Common Misconceptions about Spirituality
Equating a few minutes of daily yoga with spiritual practice
Meditation and asanas (Yogic Postures) are steadily gaining interest in western countries like the US. According to recent news reports, the number of people joining Yoga institutes that teach these aspects of Spirituality is increasing rapidly.
The increased awareness in the western world of these spiritual paths is a welcome trend. Yoga classes introduce their students to various steps of meditation and asanas that are part of Rajyoga, which is one of the paths of spiritual practice. However, doing meditation or asanas for a few minutes daily, or once a week, would not result in much beyond mere calorie trimming and mental relaxation. Instead, if they are used as a means of spiritual progress, in addition to the above benefits, one would also achieve the ultimate aim in life, i.e., to be in a state of supreme, everlasting happiness, that is, Bliss.
However, many people joining these classes do not realize that any spiritual
practice needs to be done for at least a few hours daily and regularly over a
period of time for any spiritual
progress to occur. It is almost impossible to
devote a few hours daily to meditation or asanas, given the busy lives we lead
today. In fact, one of the basic principles of Spirituality advocates doing spiritual
practice as per the times we live in. In keeping with this basic principle, all
saints and Holy texts have recommended chanting* The Lord’s Name as the
most beneficial spiritual practice in today’s era, the era of strife (kaliyug).
This is so because of the low collective and individual spiritual
levels in the
present age (or low purity level of the present age). Chanting is the only spiritual
practice that can be done continuously, regardless of one’s surroundings,
age, physical condition, etc.
*If one is not currently doing any spiritual practice, or to complement one's current spiritual practice, one can begin with the simple, but powerful spiritual practice of chanting or constantly remembering God's Name according to one's religion. Chanting also acts as a useful complement to any spiritual path one may be already following. It is a practice recommended for the current times by Holy texts and Saints of all religions.
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Seekers in the initial stages of spiritual practice (less than one year) can repeat The Name of the Lord as per their religion (refer to Issue 3 Clarification of Doubts section for details).
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Seekers who have been doing regular spiritual practice for over a year or so can determine the appropriate chant for them from the experiment given in Issue 124, Message to Seekers section.