"Try to climb a step every day, the next step will always look harder, but just look back at the many steps you have taken, as someone is always watching over you"
Many times we sit in a mandir or holy setting, listen to bhajans at home or attend a puja or satsang (sat=truth, sanga=company, company of the ultimate truth - religious people gathering to sing, pray or speak the name of God).
We feel this sense of peacefulness thats not felt at work, school or even at home sometimes. When we leave this "satsang" enviornment we feel different why? The energy (i.e. vibrations in the air, similar to sun rays we can not see that carry energy for plants and humans in the form of Vitamin D), comes from chanting of Gods name. I will disscuss more later on regarding chanting, but the grouping of voices and minds and God's followers collectively produce this energy that soothes our mind. Its said going to mandir is very important for this factor, collectively we can elevate each other by using our voice as one to praise God. Being in holy places can cleanse our minds and rest our tensions.
Then, as you leave this place of warmness and peacefulness you have a longing for it - You wish to go back to this feeling. This my friend is our inner voice, our true self speaking of what it needs. In life we feed our belly with great food, and eat every day with sweets and nice drinks -We need to feed our souls with gyan, or religious knowledge. The sweet glories of the lord and understand more about life and how to lead a life that upholds our duty. Through these glories or readings from the scripture we will slowly awaken and dwell on our lives, thus climbing the spiritual ladder, higher and higher.
Back to the original quote, its something we all want in life, deep down inside peacefulness is linked with helping others and doing good things in life.
Some steps to becoming more religious:
1. Continue to develop a want to become much more religious, keep craving this and it will come.
2. Challenge yourself to go beyond your normal duties, i.e. try to help as much people in a day as possible. Simply by holding the door, or giving a dollar to a less fortunate person will only help ourselvs and the world. Or make time to meditate on God and learn more, instead of watching TV, take some time to pray or reflect on God.
4. Think spiritual and try to live a spiritual life - Always think about approaching things that happen to us in a spiritual manner. i.e. handling problems, try not to let anger consume yourself, when a house is burning you do not try to stay inside and fight fire with fire, you leave until the fire passes. Just so, when you are confronted with heated arguments, walk away and come back later.
5. Respect all - we are all part of this world and share the same air and land. Our creator and ruler of all wants the best for us, we should not hurt each other. We are all brothers and sisters in this world, we all share the same need for peace and happiness. Do not look at differences or judge others for God is within us all, that divine spark.
6. Read more, develop an interest for the way of life - How to lead a spiritual life, how to grow on the right path. Knowledge is power, and knowing the challenges of life will empower us to make the right move.
7. Practice peacefulness and non-violence, always remain calm. This will make your thoughts clear and your speech wonderful to those around you. Watching what you eat also helps, it is true, you are what you eat - try to stay away from food that is bad for our body. I oppose eating meat as it slows our spiritual growth, if we are pure, we will rise faster. I do not believe in using animals to support ourselves for food, put yourself in place of that poor cow that gave milk all its life but wanted nothing in return. When it meets the first blow to the neck to be slaughtered, fighting for every breath as the next blow comes...How can we grow in the right direction if we consume such items that came from such an giving animal through distrought fear and pain?
8. Of course, remeber God's name every second of the day, this will make you feel good, and remebering God's name in the age we live in will bring blessings and help to develop that connection with the almighty. How to do this? Listening to songs, mantras, or just repeating his name. Om Hari Om...etc..
9. Performing Sacrifice - This does not mean selling everything and going to a forest to meditate. This can be simple as fasting, observing a religious holiday in the calendar or serving someone in need. When we do this in life, there are various levels of sacrifice - the more and greater the sacrifice the greater we will feel. If you donate a dollar, or 5min of your time to help someone you will feel good, but if you donate 10 dollars or 1 hour of your time, you will feel great. But, do it with love and it will bring great peacefulness.
10. Rise above the norm of life, do not look at life as what you see through your human eyes. Life goes beyond the physical matter, search within and grow. Always ask questions, do not fear retaliation - for an answered question can bring false beleif, and when we dont ask questions we develop this mechanical routine of doing things. i.e. "Why do we put chandan (white or red mark) on our forehead"? Simple questions but these have great answers, scientific reasons that can be proven. There is a vain thats on the forehead, its called the "third eye" or the eye we use when meditating - This vain connects to our whole body and heart, applying the chandan or red mark, purifies this area and cools the head thus allowing for ease in meditation (I will explain this in more detail later on)...
Open our eyes, question ourselves, are we doing enough - What am I doing to help myself become much more religious? How can I increase my devotion...? (hint: listed 10 ways)...Do not live two lives, as a bhakt (religious devotee) and as a wild/bad/party/regular secular person - Live that one life of a devotional religious person and all facets will click and come together for peace and happiness follow quickly to those who lead a path of good.
Jai Shri RadhaKrishna,
Jai Jai Sita Ram,
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