By: Ramaswamy Seshadri
Several books guide us on packing essentials before leaving the house on an excursion. The Kaivalya Upanishad has a checklist for a different yatra, to the inner world. On this inner journey of a meditator no suitcase or backpack is required instead, ‘Shraddha, bhakti, dhyana’ — faith, devotion, and meditation — are what one needs to journey from mind to soul from the outer to the inner world.
But why do we need to take this journey towards our inner core? Because a one-sided journey is like a tree but without its roots. As we grow into the outer world, the requirement to nourish the inner world increases manifold. But, because of our intense identification with the mind, our whole attention is focused on the outer. We may spend our whole life wandering around in the outer world, without realizing that our inner world remains an uncharted journey, and our presence there is much awaited.
The shraddha, as mentioned in the Kaivalya Upanishad, is about our faith towards the master, Lord Sainath and indicates that before we even step inward, the Sai Maharaj’s ‘Anugraha’ is required. And that is why ancient sages have advised that outer world journeys might be tempting, but to discover the center of our life energy, one must plunge within. It, therefore, hints that the inner journey is required for our spiritual growth.
Neuroscientists and psychologists have been trying for decades to figure out the connection between the inner and outer worlds. In his masterpiece ‘Life of Sai Baba,’ Sri Narasimha Swamiji has observed that our inner voice develops through the absorption of outer dialogue. He also called it ‘Sai Baba’s Inner Speech’. This could be a reason why my Guru Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji advised that before our commute to work, we must start with morning recitation of Vishnu Sahasranama and meditation on Lord Sainath, and before we call it a day, we should spend time in the evening meditation and chant ‘Sai Nam’ and recitation of Vishnu Sahasranama.
Sant Kabir said in a doha: ‘Tera sai tujh mein hai, tu jaag sake to jag’ — ‘Divine power is within you, awaken to this truth if you can.’
In the Bhagwad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna: “There would be a moment when the mind can be trained to refrain from the materialistic world through meditation, and then the person can blissfully live in inner joy.” According to Sri Narasimha Swamiji, each man is engaged in two types of journeys. One is of the world that is outside, his earthly destination. The other journey is within. “Our mortal life may bring success or failure. But it is of no significance because when death opens its jaws man enters it alone, leaving behind all worldly awards and tribulations. The body is reduced to nothingness, to ashes. In the journey within, Truth exists as an immortal element. It has no death because it is indestructible. The inner journey leads to the end of all conflict and lasting peace.”
There are two dimensions to life and our being, and both need to be fulfilled for integrated growth to happen. So, a fine balance between the material and spiritual worlds is needed, having matter and consciousness in equal measure. In that balance comes a moment when the outer landscape disappears, the earthly destination is gone, but the inner journey within continues.
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