Guest Column | Not material prosperity, invest in spiritual science
To exist in the world, we need knowledge of material science. However, to live well in the world and beyond, we need material and spiritual knowledge. We have not come here just to exist but to thrive in life.
Who comes first, a mother or a child? Who comes first, a student or a teacher? After a child is born, a woman becomes a mother. Similarly, after a keen student arrives, a wise person becomes a teacher. Trees are graded based on the quality of fruits they yield and parents by the qualities of their children. A guru also is measured by the transformation he/she brings about in his/her students.
The world comprises matter and spirit. Investing in matter yields diminishing returns, while investing in the spirit gets one bountiful, perennial returns. To exist in the world, we need knowledge of material science. However, to live well in the world and beyond, we need material and spiritual knowledge. We have not come here just to exist in this world but to thrive in life. This is possible only through both dimensions of knowledge.
The Ishavasya Upanishad says: Vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yastad vedobhayaḿ saha avidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā vidyayāmṛtam aśnute (11). Matter is gross, we can smell, taste, see, touch, and hear it. The spirit is subtle beyond the perception of our senses yet the gross matter is sustained by the spirit. When the spirit leaves the body, the body collapses.
The entire world is seeking excellence in material science. All our educational institutions, from schools to universities, prepare students for material prosperity. But as we grow older, we realise investment in material assets, including property, that starts with a thrill only becomes a burden or diminishing return. Investment in spiritual science, however, gives bountiful returns and we become an asset for society.
The Creator deliberately made our senses in such a way that they go out in search of fleeting moments of happiness and get misled. A rare few go against the trend and seek within to find lasting happiness. The Katopanishad talks about this beautifully: “Parāñci khāni vyatṛṇat svayambhū stasmāt parāṅpaśyati nāntarātman | kaściddhīraḥ pratyag ātmāna maikṣ adāvṛttacakśur amṛtatvamicchan (2.1.1).”
We have many teachers who can teach us material science, from our math to music or even yoga teacher. However, a guru is one who shows us the path to metaphysical science. It is crucial to have a guru’s guidance and strength to withstand the challenges posed by negative forces in life. A guru corrects our vision by removing the cataract that prevents us from looking beyond darkness, fear, and ignorance.
Gu means darkness, and ru light. One who leads us from darkness to light is the guru. He/she awakens a new dimension of personality and makes us transcend beyond our preconceived idea of limited existence.
Guru also means heavy. In front of the guru, everything becomes light. A guru gives meaning to our life, transforms our ordinary living into extraordinary living. A guru is like a sender, and a keen student a receiver. How much a student receives from a guru depends on the purity of the receiver.
A guru may be leading an ordinary life in the eyes of unrefined receivers, but when the student is ready, the guru appears in his/her life. God is so compassionate that He never forsakes a serious seeker. He shows the path to freedom to the keen seeker through a guru. All a seeker needs is to develop a thirst for knowledge and a longing for turning the attention inward.
So, don’t be satisfied by material prosperity, which is a diminishing return. Invest in the bountiful return like a brave investor who knows where the best return comes from. Go within through adhyatma vidya (insight into the Self).
vasudevakriyayoga@gmail.com
The writer is the Melbourne-based founder of Vasudeva Kriya Yoga
