Joy-ride Towards Divinity: A Spiritual Autobiography - Shobha Rajgopal Menon

 

Joy-ride Towards Divinity: A Spiritual Autobiography is by Shobha Rajgopal Menon  who is  retired as Principal from the reputed St. Kabir High School in Ahmedabad. She has undergone dedicated spiritual ‘Sadhana’ for over eight years. The present book is an outcome of the knowledge gathered during those wonderful years in search of Divinity.It is a useful and exciting reading for spiritual seekers.

The author has been awarded Ph.D. in English Literature by ‘The International University of Contemporary Studues’, Washindton.D.C, U.S.A., in 2011, for this book published in November 2009.

Introduction.

The world is poised at a juncture where it needs a new direction; a change of perspective into a more compassionate, humanitarian one. This can be accomplished only by a serious look inward into the essence of the individual. The coming generation needs to be nurtured on the intuitive wisdom within, leading to universal love so that one can look forward to a healthier world tomorrow, if not an ideal one.

The book is dedicated with gratitude to :

*beloved guru, Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev,

*erstwhile and revered guru Shri  Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari,

*First guide, co-seeker and friend in the spiritual quest, Preceptor Sheela Das,

*Family friend Parashu, who introduced  to the spiritual system instrumental to inner growth,

*And to Divinity itself.

The other chapters are:

1  The Roots of my Quest.

2   My Formal Introduction to Spirituality.

3   The First Touch of Divinity.

"Br.Rajagopal’s visit, and more specifically his sitting, opened my heart to a beautiful and mysterious new aspect of the spiritual sadhana. While seeing him off, by way of thanks, I said to him, “I feel I have met Master himself!”. To this he answered very benevolently, “I am just a candle, he is the sun!” After he left, I realized the deeper implications of the wonderful gift I had received from him. The effect of his spiritual transmission started manifesting itself with full impact only after he left. He had given me the first taste of Divinity! This was the first time I realized what spiritual bliss is all about! My heart was brimming with affection for everyone. For days, I was going through life with a strange inexplicable joy within me, in a dazed, intoxicated condition!"

4   The Taste of Divine Bliss.

5   Believe me, its Child’s Play!

All the communication systems that humanity has so far invented, and all that will happen in this field in future, is already present in the most sophisticated form, within the human being! It is not very difficult to think one step beyond this, and perceive that the external world is just an amateur manifestation of the fathomless internal one. The scriptures have been reaffirming this universal truth all through!

6   Small Wonders!

7   Chatting with God!

8   The Most Blessed Day of my Spiritual Life.

The desperation to ‘merge’, drives you to tears of pure misery. This is the secret of the ecstasy of Meera, Surdas, Tulsidas, and other Bhaktas down the line. The inexplicably blissful yearning, when it becomes unbearable, finally climaxes into an ecstatic outburst of something within! This, as per my understanding, is the ‘divine bliss’ that spiritual seekers are craving for. 

9   My First Satsang as a Preceptor.

The whole spiritual trip is so highly personalized and experiential that it can not be interpreted in words. Nevertheless, this tradition of guarding spiritual knowledge should be exercised with discretion by the guardians of spirituality. Carried beyond a point this secretiveness turns into a vice in the spiritual hierarchy. It is the lone reason for this precious wealth not being systematically handed down through generations, and made available to humanity liberally. Easy access to spiritual truths would have made humanity so much more aware of the transcendental than they are today.

10   A Red Rose for Divine Love!

11   A Stumbling Block on my Spiritual Track.

Depression is the worst hell one can be in, as long as it lasts.  I was’ down and out’ for three months, going around ‘like a zombie’ for another six, and ‘getting back to normalcy’ for another year.

12   Back on the Track of Divinity.

Mara’s Children’ is the general term used for the whole gamut of the recurring, disturbing thoughts which keep rising up from within your own conscience. One needs to learn to overcome these with serenity and inner strength. 

13   In Love with God!

There are no coincidences in Divinity’s kingdom. This is often seen mentioned in spiritual texts. My experience is a live proof to this fact. ‘Not a leaf shakes without Divinity being aware of it’ says an adage among the enlightened. The mural in question is still very much there as part of the school’s new branch’s rear wall, for anyone to verify!

14   The Manifold Blessings of the Spiritual Path.

Spirituality will soon be declared a science that can be introduced officially even in schools, and imparted scientifically and methodically under the guidance of accomplished teachers. Meanwhile, one needs to exercise caution while choosing a spiritual Guru. In the present scenario, there are quite a few masquerading as realized Masters, making easy moneys from large followings. It is time to make sincere efforts to remove the veil over the cosmic. There are pointers in this direction already. The flowering of the famed ‘Sahasrara’ of the individual will soon become indispensable and integral to education and knowledge and to the development of humanity in general. Scientists have evidence that says that the present-day man uses only 3% of the brain that nature has gifted him with! The homo-sapiens will walk the earth in his ultimate splendor, only when his caliber has been fully realized through spiritual pursuits. As the famous quote goes, “It is an understatement to say that God has made man. He is still making him”

15   Never say Die!

16   Shiva’s Abode at the Foothills of the Velliangiri.

17   The Magic Never Wears off!

Bhakti, Gnana, Karma and Hata, are known to be the four paths to enlightenment in the Indian yogic tradition. What I have discovered, through my own spiritual quest of about eight years, (exclusive of the unavoidable two to three years’ break) is that all these paths themselves are basically one. Follow any one earnestly, and you will find that after you reach beyond a point, the others naturally merge into it. A person who is on the Bhakti path, is in love with God. When her devotion grows intense, she dedicates all that she does, to God, out of sheer love. And when this transcendental devotion pervades all work, work turns ‘into worship’ in the real sense. Everything is done in constant remembrance of the Divine, and thus work attains perfection. This is ‘Karma Yoga’ accomplished. Further, this love acquires universal dimensions, as the Guru himself represents God; the omnipresent. This all-embracing love brings with it identification with everything in creation. This sense of universal oneness enhances intuitive abilities, which is the source of all-inclusive knowledge and wisdom. This is ‘Gnana Yoga’ in essence. As for ‘Hata Yoga’s, the body is considered to be the temple of the Divine. It is to be kept in a condition good enough for God to reside in. This is the reason for all the stress laid on health and hygiene in the yogic tradition. Besides, anyone interested in following the spiritual path must see to it that she keeps the body agile for the practice, and hence, sooner or later she resorts to yogic exercises that tone up the body. This is what I have been doing of late, to adapt my stiff joints to Isha Yoga! So all spiritual paths not only lead to one God, but all paths themselves blend into one en route! The Isha Foundation calls its practice ‘Kriya Yoga’; a combination of asanas, mudras and pranayams. This system too, obviously, brings Bhakti, Gnana, Karma and Hata, in its wake!

*Bhakti = devotion.

*Gnana =knowledge, wisdom.

*Karma = action, work.

*Hata = toning up of the physical body.

*Asanas = sitting positions.

*Mudras = gestures of the hands, including positions of fingers.

*Pranayams = breathing exercises.

18   All the World is God’s Abode!

God can surely not appreciate us dumping the responsibilities of our life, and walking off to the Himalayas to follow our spiritual whims, expecting all concerned to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives! Both spiritual and material life must go on side by side, right in the middle of the hub of life. That is the real ‘spirit’ of spirituality. The life of Krishna was in essence, a profound statement in this direction. He was, all at once, the ace-statesman of the Mahabharata fame, the delightfully playful beloved of the gopis, the accomplished Guru of the dejected Arjuna, the ‘ishtadevata’ of thousands of devotees, and yet, in essence the simple cowherd boy of the countryside!

19   A Closer Look at the Isha Way of Life.

20   The Isha Mahashivaratri ; Within my own Self!

21   Forward, towards  Eternity……’

If asked what I have gained through this search into the self, the answer is ‘nothing’ with a capital ‘N’. This means, that I am close to that ‘nothingness’ which is the source of everything in creation. It means that death does not mean anything to me, as I know that none ever dies. It means there is nothing material that can I really desire. It means that I am emotionally fulfilled with all the love an individual can have, from God himself! It means I have a constant companion in the spiritual realm who knows me thoroughly, even better than I know myself! At the material level, it means that my knowledge and understanding has become enhanced through the continuous unfolding of my intuitive faculties. Coming down to the mundane,it means that many of my little and large problems in life get sorted out all by themselves.

It is as if God has adopted me, and looks after me, not as I please, but on his own terms and conditions. And those conditions are extremely benevolent ones! Er….. excuse me; God is online for a chat regarding the further journey…… See you later!

Don't know how and why did this book land into my hands, but a much needed solace, and 48th of 2020.