We all must aspire for the Realization of the Supreme self inside of us, and it is our responsibility to reunite with the Divine through our life on earth. There are different path’s to attain this goal, but they all must have the same basic principles in common:
- Make the Body strong through physical training and good nourishment
- Discipline and Focus the Mind; so as to make it your best ally on the Path
- Discover the Soul within you, your True Character so the speak; and constantly work in the direction It guides you
There is no other way, there never has been and there never will be, though there are many variations on the Path to Unity.
I choose to speak to those whose hearts are filled with the Spirit of a Warrior, then the priests and the laymen can speak to the rest.
My goal has never been to reach everybody; if one has this in mind one really will never truly reach anybody. We are different by nature, internal and external; what is good for one might not be good for another.
Better death in one’s own Dharma, than Life in another one’s.
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is one of the books that has influenced my life the most; giving me inspiration along the way, giving me courage to continue on along my own Path.
Very shortly summed up it’s a story of the Warrior Prince Arjuna and God in the form of Krishna, set on the Kurukshetra battlefield around 1000 BCE.
It describes the greatest battle in Indian history; of which the Prince Arjuna was an integral part. Initially he doesn’t want to fight, he doesn’t want to kill his relatives, and will rather see the battle lost and be killed himself, than to inflict such great damage that war inadvertedly causes.
Krishna on the other hand comes to him, in his battle with his own mind, telling him that he MUST fight, because it’s a part of his Dharma, and he will be a sinner if he does NOT fight.
My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the value of life. They lead not to higher planets, but to infamy. O son of Prtha, do not yield to this degrading impotence, that it does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy.
Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita
What it all boils down to is that you MUST follow your own destiny, your own Dharma, regardless of the consequenses it might have. There is no fire without smoke, no action without consequence.
“No one should abandon duties because he sees defects in them. Every action, every activity, is surrounded by defects as a fire is surrounded by smoke”– the Gita
On the elements needed for attainment
The Body
The first and foremost you must focus on is to create a strong body, with excellent physical attributes; only then can you truly aspire to higher planes. The physical body is the vehicle of the Soul in this life; shall we not provide it with the best of homes?
Anyone trying to convince you otherwise is a liar. They preach the gospel of weakness, and we shall not in this life or another listen to their frail speeches. Only the Strong will reach Fulfillment and Realization; Strong in Body, Strong in Mind, Strong in Spirit.
How shall we go about say you? It is up to the Spirit of every man what type of exercise to perform; as any good athletic exercises will strengthen the physical body. Likewise in the form of nutrition there might be different diets for different men; depending on many factors such as blood type, genetics and so forth.
Still some principles are very basic and should be followed by everybody; regardless of age, constitution and tendencies:
- Make sure you keep the body and spine flexible, it is just as important if not more than muscular strength. What need is there of muscles if all your joints are hurting and your spine is as stiff as a dried oak?
- Still, pay great attention to strengthening your muscles and physique, either by the use of iron, athletic exercises or ideally a combination of both. Too much muscle mass will inadvertantly hamper your endurance, so make sure to never build unnaturally huge muscles(by false means, i.e steroids etc) at the expense of endurance.
- Build solid endurance, both through athletic exercising and running, walking etc. Running on a treadmill at the local gym just won’t cut it; get your ass out and run in the forest, hike the mountains and climb those stairs instead of using the elevator. This type of exercise will also develop your balance, which is equally important, especially for martial artists.
The diet you consume is of just as much importance as the exercises you perform:
- Live by a wholesome diet full of ‘Ojas’– or life giving energy. Do not under any circumstance fall into the trap of “fast food”- consumption, as this will completely deplete your energy levels and prevent you from ever building a strong, healthy physique. About diet you can read plentiful in my ‘Posts & articles’.
- Avoid or strongly limit your consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is poison, that’s why we become intoxicated, in the truest sense of the word. You might as well consume snake poison, that will also give you intoxication(some sorts of snake poison, f.x cobra venom might actually be far better).
- About other forms of intoxicating drugs I shouldn’t even need to speak, as anyone with a little common sense left has been able to observe the devastating effects of such. Do not think you are the exception to the rule, because you’re not.
The Mind
Diseases of the mind might be an even greater challenge in today’s society, than the lack of bodily function has ever been. I guess we are all familiar with the saying ‘Your mind can be our best ally, or our worst enemy’- there’s hardly a statement in existence that carries more truth in such few words.
We live in a society where we are constantly bombarded by sense impressions; be it in the form of light pollution, noise pollution or electromagnetic signals. Everywhere we turn, unless we live on a secluded mountain top somewhere in Alaska, there is NOISE. This noise, this sense pollution, this passive bombardment of the senses has only got one effect; it messes with our ability to focus and concentrate.
O joy of the Kurus, follow a single one-pointed determination. It’s the ones with weak resolves who have multi-branched, endless thoughts.
Bhagavad Gita
Once again I chose to quote the Gita; but essentially no matter what kind of ancient text’s we look into, we will find the same. We might believe we are more advanced as a species today, then they were 3000 years ago; well nothing could be further from the truth. We have degraded our minds, senses and perceptions to a degree of utter destruction. Let me also quote Einstein on this:
“Men’s stupidity will increase at the exact same speed as technology.”
What are we to do about it; unless we throw our phones in the garbage and move to a secluded mountain top? There’s plenty.
- Limit our time in front of screens; phones, televisions, anything emitting light. This simple thing is perhaps the most important step we can make in and off itself. Yet, in today’s society it’s very difficult to live our lives without “screen time”. Some even work in front of a screen all day. See to it that the “night filter” is turned on at ALL times; the blue light being absolutely the worst. Also, instead of seeking constant entertainment; use the phone and internet in a productive way, by either leveraging content yourself, or seeking out and delving into useful content created by others. Do not just browse in a frenzied hurry, in a constant hunt for false dopamine.
- Set purposeful goals, and FOCUS on them from the moment we wake up in the morning until we fall a sleep at night. Another extremely important step to discipline the mind; and prevent it from being scattered all over the place. A purposeful mind is our best ally; but if it’s allowed to roam free it can create havoc beyond belief. A saying from Zen Buddhism comes me to mind as I write this: “The mind is like an Ox; when goaded and put to work it can do immense good; but if let free it can create destruction”.
- Choose one or several meaningful practices, such as meditation, yoga, hiking, martial arts and do it EVERY DAY. By every day is meant every day, no excuses, absolutely no excuses. If possible, do it pretty much at the same time each day. This is one way to discipline the mind, and you will be amazed at how many excuses your mind will come up with to lead you away from this simple goal. Just identify and observe the thought process, then go about with your task nontheless.
- Exercise your ability to focus and concentrate every day. There are plentiful ways to do this; by submerging ourselves into demanding practices like martial arts, where we have to stay In-The-Moment at all times, so as not to get hit in the head with a white oak Bokken. You can also pick an exercise like Tratak, or anything that forces you to keep your mind focused for an extended period of time.
About the Mind, it’s abilities and the danger it poses when not controlled, a whole encyclopedia could be written; but that’s gonna be for another time.
The Atman(Soul)
If there is no Strength in Body & Mind, the Atman cannot be Realized. First you have to build the Body by Good, Nutritious Food- then only will the Mind be Strong
Swami Vivekananda
The Soul, or ‘Atman’ IS strong, and in itself cannot be strengthened without the Body & Mind. It is Only by strengthening our bodies and sharpening our minds that we can gain access to the Powers of the Soul.
Everywhere it’s the same, in all religions and spiritual traditions it’s the same; they just explain it in different ways. The word Religion itself comes from Latin ‘Religio’, which means to re-connect(with the Soul).
Buddhism: “Do not look for a sanctuary in anyone except your Self.”
Hinduism: “I am present in the heart of all beings.”
Islam: “He gives life and causes death, and to Him you shall be brought back.”
Christianity: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
To Re-Connect with the Soul and live according to It’s character must be the ultimate aim of every being. However, we can not re-connect unless we are strong in Body & Mind.
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