, it is true.
But if you understand again, if you start with the foundation of faith in God, then God will have given a way to come to him. So therefore, something which is newfangled, well, it may be true, it may not be true. So just something which is time-honored, which has been existing for a significant amount of time, which has helped people to move towards spiritual growth.
That is one criteria you can see. T is time-honored. E is explanatory.
Does it explain life? Does it explain the purpose of life? Or is it simply a matter of, have faith and you will be delivered. Is there a philosophical explanation of life's fundamental questions? So that is second criteria. So, if you consider further, does it have the… Every path will require some amount of faith.
But as I said, there is some reasonable faith, there is blind faith. So, if it is answering our questions, at least the basic questions in a coherent way, then that is one more criteria which we can consider for moving onwards in pursuing, in selecting that path. Further, we can have… Yeah.
Yes, exactly, correct. So, yeah. So, S we could say is broadly scripture-based.
There are many people who are intelligent and they can give us some spiritual insights. But again, if you are putting faith in God, then we understand that if He has provided us life, He has provided us resources for living, then He will also provide us the knowledge for living. The knowledge of why we are meant to live.
What is the purpose of life? If anybody fashions a very complicated device, they will provide a manual to operate the device in the best possible way. So, the world and our own bodies, they are complicated devices. So, God will provide us some guidelines about how to live in this world.
That is scripture-based. Yes. Then, the next is transformational.
So, as I said, verifiable. By following a path, is it making me a better person? Is it transforming me internally? So, that is something which we… So, the first three are more a part of the sensible part. Time-honored, explanatory, scripture-based.
Exactly, exactly. Exactly, yes. And then after that, that is the last S is successful.
Successful means not just in terms of numbers of people who are following it, but ultimately, the Bhagavad Gita says, and most spiritual traditions do say that death is the moment of examination for us. how do people… How successful are people of a particular path in detaching themselves from the world and attaching themselves to God? How do they experience the confidence with which they face death? Is it fearfully? Is it calmly? Is it gracefully? So, there are several… There are many now… If you see, the whole Bhagavatam is written to describe how Parikshit Maharaj, as a great king, when he was cursed to die in seven days, how he faced death. He took the seven-day vrata of just hearing the Bhagavatam and absorbing himself in it.
So, and he was very calmly prepared for that final exam. Similarly, if we see ourselves, what are we… If we see in a spiritual path, eventually when people are to face the final exam, how do they face it? So, it is said that these are some guidelines by which we can observe, ourselves observe, the Guru. And then we can decide which path helps us to move closer towards God.
And then accordingly, it's more than a… the Guru is important, but more than the Guru, the Guru is like a doctor. The doctor is important, no doubt. But then the doctor is going to give us a process.
The doctor is not going to be all the time with us. So, the process is what is going to cure us. So, following the process, so we ourselves practice the process, see how much it helps us and then we move on.
That would be my broad answer to this question.