Pujya Ramsukhdasji Maharaj

[Guest guest]

How will one know when his or her spiritual Discipline has attained

Perfection?

 

When a person expects more happiness in something other than what he

currently possesses, he abandons the current state for the new state.

He conitnues to abandon one state for another, until he experiences

the Supreme bliss. There is no greater bliss than Supreme Bliss, and

on attaining this state, he has nothing else to seek, because there

is no further gain greater than this. Similarly a Yogi being

established in Supreme Bliss, cannot be shaken even by the greatest

suffering. He is simply unshaken. The reason is that, he who is

established in Supreme Bliss, has no body consciousness. So the harm

inflicted on the body, does not affect him. He feels pain, only if he

identifies himself with matter (Gita 13:21). But on breaking his

affinity with matter, being established in Supreme Bliss, afflictions

and suffering cannot have any access to him, and so he remains

unshaken.

 

The verse Gita 6:22 is the touchstone for all disciplines. A

spiritual aspirant following any discipline - Karmayoga (path of

action), Jnanayoga (Path of Knowledge), Dhyanayoga (Meditation) and

Bhaktiyoga (path of devotion) etc. should test himself on this

touchstone. Every being has an aim to wipe out sufferings and to

attain bliss. Therefore every spiritual aspirant should attain the

state described in this verse. If this state is not attained, it

means that his spiritual discipline has not attained perfection. A

striver may not discontinue his practice or he may regard his

imperfection as perfection, so this verse should be the criterion.

 

A man can attain such a rare state - in which there is endless gain

and there is not an iota of suffering. He however by indulging in

accumulation and enjoyment of temporary pleasures, brings about

limitless harm to himself.