The Tao of Spirituality

The first component of human happiness lies in a person's ability to live a complete or whole life. Human life is characterized by diversities, inequalities and also by opportunities for making strides. Life's broad aspect is the collective spirit as well as the parochial or narrow aspect in the form of an individual. Life can be lived by a fragmented view as well as by being in harmony with nature. It can also be lived by dedicating it completely to a cause. There are people who live by doing karma. There are others who are fatalists and live by leaving everything to destiny. Life can also be lived exclusively for physical and materialistic comforts. One can live peacefully at spiritual level too. One can live a principled life or a life given to wantonness and free will. The meaningfulness of life is hidden in the word ‘why’. In the absence of an answer to this question, the very contrast between life and death will disappear. We cannot call that life worthy of living if it doesn't have a purpose or its basis is nota desire to do something or be something.

There is no way to extricate humanity from this situation. Can we see human culture still preserved? Can this beastly state of jiva be purged of its baseness? Yes, it is possible provided he endeavours to live a balanced life embedded in the four human pursuits—kama (desire), artha (wealth), dharma (righteousness) and moksha (liberation). The ultimate aim of human life is mnoksha (liberation) which can be achieved only if a person limits his desires, doesn't possess wealth beyond a limit, observes righteousness in his conduct. In the book the Tao of Spirituality the poet shows us graded steps to spirituality. The aforesaid four human pursuits constitute the Tao of spirituality. We hope the book will inspire people to follow the path of spirituality as portrayed by the poet in the form of verse in this book.

The first ingredient of human happiness lies in a person’s ability to live a complete or whole life. Human life is characterized by diver- sities, inequalities and also by opportunities for making strides. Life’s broad aspect is the collective spirit as well as the parochial or narrow aspect in the form of an individual. Life can be lived by a fragmented view as well as by being in harmony with nature. It can also be lived by dedicating it completely to a cause. There are people who live by doing karma. There are others who are fatalists and live by leaving everything to destiny. Life can also be lived exclusively for physical and materialistic comforts. One can also live peacefully at spiritual level too. One can live a principled life or a life given to wantonness and free will. A person can also live with a perverted mindset that what he possesses is much less or he can also live a life of contentment. Life is marked by many other characteristics too. But one truth that commonly emanates from all of them is that everyone wants to live, no one wants to die even if one is old or is gripped by dreadful diseases or by abject poverty. But it is also imperative for us to know why he wants to live. The meaningfulness of life is hidden in the word ‘why’. In the absence of an answer to this question, the very contrast between life and death will disappear. We cannot call that life worthy of living if it doesn’t have a purpose or its basis is not a desire to do something or be something.

In the Vedic philosophy a basic principle that runs parallel to other beliefs is that all that exists in this creation is in the form of purusha or man, there isn’t anything like male-female. Both purusha (man) and prakriti (nature) regulate this universe and life jointly. One of them is shakti (power) and the other is shaktiman (powerful) but both of them are one. Both the elements exist in one only. It alone is called a form of ardha narishgoar (half woman and half man). The ingradients of the creation are not distinguished by any gender. In the latter com- mentaries many different aspects were added. Every aspect symboliz- ing purusha (man) is connected with the creation as power in the form of nature. Since ‘naari’ herself is basically a form of male she is inevitably connected with power.

To understand this journey of life the second important stair is to reach the avyaya that lies within. The body has in it the mind, heart (Brahma, Vishnu, Akshar Purusha symbolizing Indra). In the Gita Krishna declares, "It is me alone who is avyaya. All living being are my parts. As an individual removes his coverings, avyaya reveals itself. That alone is Krishna. That is my real form." In this poem I have been inspired to look within at every step by this very attitude. If a man wishes he can live like a human being and even try to attain a state of divinity. If he wants he can also live as a beast. Whatever way he chooses to live, he will get the next birth according- ly. If he wishes he can also come out of the cycle of birth and death. He can even attain the state of godliness. He can become Narayan (God). He can move forward to achieve his ultimate goal of moksha (libera- tion). The final goal of our purushartha (pursuit) is also moksha. Can one live a meaningful and successful life only by means of purusharth? No, it is not possible. If it were possible, why would anyone curse his kar- mas and fate, why would he lay blame at someone else’s door for his failures, why would he blame time? Indian literature is replete with sutras (maxims) of failures and successes but science and nescience have been considered the basis of all these sutras. Both of them are the different aspects of maya.

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