The Spirit of Spirituality

There are modern times. The times of speed and action. The times of information and choice. The times of change and turbulence. While hardly can anything be done about that, there is certainly the need to realize whether these are really heading towards the right direction. Because without direction such things often end up in disasters. Against this backdrop we need to understand the nature of spirituality, because spirituality too, like all other things is being treated by most as fast food or T-20. As a result spirituality has also become a fashion with as many Gurus as seekers. However, like popular food, or popular sport, popular spirituality also lacks the essence, the ‘tatwa’. But while food or sport can be enjoyed without the essence, spirituality cannot. So all those spiritual gurus, writers and exponents that have grown in droves, notwithstanding, the fact remains that the spirit of spirituality is not understood. As many don’t understand it, they just do it, like we follow fashion. This explains why despite so much of over dose of spirituality, the quality of people and quality of life in the society does not change much.
What is spirituality all about? Our scriptures and Vedic literature have dealt with the subject in depth. While all scriptures of the world are attempts by the finite to explain the infinite our Upanishads are different. Our sages and seers could well nigh understand that to define the infinite by the finite is not possible and only a superficial description can be made. Thus in our Upanishads the ultimate reality that is infinite is described by two methods, both direct method of explanations and indirect methods of indications. The ultimate reality is explained both as truth as well as pure consciousness. Unlike in the modern centers of higher learning Vedanta cannot be learnt by the click of a mouse. A deep and intimate personal insight has to be developed that leads to a transcendental experience inspiring the experiencer to a total sublimation of his egocentric consciousness. It cannot become a theme that can be sung through the instrument of language only. The success in understanding the spirituality and ultimately assimilate the reality will depend on the seekers’ capacity to understand the complex yet basic truth through realization. In the Taittiriya Upanishad the path to attain this realization is discussed. The attempts to explain spirituality involves expressing the inexpressible and finite words are not the instruments to attain the golden silence of spiritual perfection. Even in our ordinary experience we often fail to explain our intimate subjective experiences due to limitation of language.
In the Vedic times the Upanishads were taught to the deserving by sages and seers who had realized the ultimate. Thus, they had a better grasp of spirituality. Fully conversant with the glorious secrets of life and trained in the art of living they had no misgivings. They valued literature, art and culture and they could integrate the mundane with the divine. The present generation deprived of interactions with such masters is getting spirituality packaged in spurious forms that drives them away from enjoying the real beauty of the ancient treasure of knowledge. The lack of correct scientific knowledge of true living in controlled indulgence that was given by Vedic masters is creating misgiving about spirituality. For an over curious and underfed generation the right taste of spirituality needs to be offered.