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Thread: What makes a person unfit for spirituality?

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    What makes a person unfit for spirituality?

    Blessed Members of the Forum,

    Namaskar. I have a question, what makes a person unfit for spirituality? Isn't spirituality open to all? Why there should be any prerequisites? These questions ran through my head when a friend of mine, was told he was unfit for spirituality by "a learned" person, just because my friend is under depression.

    I appreciate views on this matter thank you.
    Last edited by kshama; 20 December 2009 at 10:11 PM.

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    Re: What makes a person unfit for spirituality?

    Vanakkam kshama:

    Sounds to me like this 'learned' person is unfit for spirituality.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: What makes a person unfit for spirituality?

    Quote Originally Posted by kshama View Post
    what makes a person unfit for spirituality? Isn't spirituality open to all?
    ......
    when a friend of mine, was told he was unfit for spirituality by "a learned" person, just because my friend is under depression.
    EM said correctly !

    Did you ask your friend, what he/she understands by the term "Spirituality" ?

    "An Empty Vessel makes too much sound !"

    OM
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

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    Re: What makes a person unfit for spirituality?

    Namaskar Eastern Mind Ji, Devotee Ji and all,

    My friend is going through a phase of uncertainty, where he yearns for bhakti. He surrendered to God in many circumstances, but all he gets is nothing but pain. Maybe his karma is such.

    My friend is fond of certain deity in Hinduism. So he worships the God as any Hindu would do. Yet he wasn't happy with his life. He turned to God everytime in despair, in joy, in sorrow, he only knows God.

    My friend thought perhaps he needs guidance in terms of spirituality, so he went to seek help from a certain religious organization. My friend wrote an email to the centre, stating about his life, his worship and seeking help abt his depression.

    The response from the centre was quite shocking for him. He was told that depression was his own creation, his efforts knowing god was nothing but a play of ego, and he is unfit of being spiritual because he isn't happy eventhough praying to God.

    Well, as a friend of his, I want him to get out of his depression. I do not know what to say abt the centre's comments.

    When I think back, I think God provides us ample time and capacity to know Him. Why people need to have some sort of criteria in order to be spiritual? Isn't spirituality open to all?

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    Re: What makes a person unfit for spirituality?

    @ Devotee Ji,

    My friend thinks spirituality is about knowing himself. He tried meditating and fasting but he still feels nothing. He cannot sense the bhakti like you or the blessed members here feel.

    I can't help much my friend in terms of spirituality as I am too a beginner. I only said to him continue to do his worship and have faith in God. Do you or any members have any suggestions?

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    Re: What makes a person unfit for spirituality?

    Namaste Kshama,

    Sorry to hear about your friend's problems.

    See, one has to undergo the effects of his/her Karmas. It cannot be overcome so easily unless you get special blessings of a Self-realised Guru or reach at such a level in spirituality that you are able to roast all your evil Karmas. I will tell you how I perceive it :

    We create all sorts of possibilities by our Karmas & they bear fruit at the appropriate time when the conditions are favourable for Karmic seeds to sprout. Now, if I have had so bad Karmas that I have created a jungle full of demons/wild beasts/deadly snakes/pitfalls ... I must cross that jungle. What God & Guru can do ? They can show us the way which can be comparatively easier or can even hold our hands to help us get out of that jungle quite safe & unharmed. The important point to note is that I cannot escape that jungle of my own creation.

    So, is there no hope, if I don't get the blessings of any Self-realised Guru or God ? No ! The Karmas when we talk about are not only past Karmas but also the present Karmas. So, the past Karmas can be overcome by our more powerful present Karmas. OK. Agreed ! But what Karma shall one do ? The opposite of Karma which brought the misery. Let's take this case of depression. How & why should one suffer depression ? We are the omnipotent Self ... children of God ... how can depression subdue my True Nature ? This is because of the past tendencies that your friend might have developed in his past life. I would suggest a few things below :

    a) Seek medical help from a good doctor in town. He may have some physiological problem.

    b) Be active ...be where the action is .... he might be accustomed to being alone (might have carried this tendency from his past life) ... that inactivity can breed depression. The best option is to get attached with some social service groups, if possible. He must start telling himself that nothing in the world can depress him & must act accordingly. He must develop a strong will-power. How to develop a strong will power ? For that, he must chart a, "Dos" & "Don'ts" for himself. He must do all the Do's & must not do any of "Don'ts". Slowly he would feel that will-power is increasing & he is feeling better. He must rise above his physical limitations. After all, our looks, our frail body, our mental faculties ... are only temporary cover for our true Self. We are not our body-mind entity. We are ever happy souls ... we don't need anything for being happy. Happiness is our True Nature ... I must believe that to reflect that happiness from within me in all circumstances.

    c) The distance between God & us is measured by the thickness of our negative thoughts. God is very shy. If you feel that God is away from you, no one can be able to bring God near you. You have to feel God's presence within you ... First belief ... then faith & then actual realisation... He will start reflecting through your consciousness when you have absolute faith in Him ... You have to catch each sign in meditation & focus yourself onto that ... be one with that.

    I can't tell you much about this as the art of meditation must be learnt under well qualified Guru. Does your friend have access to SRF (Maharishi Yogananda) ? This organisation is excellent from my point of view & can teach many things without much hassles & without needing a lot of money. If he can, ask him to join correspondence course of SRF ... which is a three years course. If he undergoes this course sincerely & with devotion, I am sure all his depressions & distance from God will vanish over time (within less than a year). At the end of first year course, he may be given option of getting Dikshaa on Kriyaa Yoga depending on his progress.

    May God bless you & your friend ...

    OM
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

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    Re: What makes a person unfit for spirituality?

    @ Devotee Ji,

    Namaskar. Thank you for your views. I will channel your views to my friend.

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    Re: What makes a person unfit for spirituality?

    Namaste,

    You are a kind and caring friend. He is blessed to have a friend like you.

    I also have depression (caused by chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I know that my illness often causes me to think I "can't" because depression effects my self-esteem.

    But the Divine, imho, helps me work on all the wounds. The past 2 years I have made it a priority to work on spiritual growth. It has helped me with the fear caused by PTSD. It has lifted me out of depression.

    My depression and PTSD was so bad in the spring of 2007, I was hospitalized. It was also when the Divine answered my intense cry for help. I think of right now how 12 step spirituality has helped millions (maybe even billions or trillions) of people to overcome problems caused by addiction.

    I read once that we have to "test" (that's not the word, but it kind of hints at what I mean) a spiritual mentor before we blindly accept their advice. Buddha told his students not to take his word for it; he told them to test it all out for themselves.

    I send your friend concern and love from my heart.

    Love to you,
    Heartfully

    Quote Originally Posted by kshama View Post
    Namaskar Eastern Mind Ji, Devotee Ji and all,

    My friend is going through a phase of uncertainty, where he yearns for bhakti. He surrendered to God in many circumstances, but all he gets is nothing but pain. Maybe his karma is such.

    My friend is fond of certain deity in Hinduism. So he worships the God as any Hindu would do. Yet he wasn't happy with his life. He turned to God everytime in despair, in joy, in sorrow, he only knows God.

    My friend thought perhaps he needs guidance in terms of spirituality, so he went to seek help from a certain religious organization. My friend wrote an email to the centre, stating about his life, his worship and seeking help abt his depression.

    The response from the centre was quite shocking for him. He was told that depression was his own creation, his efforts knowing god was nothing but a play of ego, and he is unfit of being spiritual because he isn't happy eventhough praying to God.

    Well, as a friend of his, I want him to get out of his depression. I do not know what to say abt the centre's comments.

    When I think back, I think God provides us ample time and capacity to know Him. Why people need to have some sort of criteria in order to be spiritual? Isn't spirituality open to all?

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    Re: What makes a person unfit for spirituality?

    @ Heartfully Ji,

    Thank you for your post.

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    Re: What makes a person unfit for spirituality?

    Vannakkam kshama: I was rethinking all this. At first it seemed that the local expert was being very rude, insinuating another soul isn't ready. That was my first reaction, and of course could still be correct.

    But there are a lot of levels going on here. One of them is that with intense sadhana, sometimes the state of mind one is in just gets intensified, leading to greater depression. I've seen this happen to to others, and experienced it first hand. Perhaps that is what the expert was referring to. I certainly don't know enough of the details.

    I also have had bouts of depression, one that lasted nearly 3 years. Not fun. For me, writing was really helpful. Mostly I just wrote about positive experiences, and focussed on that. Fond childhood memories and creative conjecturing. The other thing that really helped was working with nature, getting my hands dirty, doing simple things like that.

    This probably doesn't help but I thought I would toss it out anyway.

    Aum Namasivaya

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