Once, a student asked a greatest spiritual master, ‘How much time does it take for transformation?’ The master replied without hesitation, ‘It takes a second. One has to make up their mind. That’s it.’
Another spiritual giant of similar caliber once stated, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand.’
Throughout spiritual journey, a seeker of truth navigate life in pursuit of the divine. It is widely accepted that this destination remains elusive within the current incarnation, necessitating multiple lifetimes to address karmic debts or liberate oneself from the bonds. As a part of their spiritual practice, many individuals engage in introspection to refine their thoughts, actions, speech, and deeds. Some believe that performing virtuous acts will lead to salvation through positive karma. In the path of devotion, people genuinely believe they will ascend to heaven after their physical bodies pass away on Earth. Meditators spend years progressing from one chakra to another and from one stage to the next, often perceiving this process as endless.
In the spiritual journey, one arrives at the destination without physically moving an inch. The distance is merely a mental construct. When the illusion of the false ‘I’ dissipates, the authentic ‘I’ shines brilliantly, akin to thousands of suns. Good and bad karmas are like clouds—both obstruct our view of reality. These clouds can be fast-moving, slow-moving, or seemingly motionless. During meditation, a person unknowingly burns both good and bad karmas. During meditation, the appearance and disappearance of blankness shift the meditator’s perception from the illusory small ‘I’ to the expansive natural ‘I’ for a brief moment. The consciousness, previously confined within the body, mind, and intellect, is released, allowing for a fresh breath in the naturally expanded state. Within the same body, the amalgam of impure consciousness radiates like pure consciousness, offering a glimpse of the absence of individual identity and the presence of witnessing awareness.
The path of devotion is simultaneously the slowest and most effortless. Love for God dissolves the mind like a sugar cube in water. Those who worship God seamlessly immerse themselves in the divine nectar. Each dip in this nectar purifies the mind, and as individuals draw closer to God, their character radiates even more brightly.
The journey of meditation involves seemingly effortless effort. However, meditators often encounter distractions and diversions. Some seek guidance from multiple spiritual gurus till their last breath, while others are drawn to mystical powers. Some devote their entire lives to venerating their guru and following the spiritual path, all while keeping their ego intact—much like a shadow cast by a burning candle. Some become healers, tarot card readers, or authors of spiritual books. And then there are those who establish their own schools of thought as spiritual leaders deviating from their original goal.
The path of knowledge (Self-Inquiry) provides the swiftest route to realising the divine. It distinguishes the spirit from the intelligence of the body, mind, and intellect. Like a sharp-edged sword, it cuts through impure consciousness, rejecting anything perceived as an external object and affirming that it is not the true self. The result is immediate and instantaneous.
We can consider the path of devotion to that of a snail, the path of meditation to an ant, and the path of knowledge to that of a bird.
In God’s creation, every path leads to God—even the one that seemingly denies God, unbeknownst to the people. Swami Vivekananda once remarked, ‘You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita.’