The life is short and the journey is very long. Unless we stay on track, we will not reach our destination in this incarnation. Our ultimate destination in our Home, and our Home is the state of Absolute Being / Absolute Consciousness / Absolute Bliss (SATCHITANAND).

To get back Home, we need to be ‘upward’ bound, NOT outward bound. To be ‘upward’ bound means to be committed to the process of spiritual growth; and spiritual growth is the elimination of ego. To be ‘upward’ bound means to be determined to go beyond our small self.

We have to be intensely committed, sincere to the core of our being, and earnest in our ceaseless efforts to improve on a daily basis. ‘Spiritual growth’ is not something we do only on weekends, or only in the morning and evening. We have to ‘keep on trekking’ all day long, and keep our spirits high regardless of the obstacles we encounter. We have to keep on attaining higher and higher heights of consciousness, and we do this by becoming humbler and humbler, until we become as humble as a blade of grass.

Being humble doesn’t mean letting people walk all over you. A humble wife is not a door mat; a humble wife is one who holds her head high, is modest in her demeanor, and very loving and forbearing in her nature. A humble husband is one who is deep in his understanding, and cannot be moved from the path of Truth under any circumstance.

Truly speaking, all of us are husbands and wives, because our ultimate soul mate is none other than the Supreme Being. Atman (Soul) is eternally married to Paramatman (Supreme Soul), and that eternal union is the state of YOGA. We practice Yoga when we practice good qualities like high character, modesty, compassion, forbearance, depth of being, courage, and tenacity in rising above all our shortcomings.

If we want to attain the highest state of Consciousness, the highest state of Being, and the highest state of Love, we have to have a one-track mind. A married man or woman does not look outside of their marriage for fulfillment. A truth-seeker on the path of Eternity, the path of Moksha (Total Freedom), does not look for satisfaction in the world of Samsara (the society of the self-involved). We have to direct our search inward, then we will find the guidance we require to continue forward on our journey. Of course, we should seek the advice of seasoned travelers, but we should be wary of those who would mislead us, knowingly or unknowingly. Fortunate are those who have the guidance of a true preceptor.

If we have not yet come in touch with a preceptor of Truth, then we must let the scriptures (the Revealed knowledge and the teachings of the Wise) be our roadmap on this journey of life.

Our life’s journey did not begin with the birth of the body, nor will it cease when this body passes away. Our life is only a fraction of a moment in our endless journey to Eternity. We WILL find our way back Home, because our True Lover and Beloved is calling us in our heart. All we need to do is listen to our heart.

Listening to our heart means slowing down our racing mind. The racing mind makes lots of noise, and then we don’t hear the ‘voice within’. When the mind is looking for diversions, our attention is diverted from our spiritual growth and we are ‘off the track.’ To get back on track we need to constantly fine tune our mind and intellect to the wisdom of Consciousness.

Ultimately, this practice of constantly filling the mind with wisdom, purifies the mind to such an extent that the Light of the Soul shines in the mind with all its luster, and reveals the Essence of Being. We discover within our own being our True Lover and Beloved. We realize our Essence and know for certain (with Absolute certainty) that we are Home at last. OM