Many people think a spiritual life means that one retreatsto the mountains, performs meditation and then lives peacefully forever in one’s own enlightened cocoon. However, that is not true, deep spirituality. That is not the essence of enlightenment. The essence of spirituality is service of others. Yes, solitude, silence and intense sadhana are crucial in order to establish the connection with God, in order to make the leap from a material life to a spiritual life. This lays the ground work. It is like wiring a house for electricity. In the beginning, when the house is being built, one must carefully lay all of the wires. Much time is spent on this initial electrical wiring. However, once the lines have been laid, one simply has to plug the cord into the socket and the lamp immediately illuminates! One does not have to re-wire the house each time!

The same is true on the spiritual path. Once the deep conection with the Divine Powerhouse is established, one simply has to close one’s eyes and one connects with God.

Then, as we walk the path of spirituality, we must dedicate ourselves to cultivating the divine vision and awareness with which we can see the Divine in all. Once we see every being as Divine, we cannot walk by someone who is suffering without helping them. We cannot see sick, starving animals wandering on the road or watch toxic chemicals being dumped into our precious rivers without doing something about it.

So, ultimately, if the spiritual path is true, it culminates in an insatiable urge to serve all, to help, to give to all, and to live for all.

We must learn to be like Mother Ganga – always giving, with no vacation, no discrimination, and no hesitation. This way we can merge with the Divine, becoming peaceful and ever-blissful.

With love and blessings to you all,
In the service of God and humanity,
Swami Chidanand Saraswati