Spirituality is a Universal, Personalized Experience, and everyone’s experience is unique…and so the question arises – Can we all have a Spiritual Experience and if so how can one get started with the Journey….Today’s Post is about an interesting encounter – a conversation between two intelligent friends – both happily walking the trails of Spirituality – A Doubt and a Clarification intertwined – A friendly chat helped them get closer to their Goals of Spirituality…
A conversation between Spiritual Souls has to be drenched in Love, but before I share with you the Conversation details, let us first get to know what denotes Spirituality?
The answer is SIMPLE – Spirituality is a Solitary Experience – A Journey of Self Discovery…Being Spiritual in not necessarily being Religious and also true it is that each person’s own definition of spirituality can vary throughout their lifetime, adapting to individual experiences through personal study and self-reflection.
The best way to ANCHOR the idea of Spirituality and its significance is concealed in a Hindu Wisdom that I chanced upon during my research for this post…
“There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, all leading to the same place, so it doesn’t matter which path you take. The only person wasting time is the one who runs around the mountain, telling everyone that his or her path is wrong.” ~ Hindu proverb
I was impressed with this Connect – Spirituality for me denotes “Climbing Mount Everest” – The Summit though same, many a routes available to reach the apex…To each its own is the Choice taken to reach the TOP !
By the way did you know that there are over 18 named routes on Everest and a couple that are still unclimbed.
I have come to believe that – “Spirituality sets us FREE from the mundane challenges of life, gifting us awareness that directs us to our True Purpose in LIFE.“
Now that we have some idea of the Concept of Spiritualty, time to share the “Enriching Encounter” – A mind boggling conversation took place between Two Friends – Both were seekers of Spirituality and yet one among them was filled with doubts and so approached the other to guide him forward…They discussed many aspects of life which aided in clearing the Uncertainties – I hope through this Post, we too can get answers to those question that often prevent us for walking the trails of Spirituality.
“Your darkness is one of the most powerful tools you have for your spiritual evolution.”
Bhagat Trilochan Ji and Bhagat Namdev Ji – Both were Great Saints of Maharashtra and lived close to each other. Bhagat Trilochan was a contemporary & close friend of Bhagat Namdev – Each day, Bhagat Trilochan would wake up early morning and spend time with Bhagat Namdev – Together they would concentrate on the Lord and Namdev would tell him the grand stories of God…Life was Blissful for BOTH.
Bhagat Namdev would share stories of his Miraculous Encounters with God – This sparked a desire in Bhagat Trilochan to also experience the presence of God in his life…and thus he made sure to meet Bhagat Namdev on a daily basis…However, Bhagat Trilochan observed that whenever he visited his friend Namdev, the latter always happened to be busy in his worldly affairs.
Bhagat Namdev was a “Calico Printer” and earned his living by printing cloth – His work required precision – even a slight error could lead to heavy losses.
Bhagat Trilochan believed that God’s Mediation was the most important aspect of Spirituality and his friend seemed to be not following it and so how was he experiencing the Miracles of God’s Presence…the observation created doubts in his mind and one fine day, Bhagat Trilochan could not restrain himself from asking his friend the questions that bothered him deeply.
The doubt was obvious because Bhagat Trilochan ji would come each day to spend time with his friend, leaving aside all his worldly affairs, to discuss about God…but his friend, Bhagat Naam Dev would be busy doing his work as he spoke of God and his Miraculous Experiences.
Bhagat Trilochan ji voiced his doubts and asked his friend about his relation with God and how does he get time to meditate upon God when he is so busy in his worldly affairs of printing clothes to earn his livelihood. The conversation can be read on Ang 1375 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS)
naamaa maa-i-aa mohi-aa kahai tilochan meet.
Trilochan says, O Naam Dayv, Maya has enticed you, my friend.
kaahay chheepahu chhaa-ilai raam na laavhu cheet. ||212||
Why are you printing designs on these sheets, and not focusing your consciousness on the Lord? ||212||
Bhagat Namdev was a householder and taking care of his family was his primary responsibility – Whenever he worked, his hands were busy printing the cloth while his tongue was engrossed in “Naam Simran“. When Bhagat Trilochan asked him this question, Bhagat Namdev ji satisfied his friend’s curiosity in a very convincing manner and told him, indeed his hands were engaged in worldly occupation, however his mind was focused on God.
naamaa kahai tilochanaa mukh tay raam samHaal.
Naam Dayv answers, O Trilochan, chant the Lord’s Name with your mouth.
haath paa-o kar kaam sabh cheet niranjan naal. ||213||
With your hands and feet, do all your work, but let your consciousness remain with the Immaculate Lord. ||213||
Bhagat Namdev ji believed that for a householder, this was the BEST WAY to remember and worship God…Work & Worship interlaced wasn’t wrong, since the mind was focused on God…Maya, then has no impact on the Soul.
Many a times, examples from everyday life make it easy for us to comprehend the lessons – Bhagat Naam Dev made sure that his friend has no doubts of any kind. Bhagat Namdev knew that deeper clarity was a must in this aspect and hence went on to clarify his fiend’s doubts by giving 5 examples from everyday life.
Meaningful Conversations can GIFT us Clarity !
The conversation of Bhagat Namdev ji sharing anecdotes with Bhagat Trilochan has been documented on Ang 972 of SGGS.
banee naamday-o jee-o kee raamkalee ghar 1
The Word Of Naam Dayv Jee, Raamkalee, First House:
ik-oaNkaar satgur parsaad.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
aaneelay kaagad kaateelay goodee aakaas maDhay bharmee-alay.
The boy takes paper, cuts it and makes a kite, and flies it in the sky.
panch janaa si-o baat bata-oo-aa cheet so doree raakhee-alay. ||1||
Talking with his friends, he still keeps his attention on the kite string. ||1||
man raam naamaa bayDhee-alay.
My mind has been pierced by the Name of the Lord,
jaisay kanik kalaa chit maaNdee-alay. ||1|| rahaa-o.
like the goldsmith, whose attention is held by his work. ||1||Pause||
aaneelay kumbh bharaa-eelay oodak raaj ku-aar purandree-ay.
The young girl in the city takes a pitcher, and fills it with water.
hasat binod beechaar kartee hai cheet so gaagar raakhee-alay. ||2||
She laughs, and plays, and talks with her friends, but she keeps her attention focused on the pitcher of water. ||2||
mandar ayk du-aar das jaa kay ga-oo charaavan chhaadee-alay.
The cow is let loose, out of the mansion of the ten gates, to graze in the field.
paaNch kos par ga-oo charaavat cheet so bachhraa raakhee-alay. ||3||
It grazes up to five miles away, but keeps its attention focused on its calf. ||3||
kahat naamday-o sunhu tilochan baalak paalan pa-udhee-alay.
Says Naam Dayv, listen, O Trilochan: the child is laid down in the cradle.
antar baahar kaaj birooDhee cheet so baarik raakhee-alay. ||4||1||
Its mother is at work, inside and outside, but she holds her child in her thoughts. ||4||1||
MOMENT of TRUTH !
A child was taken as the First Example – Indeed Children are always known for being distracted and so this served as the BEST Example to start with – Bhagat ji says that child is seen communicating with his friends as he flies his kites – the onlooker may find the child to be not focused on his KITE and yet the child is completely focused – The child keeping attention on the kite string continues his conversation to his friends.
Bhagat ji then picks an example of a Goldsmith whose job requires FOCUS as he is dealing with Precious Commodity…The goldsmith may appear to be conversing with his customers and yet his attention is on the Gold…for losing the Gold would cost him heavily.
The third example mentions a young woman carrying earthen pitcher full of water on her head – Women are known for having lengthy conversations and this young woman, while laughing and talking to her friends keeps her attention focused on the water in the pitcher on her head. Water is precious to her and dropping the pitcher would mean extra work and hence she is extra careful and her awareness focused on the pitcher on her head.
Bhagat ji now directs the attention of his friend on Motherly Love – Bhagat ji says that when cows are let loose to graze at a distance of five miles away from their place where their claves are held – they will continue to graze and yet there are focused on their calves at home – Because their offspring is Precious to them.
Bhagat ji then takes an example that each one of us can relate too… Motherhood is Precious and every mother is in LOVE with her child. But she must also do the house chores, for avoiding them cannot be entertained. Thus every mother, while involved in the household chores inside and outside, keeps her attention on her child in the cradle.
Bhagat ji, wraps up the Conversation saying that – To be focused on your TRUE LOVE is also a “Way of LIFE” – It aids in getting ahead on the Spiritual Path with Confidence. The Body performs its Worldly Responsibilities and the Soul gets to performs its True Purpose of “Forever Union with the Creator”. Bhagat Namdev confirms to his friend that – This is the approach of those who truly worship God – They may be doing other things, but their mind is absorbed in God.
For a householder, his work is Precious but above all is Prized – The Naam of God ❤ ❤ ❤
The anecdotes helped Bhagat Trilochan comprehend a New aspect of Spirituality. He incorporated the awareness into his daily routine and refined his ways of life – Clarity gifted him Enlightenment.
Journeys & Reflections 
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