Common Misconceptions about Spirituality

"Black magic, if unsuccessful, is transferred to the nearest relative."

Recently, a seeker mentioned a story about consulting a sorcerer (mantrik) about his family problems, who told him that someone had done black magic on the seeker's parents to separate them. The sorcerer added that because the parents did not separate, the black magic was transferred to their child, the seeker. Such stories abound in many countries around the world. They depict a common misconception about Spirituality that the black magic directed at one person, if unsuccessful, gets transferred to another, especially the original target's child.

Fake sorcerers and psychics, who are out to make a quick buck, prey upon innocent people that are desperate to get rid of their problems, easily propagating such myths. Black magic or voodoo charms are not 'transferable' from one individual to another. They are specific to the intended target, whether the spell reaches its completion or not.

One needs to have a well-developed subtle perception in order to avoid falling prey to fake sorcerers and psychics. Regular Spiritual practice develops one's subtle perception. The safest course of action would be to initially build faith through the spiritual practice of chanting* the Lord's Name, Which is the unmanifest principle of God. As one's spiritual practice progresses, subtle perception is honed to accuracy. With accurate subtle perception, one would be in a better position to discriminate between the true and the fake.

*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.

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).
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.