Material Life or a Spiritual Life?
Material life or Spiritual life,
You have to choose one of the two.
Most people live a material life,
Spiritual bliss is a blessing for a few.
Human beings are in essence material in nature. We believe, we are the body, mind and we have a Soul. We are driven by our material desires; our senses see something and seek it. We hear about a new mobile phone and we want it. We see the pictures of food and we crave for it, just as we smell a lovely fragrance and want to buy it. It is very common for a human being to be carried away by the sense of the skin, to touch someone and then fall in love. If it is not the senses, the mind can make us wander. This is normal for any human being. But this will not give us true happiness. While the majority of us live and die in the material world, we don't discover the world of real bliss and joy.
There is another world – the spiritual world. This is a very different experience. It happens when we realize that these material pleasures are making us sink in misery, life after life. We realize that we are not the body that we wear. We are the ones that wear the body. We come to know that we are not a human being who is having a spiritual experience. We are in fact, the Spirit having a human experience.
What is material life? We are born and before we realize it, we become a slave of the material world. We are attracted by material pleasures that give us temporary happiness.
But we become puppets as we fall prey to advertisements on the television and brands on huge hoardings on the streets. We base our life on fulfilling the need of the body and mind and before we realize it, the need becomes greed. We set material goals and we get to see only the outer surface of life. We are unable to go beyond and deeper to realize the spiritual world. We are covered by layers of ignorance that act as dark clouds that stop us from seeing the clear blue sky and the beautiful sunshine that lie beyond. We live as the body only to die, and we don't realize the Soul.
Even those people who live a material life can be divided into two categories– first, who just believe that they are the body and at death it is 'game over!'. They live a purely material life and sometimes lack love, kindness, and compassion as they are blind to what others feel. The second lot believes in the Law of Karma. Though they live a material life, they somehow believe in the words of the scripture – As you sow, so shall you reap. Thus, they try to live with ethics and values, being kind and compassionate, although they live a material life. Still, they suffer due to ignorance of the truth.
These people live as the ego and are responsible for their Karma, their actions. At death, the body returns to dust but they are reborn in a new body. The mind and the ego, that was the driver of their actions is rewarded or punished for their past actions in the new life that they will begin.
Spiritual life is very different. It is believing in the Divine Spirit, that is the very life within us. It often starts with being religious and believing in God. The baby steps are faith, hope, trust and enthusiasm. However, even those living a material life may follow these baby steps as they live in a material world. Spiritual life takes one deeper. It makes one ask questions and investigate the basis of our existence. It tries to go deeper to understand the Soul or the Atman. It doesn't blindly follow religion and scripture.
One who lives a spiritual life, slowly transcends the body and the senses knowing that these are the causes of suffering. While material pleasures are attractive, those who live a spiritual life choose a life of peace and contentment, as they let go of material desires and cravings. They seem to have different aspirations. Their focus is to realize God and thus, they start on the journey of self-realization. Not everybody who lives a spiritual life attains the ultimate goal of spirituality.
While a majority of the world lives a material life, it is the ones who live a spiritual life that experience true peace and happiness. They discover the meaning of life as they overcome the illusions of the material world. They accept death as a reality, and unlike those who are prisoners in their material world, the spiritual ones enjoy liberation and freedom from misery and sorrow.
We all have a choice, not only to do what we like to do, but to choose our path of life. While most of humanity is on the highway of achievement, seeking success, money, wealth, name and fame, there are a few that take the road less travelled. They tread on the spiritual path and start their journey towards achieving their ultimate goal of life. To the material ones, life is just to live - eat, drink, and be merry. To the spiritual ones, there is a deeper meaning and purpose in life. They don't get carried away by the attractive pleasures of the material world that are transitory. They seek everlasting bliss and eternal peace.
Each of us must make this choice. Do we want to live life and just consume it as we zoom to our tomb? Or do we want to stop and realize the truth? Are we willing to trade momentary pleasures for eternal happiness? That is our choice. That is the right way to live. We must activate our intellect as we discriminate and make the right choice.
IN A NUTSHELL