Qualities of a spiritual seeker

What are the qualities that a serious seeker of Truth should inculcate in the journey towards self-revelation? In a profound passage in the sacred Bhagwad Gita, the Lord declares that a number of qualities need to be consciously and deliberately nurtured in the path to liberation.

Lord Krishna outlines some of these qualities: “Humbleness; freedom from hypocrisy; non-violence; forgiveness; simplicity; service of the Guru; cleanliness of body and mind; steadfastness; and self-control; dispassion toward the objects of the senses; absence of egotism; keeping in mind the evils of birth, disease, old age, and death; non-attachment; absence of clinging to spouse, children, home, and so on; even-mindedness amidst desired and undesired events in life; constant and exclusive devotion towards Me; an inclination for solitary places and an aversion for mundane society; constancy in spiritual knowledge; and philosophical pursuit of the Absolute Truth—all these I declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to it, I call ignorance.”

The passage states in no uncertain terms the essential pre-requisites needed in the spiritual journey. It is clear from the passage that success is contingent upon renunciation of the ego, steadfast devotion to the Lord and controlling the sense organs to bring about a state of equanimity are the key ingredients that need to be strung together in the life of the seeker.

According to Sadguru Sri Sharavana Baba, the mind must be in a meditative state and imbued with feelings of devotion, surrender and service. Spiritual practice is aimed to bring about precisely this state. Chanting the name of God, meditation and worship help to provide an impetus to the seeker to calm the mind, free it from being susceptible to outward appearances and direct the mind to delve inwards.

Consider the raging pandemic that has brought every country in the world to a standstill irrespective of whether the country is rich or poor, weak or powerful and big or small. It has spared none. In these turbulent times, spiritual masters advise us to elevate ourselves by delving inwards and using the time available to us for spiritual upliftment and prayer.

There is deep meaning underlining this wise counsel. When nature is correcting the imbalances that have developed over years of misusing resources, the sensible response is a prayer to alleviate suffering and restore balance. No effort spent in this direction is ever wasted.