Q3. Dear Swamiji, how do I know whether I am qualified for a spiritual awakening or not?
Nice question. The very idea that the person is not qualified for spiritual opening or a spiritual awakening is just created by the priests. If you think that you are alive, that is enough, that qualification is enough to have a spiritual awakening.
Somebody went to Ramana Maharshi and asked, "Bhagwan, am I qualified for spiritual progress, am I qualified for the spiritual line?"
Ramana Maharishi asked, "Are you alive?"
The disciple said, "Yes, of course".
"Then you are qualified enough," replied Ramana.
It is only the priests who create this idea to exploit the public. You see, if you are not kept in the guilty mood, if you are not kept one step lower on the pedestal, you do not obey. Just to exploit the people, the idea of qualification is created. The very basic thing, which has killed intelligence, which has killed spirituality, is this business of qualification. The idea of qualification, you can never find anybody who feels they are qualified. Even after hundreds of years of practice, you will wonder whether I am qualified or no. I don't know! Because the guilt has been implanted in you. Be very clear, not only in Bombay city, wherever you live you are qualified. If you think you are alive, that is enough, you are qualified. The idea of qualification is brought in just to exploit you mentally.
A beautiful story from Zen Buddhism: A man goes to a master with the same question, "Master, am I qualified for the spiritual progress? I feel there are so many obstructions."
The master replies, "The word 'obstruction' is the only obstruction, nothing else."
The word 'obstruction' is the only obstruction to spiritual life, because each and every being is potentially divine. When a person is already potentially divine, how can you say he needs some other qualification? All the rules are just there to keep the guilt in the other person, just to keep him one step lower, otherwise there is nothing like qualification. If you need to have a qualification, what is the purpose of spirituality?
Somebody came and told me, "THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM, I have never practised Aayama and Niyama. In Patanjali's yoga system the first step is Aayama. Aayama means - Brahmacharya, Ahimsa, Satya, Apaikara, Astheiya. The great vows – celibacy, non-violence, truth, non-stealing, non-possessiveness. These are the five great vows, which you need to practise, only then are you qualified for yoga. Somebody came and asked, 'THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM , I am not qualified in all these five things, how can I enter into yoga?"
I said, "If you are qualified in all these five things, you don't need yoga!"
Both maturity and meditation helps each other. Maturity gives you energy, energy gives you maturity. At first you start wherever you are, that's enough, you will see that the ball rolls.
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