In spiritual life, one important thing to be noted is not to
get upset by external factors. We are prone to get affected by the words and behavior
of people, and by different events, which activate in us different feelings
like attachment, aversion, and fear that disturb our spiritual practices.
Maintaining inner poise is indispensable in spiritual life.
It is our emotional reactions to external things that upset
us. It is not external noise itself but the negative feelings about it that
disturb our sleep.
Same is the case in various other situations also; it is our
inner reaction that troubles us and impedes our spiritual practice. The thought
‘no one can make me miserable without my consent’, substantiates this idea.
If something grieves us, we as Vedantins, have to look
within ourselves to find the cause for it. If there is a subjective change, the
object is bound to change.
When a snake bites us we do not run after the snake to kill
it, rather our immediate concern is to prevent the effect of the poison,
perhaps forgetting the snake altogether. Similarly, if somebody hurts us and if
we go on blaming that person for that, it only aggravates the pain, instead of curing
it.
What we have to do is to increase our mental strength to
withstand the external blows.
Internal transformation involves three things: attitudinal change,
control of negative reactions, and turning our attention to a higher ideal.
Source - The Psychological Aspects of Spiritual Life by Swami Nityasthananda published in the Feb 2016 edition of Prabuddha Bharata
Source - The Psychological Aspects of Spiritual Life by Swami Nityasthananda published in the Feb 2016 edition of Prabuddha Bharata