Spirituality has nothing at all to do with callousness or lethargy. A lazy fellow who daydreams and does nothing useful should not be mistaken for a saint. People have this fear; they say, “If I get absorbed in Brahmn what will happen to my work?” This is an excuse invented by the mind to prevent you from moving in the right direction. First of all, the man who is a serious seeker, seeks the Supreme Reality seriously, not caring for the consequences. He realises that, far from being or becoming inert or inactive, great sages, after realising the Supreme Reality, had always performed their functions much more efficiently and had done such marvellous work that ordinary mortals were astounded.
Consider the examples of Shankaracharya,or more recently, Swami Vivekananda. Kabirdas worked on his loom while he sang his divine songs. Then there was the great King Janaka, who ruled his kingdom so well and yet was absorbed in Brahmn.
In the forest on the outskirts of Videha, Rishi Yajnavalkya used to deliver spiritual discourses and conduct dialogues on the Reality. The seat in the front row was always reserved for Janaka. Some of the sanyasins and recluses who lived in the forest thought that Yajnavalkya was swayed by the power of the throne for this prejudicial distinction. Sometimes they even expressed their misgivings. Yajnavalkya didn’t attempt to answer them. One day, a messenger came and shouted that Janaka’s palace in Videha was on fire and that the fire was spreading to the nearby forest. Many of the hermits immediately sprang up and ran to save their few belongings, while Janaka sat unperturbed and steady on his seat, waiting for his teacher to continue his discourse. “This,” said Yajnavalkya, to the so called pursuers of Truth, “is the difference between you and Janaka. He is the king and lives in a palace but is totally unattached to it. His mind is anchored in Brahmn. You are hermits, yet your mind is always anchored to the few trinkets in your huts.”
Janaka was called Rajarishi.You will find Krishna referring to Rajarishis in the fourth chapter of the Bhagwad Gita, called ‘Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga’. In verse 1, he says: “I imparted this immortal yoga to Vivaswan, Vivaswan imparted it to Manu, and Manu to Ikshvaku.” In verse 2: “This yoga, handed down from teacher to disciple in succession, was known to the Rajarishis. But owing to the long lapse of time it was lost to the world.” In verse 3: “I have today disclosed to you the same ancient yoga, which is a noble secret, for you are my devotee and friend.”
It is this yoga of nishkamakarma that is ideal for this age of Kali. Nishkamakarma or desireless action does not mean that you just keep on working like an automaton, no matter what the results are. You set yourself a target to achieve and you plan well to achieve it by putting in hard work with single-pointed attention. This ability to concentrate will come with the practice of meditation. But the difference is that, unlike the ordinary man, you will not be shattered if the results are not as expected. In gain or loss, your mind will be balanced, steady, and unperturbed, and therefore, fully equipped to deal with the situation or to make alternate plans.
This nishkamakarma is also applied to meditation. The practice of dhyana is continued calmly, whether the results are good or imperfect during any particular session. Soon, the mind attains a certain tranquillity and becomes fit to receive the experience known as samadhi. So a spiritual life is not incompatible with worldly existence. Actually, a properly lived life in the world is conducive to meditation. This is especially true, if you are also inclined to practise asanas, pranayama as laid down in the path of Ashtanga Yoga. A wandering sanyasin cannot get proper diet, rest and bath as prescribed for such yoga. The Gita puts it in a nutshell, “This yoga is not for one who eats too much, or too little, sleeps too much, or too little.” Moderation is the key word for the hathayogi and rajayogi. And this is best provided in a householder’s life.¦
-Sri M
