“Hell has three gates Lust, anger and greed”
―  The Bhagavad Gita

Spirituality has lately been monopolized and cashed by gurus and teachers from various religions, and social groups.  The money that devotees and pilgrims willingly throw into these doctrinal whirlpools make bandits out of sages and cause men  to be incarcerated by their own imaginations.

Today the ease of acquiring Knowledge has caused us all to look for spiritual understanding more actively and at a larger scale than ever before. Greed has tempted the keepers of spiritual knowledge to become ruthlessly business minded putting humanity’s future in grave danger. As the world becomes a smaller place with every passing year there is an immediate need to maintain order among the religions and cultures that are beginning to intermingle and money seems to be the prime element that stands as a hindrance for it. This article lays down the most pragmatic means by which spiritual doctrines and faiths can rid themselves of the love of money and embrace reality as it is.

Remain Assertive

It is common knowledge that the gullible nature of pilgrims and spiritual seekers which lead to their compliance to give away hard earned money in return for spiritual knowledge and access to “Devine shrines” is what causes greed and selfishness to thrive among spiritual leaders and authorities.  The first step towards spiritual autonomy is to remain assertive towards exploitation.  Always refuse to make undue payments at shrines and spiritual tourist destinations. Say no to the practice of ‘paid worship’ and demand legit reasons for levying tariffs at temples and shrines.

Under note: There are certain places of worship which are maintained at a high expense and it is the duty of every visitor to share in the upkeep of such places of heritage.

Know more

Gaining the right knowledge and spreading that knowledge is the duty of every enlightened person. And now it has become all the more important because of the hoarding of spiritual truths by religions and faiths. While each faith has its own reasons to keep secrets the spiritual arena must not be subject to profiteering, and therefore every person who intends to remain spiritual without being pushed around by faiths and religions are expected to put in their effort into acquiring knowledge and make it a point to gain the right kind of knowledge. For this we have mentors and sages who willingly teach spirituality.

These are people who have a mind to serve and administer the right kind of knowledge without altering it or putting any restrictions on their pupil. These teachers seldom ask anything from their students or dictate them to live in a certain way. Finding such a guide is the best thing that can happen to any seeker of the truth.

Other means of acquiring knowledge is through expansive reading.  All the faiths including Hinduism and Jainism encourages its believers to read and acquire knowledge, such religions promote education and spiritual Enlightenment through learning. ‘Vidya’ as it is known among Indian religions is one of the most important aspects of spiritual living.

The spiritual contender can learn more about the spirit by observing himself and everything around him. Most spiritual leaders and idolized sages like Gautama Buddha have acquired deep spiritual understanding merely through observation.

Interaction is also a means of understanding the spirit. People learn from each other better than any book or scripture can ever teach them. We can learn volumes through open hearted conversations and civil disclosure.

Ask questions

Asking questions could save you a lot of embarrassment and keep you from being used by people who intends to do so. It is well established that the spiritual arena is one that is prone to nefarious practices and victimization. Always make detailed inquiries about the reasons behind religious practices and codes that involve money. If a spiritual practice is too expensive then there is a high chance of fraudulent and unethical practices in the back ground. A smart monk would even question well established ideas and try to make good sense out of every spiritual practice and code of ethic.

Stay alert

It is important to stay alert because doing so would prevent your spirituality from being abused. Especially, if you have traveled to a foreign country in search of spiritual fulfillment the chances of being mistreated and victimized is very high, the only way to prevent it from happening is by keeping your eyes open and staying alert. Suspicious activities in places of worship and unnatural practices must be taken seriously; it is wise to stay away from teachers who perform distorted forms of divination.

Maintain mental clarity

Without clarity your spiritual pursuits would be like chasing the wind. If your mind is clear and your vision is not distorted then it would be harder to fool you. If you have sound mental clarity you are more likely to be free of all doubts and immune to deception. Such a person would not give into the coy words of fallacious spiritual leaders and would be able to resist all forms of spiritual encroachments and victimization. A clear mind also keeps a person well equipped to learn about the nature of things.

Define your reasons

What is spirituality to you? Do you seek knowledge to spread love and harmony? Or do you intend to use the spiritual realm to achieve personal needs? 

History has taught us that using spirituality and religion for money making and for political reasons would lead to the loss of civilization and would cause society to crumble. The Bhagavad Gita tells us that “…For an enlightened person a lump of dirt, a stone and a block of gold are the same…”

Moreover, if you have a definite idea of spirituality then you would not run-around in circles trying to acquire the so called “deep knowledge” and “great powers”. The only thing that would matter to you is your personal definition of spiritual completeness. Albeit it is also important to keep your reasons for being spiritual deeply rooted in notions like love and other positive emotions.  At the end of the day the only question you need to ask yourself is “why are you seeking the truth?” If you are looking to dominate and oppress then you stand the risk of falling into traps of your own making.

Karma

Karma…the word has been well used and over used in modern literature and by spiritual leaders to such an extent that it has almost lost its potency. In the Bhagavad Gita Karma is given great emphasis. According to the Gita, Karma means Action, and the law of karma states that every action has repercussions. Every Scripture that contributes to spirituality teaches us that our deeds are what govern the type of life we get to lead. Everything we do would have an equally measured consequence or reward. Just like in physics where every action has an equal and opposite reaction…

If a person lives a straight forward and simple life, keeping his conscience clear and fills himself with emotions likes love and compassion, he would be in a better position to receive spiritual knowledge. Without guilt, the ability to learn becomes magnified and eradicates the need for teachers and mentors… Good Karma brings about deep enlightenment and a person so enlightened wouldn’t have to depend on gurus for their spiritual pursuits.

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