Many situations in life upset us, and we wonder how we can remain ethical in the face of these daily challenges. Each moment we are confronted with choice between right and wrong. Whenever there are other people involved, there are bound to be situations where we disagree with what they are doing. Everyone is trying to live out his own life, and sometimes there are clashes between what others want and what we want.
Some people may be violent; some others may be untruthful. We encounter those who are greedy and selfish, and others who may try to take advantage of us. As we navigate life, we engage with all sorts of people. How can one walk the spiritual path and retain our spiritual values and principles? There are many pitfalls along the way. But once the seeker is on the right path, it would lead him to Self-knowledge and God-realisation.
As a seeker, you are trying to perfect an ethical way of living, striving to be non-violent, truthful, pure, humble and selfless. However, it is indeed difficult to remain non-violent in the face of selfishness. It is difficult to remain humble in the face of ego. It is not easy to remain truthful in the face of untruth, selfless in the face of selflessness and to remain pure in the face of impurity. We want to meditate, but there are numerous interruptions and distractions to keep us from meditating. The challenge is to resist those and stay on the path.
We need to be like a tree that can grow strong in the soil despite the elements around it. When a young tree is planted, a small fence or wooden stakes are planted around it to keep it safe from foraging animals or winds that can knock it down. Similarly we need a small fence around ourselves so that our budding spiritual growth can flourish.
Besides meditation and ethical living, satsang could offer a protective hedge that helps the tree of spirituality to grow. When new to spiritual teachings, it is easy to become diverted by the many temptations that bombard us. Satsang provides a protective hedge to remind us to meditate. It directs our focus to leading an ethical life and gives us a chance to cleanse and purify ourselves through selfless service.
Within that fence, we need to be nourished by the nutrients of meditation and ethical living. We should stay focused on these activities so no external elements deter us from growing spiritually. Thus, we can remain safe from falling prey to negative characteristics. If people try to knock us down from being non-violent, truthful, pure, humble, and selfless, or try to distract us from our meditations we will find the strength to remain firm. We should continue to be good and compassionate and follow ethical values despite what happens to us.
At satsang, we can find answers and deepen our understanding of spiritual teachings. By keeping the company of people who want to meditate and find God, we are strengthened. Our growing tree receives nourishment from the energy and blessings of gurus and saints. This charging helps to speed up our progress on the spiritual path so we can attain our goal of soul’s union with God.
