Spiritual life is decidedly advisable, if:
i) You think, you probably are/ have a soul (!)
ii) You are in search of lasting peace and happiness
iii) Your repeated attempts to search for happiness in the external world have met with disappointments so far

Is Spiritual Life Advisable?


   This is like asking: Is drinking water advisable? Sooner or later, you are going to feel thirsty. Until you don’t feel thirsty, you won’t realize the importance of water. As long as you feel that this world is providing you with enough happy juice or you will feel sure that what you are searching for will be definitely found some day in the world around, spiritual life is not meant for you. If you are planning to practice spiritual disciplines in your old age after enjoying all the mundane pleasures of the life, then too, spiritual life is not for you; your awakening would never come.

   And when the need arises, spiritual life will not simply be advisable; it will be mandatory, indispensable. We haven’t thought of it seriously enough because we have a firm belief that one day we will be able to find that pleasure we are seeking in this material world. And, it is always more difficult to fight against beliefs than against knowledge.

For a Chosen Few


   On the earth, the concept of mass spirituality doesn’t exist. Spiritual quest is a compelling urge that begins from within. It happens to a chosen few. The timing and the circumstances which give rise to spiritual quest is unique for every one. Often, the wheels of fortune bring such spiritual aspirants in contact with illumined souls for further guidance, often through mysterious circumstances. The call towards higher spiritual ideal is a rare blessing. The combination of these three factors – human life, thirst for spiritual life and association with holy souls – has been appraised as a very rare fortune by the scriptures. Many are created, most are called and a few are chosen!

This Illusory World…


   How many times this has happened and still happening – we think that a particular object or person will make us happy and once we possess that, another desire for a new one takes hold. Can anyone point out to any individual who is contented and happy because he has got everything in this world? A desire for money, sensual pleasures and that for fame are three main desires that make an individual run wild in the monkey race after material pursuits. Fulfillment of a desire is sure to give rise to one of the following reciprocation: temporary happiness, frustration and void, a desire to acquire more. It is a non-deniable fact that there is nothing in this world which would provide you with lasting satisfaction. If there is one thing bigger than the universe, it is ‘desire’. The paradox of life is, it is ultimately the desire and not the desired which is loved.

Whole-Hearted Commitment


   What is the prerequisite for initiating a spiritual life? Intense desire is the only prerequisite. Half-hearted commitment won’t take one towards the goal. Spiritual life is not without its struggles. If struggle is inevitable in either aspect of life, why not struggle for the highest goal and get rid of slavery once and for all? A single pointed devotion, dogged tenacity and steadiness, a life of sacrifice and purity, practice of detachment from the sense-bound world are powerful catalysts in the spiritual progress. Allow yourself to dilute your yearning and the world of illusions is ever ready to pull one into its grip with all the force. Intense desire for spirituality is generated by any one of the three ways: a sudden rekindling of previous impressions upon coming in contact with a holy place or book or a seer, after going through some soul-churning life events, holy gatherings or satsangas.

A Glimpse Into Spirituality


   Just tell a person that he has got just one week to live and observe the changes that follow in his outlook. Now tell him, he has won a jackpot of one million dollars; he won’t be interested. He will start thinking about the ways to find a respite in the kind of existence he would be facing, an existence without kith and kin, without fame or fortune. He may even advise others not to get involved in secular matters and concentrate on their salvation. Now tell him that he is medically fit to live long and observe the kind of slackness that again creeps back into his life and he will restore to his former worldly pursuits again.

   Thus, one may infer that constant reflection upon death or ephemeral nature of life is the most powerful factor which is capable of providing a greatest impetus to the spiritual practice.

   At the dead of the night when the whole world slept in the darkness and ignorance, the young prince Siddhartha sat absorbed in his thoughts under a tree. He had just passed the banquet hall which was filled with the courtiers enjoying the pomp, glitter and music of the dancing girls. His heart was filled with void and vanity. He was disgusted with the life which had not denied a single splendor to him. All of a sudden, a celestial song echoed out from his heart –
             We know not whence we come, where we float away,
             Life after life, we tread this round of tears and smiles,
             In vain we pine to know where our pathway leads,
                   And why we play this empty play
      With a burning dispassion in heart, prince Siddhartha got up, had a last look at his sleeping wife,
      Yashodhara and son, Rahul, and set out on his historic journey that ultimately made him Buddha, the 
      Enlightened One.