Should We focus on Our Duty Towards Our Family or On Our Spiritual Growth?

Excerpt from a video of Maitreya Dadashreeji

 Question:

 Dadashreeji Namaste. While we are doing our routine chores and taking care of our family at home, we are not able to concentrate on our spiritual growth. How do we balance the two so we can move ahead on our Spiritual path while fulfilling our responsibilities? Please guide us.

Maitreya Dadashreeji: 

As you said that there are blockages, disturbances, and hindrances on the path of spiritual growth because of your household responsibilities. In truth, there is no responsibility which can cause hindrance to your spiritual growth.  Now this is also a big question that how will you grow on spiritual path? Because whatever is happening in your family life, any differences or disputes, or the challenges in life will affect your progress on the path.  In this scenario how do you move ahead spiritually and what are you doing or can do about it? Well, you can read books, do meditation, say mantras, do "japa" (chant payers in the form of mantras) , and “havans” (spiritual fires): you can do so much.  But the big question is that will you grow spiritually by all this?  Speak to the people who have tried to get spiritual growth by trying all these methods and ask if they have progressed. Then you will come to know whether these things worked for them.

Many people can do many things. For example, some will say that I do two hours of japa every day and get lot of peace.  Some will say we donated so much money and we found peace. They can say all this but how do you know that they are progressing spiritually because you cannot understand the signs of spiritual growth. Then you see around yourself that someone is associated with that ashram or that Spiritual organization and a guide.  You observe that they have a routine where they wake up early and do meditation at five am and other such activities and conclude that they are progressing well.  Whereas you can’t do this routine because you have to drop the kids to school or have to go to work. Then these are the normal questions that arise, “Should I follow the same routine and meditate for two  hours every morning?” “But how do I do it with all these responsibilities?”

Someone you know goes to the Himalayas suddenly and stays there in a cave for meditation. They come back and mock you that I have done this and you cannot do it.  And you feel bad and think that “he has reached close to Divine and here I am sending my kids to school.”  This a trick of the mind and it’s not the right mindset, because the Truth is that Divine is with everyone.  Do you actually believe that the Divine is with some people and not with others?  This is not possible. The Divine cannot be selective.  Divine doesn’t choose and decide that he will love only three people out of ten and the last seven with be set aside with no love or grace.  Could the Divine be like this? No and you know this in your heart. And yet you are putting yourself in delusion.  You do not really know that if someone claims that they are progressing, that this is indeed the case.  For all you know such people may be getting tricked by their own mind. 

Our simple message is: The only way to spiritually progress is to fulfill your responsibilities. Your responsibility is your way to progress. You can’t reach anywhere while running away from your duties. We teach this very clearly. You have to live in society and experience the Spiritual Truth.  (You cannot experience it) by running away from society.  Sending your child to school in the morning is spiritual practice. Look at it this way.  Doing japa" (praying on prayer beads with mantras) won’t make you reach the Truth faster (if you neglect your duties).   

If you can imagine a hungry two-year-old crying by the side of the road crying, based on your point of view the child is crying. You are both standing there. Based on your point of view if you imagine a person who claims to have reached high spiritual heights and comes from a cave in the Himalayas, he will see the child as an “illusion”( Maya).  To him the child is not crying.

He is still and has no internal disturbance. He feels “ why do I feed him, he is not crying?”. In contrast, you have had no spiritual practices and you are not a part of any organization or religious group. But you feed the child who has been crying and that very instant the Divine will be pleased. You may be an atheist and yet the Divine will be pleased with you. The other person may be a “spiritual person” (Astika), but the divine will not be pleased with him.

This world is the Divine’s creation.  The Divine is pleased with those that take care of his creation. What is the use when people don’t understand the feelings of others? What is the point of a spiritual life if you don’t understand and take care of one another? We are not here for such “spirituality.” We want you to experience a state where all are equal.

We are One family, that’s the Truth. We are One Family that is the Truth.  That’s why we are here.  You have to understand that your responsibilities are integral to your spiritual journey. You have to take time for yourself.  Do you work with emotion and  dedication (“Bhaav” and “Nishtha”).  With this dedication your spiritual practice you will reach the heights of realization.

Saying, “I prayed a thousand malas,” is ego. What did you get in return? Ego and arrogance. Nothing else. What is the use of this spiritual state?  Work on yourself with yourself with responsibility. Time and situations create your karma. You have to work with dedication and responsibility and you will be able to attain that Higher spiritual state.

Full video highlight available here🔗

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnP4gixJnIw&list=PLzRbcbIdYvQFwa9r0MlF9uupGdVN4iGwP&index=10&pp=iAQB