3 Causes for Spiritual Downfall
And how to avoid them
Living in a yogic ashram for several years now, I have encountered more than one person whose spiritual prime had long passed. And while those types mostly make for an enjoyable company, they usually carry some deeply rooted heavy-heartedness. A subtle yet severe affliction clouds their minds.
Observing this, it became apparent that spirituality can be like a dance on a razor's edge, especially if practiced intensely. Any misstep can have potentially catastrophic consequences. To avoid falling down, I started to pay close attention to which pitfalls said individuals stumbled upon and also what advice scriptures offer on this issue.
Three main themes emerged.
One: Lust & Relationships
Sexual pleasure and the apparent safety which romantic relationships offer are common human desires. Most of the spiritual aspirants I know are affected by them, in one way or another. May it be the rudimentary want for sensual stimuli or some more subtle, psychic longings like having a family, finding fulfillment in caring for someone else, or something similar.
While there are ways to satisfy those needs, which are in harmony with, or even supportive for, spiritual growth, the reality looks different often.
First, forming and maintaining a relationship tends to be energy-intensive and time-consuming. The same is true for spiritual practice, having a job, or raising children. How many of these can a single person realistically commit to fully?
Sure, if the person is strong and the circumstances are congenial, everything is possible. But for those of us, who are still bound by the mundane limitations of human existence to a greater extent, it can be difficult.
Furthermore, fate might not provide a partner who is equally — or even more — spiritually inclined than oneself. Genuinely speaking, choosing a less spiritual partner means giving spirituality secondary importance.
The resulting clash can easily lead to giving less and less attention to spirituality until it possibly fades away entirely, like so many of our aspirations do while we're getting caught up in life.
You get the idea.
Secondly, unless some degree of spiritual progress has been achieved, relationships entail a great likelihood to seek fulfillment in outward expressions rather than within oneself. No doubt, it is entirely possible to keep a selfless mindset while caring for one's spouse, children, and loved ones.
But again, more often than not, the reality looks different. Many people in relationships want to make their spouses happy mainly because they hope their favor will be returned sometime. However, they will not be aware of their true motivation most of the time, which makes their behavior somewhat innocent from a moral point of view.
Nonetheless, the effect their actions have on their minds will be detrimental to their spiritual progress. Focusing much on one's own gain can have quite strong adverse effects on spirituality, as the next section will explore.
Two: Money, Power & Greed
What else can we find behind the accumulation of more and ever more of anything but a petty ego that tries to puff itself up like corn popping in a pan? Increasing one's sphere of influence, may it be by commanding things through money or by controlling people through power, is nothing but a hopeless attempt of a misguided mind to fulfill its deepest desire — its desire for limitlessness.
Never can nor ever will anyone find infinity by roaming within the realms of finitude. Even if this was theoretically possible, how much could one amass before starting to lose what has been gathered? Too many forces are at play. No single person can ever check all of them.
In a sense, spirituality is the quest for overcoming the ego. Those who are nourishing the very entity, which they want to overcome, will find it tough to advance spiritually. Unsatisfied by the yields of their practice, they sooner or later lose motivation and start to leave their once cherished path.
The next point, at its core, is the same I already mentioned in the former section.
By turning their mind towards outer objects, people who primarily focus on accumulating external things are heading away from their true selves, not towards it. They get drawn away from their inner world and distance themselves from spirituality.
Like an athlete who loses much of his strength after quitting his training, a spiritual aspirant who lessens his practice will feel the effect sooner rather than later.
Three: Bad Company
We, humans, are social beings, and as such, we get heavily influenced by our peers. Although not entirely impossible, it is still hard to imagine a saint emerging from a group of thieves. The other way is also true. Those who enjoy spiritual company are bound to be elevated.
The spiritual master Shrii Shrii Anandamurti explains the underlying mechanisms as follows:
Humans will have to move ahead by carefully watching those with whom they will associate. What is the result of keeping good company?
By spending time with good persons, a deep impression is imprinted on the mind, causing the desire to be good, to rise in the mind. On the other hand, if one chooses to associate with drunkards, a desire will eventually come in the mind, what is the harm if I drink a little wine? The same sort of thing will happen if one lives with thieves.
To give an example, a person is standing beside a tea-stall. There the flavour of the tea floats to the nose, and then the person says, “Bring a cup of tea here, too” In this incident, the flavour of the tea affects the mind. If that person had not remained near the tea stall, the smell would not have reached the nose and perhaps that person would not have taken tea for two or three days. This is the influence that association has on the mind.
Hence humans should choose their company very carefully, for, a mistake in this will cause them to repent their whole life.
Thus it is essential for any serious aspirant to enjoy spiritual company regularly. This significantly reduces the likelihood of neglecting our practices or leaving them altogether.
The Power of Devotion
While preventing the pitfalls mentioned above is an effective way to remain within subtler states, this might not always be easy. So what to do? Luckily there is another way — the way of devotion.
Whenever I find myself giving in to some of my lower propensities, I cling to thoughts that prevent me from losing sight of my spiritual goal.
"Even if I'll lose this particular battle, I won't give up the fight."
Keeping a positive mindset is essential, but in my experience, it's not sufficient. Using affirmations like the one above, I could justify doing whatever I want.
Neither does this sound right, nor does it work.
After performing some lousy deed, the lingering shadow of bad conscience remains deep within my mind. Whenever I remember my vicious act, I'll feel its pinch disturbing my composure.
To overcome this, I have to rectify myself. I have to undergo some hardship that loosely equals the amount of damage I caused.
Atoning for my mistake is relatively easy if I do something wrong that primarily damages myself, like giving into bad food habits. As that will harm my body, I will account for it by doing my body something good, like squats or push-ups, for example.
Choosing the right amount of struggle to go through might seem difficult, but in my experience, it is not. I can easily notice whether my mind feels freer or not after self-rectification. Nothing stops me from doing a few more repetitions if they didn't suffice yet. Doing too much is also a possible, albeit much rarer, possibility (at least for me).
The right amount of rectification depends not only on the gravity of the matter to be resolved but also on one's condition. It's not about the number of squads but the amount of effort needed. One person might find one hundred repetitions of squads relatively easy, while another might struggle to do ten.
Be sincere and creative about your ways of self rectification, and you will find what works best for you. You might also discover how joyful the whole process is.
Self-rectification can become more complicated when one's conduct hurts other people. The same is true when the misconduct is severe. In such cases, I usually consult an experienced person I trust for advice on rectifying myself.
Following this system has helped me navigate many crises so far. By admitting a mistake to myself, and possibly to others, and undergoing trouble to rectify me, I reinforce my commitment to attaining the highest truth as my ultimate goal.
I tap into one of the most potent forces our inner universe has to offer — the power of devotion. As long as I strive to keep my devotion strong, I can happily continue my dangerous dance along the abyss without being too concerned about falling down.
There might be some risk, but there is nothing to be afraid of.
