Chapter 12 - Spirit

 To be alive spiritually, man must have a union with God and must be conscious of it. Apart from this union, his religious life will be an empty drudgery, a mere imitation of true spirituality - Alan Watts


I heard about the word spirituality in my twenties. The term should be discussed more in better sections of society and among youngsters. I was attracted to this word because I found hope of finding god through it, probably, which was one of my curiosities.

When we enter the world of spirituality, We imagine seeing people with white clothes, garlands of flowers, and serene face which shines with the glory of eternal peace.

How do people attain such calmness?

At first, I confused it with religious practices. Later, it appeared more about finding your position in the universe’s structure and becoming one. Spirituality is a relationship you establish between yourself and your soul, your inner voice, and your self. I was always fond of some of my teachers in college who radiated such kind of energy. They were young at heart. They cared less about the outer world and delivered their service with a pure heart to the students.

I always wondered if such humans are born this way or if they made themselves into such creatures. Seeing them was a love affair, and I always wanted to become like them. There was no natural way available to be able to discuss it with them freely. It remained a distant love affair only.

I started finding people who were like them and did such great work that people wrote documentaries on their lives. Some favorites are APJ Abdul Kalam, Mother Teresa, and His Holiness, The Dalai Lama.

I learned about Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, and Taoist religious practices and beliefs. I tried to understand their relationship with spirituality. All this gave me a glimpse of the idea of what exists.

I began meditation five years ago and practiced it for hours daily. Slowly I learned about different forms of meditation and started practicing awareness during every activity. Everything became part of being one with the present moment, from washing dishes to walking.

In one year, I started seeing changes in consciousness. I did not believe the sudden changes, but they were ecstatic. The things which were annoying and frustrating earlier became funny. I started understanding my relationship with everything around me and felt one with it.

I don’t know whether it is some game that your mind plays with you, but it makes you a better version of yourself. It can be called a journey in which you learn more about yourself. Your beliefs, desires, and the structure of your mind, which you have built slowly since childhood. You know about past trauma and how it affects your present. Your regrets and how they control your emotions. Your unaddressed desires are repressed and enormously waiting for a chance to explore and come out.

It is not easy because we are running away from all this. Giving your attention to these things make it uneasy but opens the door to correction of the mistakes of the past. It opens the gateway to forgiving yourself and others who were responsible for putting you into such a condition.

Peace is attained when you clear out all the things you have slid under the bed without clearing them. It is essential to living with a light heart without all this heavy baggage. Living a single day in peace after earning all this makes you fulfilled and stop fearing the end.

When the fear goes away, you meet your actual self. The person you were before the world started creating its impact on you like an innocent child with no hatred, no regrets. Only love will flow from your heart towards every living being and yourself. Living a single moment in such serenity will make you feel relieved. You will understand your relationship with this eternal universe.

You will not need people to fill your loneliness, but you will fill up the void of love in the life of people around you.

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