We find in the Katha Upanishad: “The good is one thing; the pleasant another. It was then that he was drawn to Sri Ramakrishna. She replied: “Through these spiritual disciplines, the ties of past karma are cut asunder. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Sri Krishna gives this categorical assurance: “Even the most sinful amongst people, if that person worships me, the Supreme Spirit, with unswerving devotion, must be regarded as virtuous, for that person has resolved rightly. I’m really blessed. The hindrances are identified as: avidya (ignorance), sense of personality, desire, hate, and sense of attachment.It may seem confusing to us that a sense of personality is a hindrance to personal development. Increasing our knowledge base and understanding God’s Word is key. All our spiritual teachers declare unanimously that the soul in its essential nature is pure spirit. Until then, however, we have to persist steadily in our spiritual practices; we have to continue the struggle however insurmountable the obstacles may seem for the time being. He had to practice self-surrender every moment! The Buddha … We can undergo spiritual practices, unfold the inner eye, discover the “secret stairs” and move up higher and higher. . But the enlightened ones speak in a different language. Art Linkletter , from the TV program: ‘Kids say the darndest things’ said: Because there is always something out there yet for me. A young man was once asked about this spiritual progress by Swami Brahmananda, his teacher. Thank you, I love hearing from my readers. By these disciplines the turbulence of the sense-organs is subdued.”, Devotee: “Can action ever cancel action?”, Mother: “Why not? Not Giving God complete control. Something waiting to be learned that I never knew. Swami Yatiswarananda (1889—1966) was a disciple of Swami Brahmananda. The calm one examines them well and discriminates. 23. A. Nourishment of Ill-Will. The last time some of us saw Girish, he told us: “As I move my hand, I feel that it is not I but the Lord who is moving it.” His eyes and face were radiant with the glow of his inner illumination and unbounded love for the Lord. If we come across many obstacles and hindrances, we get also many helps and aids both within us and without. The ego, the mind, and the body may be defiled but the spirit ever remains pure, enlightened, and free. Why do we just stop growing spiritually? An illustration of Sri Ramakrishna helps us to understand this better. Simply enter your email address to subscribe to my blog and receive weekly treasures from my heart. Overcoming Hindrances to Intimacy with God by Jim Murphy (This is an edited transcription of a talk given by Jim Murphy at the WWCCR Leaders and Helpers Day of Formation in January 2006.) In order to keep the body in good health, we must follow the physical laws. This is very basic to its … You may wash it a thousand times but can never get rid of the smell altogether.” Girish heard this and felt offended. One of the congregation congratulated him, “We never knew what sin was until you came!” What a compliment! What we term self-effort and divine grace supplement each other. Put your spiritual armor on. Building spiritual growth is a day-to-day process. Or why, do we meet people that used to be so alive in their relationship with the Lord, and now they have reached a kind of plateau and one never observes any spiritual growth in their personal lives. The garlic smell did disappear in due course, and he became wonderfully transformed. The individual must be in tune with the cosmos. Vidya is that current which leads us Godward; it manifests itself as discrimination, nonattachment, devotion, and love for God. If we have within us such enemies of spiritual life as egotism, sensuality, greed, and anger, we have also such friends as selflessness, self-control, charity, and compassion. Divine grace comes to us at first in the … Sometimes the spiritual current does not move at all; sometimes it moves for a time and stops; sometimes it tends to move in wrong directions. This is impossible for us to do on our own anyway! Spiritual life is the cleansing of this second nature of ours, the cleansing of the masks—the coverings of the ego, the mind, and the body. Guruji on Overcoming hindrances on the Spiritual path We have been blessed with this spiritual earthly life, yet we find ourselves turning our attention away from God and the divinity within us. But one must practice meditation and japa. A third one is, we move up but the door does not open. There are different kinds of obstacles, and we come across them in the different stages of our spiritual life. There are ups and downs, breaks or stops, in the movement. Failure to self evaluate. The proper thing is to do all we can and also to pray. . Blinded by their own narrow ideas, theologians make too much of a mystery about divine grace, which they say can be attained only by following their own pet doctrines and dogmas. (Hebrews 6) Through this development you will achieve peace and freedom by way of revelation about God's word and overcoming the misapplication of God to your life. Father, I have realised today that I have allowed…. It will be just like the man who, finding his house on fire, started praying for rain instead of trying to put the fire out through means available then and there. Abraham overcame them through faith: By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an … There are five things that Gautama Buddha … One of the best ways to combat such feelings is to avoid reckless actions. But you can realize him right now if you become free from desire.”. You become educated, start your careers and family. The good news is that, we do not have to fight overcoming them all by ourselves. We fool ourselves by thinking that we are all right where we are. It is essential that we have a correct idea, a balanced estimate, of our conditions and environments. Just unfurl your sail.” This means that we should keep ourselves open to the divine grace—the cosmic spiritual current—by attaining purity through the performance of regular spiritual practice. All summed up in Phil 2:12-13 “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.”. The spiritual current, when properly roused, takes us from one center of consciousness, or chakra, to another. Till my days are over, never fully fill my cup. Girish at that time thought that the path of self-surrender was the easiest but later on realized what a most exacting thing it was. These may act as hindrances to spiritual life. A great help to our moral and spiritual life is the remembering of the supreme truth that we are the Atman. It is necessary for us to understand the relation of spiritual practice to divine grace and the important part they play in our lives in removing our inner obstacles. Most of us may not care to rise to a higher plane. Suppose a light is brought into a room that had been dark a thousand years, does it illumine the room little by little, or in a flash?”, Girish: “I have no sincerity; please grant it to me.”. If the person proceeds haphazardly he or she cannot make much progress, and if the person gives up entirely, the effort to begin again will be twice as difficult. Here's how you can identify and tackle the most challenging and surprising … The water may be impure and disturbed, but the light of the sun ever remains shining and pure. © 2016 Vedanta Society of Southern California, “Transformation of Character and Consciousness” by Pravrajika Sevaprana, How Karma Yoga Has Affected My Life   Br. She shares her own personal treasures from the bible for encouragement to others. Vivek, Kali: In Our Hearts and Minds   Led by David Nelson. : adhibhautika or that caused by other living beings such as beasts, thieves, and evil-minded persons; and the adhidaivika or the misery brought about by natural phenomena such as extremes of temperature, floods and storms, earthquakes, pestilences , etc. The Atman puts on the masks of the causal body, the subtle body, and the gross body. Try to practice japa (chanting the Lord’s name) at dead of night; if that is not possible, do it during the early hours of the morning. This is true in spiritual life also. Maya, the power that has projected this phenomenal world, itself has two aspects, vidya and avidya, which may be compared to the centripetal and centrifugal forces. Now the words that name each hindrance point to the more extreme … There seems to be an obstacle inside me. Thanks for the points. Your word makes it clear that I should be growing over time, developing greater fullness in You and producing fruit in my life. .” she added triumphantly, “I went out and kicked the old trap to pieces.” So prayer is to be combined with self-effort to break old unethical habits and form new good ones. You'll be surprised by the fourth obstacle but it's a major one for women. Once a disciple asked the Holy Mother about the utility of spiritual practice. Having made some substantial progress in spiritual life, he found inner obstacles standing in the way and these were making further advance difficult. The door opens and we get into the box but the box does not move—this is another kind of obstacle. If you enjoyed this post and would like to read similar ones: God bless, and more of His grace & revelations. Later, however, a great change came over him and there grew a deep yearning for spiritual light and peace. The body is like a vessel, the mind is like the water in it. He left Europe as the second World War forced a closure to the European Vedanta work. The microcosm develops properly when it is in tune with the macrocosm. Gradually his mind became purified, though he had to go a long way. It goes well with the person who, of the two, takes the good; but one who chooses the pleasant misses the end. One of the hindrances to prayer is lack of trust, Most times, our prayers are not … Soon the person becomes righteous and attains eternal peace. It's not just a career, it's a calling! Lust, greed, anger, all gradually leave one who practices spiritual disciplines.”. Without intense and unremitting striving on our part, we can never experience divine grace. We cannot have the one without the other. Similarly our soul must also be in a fit condition, in a state of purity and harmony, so that it may remain in direct touch with the cosmic spiritual forces. . All our spiritual teachers tell us that there are two opposite types of ideas working in our lives, the good and the pleasant—sreyas and preyas. There is restlessness and restlessness—that of the worldly man hankering for the pleasures of the world; and of the spiritual seeker yearning for progress, wanting to move from a lower plan of consciousness to a higher one. Our individual mind is a part of the cosmic mind, and our individual soul is a part of the cosmic soul. Spiritual life is a twofold movement, one of which may be represented as vertical and the other as horizontal. The Master assured him, “All the smell disappears when a blazing fire is lighted; if you heat the cup in the fire you will get rid of the smell,” and he declared that people would be astounded at the marvelous change that would come over Girish. It is the things we say and the actions that we do … . 1. Michelle. The Lord had removed all his vices—his obstacles in the spiritual path—and filled his soul with his loving, divine presence. Here, one point must be plainly understood. The task in our spiritual life is to make this current move; move in the right direction and move steadily till the goal is reached. THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT by Francis Dixon (Scripture Portion: Ephesians 5:1-33) Our study of this searching theme places a heavy … He asked the Master if the “garlic smell” would go at all. It is … One must practice spiritual disciplines such as worship, and so forth. It is rightly said that even as every saint has a past, so has every sinner a future. Classic Indian Stages of Life; Patanjali’s five hindrances refer to conditions that block our personal development. Our desire and actions to be more like Jesus speak volumes about our growth. He was imprisoned on the Bass Rock for … When the body is kept in good condition, it remains in touch with the cosmic forces, which again help the body to maintain good health. The Supreme Reality, or God, is like the sun. Obstacles continue to confront us till we have known God’s grace and attain the peace and blessedness that come from divine realization. The battle field IS the mind and we are in a battle. Whether your church has ten pews or a thousand seats, a praise band or a pipe organ, one-room-Sunday school or a … Something of this kind happened to me when I spoke to Swami Brahmananda of some obstacles standing in the way of my spiritual progress. . . Divine grace comes to us at first in the form of spiritual yearning and striving. Ministry Matters™ is a community of resources for church leaders. If we have evil tendencies, we also have good ones—even more of the good than the evil. So there is certainly hope for every one of us. Directed by the Master, Girish followed the path of absolute self-surrender to the divine will—a path very few can follow. I have no taste for spiritual practices yet. Spiritual practices remove the impurities, and then just as the clear mirror reflects the shining sun in all its glory, the Divine Spirit is revealed clearly in the purified mind in a spontaneous way. Past sins can be counteracted by meditation, japa, and spiritual thought.”. This is the ideal. It is then that the cosmic will or the divine grace flows through the soul and assures its progress. The deliberate idea of overcoming these five hindrances is important because it is the five hindrances that block the door to both the jhānas, and wisdom. OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES The fact that all these obstacles can hinder the development of our faith need not be a negative message, however. The spiritual seeker is established in perfect purity only after divine realization, when objects of temptation become unreal, and the Supreme Spirit remains the only reality. It is very important … That removes the impurities of the mind. A plant needs sunlight. It is the masks that become impure, not the Atman. In your desire to overcome fear, you create success in your life. Let us not, however, imagine that life is only full of obstacles. We can only overcome the enemy by our faith in God. To keep the mind in good health, we must follow the moral laws which stand for harmony and purity. Michelle du Toit lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. Great to hear from a reader. After some time, the mother found her happy and cheerful and was curious to know how such a change had come about. I want to be sure to live a life worthy of the calling I received from You, help me to start growing. If we look within ourselves, we find that our body is a part of the ocean of matter and that cosmic energy is flowing through it and sustaining it. But I never want to feel I know the best way how. Take the time to go through the list and repent of your sins you can relate and remove the hindrances to divine healing in your life. This is a matter of actual experience for many spiritual aspirants. There are objects causing aversion; frequently giving unwise … But these obstacles can be overcome. The question may be asked, how do I know the mind of the young man? W e should never ignore the empowering of the Holy Spirit in overcoming communication barriers and boundaries in order to share the gospel with people from various languages, cultures and social … The fourth is the door opens, we get out on the floor, move about for a time, but are not able to find our way back to the elevator when we want to rise higher. I will free you from all sins; grieve not.” The Lord himself removes all obstacles for the devotee who has completely surrendered to him. When the young man said, “My mind is restless,” he was not speaking of ordinary restlessness and unhappiness. I feel so unhappy. Make a decision today, to remove the obstacles to your spiritual growth and embrace all that God has got for you in your life right now. Download Overcoming Hindrances Ebook, Epub, Textbook, Audiobook quickly and easily or read online Overcoming Hindrances full books anytime and anywhere. Proper food, moral practices, and spiritual exercises remove the obstacles in body, mind, and ego, keep us in tune with the cosmic will and fit to receive divine grace. Spiritual life, if properly lived, must lead us from the egocentric to the cosmocentric position. I love sharing truth. We are the souls eternally in touch with the Oversoul, just as a wave is in constant touch with, and is supported by, the ocean, just as a ray of light is in touch with the infinite light. This is the questions I aim to explore, as I believe the answers to be crucial for us to overcome one of the biggest hindrances, as I see it, in finding truly viable solutions to pressing problems. Vidya tends to help us towards Self-realization and freedom. Is just the truth. Though we … If the seed is planted in the proper bed and is kept in touch with nature—with earth, water, heat, air, and space—it grows into a plant and finally develops into a mighty tree. Be blessed. It is necessary for us to have a clear conception of spiritual unfoldment and its relation to cosmic existence and cosmic forces. … Below are 10 hindrances to prayers and how you can overcome them. This article discusses the hindrances to spiritual development. I get a kick out of living in the here and now. It reflects itself on the pure mind. This is one of the most sublime illustrations of transformation brought about the divine grace, which flows into the spiritual seeker as he strives to his utmost. All our practices must be carried out in a spirit of prayer, self-surrender, and dedication to the Divine. We are quite contented with our life in the cellar. The third hindrance to spiritual development is an inappropriate spiritual climate. But some of us want to come out into the light and rise to a higher plane with the help of the spiritual current, which may be likened to the elevator which takes people from one floor to another. If it weren't for the mental and emotional obstacles, we could develop mindfulness much faster. If you do a good action, that will counteract your past evil action. The 90-Day Spiritual Awakening Journal is a devotional workbook/journal that teaches you with proven Biblical principles in simple daily exercises and writing prompts “how” to enjoy the rich presence of peace, love, and joy your heart is looking for!. As a result of this, however, he felt continually the presence of the Lord, and became a man of God. Spending time reading the word is a part of growing who we want to be. The article below was taken from the Jan-Feb 1959 Vedanta in the West. Regret and guilt are among the most common hindrances to spiritual development. “It is by overcoming obstacles that you develop new skills and new ways of handling what the rest of your life has in store for you.” Anonymous. Thinking this was wrong and cruel, she became very sad and wept. As one gets the fragrance of a flower by handling it, as one gets the fragrance of sandalwood by rubbing it against a stone, in the same way one gets spiritual awakening by constantly thinking of God. Well, spiritual development is similar to that. Swami Brahmananda used to tell us: “To obtain God’s grace is the most important aid in spiritual life. . We have to rise higher and higher and also expand more and more in our consciousness. She is married to Adrian, with two children. But no effort is wasted. There are several common obstacles, and by … Overcoming the Barriers to Faith It’s really pretty simple. James Fraser of Brea. Proper food, moral practices, and spiritual exercises remove the obstacles in body, mind, and ego, keep us in tune with the cosmic will and fit to receive divine grace. Devotee: “Mother, how does one realize God? The Five Hindrances On The Spiritual Path & Their Antidotes When we do our meditation, mindfulness or a reflection practice, it will not always be plain sailing. Even if you have never used a workbook or devotional before, this workbook makes it simple and easy with a different spiritual … It is our second nature that becomes impure, and it can and should be purified. When most people turn to material comforts as a way of life, their spiritual development is suffocated by the things around … If you do your part Jesus will do his part. If you or someone you love is on the verge of a spiritual … First Choice. Waste no more of your valuable time. Doubt and unbelief are hindrances to spiritual exploit. That is why Sri Krishna declares in the Bhagavad-Gita: “Sense objects recede from the abstinent person, but the taste for them lingers still; with the realization of the Supreme Spirit, even the taste disappears.”. With the help of an illuminating conversation between a devotee and Sri Sarada Devi—the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna, also known as the Holy Mother—we can clearly understand the connection between spiritual practice and divine grace. Productivity 4 Tips For Overcoming Obstacles Overcoming obstacles is hard but wonderfully gratifying. Spiritual life is like a stream and should move towards the ocean of Sat-Chit-Ananda or Infinite Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, call it Godhead, Brahman, the Lord, Allah, or Tao, as you please. Then only can we feel enthusiastic about the disciplines, which we ordinarily undergo in a haphazard way. A little girl’s brother used to set a trap to catch birds. This keeps the mind in contact with the cosmic mind and so in good health. There is a story of a new clergyman who started talking too much of sin. Know for sure that the battlefield is the mind so put your whole spiritual armour on daily. As we become purer and purer, we come more and more in direct contact with the cosmic spiritual current. Owing to ignorance, the spirit forgets itself and becomes identified with the ego, with the mind and the senses, with attachment and aversion, with the sense objects, with the body and its functions—all products of ignorance. These are the five hindrances; pretty much anything that is blocking your development of concentration falls into one of these categories. “You have to be stronger than your obstacles, and braver … For many people, further growth and spiritual development … Worship, japa, meditation—do these help one?”, Devotee: “Then how does one attain to the wisdom of God?”, Mother: “It is only through his grace. And we are affected by our troubles all the more when we are not well inwardly. At one time he considered religion a fraud. It’s the five hindrances that fuel avijjā. It is a matter of experience that to the extent we succeed in making our mind pure through moral and spiritual struggle, we feel the flow of divine grace. Lose yourself in prayer and meditation; otherwise, how can the door to spiritual truth be opened? However, if we continue in attributing to the continued practices of acting out these spiritual ‘hindrances… A glorious illustration of how a most sinful person can become righteous and attain the highest illumination and peace through the grace of the Supreme Spirit is seen in the life of Girish Chandra Ghosh, the famous actor-dramatist and a great disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. He said, “Not very well, Maharaj; my mind is restless. He spent seven years teaching Vedanta in Europe, where he founded an ashram in Switzerland, though he lectured on Vedanta from Madrid to Warsaw. The calm one prefers the good to the pleasant, but the fool chooses the pleasant out of greed and avarice.”. Let us try to understand its secret through the illustration of a seed. Never should we weaken ourselves by thinking too much of our shortcomings only. And He is the ultimate example of what it means to be spiritual. {For example, some believers … The aspirant should first learn about the spiritual path from some great soul and then follow it methodically. . Mere prayer without corresponding effort will not bear fruit. You accumulate things to give you a sense of security. Swami Yatiswarananda was famed for his meditative life and spiritual attainment. Paul urges us in Eph 4:1 to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received,” and later (verse 12-13) we are told to “be built up… reaching unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature; attaining the full measure of the fullness of Christ.”. Brahman is like the sun that is reflected in the water. This is also the ancient teaching of the sages of India: “The resplendent and pure Self, whom pure and sinless souls, free from evil or impurities, have realized as residing in the body, can be attained by truthfulness, concentration, true knowledge, and perfect chastity.”. There are conditions to the Lord’s healing. Read 7 Ways to Overcome Any Challenge by Whitney Hopler - Christian career and job development advice,tips and help! Ill-Will. James Fraser of Brea (1639-1698) was originally from the Black Isle, Ross-shire. I must have been born with evil tendencies and these stand in the way of my spiritual progress.” To this the Swami replied: “My boy, you must not talk like that. You can develop faster spiritually if these hindrances are overcome or eliminated in your life. In spiritual life, there must be tremendous effort, but is must not be of the egocentric type. Personal insight into your strengths and weaknesses is an … We are all born with subtle impressions and tendencies brought from previous lives and we also acquire new ones in our present life. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” says Christ in the greatest beatitude uttered by him. While good tendencies help, evil ones obstruct our spiritual progress. . She is passionate about God and influencing people. His book, Meditation and Spiritual Life, a compilation of his class talks, is considered one of the finest compendiums on spiritual life. In spiritual life, we use the word “obstacles” with reference to both the inner and the outer world, to physical and subtle objects, and to conditions and situations which stand in the way of our spiritual progress. The Katha Upanishad declares: “As the sun, which forms the eye of the universe, is never defiled by the external impurities seen by the eyes, so the one Self that resides in all beings is never touched by the evils of the world.”. At least 80% of diseases … We are like Pluto’s men in the cave who took the shadows to be real and were quite satisfied with the life of darkness they lived. The purity attained through spiritual disciplines may be of a very high order, but it is not perfect. Today, I would like to share five obstacles in our lives that hamper spiritual growth: Here are two truths about spiritual growth: It comes from God, but is facilitated by us, co-operating with the Holy Spirit. Proclaim it boldly that my devotee is never destroyed.” “Giving up all other duties, take refuge in me alone. Avidya leads us to worldliness and expresses itself as the various passions—desire for wealth, worldly ambition, work with attachment, cruelty, etc. The mind has become soiled by worldliness. The swami then spent ten years teaching Vedanta in the United States, returning to India to head several Centers, eventually becoming Vice-President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. Young Narendra, who later became Swami Vivekananda, was very friendly with Girish and was warned by the Master not to associate with him too much: “Girish is like a cup in which garlic is kept. Internally we can deal with spiritual bondage and idols … The breeze of his grace is always blowing. Let us choose the path of good and become purer in body and mind. No impurity can affect our primary nature, which ever remains pure. Here are the most common obstacles to spiritual growth as well as strategies for overcoming those obstacles. The seed must be kept in close touch with nature and also in the proper condition internally, for only then can it profit by earth, water, etc. This purity is essential for our spiritual growth and brings us in touch with the cosmic spiritual forces which the devotee calls the grace of God. Once the following conversation took place: Master: “Have faith in the Divine Mother, and you will attain everything.”, Master: “The wretch who constantly harps on sin becomes a sinner.”, Girish: “Sir, the very ground where I sit becomes unholy.”, Master: “How can you say that? 5 Hindrances to Spiritual Growth When it comes to spiritual growth, there are internal and external obstacles we all face when achieving our goals. . For every obstacle there is a clear way to overcome it – to … Both the good and the pleasant come to humanity. I know it because the young man was none other than myself. You want to have control to eliminate fear. “Mommy,” the girl explained, “First I prayed that my brother may be a better boy, then I prayed that no more birds may fall into the trap, and then . Both these, serving different needs, present themselves to humanity. According to his own statement, there was no sin that Girish did not commit. Be more like Jesus speak volumes about our growth spiritual practice takes us from the Black,. Thinking too much of sin one for women was the easiest but later on realized a... And actions to be our second nature that becomes impure, and free over time, the subtle body the! The one without the other the microcosm develops properly when it is the example. Have realised today that I should be growing over time, the mind so put your whole spiritual on! To its … Here are the Atman this better mental and emotional obstacles, and we are is necessary us... Be more like Jesus speak volumes about our growth in you and producing fruit in my life to. 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