Spiritual Desire and culture

[Rajan Kashyap]

Namste!  Om Namah Shivay.  I salute to the Shiva in you all.

I am on my spiritual path and I try to give it the top most priority in my life, but mark my word "try".  I am not able to consistently keep it right up there, my worldly goals and aspirations take over at times and I am indebted to Maa Kaali that she brings me back.

But then when I think of it, isn't the desire for spiritual growth, desire after all?

Would it not have all the side effects that come with other desires?

I have lived all over the world, in developed and prosperous countries like USA, Denmark, UK etc. and then I have lived in Indonesia, Colombia and India (my birthplace).  I feel that desire for materialist goals is same everywhere and but from my personal experience I feel that it is easier to pursue spiritual goals in developed countries as your basic living conditions are comfortable and you end up not having to worry about daily struggle.  On the flip side, in the third world (pardon me using the term), there is more spiritual energies getting congregated and it is easier to seek divinity, those of you who have visited and lived in Rishikesh will know what I mean by this. (p.s. it's my most favourite place in the world and then comes New York!).

From my personal experience, I feel that I have reached a stage in my life where I have enough spiritual "raw material" collected, now I need comfort of the prosperous Western world to start building "the project" without getting pulled away for getting comfort in life (basic that is).  I wouldn't have said the same to me who was living in New York 15 years back, he didn't have the raw material at that point.

Thanks for taking time to read my views.  I would love to hear from you.

[Rajan Kashyap]

Yes.. in fact my own desire for spirituality was at the max when I was going through the most difficult time in my life. I call that phase as the "seeking" phase and then I found my guru, my path.  Now I am in the phase where I feel distracted by actions to get wordy comfort, the suffering is gone yet I really hope to go on autopilot in my life so that I devote myself to spiritual goals.

Thanks for your kind feedback and input.

[Rajan Kashyap]

Yes Linda, the me that is I am, keeps changing with the experiences.  With that changes the perception towards life, makes me better equipped to have a balance. It also makes me internalise my thoughts and not seek approval outside.  Thanks for much for sharing. Namah Shivay.

[Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland]

Dear Ashish, desire is part of our life and there is nothing wrong with it, we desire the spiritual life because we are spirits incarnated, but since we are incarnated, we must also desire the things of this World, since we are here on a mission, the most important desire should be to find out why we are here for and what is our mission and try to fulfil it.

In other words, find your dharma and proceed to fulfill it.

Sometimes it takes us to find things out a long time, and sometimes we do it very early. 

But whatever the path we take, is what it was meant for us.

We do not need to be spiritual, we already are. We are wise beyond all of our own knowledge, what we really need is to find ourselves.

When we do that, there is no attachment to the illusions of the World, any more, so no need to fight to get there. 

Go withn, and know that no matter where you go and wherever you are, you are still yourself, and no one else.

And you are Divine, regardless of circumstances and desires and what nots!

[Rajan Kashyap]

Thanks so much Carmen. Each word that you said is a gem and I shall treasure and meditate on it.  Namah Shivay.

[Rajan Kashyap]

Life sure is a stage.. there is public performance for applaud and awards and then there is something personal which goes one behind the curtains which is just for own sake, that's not performance or an act, it's real, honest and doesn't need any approvals for outside.  Thanks for sharing.  Namah Shivay.

[23oq2kkrebdbq]

[Rajan Kashyap]

Thanks.  That looks beautiful, two steps forward and one step backward.  I have been to Philippines but it was work related and I couldn't go around much.  The local people are very friendly and I would love to visit again.

[23oq2kkrebdbq]

Yes! Looking forward to that. Hare Krsna.

[Todd Selle]

Among psychologists, there is a famed researching named Abraham Maslow who developed a theory that seems relevant here. 

Maslow asserted that each of us has a range of common needs, and they are arranged in a hierachy.  He used the image of a pyramid to illustrate his theory. 

Maslow said that at the base of the pyramid lie our survival needs - food, water, and shelter.  Just above that is the need for safety.  A bit higher still is where our needs for social interaction and stimulation exist.  Even higher, nearing the apex, our need for intellectual challenge and exploration can be found.  And finally, at the top of the pyramid is the need for self-actualization, which includes authenticity, fulfillment, self-expression, and spirituality. 

Maslow believed that a healthy individual must satisfy these needs from lowest to highest, in sequence.  So, we need sufficient food and water before safety becomes a primary concern.  With food, water, and safety, we can begin devoting time to developing friendships and relationships.  All of the needs from food and water through mental stimulation need to be filled before self-actualization becomes a priority.  If we skip a level - say, safety - because of a devotion to intellectual pursuits or spiritual understanding, we leave a gap open in the development of our lives that almost always leads to disaster. 

"Live first, philosophize later," said one Western guru figure.  As deep as our need for connection and spiritual wholeness are, during the course of human existence those things often cannot serve us if we are chronically hungry, thirsty, in danger, or lonely.