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THE SPIRITUAL PATH OF A HOUSEHOLDER
By Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari
Based on the Teachings of his Beloved Gurudev, Sri Sri Baba Bhajan Brahmachari (Thakur)

Sri Sri Baba Bhajan Brahmachari (Thakur)

Is there no way out of this bonded life that we all live as householders?

Yes, if we balance our life between pleasures and renunciation. Worldly people cannot do everything in the path of spirit all at once.

We are leading the life of a householder; hence we have to tread the path of both worldly enjoyments balanced with a true spirit of renunciation.  If we are asked by our Guru to stop having fish and meat, if we are asked to leave this or leave that, then most likely we will not be able to abide by these instructions easily, as it may be difficult for us in the initial stage of Sadhana. True renunciation is a state of natural happening in the mind that no longer feels the need or desire for something. If the Guru continuously talks to us about what we should give up in life, and what we should not do, then we may not feel the need to come to our Guru. That can’t be, it would not be good.

Again, if our mind gravitates toward sensual pleasures, that too would take us away from our path. Our mind is controlled by innumerable tendencies and thought patterns collected from the distant past. Can we change them overnight? It is not possible; even to expect it that way is wrong. But one needs to be alert and conscious lest the mind gets entrapped in pleasure-seeking. We need to be a diligent observer of the mind to watch how the mind is being naturally pulled to the objects of senses. If we were not alert we would see that we are being pulled again and again in the world of pleasures. As we watch we will realize that these pulls toward sensual objects are endless, and also the fact that if we don’t get them as desired, we would start to feel miserable. Then we would not enjoy doing japa or meditation.

Hence, if we are truly interested in spiritual experiences we need to accept the path of mental renunciation.  This does not mean we have to be Tyagi (one who has renounced) or fake renunciates being victims of egotism resulting from external forms of renunciation. There is always scope to leave out many things in life, which is not as essential. We need to bridle our mind from time to time. The most important thing is to remember that as our mind is soaked in the remembrance of our chosen deity or our beloved Guru, our desires will start to dissolve without our specific efforts for it. When the one comes the other leaves.

Keep trying to be in the remembrance of the Divine. Tadbhav, means, to be connected to the Essence, to the Lord. That is Guru, that is Ishta or the Chosen Deity, that is Mantra. Let the mind be dipped in the intoxication of Guru-Ishta-Mantra. We need to immerse our self in the Name of the Lord. Until we drown our self in the ocean of divinity we will not realize the nectar that lies there. This samsara and this world is indeed the gift of the Lord Himself. Hence, if we shirk responsibilities he would never be pleased.

Therefore we come to know that every act of our daily life is seva or our humble service to the Lord. This is the essence of all spiritual practice. There is no better way to calm the mind and purify our mind. Apart from that, we can’t leave our life of activity anyway. For instance, say someone is a doctor; God has given that person this opportunity to serve Him in this way. The patients treat the doctor as living God, but we must always be very conscious of the truth that we are not the doer; the Doer is the Lord Himself. He is making us do things as our in-dwelling self. Hence, we need to do all our acts with continual remembrance of the Divine, and consecrate all our action to His Lotus Feet. When we are able to do all the daily chores of our life in that spirit of divine remembrance, we will see how our mind gradually gets centred and purified. We will see the usual storms of mundane life will hit us anyway, but we will remain unperturbed.

This state of mind cannot be attained in a single day. If that could be a possibility then sadhus would not go all the way to the Himalayas or to forests and jungles and do austere practices in winter and under the scorching sun and brave the storms, for ages. Yet the Truth remains far away from their reach.

It is indeed a very difficult path. One might think that if one has accepted someone as his or her Guru, taken formal initiation, that this is it, now it is all Guru’s responsibility! No, this is the path where nothing less than truth can take us to the Truth.  Here we need to learn to empty our self. We need to completely surrender our self. We need to offer our ego at the altar of the Divine. Then and then alone will we have the vision of God face to face. That is what pure Grace is all about. 

Many of the followers and devotees don’t sincerely practice japa and mediation but they always demand the grace of Guru. They believe that nothing significant is happening in their spiritual or material life; hence, it is all Gurus’ fault. No spiritual practice can bear fruits if one takes the course of finding fault with the Guru. Do we think that Guru is a human body? If we see Guru and God as different then know for sure we will not be able to advance in the path of Truth.

We may live in an elegant home, have a closet full of clothes, delectable food to eat and several cars to drive or not. We can have everything or nothing but the key is we should not get attached to anything. When we think that we can’t live without this or that, this is not the right way to think. This leads to a distracted state of mind. We need to rejoice the blessings and be happy with what little He has given us. We need to keep persevering, practice. Persistent practice (abhyasa yoga) is the key.  Just as by doing the wrong things again and again, it turns into a bad habit, similarly, when we practice something good, we develop a good habit too. We need to awaken the innate divine qualities in us by avoiding the wrong habits.

Let us continue the practice of doing japa of the divine Name of our choice.  And always be alert and mindful. Let us keep our heart open to the Divine Presence in the midst of all that is mundane and sense bound. While enjoying the sensual pleasures we can ask our self “Is this truly necessary?” Let us keep praying to God, “Oh Lord! Please take away all my worldly desires so that I am free from all bondages. May I always remain at your Holy feet remembering you and dwelling in your thoughts. May I always have single pointed devotion to your service. This is my prayer unto you.”

Remember, Satsang, the company of the Holy Master, is like the ever-purifying water of the Ganges. These words of the Master are not the borrowed knowledge like that of pundits, but the profound experiential wisdom of the very incarnation of God. He has come down from the lofty heights of the Himalayas into this mundane world only to dispel the darkness from the minds of the suffering humanity.  Hence, our hearts too are flooded with divine ecstasy. And we are recipients of his ever-flowing love, grace and blessings. We are not alone on our journey; we are walking as one with God.

Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari (Kolkata, India), is a globally acclaimed motivational and inspirational teacher, author, social advocate and peace maker. His Simple Art of Managing Stress and Course in Mindfulness have inspired audiences worldwide. Author of internationally acclaimed The Incredible Life of a Himalayan Yogi: The Times, Teachings and Life of Living Shiva  Baba Lokenath Brahmachari, Shuddhaanandaa was recipient of the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by Star Foundation at the House of Lords, UK, 2015. He founded Lokenath Divine Life Mission in 1985.
eternalbaba@gmail.com, www.Babalokenath.org