The world is not the most pleasant place, and life is not always full of
promises. Eventually, everyone will leave you. Your parents will one day
perish, and siblings and friends you once grew up with soon become involved
with their own families. Even your children will ultimately grow up and become
busy with their own families. Some will have very little time, if any, for
their aging parents. A number of children are forced to leave their parents
behind and move to different houses, cities or even countries, in order to
chase their own dreams and pursue their own careers. It is like a cycle. As
parents, our children may do this to us, but as children, we may have done the
same to our own parents. Most elderly people are lonely living in nursing
homes, waiting for weeks or months for someone to visit them. Others, who are
living with their children, still feel isolated and alone, because everyone is
occupied with their individual hectic lives.
With time, these feelings of loneliness
and isolation will come over us as well. So what do we do when this happens?
Are we prepared to face this situation? Can we prepare for this situation? If
so, how do we prepare ourselves to handle this situation?
Realistically speaking, life is not an evergreen garden full of flowers. There
are many situations that are beyond our control, and they leave us completely
helpless. I have seen that during the moments of excruciating pain, even some
of the strongest people cannot think of anything other than their pain.
However, those who are relatively healthy and mentally alert, can train their
mind to handle such situations with their spirituality. Rather than depending
on others, they should learn to talk and live with themselves, not with the
physical being, but with the true 'Self', the spirit. Learn to talk and live in the company of
'Nirankar' – Almighty God.
In order to accomplish this, we need to practice this now. Just like any other
task, we should gradually practice now so it comes in handy at the time when we
need it the most. Spend some time every day with your ‘Self’
in silence, with Nirankar in Simran and prayer. We need to apply in our own
life what we learn
by going to Satsang, listening to discourses and reading scriptures.
Sri Adi Shankrachaarya says :
Satsangatve Ni:Sangatvam, Ni:Sangatve Nirmohatvam
Nirmohatve Nishchal Tatvam, Nishchal Tatve Jeevan Mukti:
Translation:
The fruit (reward) of
doing Satsang is to learn the joy of Solitude.
Solitude leads to a higher mental state of Non-attachment*.
When the mind learns to live and perform every action with a
sense of non-attachment, it stays stable, calm and un-affected in any
situation, and thus, will attain ‘Jeevan-Mukti’. (Sri Adi Shankrachaarya)
‘Jeevan-Mukti’, is not the salvation after death. It’s the living salvation, which is freedom from
fear and unnecessary desires, and therefore, at peace.
Note * The concept of
‘Non-attachment’ is different than detachment.
