Steering One’s Spiritual Path
Prabhav
Chh. Sambhaji Nagar (Maharashtra)
Prostrations at the Holy Altar of Sree Guru Parampara!
My humble pranaam at Maa’s lotus feet!
Acceleration & Deceleration - The relevance of these two terms in Spirituality or Sadhana, was beautifully explained by Maa in the online Call Talk session this month. Following are my humble take aways as per my limited understanding.
Effective acceleration can only take place when accompanied by simultaneous deceleration. Else it leads to calamity! The understanding of where and when to accelerate or decelerate requires Vivek.
The process of Acceleration and Deceleration is a continuous feature of our lives.
There are 4 Ashram’s as prescribed by our Shastra’s:
Brahmacharya Ashram: First 25 years – spent in educating
Grihasth Ashram: Next 25 years – spent in culturing oneself and bringing harmony within and outside.
Vaanprastha Ashram: Next 25 years - withdrawal from worldliness and outwardness
Sanyaas Ashram: Next 25 years - Renunciation
The Shastra’s have laid out responsibilities and duties for each ashram. Each ashram when lived rightfully prepares us for the next ashram. The movement into a new ashram requires accelerated efforts towards the new role. This must be accompanied by a declaration of the activities of our previous ashram; else we will never assume the role and responsibility of the new ashram in its entirety.
It is only at the stage of Sanyaas ashram that no deceleration is required. It is only acceleration towards Spirituality and Sadhana.
The Path of Knowledge and The Path of Devotion are best when practised simultaneously - each complements the other.
Touching fire leads me to experiencing heat. But the knowledge of fire will teach me about heat without touching fire.
Knowledge about what you’re doing as Sadhana works wonderfully - it accelerates the progress of your Sadhana, and at the same time, it also decelerates you from the worldliness.
For example, the strength of a Japa is not dependent on its knowledge or one’s knowledge of the Japa. It benefits all that chant it.
But the practitioner of the Japa, when he explores the knowledge behind the Japa, his wandering mind decelerates and the impact of the Japa is accelerated. It starts carving out the Spiritual path for him.
As per Vedanta - the moment there is Knowledge, the world is dried up. In devotion (when done without knowing) it dries up slowly. The best way is Devotion with Knowledge.
In conclusion, Maa illustrated a practical way for us to follow!
We should start every morning with:
Deceleration - Negate that which is not Self!
Acceleration - Assert the Self!
Again here, the acceleration is most effective when accompanied by simultaneous deceleration!
Hari Aum!