How do we identify that we are spiritually on the right path in life?
If worries do not arise, if samadhi (a blissful state) prevails even amidst mental, physical and emotional afflictions (aadhi-vyadhi-upadhi), then you can tell that spiritually speaking, you are on the right path in life.
Any big talks or actions in the absence of such a state is like conjuring castles in the sky! There’s an interesting story to illustrate this fact…
One day, Sahajanand Swami met a King in the province of Kathiawad. The King told Sahajanand Swami that a very impressive ascetic had come to town. This ascetic had remained buried underground for two weeks.
Swami asked the King to make the ascetic repeat this feat in his presence. The ascetic, with a firm ego, remained buried underground for fifteen days. And when it was time for him to be back on the ground, Swami instructed the King that this time, he should not send a large procession to greet the ascetic, as he had previously done; instead send just two policemen only.
Now, when the ascetic surfaced, not seeing a crowd waiting to greet him, he was furious. He got very wild, “Where is the King? Where is the horse carriage? Where is the band?”, and soon collapsed in anger.
This was because he was mistaken that he is on a spiritual path, when really speaking, he was living his life well-resided in ego. When that ego was not nourished, he died.
The definition of Ego is : To impose yourself where you are not!
The Enlightened One explains:
You say, “I am John (please insert your name here).” That is a wrong belief (that’s the subtlest ego). After your birth, you were given this name. But even before you were given this name, who were you? Once we realize ‘who am I’, it is called Self-Realization (and that marks the beginning of spirituality in life).
You are really a pure Soul. Pure Soul is the right and permanent answer of ‘who am I’.
‘I am John’ is relatively correct. But really correct is, ‘I am always permanently a pure Soul.’
Sharing his own experience, he states that:
I am happy all the time, 24x7. I can see the speech, the thoughts or the actions of body, I can see them as separate; it belongs to relative part. And I am the knower and observer (to know and see is the function of the Soul). I can see your Self also; you are separate from John. But you have a wrong belief today that, ‘I am John’. That’s why you get unhappiness. Really, you are separate from mind, speech and body all the time.
Really! Sometimes when your leg is paining, then what will you say, “My right leg is paining too much. But in left leg, there is no pain.” So you are a knower, pain is in this leg, there is no pain in this one — who knows? So really, you do not have pain. But you believe ‘I have pain’, that’s why you get suffering. But if you know who is getting pain and who am I, then you can remain separate from the pain.
This life is actually meant for realization of the real Self (Self-Realization)
That’s what our sole purpose ought to be!
In scriptures, we can find lots of knowledge regarding liberation, but it cannot liberate us. Only the liberated One can liberate others. The Enlightened One, who has become egoless, can elevate us to this state of awareness!
When the Enlightened One places our ‘I’ in its right place (the pure Soul), we realize the Self, directly through the grace of the Enlightened One. And then remaining in His satsang (company), as he liberates us from all the dualities and kashays (passions), we overcome our tasteful interest in ego! Thereafter we are able to conduct our remaining worldly activities happily, with complete peace and harmony!
That is why it is said that, “If you experience samadhi (enlightened bliss) in a completely difficult situation, then know that you have met a Gnani Purush (the Enlightened one)!
