17 May 2008 —
Question
Q59: Avoiding or Interacting?
Question 59:
“For you, does spirituality mean more, avoiding to be dragged into the dualistic nature of the world or interacting with it while trying to remaining untainted?”
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To post your answer, click on ‘Add Comment’. Please contemplate well on the question before you answer, and make your answer brief and clear.
I am inclined to go with the latter statement. In the present day world, that would be an easier and better alternative. But for brave and lion hearted die hards, they are bound to embrace the former.
True spirituality consists in promoting human unity through harmonious living and sharing the joy with one and all. One cannot effect a change of heart by speeches; one has to practise love. To do so, one has to feed the hungry, offer solace and encouragement to those in distress and despair, teach the illeterate, express compassion, etc. Spirituality does not mean leading a solitary, ascetic life. Spirituality means looking upon the whole of mankind as one family and realising the unity in diversity. God and us are not separate. This oneness should not be a mere intellectual concept. It should be a living reality.
Well, for me it is trying to avoid being dragged, but I guess for other people interacting works just fine. It all depends on how much self control you have over your desires when surrounded by things they want!
From Amma’s living example, I always feel that being able to interact with the world while remaining at peace is the spiritual goal which is most helpful to the world – if one can pull it off!! Rather than fail dismally, I suppose taking the step of removing yourself might help in preparing to follow Amma’s example…
the part of me that thinks i can answer this question—does not know.
i just want that part to be dissolved so that the life that expresses through me at that place can answer the question.
Lotus in the pond.
Neither…To do my Dharma at all times during my waking state is all I can do. Whether or not it is to act in the world or appear to do otherwise.
There are moments, we are tied to the bodily limitations. We can neither do Japa, nor do meditation nor even physical Yoga.
We must learn to adopt the body and mind and tune to the song of Life, the formless Form of the Divine Mother and serve the dualistic world with the knowledge of Oneness.
In the words of Swami Vivekananda: One Life. One Universe. One God.
am already in dualistic nature of the world, and i know i am in deep trouble, but to remain untainted and to get along with the experiences of life and be ” safe ” we need Help from Amma and we need the grace to be able to Understand that Amma is trying to help us.
Some times our mind is not able to understand whats good and what is bad. so we need grace…. to get along with our so called ” LIFE ” s problems…
The later. AMMA is teaching us that Sprituality and normal life is one and same and it is not at all seperate. While interacting with this world we can try to remain unattached. One who is praying “Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu” or doing selfless seva with love in rememberance of AMMA is practicing spiritual principles. All we need is AMMAs grace to attain this. May AMMA bless everyone who has a strong wish to follow Her path.
To love others is to love Amma. Her grace can help.
AMMA
Wuaw good question! Well for me it means now trying to be entirely present exactly there were i am. With my fears , with my attachement, with my anger with my great love, with whatever arises in the worldstage of human existence. It has allways a dualistic nature if i start to think about it.
Interacting is allways free if one is completely present. Its a question of practice! Am i right? Thank you
This is a question which was in my mind from the last two days as I am not on internet on saturdays and sundays and today in the morning I saw the question on the blog and I am clear in my mind. AMMA you are omnipresent. I want to live under you sheltered.
God has given us a role to play so we have to fulfill our official duty in perfection without being entangled in it. According to me realising of our Innerself and finding happiness within ourself is the goal for which we have got a precious human birth. A real sadhak is who enacting his role living in the wolrd has attained spirituality rather than who living in a jungle and claiming to be a spiritual.
I feel both ways are important. Yes, I try to avoid more the aspects of the world that either have no positive spiritual benefit, or avoid things from which I cannot help be tainted by due to vasana or a certain vulnerability (which I am working on). Secondly, being in the world without being tainted is essential in order to learn to discriminate spiritually and grow stronger in one’s own Self, and to benefit by benefiting the world with right action. There is no greater example of being in the world while avoiding internalizing its negative aspects than Amma, and so in her we have the benefit of a perfect teacher.
amma says not to swim in the sea if we do not know how to. similarly getting materially entangled cause suffering to self and others if we do not know how to live. better to avoid.
once we learn swimming we can enjoy being in the sea. that is enjoy life like amma.
I have for years pondered over this question. The classic lotus example always helps – live like a lotus in a muddy pond looking up towards the light. Interacting in the relative world with detachment and focusing on Amma.
We don’t have much of a choice regarding where we are. Some land up where the dualistic nature of the world is in a recessive form. For most of us we have to be in the lap of dualism constantly praying that Amma gives us the proper discrimination in every situation. It is life-negating to keep avoiding experiences and risky to invite them. We can have reminders of Amma all around us – books, pictures, scriptures, songs, quotes regarding living – and this keeps us close to home. At worse, we err and then, we just bounce back instead of wallowing in the dirt.
To me spirituality is what Amma does for the world….
Running away from a problem never solves it. On the other hand, when you learn to effectively live with and interact with the dualistic world around you without being affected by this duality and without forgetting the oneness, is what guarantees an easy and successful life.
Amma always says that the world and spirituality is not at all different both are one and the same. Spirituality is the airconditoning of the material life. Spirituality is a guideline for a balanced material life. I feel some time that the dualistic nature of the world is ok. But our attitude towards the world must be proper while interacting with world. ‘I ness’ and ‘Myness’ is the main problem.
All we need is Ammas grace. To me spirituality is what Amma does for the world. Focusing on Amma and her teachings doing and selfless service.