WHAT DOES SPIRITUALITY MEAN TO ME?

To me, spirituality is all about discovering oneself. In the process, one comes to realize the self-actualization that is taking place. The resulting bliss leads to seeing the God within.

Life to me had been an enduring experience. A middle class background with a clear focus created by the mother on the importance of education as the only means of survival, generated the fire in the belly to seek, to see, to learn and not to yield. Education led to career in technology marketing at the highest competitive level. Ever changing technology and the aggression that was required to conduct one’s profession for the achievement of targets on time, only increased the tumultuousness further.

Almost two and half decades of vocation, that of employment and entrepreneurship, created plenty of sediments of tension, stress and weariness in the body and mind which required careful cleansing. During the while, there had been many instances of one earning for peace, warmth and love. This had led to many books and preachings. Yogis, Seers and Counselors also came the way. Sometimes it helped and sometimes it didn’t. Often, confusion was the end product.

Marriage and children gave a sense of purpose and contentment. However, responsibility to the near family and to the secondary one of parents, siblings and kith, only increased the running further and one had to change the gear to overdrive mode often. Life continued. Many times, one felt the theory of Karma unfolding in front.

My reading habit began very early in life. Initially it was short stories and novels, later to poems and essays and thereafter to management and spirituality. Knowledge accumulation, career growth and practical wisdom resulted in the involvement in professional and social bodies and taking up the leadership in many of them. Gratification achieved therein balanced out with the stress created but one found oneself at some pedestal.

Focused reading of the simple interpretations of the philosophy of Advaita, the Upanishads and the Scriptures of various religions and traditions, though initially compounded the confusion, slowly began to result in clarity of understanding. And the self-discovery started, slowly, very slowly. Peace is slowly descending on me now. And the bliss is emerging.

Today I consecrate all my activities and decisions to the Devine. My focus and my prayers, I am sure, will lead me to find the Devine within.