Guest guest Posted February 21, 1999 Report Share Posted February 21, 1999 > "Harsha (Dr. Harsh K. Luthar)" <hluthar > > Harsha: I am forwarding part of a letter and my response to it > from another > list. It is a topic that often comes up in spiritual circles. How does one > in a practical manner go about attaining the goal of life? > > Gary wrote: Hello Allan and everyone on this list, > > Help! I need help! > > Part of me is sensible and says I need to stay here and work and get a > business going and earn some more money. Then the other part of me says go > away and foucus entirely on thyself...sort of like "Seek first the kingdom > of God." This part is drawing me to live in a ashram for at least a short > period of time like two years maybe. But the logical side of me says "Hey > and then what?... How would I be able to integreat back into the > work place > afterwards? It would be tough to start over from square > one".................snip > > > Hello Gary > > I trained to enter monkhood for several years around 21 > years ago (after I > graduated from college). As destiny would have it, my parents > wished for me > to lead a normal life style. And my teacher withdrew his permission in as > gentle a way as he could. I had been a philosophy major and so > did not have > any practical skills to earn money. It took some years for me to reorient > myself to a worldly life. My feeling is that joining a spiritual community > is not as important as having the right mental atmosphere for attaining > Self-Realization. Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation, Self-Enquiry and Yoga > with complete dedication, even for a few years, will set a strong > foundation > for the rest of your life. Ultimately it all depends not on where you live > but How you live and Who you are. Best wishes and God bless you. > > Harsha In my case, it was the reverse. Because of the unusual experience with the Buddhist monk on the holy mountain, when arriving at any monastery, it was the first thing the taxi driver told about me and as a result there were efforts to persuade me to the monastic life. As my job was the only link to "worldly" life, it would have been easy as Sri Lankan society would have paid for the cost of living. Yet I didn't accept, knowing that such an easy life would actually have marred further growth. Experience has confirmed this; unexpectedly, destiny provided a break with society some ten years ago, without obligations of any kind. Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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