To find our soul, we need to spend some time daily in meditation, but we keep postponing our spiritual goals to the next day, writes Sant Rajinder Singh
If someone were to tell us that somewhere in our backyard, deep in the ground, lay a buried treasure worth millions of dollars, what would we do? Where would we be in our every spare moment? We would probably be out there in our backyard, digging frantically until we found our pot of gold. How could we concentrate on anything else knowing that we were living on top of a gold mine? Yet, this situation is not far from what is actually happening to each of us. We have a buried treasure within us containing riches far more fulfilling than having millions of dollars. We have a way to connect with our creator waiting to be found within us, yet we go about our lives oblivious to our limitless potential.
The happiness that we think can be attained through outer wealth is illusory. The reason we want money is to buy things, thinking those objects will give us happiness. Yet, look at the wealthy nations of the world. Are its people happy? If they were, why are so many people drowning their sorrows in drugs, alcohol, or destructive pastimes, or lying on the couches of therapists? Some of the people who have everything money can buy, plus fame and power, are often so miserable, even end their lives tragically by overdosing on drugs and alcohol. Apparently, the money, fame, and position are not offering people the promised happiness. The satisfaction we seek is available from a source not made of matter. The happiness we seek is within us at the level of our soul. Bliss, unlimited knowledge, power, fearlessness, happiness, and peace are the riches of the soul. If we can dig in the right place, they will all be ours.
If we knew there were riches buried in our backyard, we would not have any trouble finding time to dig. We would steal every spare moment to take that shovel and search. If we could apply that same level of urgency and commitment to finding our soul, we would find the riches within.
Unfortunately, what do most people do? They spend a few minutes here and there, often with gaps of days, weeks, or months, searching the spiritual treasures. Expecting success with such little effort is like expecting to earn a medical degree by going to classes or studying few minutes every few weeks. Spending only a few minutes occasionally in spiritual pursuit will get us to our goal, but it may take centuries. Time is ticking away every moment. With each motion of the clock’s second hand, our life grows shorter and shorter. Every minute is precious. If we wish to uncover the riches of the soul, we need to make the best use of our time.
When we are in pursuit of something we really want, finding time is not difficult. When we are committed to our goal, we find that we stay focused on the task until it is completed. We can hardly tear ourselves away from the work that is going to take us to our cherished goal. It is when we feel we must force ourselves to do something that we worry about finding time. Finding time to dig is only a problem when we are not committed to the search. Then we have to discipline ourselves to spend time in whatever task we want to attain. It is a lot easier if we have a strong desire and yearning for the goal.
Similarly, if we have an overwhelming desire to find our soul and unite with the creator, finding time is not an issue. We will become so engrossed in our inner search that we will lose ourselves in its pursuit.
Reaching Our Goal
What are the benefits of discovering our soul? Some people want to find bliss and happiness. Others want the knowledge of what lies beyond this world. For some, conquering fear of death is the motivating factor. For others, it is empowerment that drives them. Let us not lose precious time. How many of us know someone who was snatched from life unexpectedly? It may have been a child or a teen who passed away; it may have been a loved one. It could have been someone who was in the best of health. When we least expect it, someone we love can die. We do not know when our turn will come. Even if it is not death that takes us, sometimes a sickness can afflict us. Some illnesses are so debilitating that we can no longer perform our normal functions in life. It is crucial that we take advantage of the time we have when we are fit, healthy, and functioning. Who knows what will happen?
We do not want to end up like the man who was always too busy to search for God until it was too late. If we were to take a circle and divide it into three slices, label each slice: Physical goals, intellectual goals, and spiritual goals, what would we have in each of these arenas? All three are important. Many people think that when they pursue spiritual goals, they have to give up everything else. That is what Sant Darshan Singh called “negative mysticism.” Spirituality can be a path of what he termed “positive mysticism.” This means that while pursuing our spiritual goals, we still take care of the other two aspects of our life, our, physical existence and our intellectual life. We first need to prioritise. We can live a balanced life and attend to our physical, mental, and spiritual pursuits.
Take, for example, saving money in the bank. What generally happens is that we want to save, but we end up making this our last priority. We pay all our bills first, then we go through our list of needs and wants, thinking that we will save whatever is left over. But sadly, we find that there is never anything left over. Weeks pass and not a penny makes it into our savings account. This is the same thing that happens to our spiritual goals. We tell ourselves that we will meditate after all other duties and chores are done. What happens? Night comes, sleep overtakes us, and another day passes without meditating. What do financial planners tell us to do if we want to save money? They tell us to make a direct deposit into our savings account as soon as the pay check comes. They take the savings right off the top as if it were another bill to be paid. In this way, we force ourselves to save. We need to take a similar approach.
Time for Meditation
To find our soul, we need to spend some time daily in meditation. Some scriptures refer to the concept of tithing ten percent. We can tithe one tenth of our day for our soul. If we look at the lives of people who achieved greatness in any field, we find that they made their goal a priority. It is the same in the spiritual field. If we do the work, put in regular time, make meditation a part of our lives, we, too, can achieve success. The cornucopia of spiritual bounties can pour into us, enriching all aspects of our life.
The writer is a spiritual leader
