Isn't it? Really? Seriously?
The goal, the essence of everything we do is to bring about some sort of gratification, a feeling that arouses teh butterflies, and shakes the cobwebs a bit letting the sleepy spiders of our minds crawl about a bit. Every advertisement we see promises sense gratification, every great speech promises the revelation or realization of a dream! So how bout I tell you a little something about a dream.
I too have a dream!
My dream is to see that everyone becomes happy. As a monk, my one question is always what can I do everyday that can benefit the masses. How can the vows I took to follow spiritual principles actually transfer from me to someone else? That is, if I'm catually feeling spiritual bliss as I may claim. The Srimad Bhagavatam (one awesome holy book out there) explains that it is the duty of every person to use his life , intelligence, wealth and words for the benefit of another.
So how can i really do that? So here's my dream.
__ Anandambuddhi vardhanam pratipadam__
Spiritual bliss and satisfaction can be tasted at every step, but the highest pleasure comes when we in turn distribute that bliss to others. There is no end to it. The ocean of bliss is unlimited and each person is allowed to take more than he can handle- provided he also gives more than enough. Everyday I stand out in the strees distributing spiritual literature and hoping that someone will read them and understand that material life is a one way ticket form nowhere to nowhere... (nowhere man please listen- john lennon).
But lately I've been doing some self examination: if people are to abandon everything and try to follow my lead, I have to actually show that I am feeling the bliss. That deep feeling within has to also connect with the next person's inner hankering. its not some external show of things. True bliss comes from the soul, from the spiritual stratum and unless we are feeling it, people, who are also spiritual in essence, will find out sooner or later.
So do we have to be self realized souls then? Nope, but we can at least have trust in the self realized souls and repeat what they impart to us. In this way, the transfer of knowledge stays fresh and not contaminated by our mundane speculation. Kinda like a postman, sometimes he may be carrying a letter with a check for one million dollars for you, as long as he delivers the check to your mailbox, he's done his job; but say he opens your letter and find a check! Oh Oh. now his mind runs all over the place with what he could do to get some of your money- kidnap your pet, you, your friend. I dunno, never met a postman like that.
Basically, my dream is to deliver the message of Bhagavad Gita as delivered to me. And as I practice and feel some clarity in my life, I would like to urge others to do the same.
Nothing to lose untimately, but if there's gain, why not?
So not just me, but other spiritual practitioners- the best way to increase your spiritual blis is to give it to others. Lord Caitanya and His associates showed us this practically; the plundered the storehouse of Love and distributed that love freely to everyone. But something strange was happening at that time- the more the gave, the more there was to give. Some of that has been passed to us, lets keep passing it on and paying it forward.
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