Spirituality in the Digital World

 

Photo Credit: Sundry Mind

Spirituality in the Digital World

Is the digital world a hindrance on the spiritual path? I have heard this question many times – the problem is not digital; the problem is with us and how we use the digital world. The problem is our mind, our heart. If our mind can change, no matter what happens to us, we will be fine! We have all seen how Swamiji who came from the Himalayas has used the digital platform to take Samarpan to all corners of the world!

We come to the spiritual path for various reasons, but once on the path do we get the quality of meditation that is required to progress. Not really, for many of us we are doing it because so and so told us to, our mind is not yet on it. It is like hunger, if we are truly famished, we cannot resist eating whatever is on the plate and find it to be tasty too! If our mind is calm it is filled with energy and we can tune in to universal energy. But the mind cannot be calm as it is always agitated. Various thoughts come – that is the nature of the mind.

The mind is like nature and nature abhors a vacuum. If we try to create a vacuum, air tries to rush in. The nature of the mind is if we try to make it quiet, more thoughts come to it. For beginners, the way to a calm mind is by focusing on the breath. This breath is so important. We can live without water for some time, without food for some time, but We cannot live without breath for half a minute, normally, unless we are great yogis who do not need to breathe. We can’t!

There is a story about Lahiri Mahasaya who lives on the banks of the Ganga, in Benaras. His friend’s son became a doctor and the friend told the son to go to Benaras and take the sages blessings. The son went to Benaras and introduced himself seeking his blessings. Lahiri asked him what are the symptoms of death? The youth replied, “First the breath stops, pulse stops. After a while the solar plexus becomes cold. If these symptoms are there, the person is declared clinically dead.”

Lahiri said, “With your stethoscope please check my pulse after two minutes.” He then shut his eyes and went into a trance. After two minutes the doctor checked his breath and heartbeat – both were absent, he put his hand on the solar plexus and felt it going cold. He panicked and started shouting that this man has died in front of me. The family members told him not to worry, that he will return. After some time, Lahiri opened his eyes – only great yogis can do that.

When we concentrate on our breath, our mind becomes occupied with the breath and the thoughts stop. Watch the breath going in and coming out. Now what has happened! We are not keeping the mind unoccupied; we are keeping the mind occupied with the breath. Therefore, it is free of other occupations. In the rhythm of breathing, the breath slows down remarkably.

The slower the breath, the slower the movement of the mind. And finally, we begin to enjoy that quietness of the slow breath with complete attention. We get hooked to the enjoyment inside, therefore we become free of the enjoyment outside. And as we are not engaged outside, we are able to go deeper into our mind.

As we go to deeper recesses of our mind, to the core of our consciousness, we suddenly discover that we are not this body but something else. We may call it 'jiva', we may call it 'rooh', or any other different name. This is the essence of our being which is in us, which is a spark of the divine.