People say that spirituality is a post-retirement pursuit. Different people justify this in different ways. Some say that they have a lot of responsibilities and therefore it's not possible to spare time for a spiritual quest. Some have to work hard to survive and earn their living, and they do not have any time and energy left after they return from their work. Some feel that life is for enjoyment and not to be wasted on something like a spiritual quest. Probably none of these is able to understand the true meaning of spirituality. Do we stop loving our kids and parents due to our responsibilities, needs, or enjoyment? Spirituality is a way of living, and therefore, the argument that spirituality can't be pursued due to responsibilities or needs is a fundamentally flawed argument.
Spirituality is not an intellectual speculation of reality; rather, it is all about observing and understanding the nature of reality. Why would we defer reading the manual of a machine till its expiry? This body has been given to us to be used in this lifetime, and we need to understand how to make the best use of this mind and body. Why would we defer reading this manual till old age? Without reading the manual, we learn to operate the machine from the people around us. Most people know only basic functions of the machine, and therefore, we too operate the machine at quite a low capacity.
Spirituality is all about knowing the fundamental truth of our experience. When we connect to our inner self, we get to know the deepest secrets of our minds and bodies. We know the tricks played by our minds on us. We get to know how "insecurities and fears" are so fundamental to our existence. We know how our brain creates stories. We know how we prefer to continue in a cocoon of comfort over experiencing the reality of life. It's not easy to look at our own mental stories. Because we identify very strongly with our "thoughts". That's why we can't see that we are trapped in these mental stories. That requires "space" between "self" and the "thoughts". However, mostly, we identify so strongly with our thoughts that there is no space between the two.
Arjuna is quite sure in the first Chapter of the Bhagwat Geeta and tells Krishna as to why he does not want to fight the battle. He is quite sure that he can't fight against his own cousins and elders. He is quite sure that this fight will not be good for his family and will turn him into a criminal, not only in this world but also in the other world. We, too, are sure about our mental concepts and make decisions with certainty, never doubting our own decisions. However, Krishna tells Arjuna a different perspective and Arjuna, rather than rejecting the same outrightly, listens to the same and questions Krishna about each and every aspect of the "alternative perspective" and by the end of Geeta realizes the truth and his decision changes and he decides to fight the battle with complete conviction.
The message of the Bhagavad Gita was also heard by Dhritarashtra through Sanjay. However, Dhritarashtra remains on his Mount Stupid and does not want to face reality. He is so convinced of his mental constructs that he can't question them. He does not ask questions; rather, he outright rejects Krishna. We, too, hear the message of the Gita each day. When we witness a death, Krishna tells us that life is uncertain. We read news of wars and crimes almost every day in the newspapers, yet we never reflect on what greed and ambition have done to this world. We see children committing suicide, and yet we continue to pressure them. The problem is not that Krishna is not guiding us; rather, the issue is that we have rejected Krishna due to our foolish convictions. So, do we leave everything to pray to God? That is another foolishness in the name of spirituality. Spirituality, as Krishna teaches, is about setting the center of our lives right. Right now, the center of our lives is greed and insecurity. Greed and insecurity arise from a false understanding of our lives. The moment we grasp the true meaning of life, these insecurities will drop naturally, and greed will lose its appeal. When someone listens to the chirping of the birds, loud music becomes mere noise. The more we connect to our inner selves, the more our fears and insecurities dissipate. Krishna is always there to answer all our questions if we are willing to listen to Him. We just need to switch off the loud music and alarms for a while to listen to the sweet voice of Krishna inside us.
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