Dil hai ek, do Aalam ka Tamannai hai

While watching a video of an Urdu Mushaira, the first line of a Ghazal caught my attention.

“Dil hai ek, do Aalam ka Tamannai hai”

‘I have only one heart, but it wants (the pleasures of) both the worlds’.

I realized, that's what I want too, both the worlds. 

In fact many of us want to progress and succeed in both, materialistic and spiritual worlds.

But is it possible?

Many believe it is not. They believe one cannot be at two places at the same time. We can only choose one or the other.

I think, with practice, it is possible. But we will need to learn how to keep a balance between both of them. Just like keeping a balance between work and family, job and home, one can also manage to keep a balance between the physical and the spiritual world. It may not be easy but it is possible.

However, it does not mean keeping a balance between working, making money and performing certain religious rituals every day or going to some religious places or attending congregations and offering donations.

Although, going to the religious places, congregations and performing rituals can certainly help us to attain spirituality but nevertheless, these are just the physical actions performed in the physical world.

‘Both worlds’ mean physical and spiritual; which in fact are two separate worlds. Spirit or the Soul does not belong to the physical world. No matter how sincerely and devoutly we perform those religious physical actions; we still remain in the realms of the physical world.

Sometimes, we perform religious or spiritual actions just to gain or achieve something of the materialistic, physical world. It might be simply for appreciation, acknowledgment or recognition as a devout or saintly person, if not for the money or comforts; it is not spiritual.  

Spirituality is individual; in one’s own mind and spirit.

It’s the mind where we need to keep the balance and that is the difficult part.

Success in the materialistic world, including religious or spiritual organizations, requires ambitions, ego and a little aggressiveness, while spirituality requires to be free from all of these.

That is why many scholars believe we have to choose one or the other.

Jesus also said “I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mathew 19:24)

However, the eastern scriptures suggest that one can enjoy both the worlds.

Rig Veda says: “Taina Tyaktaina Bhunjithah”

 Enjoy the comforts of the world without being attached.

It’s like sailing a boat in the lake. It does not matter how deep and vast the lake is, as long as the water is not inside the boat, the boat can float smoothly.

Similarly, one may enjoy the comforts and pleasures of the materialistic world and yet, keep the mind focused on ‘Pure Consciousness’, by learning and practicing how to keep balance between the both.

                           ‘Rajan Sachdeva’

दिल है एक, दो आलम का तमन्नाई है 
दोस्त का दोस्त है हरजाई का हरजाई है 
                     'इक़बाल देहलवी'