PATH.  Each of us has a path to seek and follow.  Each is right in their own path.  No one has all the answers for the path of others.  We cannot live for another, no matter how hard we try.  The learning, seeking, growing, progress of the spirit and spirituality is totally dependant upon self.  

What works for you has been written.  What works for me is yet to be written.  God is not stagnant.  He is a living, moving spirit in all life.  He keeps us in His care for growth, even when our humanness makes us seek.  He remains the constant in a world of discontent and discomfort.

Spirit talk;

Two people are going to attend an interview in Guntur from Vijayawada. The first person asked about the details about the train, purchased ticket, enquired about the platform and entered the compartment. He searched for the seat and since the seat was not available he traveled in standing position. The total time he spent for this one-hour journey was about ten minutes. Though he was not comfortable in standing, he spent all the fifty minutes in thinking about the subject of the interview. He never associated with the co-passengers because he has to leave the co-passengers in the Guntur station. He spent some money already in Vijayawada by selecting a teacher who can teach the subject of the interview. He served that teacher and the teacher was very much pleased and gave the details of the subject in depth. He spent a little on his personal livelihood.

The second fellow spent all the time in enquiring about the details of this one-hour journey and was always worried about the comforts during this one-hour journey. He also paid a little money to the teacher who knows the subject and requested him to go to the railway station and get a comfortable seat in the train for him. He spent more money on his personal enjoyment. Even during the journey he was thinking about the comfort of the seat only. He was waiting constantly for the upper berth and enquiring the person of that berth about the station in which he will get down, so that he can occupy that seat. Even though he is reaching Guntur by ten minutes he was not thinking about the interview. He was talking with his co-passengers and was developing friendship with them as if he is going to stay with them permanently.

Both the people got down in the same Guntur railway station. Both attended the same interview in Guntur. The first person was selected and spent all his life with full happiness. The second person was not selected and spent all his rest of life with full misery.

Similarly one person thinks very little about these materialistic aspects of the life and also talks very very little. He spends least time in discussing these things in a very brief manner. He spends most of his time about the Lord who is going to enquire him after death in the Pretaloka for ten days. He always thinks about the punishments in the hell and his future life cycles. He approaches a competent preacher who is non-else than the Lord Himself who came to this earth in Human form. He catches the Satguru and receives the divine knowledge from him. He becomes his servant by doing Karma Phala Tyaga (Sacrifice of fruit of the work i.e., money) and Karma Sanyasa (sacrifice of work). In such service he did not attend much to himself and his family. Due to that he lost all the personal comforts and also lost the comforts of the family.

He knows that these family bonds are only temporary which are like the association with co-passengers within one-hour journey. As every passenger gets down when the destiny is reached and separate from each other, one has to leave all these family members for ever and will not even remember them in the future births. Such a person completed this temporary human life cycle. He was very healthy and was blessed with good longevity by the Lord. He was poor and did not eat much and many items. Therefore no disease attacked him and so he was healthy. Due to his service to the Lord he was blessed with a long life which is meant for the service of the Lord. After death he went straightly to Brahma Loka without any enquiry. He was always associated with the Lord here as well as there and was filled with bliss always. This person represents the people of our ancient generations.
The second person represents the people of modern generations. He is always worried about this present life which is just one-hour journey. He always discusses with people about the comforts of this present life. He associates himself with the bonds of the family so deeply as if the bonds are permanent. He does not know that after death no body even recognizes none. He spends all the time only for the comforts of himself and for the comforts of his family. Even if he reaches the Satguru he will do a little Karma Phala Tyaga and Karma Sanyasa praying him to give more and more comforts in this human life. He is not at all interested about his fate after the death. He never thinks about the enquiry, the hell and his future life cycles. Even though he has reached the old age and is going to die shortly, he never thinks about the upper world and about his future fate. He is always worried about the life here only. He spends lot of time in discussing all the minute details of even a negligible point pertaining to this materialistic life. He does not spend even one minute for the burning problem to be faced after his death. He is enquired in the Pretaloka for ten days after death, he is punished in the hell and goes to the life cycles of beasts and worms etc., which is ever-lasting fire of hell.

I find several people who are always doing continuous conversations about very minute and negligible matters of the material life. They discuss about the purchase of the teacup or a spoon for hours together. They do not spend even one minute about the most serious matter, which is the scene after this life. This continuous thinking and continuous conversations and continuous association with the family members make him forget about the most important matter. The ignorance enters him and one becomes an embodiment of ignorance. The mango piece in the pickle-jar is fully pervaded by the salt, the oil and the chilly powder because it is constantly in association with these items in the jar. Therefore, Oh! Human beings! Awake from this sleep of ignorance. Think about your future fate after death. Think about the permanent settlement with bliss in the future, recognize the Human form of the Lord in your generation. Approach the Lord and receive the divine knowledge from Him. Spend very little time and little energy for the matters of this life. Realize that your life is only an hour journey. Note that all the comforts of this life are only in one-hour journey. Even if you have reached the interview board by travelling in first class compartment, that has nothing to do with your selection in the interview. You may not be selected even if you have traveled in the first class. A person who traveled in a third class compartment with less comforts may be selected in the interview. The selection in the interview is going to give you the permanent comfort. Therefore approach the Satguru to study the subject well for the interview. Don’t ask the Satguru to help you in getting more comforts during the one-hour journey. Always ask Him to preach you so that you can be selected in the interview. Only one will be selected out of several candidates who attend the interview. Therefore do not follow the majority. Gita says that only one in crores is blessed by the Lord (Manushyaanaam Sahasreshu).

_________________
ANIL ANTONY
antonyanil@universal-spirituality.org
http://www.universal-spirituality.org
Universal Spirituality for World Peace

That is your path...God bless your understanding.  Do not try to tell others they must follow it...it is not right for anyone but you.  That is how individual the covenant is with the God of our own understanding.  

At some point in life we may be material..it is the necessary energy.  At some point we may be mental...live in our heads and plan for our future...it is the necessary energy.  At some point we may be spiritual...it is the necessary energy.  When we can combine and live in all aspects....body, mind, spirit...in a balance we have attained our spiritual, peace centre for growth and progress.

To live this life worried about where we will be in the next is not to enter all the experiences that will place us at our best possible potential level.  Use each and every experience...make it a part of your individual covenant with God as well as your own growth in spirituality...then, will God welcome you to spirit realms for eternity at the best place for your continued opening to more spiritual knowledge.

Spirit talk;

I can claim any belief. My belief does not necessarily please the Lord. Whatever was preached by Lord is important. That has to be followed. Because finally He is only going to bless us not belief. For getting His blessing, we should follow the path preached by Him.

Ex: If water is there in a beaker. I have a very strong belief that it is cold water. I put my finger and found it hot. Here, 'Water is cold'  is only my belief and need be true also. What is the truth here is that water is hot, which is opposite to my belief.

Truth is important not the belief. Truth is the one preached by Lord. True belief is the right one, which will be in line with the preaching of Lord. Will any father please with his son if his son does not follow any of his words? Likewise Lord comes down to preach the
divine knowledge and uplift the people. If we do not listen to him or follow His words, then we cannot claim that we have got devotion (love towards Lord). Lord is father of all the individual souls.

This is merely your truth and that is the point.  Each path has its truth.  There is no altimate authority in either your path or mine.  Merely the truth that God imparts.

In the Kasidah Part IV:  All faith is false; all faith is true:  Truth is the shattered mirror, strewn in myriad bits, while each believes his little bit, the whole to own.