” ‘सहानुभूति’ के बिना ‘आध्यात्मिकता’ नहीं हो सकती …”

Swami ji said…

” Societal changes happen at a fast pace alongwith the changing generational mindset and needs. The present time is witnessing a chase by people for money, fame, and success. There are millions of us, who prefer to live in our own worlds, concerned with only our issues and problems. We do not seem to have much time, when, it comes to relating with the problems and issues of others. In today’s world, we form opinions of others through social media – photos and status; videos and posts. A news headline, a piece of gossip, is more than enough for us, to form a strong view of another person’s character, actions or situation , without pausing to reflect, what could really be underneath the surface.”

” We see , but , rarely do we ‘observe’ those around us. We continue living with our assumptions about others and tend to classify them immediately. How many of us have ever given a second thought to the mental state and physical plight of the handicapped beggars who come to us, winding their way through heavy traffic, at a traffic light, in the hope of getting alms from us ? Do we ever wonder about the emvironmental conditions in which he would be living ? We drive past them often enough, but , ignore them, as if they did not exist. We think of them as only desperate and criminal elements and , hence, want to be far away from them. But, do we ever ponder as to how do they pass their days while we enjoy the comforts of our home ? How do they keep themselves cool in the heat of summers or stay warm in the cold of winters ? We believe that a 10 rupee note will take care of them and promptly forget about them. Do we ever thank God for the cool air of our air conditioners, and, the warm water in our geysers, and , pause to think of the living conditions of the less fortunate who live on the streets, and, pray to God to give them the strength to face the difficulties of their life ?”

” More often than not we show our displeasure to the delivery boys, who get delayed for whatever reason, in delivering food to us, in the scorching heat and do not bother to ask them if they were thirsty and would like to have a glass of water. Just for a minute, visualise what would be our state, if we were at the receiving end of such behaviour. We shout at call centre executives who call us up in the middle of the day. We are irritated by their calls and very often speak rudely to them. But, do we ever think that they too are trying to earn a living by putting in hours of work for a nominal salary? We must not make feel them feel small by humiliating or insulting them with our arrogance.”

” Empathy is often mistaken as a sign of weakness, and , hence, people develop a blind eye to the troubles and problems of others.This becomes an impediment to their spiritual development. If the soul is not stirred by the suffering of others, do we deserve to be called human beings ? Being empathetic does not entail solving everyone’s troubles. It is neither practical nor possible for us to live a life solving other people’s problems only. However, what we can do is to be understanding and respectful. Once we learn to truly walk in someone’s shoes and see life through their eyes, we will have a kinder and more considerate attitude towards them. We will be able to feel their pain and joy, and , understand what makes them behave the way we do. It is only then that we will begin to think of serving others in whatever capacity we can, and , realise that there is divine joy in doing so ; when tears well up in our eyes and the ‘soul’ feels that it has being cleansed further by the purity of our action.”

” Empathy leads to humility. Once we feel the pain that others experience while going through their trials and tribulations in life, we realize that we truly have been blessed by God with what we have. We realise that others also struggle as much, if not more than us , and , yet seem to have much less than us. We realize then that it is not our efforts , but , only God who ultimately ensures our well being. This only motivates us to continue to do good ‘karma’ and keep our faith in God.”

” The spiritual seeker must be empathetic to those around him. He can only see God’s miracles at play – if and when, he places himself in the sad and unfortunate situations of others and realises how fortunate he is to be blessed with His abundant blessings.”