Simple Spirituality
Summary: This passage encourages making inner peace the immediate goal of spiritual practice, rather than aiming first for liberation or Nirvana, which are portrayed as difficult to attain and hard to measure. It argues that peace is achievable through simple, practical habits, quieting the mind, practicing silence, listening well, being mindful, and living with discipline and awareness, even if the peace is temporary. Over time, repeated practice is said to increase control over the mind, deepen awareness, and open the way to more profound states of consciousness.
"Here is a minimalist idea. Remove the clutter from your spiritual practice. Do not overcomplicate. Keep it simple. Start with peace. It is attainable and within your reach."
Make peace the immediate aim of your spiritual practice, rather than liberation or Nirvana. Liberation is important, but it takes time and a lot of effort and sacrifice, for which most ordinary people are not ready. Peace is within the realm of possibility, even with simple practices.
It is much easier to attain peace through practice because you know what peace means. By the results you achieve, you can also easily tell whether you have reached your goal. With proven techniques, you can attain peace in an instant, even when you feel disturbed.
To achieve liberation, you have to renounce everything and become spiritually empty, whereas to experience peace, you only need to change a few habits and learn a few ways to control your mind.
Many people do not go anywhere near spirituality because they think it is not for them or that it is hard to practice. The fact is that it is simply another way of living and thinking.
Spirituality helps you lead a deeper and more peaceful life, with better awareness, responsibility, and discernment. It is now more important than ever, not only for our personal happiness, but for the survival of humanity itself.
Peace can be attained instantly through a few techniques, even if you are a novice, lead a busy life, or are going through difficulties.
That peace may not last long, but it should not be a cause for worry. It can help you understand the implications of impermanence and accept it as part of life.
We live in the realm of dualities and impermanence. Nothing lasts forever, not even peace. In a way, that is a blessing because the dualities of life, such as heat and cold, or pleasure and pain, also give us a choice to use discretion and wisdom.
Having a few moments of peace is better than not having it at all, especially if you are going through the hardships of life without any respite or solace.
For now, focus on peace and keep Nirvana in reserve. Through practice, you can gradually gain control over your mind and senses and experience peace for longer periods of time.
Nirvana is the ultimate purpose of all spiritual practice. However, you cannot attain it easily. Like many others, you may not know what it truly means or what that state represents. Besides, that experience does not happen in the mental or objective realm.
Therefore, it is even more difficult to know where you stand. Aiming for Nirvana is like aiming for Mount Everest when you have not trained well enough to scale smaller mountains.
If you want peace, aim for peace. Do not expect miracles or divine intervention. Take responsibility and use a commonsense approach. Quiet your mind whenever you have time. Practice silence. Be a good listener, rather than doing most of the talking in conversations. Pay attention to what is going on around you. Become mindful of people, objects, and situations.
Live a healthy life, with discipline, discernment, and awareness. Notice your feelings and sensations. Live a little more consciously, with insight and understanding. Take a few deep breaths and return to the present moment. These are a few ways you can let peace enter you and settle in.
Spiritual practice does not have to be that hard. You do not have to trouble yourself with complicated yoga postures, tantra techniques, initiation ceremonies, or specialized knowledge. There is no need to visit ashramas and retreats. That may come later, if it is your destiny.
For now, do not complicate your life or try to force things. Renunciation (sannyasa) means renouncing ambition, expectation, and desire-ridden effort.
You cannot force your way into the transcendental realm. It is what the Asuras aim to do, as illustrated in the Puranas, with little success. Keep your aims simple and practical.
Focus on cultivating peace and overcoming bad habits and negative tendencies. Affirm to yourself that you need peace, and make it your central aim. It is through the door of peace and silence that you can enter deeper states of consciousness.
It is when your mind is silent and absent that deeper knowledge begins to manifest.