Practice Spirituality while living in society

Obstacles to spiritual practice faced by women seekers and solutions

    Some women seekers are financially dependent on their husbands, who may disapprove of contributing money to a spiritual cause. Such seekers find it difficult to contribute money to a spiritual cause and feel frustrated when they see other seekers make some monetary offering unto a spiritual cause. In such a case, the women seekers should not feel upset. They can remember that, instead of offering money, one can offer one’s time, by serving physically and mentally, and thus, they can persevere on the spiritual journey.

    Here, it is important to note that attitude is everything when serving or offering something unto God or a spiritual cause. When offering one’s time or wealth as service (satseva) unto God, the attitude needed to come to God is of humility. Sometimes the seeker offering wealth harbors the ‘doership’ ego that it is he who is helping others or that the spiritual cause needs his help. In such cases the offering does not count as spiritual practice. God is omnipotent and omnipresent. He does not need anyone’s help in taking care of His devotees or of His Creation, since everyone and everything is already His. God does not want money; He wants devotion (bhav).

Practical application of the above points

    The above points offer yet another opportunity to practice Spirituality even while living in the material world or society. Seekers facing such obstacles, as the financially dependent seekers, can take the following steps.

1. If the seeker has opposition from the family only towards contributing money to a spiritual cause, but not to offering their time , then the seeker can offer their time to for a spiritual cause. They can do so by participating in various types of service unto God. For example, one can try to motivate as many people as possible to chant and do spiritual practice by telling them about its importance and the benefits one has experienced first hand, One can distribute flyers advertising an upcoming spiritual activity like a lecture/workshop on spiritual practice. One can participate in cooking or serving refreshments for and arranging the venue for a spiritual activity, etc.

2. One need not feel indebted or guilty when receiving financial help from a financially able seeker for doing spiritual practice or service as above. For example, one should not feel bad if another seeker offers the money to purchase one’s tickets for traveling to another place to conduct or attend a spiritual meeting (satsang), money for materials needed to spread Spirituality, such as for reserving a venue for a discourse on Spirituality, etc.

[Reference taken from Vol. 21 - Introduction to the Science of Spirituality and Individual Spiritual Practice, compiled by His Holiness Dr. Jayant Athavale and Her Holiness Dr. Mrs. Kunda Athavale, published by the Sanatan Sanstha.]