Words From The Master: 10 Feb 2008

If you are alive, you are qualified!

A man came to Ramana Maharishi, an enlightened Master, and asked: Bhagavan, when will I be qualified to be able to follow the spiritual path?

Ramana looked at him silently for a while and asked: Are you alive?

The questioner said: Yes, of course I am alive.

Ramana calmly replied: You are then fully qualified.

If we keep questioning our qualification even after decades of rigorous spiritual practice, we will feel unqualified. The concept of qualification is brought in to exploit and bind us mentally; to keep us in guilt. We need to drop this guilt and feeling of inadequacy to progress in life.

It is the confusion between religion and spirituality that also leads to this question in us, of whether we are qualified. We are constantly told that we are sinners and as such incompetent to enter the doorway of the Divine. We are told to take refuge in religion to wash away our sins.

A small Zen story:

A disciple asks a Master: Master, am I qualified for spiritual progress? I feel there are many obstructions.

The Master replies: The word obstruction is the only obstruction, nothing else.

Spirituality is about discovering who we are. It is the search for the ultimate Truth about us and our connection with Existence.

There is no room for qualification here. And let me tell you: It is not any option for you. It is a basic necessity to be able to connect with Existence, to be spiritual.

This Truth can be realized through many ways like yoga and meticulous practices like idol worship; but all these would take many births, and you will forget the purpose behind these activities and cling on to the rituals instead. That is the danger.

Dhyana or meditation is the shortcut to the Truth. It is foolproof and without side effects. The only side effect is bliss and realization of your own Self. To start meditation, all you need to be is a human being, nothing more. A Being with consciousness is the only requirement to embark upon a spiritual path. The very desire that you wish to start on this path is a true indication that you are qualified.

It is said in Tao: A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

Take that step now! You are qualified!

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This article was earlier published in the Economic Times, an Indian newspaper.