22. Spirituality is an Intimate Experience
Everything about spirituality is personal, intimate, and quiet. This is the exact opposite of how the outer world functions.
My spiritual experience is more intimate than a love affair. Consider this: spiritual experience is beyond a conventional love affair that takes place in the world around us. A love affair takes place between two people. Here, I am talking about an experience without duality. It is an experience between one and the same one. Is there a name for this in the outer world? This experience is called enlightenment in the spiritual world.
Do you talk about your love affairs to your acquaintances? If you do, then probably you have developed a certain degree of intimacy with that person. Else, you cannot open up.
Someone I recently met told me, 'Swamiji, I have one problem. I am not yet comfortable with you. We have just met each other. I know you since a short time. So, I cannot completely accept everything you say.'
Let it be clear: you all might not be able to accept whatever I say. You may question me since you have doubts about the truths I bring out. I have no proof or certificates for the experiences I had. It is a deep subjective experience. So, it will be difficult for you to feel it.
Maybe you cannot believe what I say. Many of you may not believe what I say regarding my spiritual experiences. It is fine with me. You can listen to it and forget all about it. I often narrate my spiritual experiences for the sake of a few sincere seekers. These sincere seekers are interested to know the truth. I narrate my earliest experiences for them.
Even to those who do believe, my experience is my truth; it does not apply to them. They will have to experience their own truth for them to express it in their words. Each one's experience is an intimate affair. Every seeker has a different experience. It is an intimate and personal affair. Everyone searches for that undiminishing, undivideable, happiness. Everyone is looking for happiness, joy. The occurrence of joy is the experience of energy. This experience of energy in your body is called enlightenment. It is this enlightenment that leads to everlasting bliss, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM.
Walk inwards. The journey is long and difficult only if you think it is. But whatever may be the case, it will yield only the best results! Have faith in this statement and start your intimate love affair with the Divine!
23. From Non-violence to Vegetarianism
Ideally, we should all be masters of free will. Our actions and decisions should be independent of the idea of punishment or reward.
I call this morality from within. This value springs from the depths of our being, from the core of our own consciousness. This does not feel artificial or forced. However, if we try to follow the rules and regulations for social life, we will feel constrained and bound by them. We simply want to try and escape from them.
In spirituality, nothing can be labeled as right or wrong. There is no thumb rule that distinguishes the right or wrong. There is also no rule that dictates what is right and what is wrong.
Yet, when we live in society, we all follow certain rules to have a peaceful and happy social life. We have an unspoken agreement amongst ourselves. The agreement is something like this: don't try to kill me and I will not try to kill you. That is the social law.
It is only because of this binding law that we adhere to morality. If we know that we are not going to be punished for killing someone, we will not hesitate in killing others! This is the truth. Forced morality gives rise to this kind of an understanding.
Ahimsa, or nonviolence is one of the best universal principles. This principle lets us live harmoniously with others. The principle of ahimsa can be applied to the food that we eat. In my opinion, the idea of vegetarian food must have developed from Buddha's time. He was so compassionate and believed strongly in ahimsa.
Ancient sages do not mention the word or the concept of 'vegetarianism'. Even in the Upanishad, where ways of living for spiritual people are described, there is mention of only satvic food - vegetarian food.
Right from my birth, I have always been a vegetarian. I have never tasted meat, eggs or fish. I know how the body works with vegetarian food. Vegetarian food increases the joy and sensitivity in your energy flow. You will feel light and ecstatic. Vegetarian food is the best choice for people who want to take up the spiritual path or meditate.
When you follow the path of ahimsa and vegetarianism, you will find yourself softening and becoming sensitive to Existence that is embracing you. You will find that you fall very easily in tune with the Cosmic Energy.