By “complexities,” I meant the pursuit of material things,not the rejection of pure elements like love, truth, beauty, and goodness, which should instead be uplifted.
In the end, I want to ask: how do we truly know that we are obeying the Divine? I sincerely want to follow it, but how can I be sure that it is not just my own ego that I am obeying?
Yes, without a doubt, finding the Divine is the first priority before anything else. Only thing we need to remember is that we can do it in two ways. The ascetic way of cutting and shunning life which leaves us incapacitated to return and change it, or a more integral way such as that of the Gita which does not discard life and its various elements as the aspiration surges ahead. These elements of nature are refined and purified as the central seeking for the Divine spearheads the journey. Of course a preoccupation with material things, a putting of energies into material pursuits, lower impulses masquerading as ‘natural’ and ‘necessary’, movements of lust, greed, anger, fears, jealousy, ambition, attachments have to be completely excised and put away. It is this mixture that creates certain characteristic reactions of the ego such as restlessness, attachment and desire for the fruits of sadhana such as hankering after experiences or powers, especially mixture of ambition giving birth to a spiritual ego, of being someone spiritual, the subtle seeking for respect and recognition. All these hamper the journey.
In short, true spiritual life is a seeking for the Highest, for the Divine, not for what we may get from Him but simply for the joy and love of Him. It is like an irresistible attraction for the Divine and not for what we can get from Him. It is this complete self-giving seeking nothing else but the closeness, oneness, union with the Divine through whatever means, – knowledge, service, love or any other that matters. And all this without haste and impatience, demand and desire for the Divine to respond but in complete surrender and faith that He knows our seeking and will respond and reveal Himself when we are truly ready.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
