In my mind, theoretically, I am attracted to those things that are eternal.  I wish to live in a deep state of mindfulness, always seeing clearly and never caught by the petty things that can distract us from what is most important.  I wish to live in communion with God and have thoughts that are inclined towards peace and the welfare of others. I want my life to be a prayer, with my actions emanating from pure intentions.

Most of the time, however, I am not quite so attracted to the eternal.  My mind is often filled with ruminations about insignificant things that are bothering or worrying me.  I can be self absorbed and self centered in the way I look at things. I find myself being judgmental over things that don’t really matter.  I observe my mind filled with petty desires.  The list goes on and on…

Sometimes when I become aware of just how wrapped up I am in these insignificant things, I remind myself of this verse:

O SON OF THE SUPREME!
To the eternal I call thee, yet thou dost seek that which perisheth. What hath made thee turn away from Our desire and seek thine own?

This is one of my favorite passages, and I think it’s helpful for me to stop and ask that question: why is it that I’m preferring to be caught up in petty things instead of keeping my mind calm and centered, focused on the more eternal aspects of life?

Of course, we have to live with life’s everyday details. We have to think about what time it is, if bills have been paid, what we want for lunch, and things like that. I don’t believe this verse implies that we should ignore the world around us, or that we all have to be like monks all the time. However, I feel that for me personally, I could definitely improve the quality of what goes on in my mind and heart. It is possible to go through life’s everyday tasks and still have an attitude of appreciation and reverence.

Beyond the quality of thoughts and mindfulness throughout the day, there’s also importance to how I prioritize things. For example, would I prefer to sit and watch TV shows on the Internet for another hour, or would I prefer to set aside some time to read and meditate? Am I willing to make the time and put in the effort required to live a truly spiritual life, or would I rather just be lazy and pay lip service? Do I dedicate my life to serving humanity, or should I just focus on my own pleasure and happiness? There are many small decisions I make each day, and there are also the bigger decisions about where I am going in my life. It’s a challenge to find the right balance and always be focused on the spiritual, but I find satisfaction in the effort I make.

Here are a couple of other passages on the topic that I like:

O FRIENDS!
Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die, and set not your affections on this mortal world of dust.

~ Baha’u'llah, The Hidden Words

O MY SERVANT!
Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and loose thy soul from the prison of self. Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee no more.

~Baha’u'llah, The Hidden Words

Tortured beings that we are
with hearts built for desire

we burn relentlessly,
some brilliant searing lights,
others but dull embers.

We have a choice:

to endlessly chase
flickering flames of illusion
and live that we may die,

or we may lose ourselves
in the fire of the love of God
and die that we may live.

In either path
we face a life of pain.

On one path
this pain is a horrible curse,
on the other
it is the sweetest gift.

I pray that God
will give me eyes to see
the end in the beginning

that I may choose the right path
and not suffer in vain.

By the fire of the Love of God the veil is burnt which separates us from the Heavenly Realities, and with clear vision we are enabled to struggle onward and upward, ever progressing in the paths of virtue and holiness, and becoming the means of light to the world.

~Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 81

I have gone through different phases in my life where I had different attitudes towards money. It can be a challenge finding out and keeping the right perspective. At least it has been for me.

I have found myself with internal struggles on this subject. I’ve had phases where I’ve been disgusted with the materialism of the U.S. I felt angry seeing people (including myself) who have so much material wealth and privilege in comparison to the rest of the world, and who take it for granted. I felt this way especially after spending time in countries where people get by on a small fraction of what the average American makes.

On the other hand, there have been times where I was very attached to making good money. I believe it’s healthy to have a desire to be financially responsible, save for retirement and be able to provide for one’s self. However, I have had some other desires in there as well. Like the desire to create an impression of myself as a capable, talented person by being able to make a lot of money. I went through this phase after having gone broke while trying to do service abroad. Or there’s been the desire to make money quickly so I can get to a point where I don’t have to work. I must admit I’ve fallen into the lazy, short-sighted “get rich quick” mentality. There are plenty of people on the web, and elsewhere, who promise their easy-to-follow method will have you making bucketfuls of money before you know it.

Beyond these extremes of aversion and desire there is a healthy balance. We shouldn’t be consumed by greed, but we must be able to sustain ourselves financially. And it’s o.k. to partake of some of life’s pleasures. This is a beautiful world we live in, and we should enjoy our time in it. We can even be deeply spiritual while earning a nice income, so long as our intentions are good and we are striving to live according to spiritual principles.

I sometimes have a hard time figuring out where exactly the balance lies in my life with service and making money. I have a limited amount of time and energy and I want to do service and make a positive difference in the world while also being financially responsible. I don’t think there’s a magic formula, especially when the dynamics of life are always changing. There are a few questions that I try to keep in mind:

• How can I best leverage my time and material resources to make a real, positive difference in the world?
• What am I doing to be financially responsible?
• How much money do my wife and I (and possibly a future family) need?
• Given all these inputs, what is the best way to manage my life?

I thought I would end with a couple of Bahá’í quotes:

Hold ye fast unto the cord of material means, placing your whole trust in God, the Provider of all means. When anyone occupieth himself in a craft or trade, such occupation itself is regarded in the estimation of God as an act of worship.

~ Bahá’u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u'lláh, p. 26

Know ye that by “the world” is meant your unawareness of Him Who is your Maker, and your absorption in aught else but Him. The “life to come,” on the other hand, signifieth the things that give you a safe approach to God, the All-Glorious, the Incomparable. Whatsoever deterreth you, in this Day, from loving God is nothing but the world. Flee it, that ye may be numbered with the blest. Should a man wish to adorn himself with the ornaments of the earth, to wear its apparels, or partake of the benefits it can bestow, no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God, for God hath ordained every good thing, whether created in the heavens or in the earth, for such of His servants as truly believe in Him. Eat ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves from His wondrous bounties.

~ Bahá’u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u'lláh, p. 275

Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self.

~ Bahá’u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u'lláh, p. 94

A shadow mistaken for a friend.

We grasp at phantoms
in the cold night air,
believing ourselves to be right,
to be justified,
when we are but lost children.

A brilliant ray of truth
shines in our midst,
too close for us to see.

We crawl through the wreckage
of a crumbling city,
desperately seeking a drink of water
while a shoreless ocean surges
through our hearts.

If we could only see
the wondrous light that we are
this broken world
would soon be whole.

I wrote this today at a coffee shop here in New Delhi. I was reading about how so many of the world’s problems come about because we fail to truly investigate reality. If we could clearly see the truth, we would live in unity because truth is one and indivisible. Abdu’l-Baha said it better than I could:

Reality or truth is one, yet there are many religious beliefs, denominations, creeds and differing opinions in the world today. Why should these differences exist? Because they do not investigate and examine the fundamental unity, which is one and unchangeable. If they seek reality itself, they will agree and be united; for reality is indivisible and not multiple. It is evident, therefore, that there is nothing of greater importance to mankind than the investigation of truth.

~Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 62-63

In addition to coming together with a unified understanding of reality, we would also recognize the inherent light and nobility in ourselves. Once we are clearly able to see that within ourselves, it would only be logical to see that the same light exists within everyone else. There is a passage I particularly like from The Seven Valleys where Bahá’u'llá notes how the light of God is hidden within our hearts:

… the splendor of that light is in the hearts, yet it is hidden under the veilings of sense and the conditions of this earth, even as a candle within a lantern of iron, and only when the lantern is removed doth the light of the candle shine out.

In like manner, when thou strippest the wrappings of illusion from off thine heart, the lights of oneness will be made manifest.

~ Bahá’u'lláh, The Seven Valleys, p. 23

Of course, I can’t claim to have reached that state where I can always see that light and fully understand reality. That’s a lifelong endeavor. However, it is something that I aspire to.

I started this blog right before my lovely wife and I left for India in August and since then I’ve utterly neglected it.  I’ve been meaning to get back to it, and finally here I am now.

One of the great things about being in India is access to yoga.  I haven’t taken as much advantage of it as I perhaps should have, but I have had some great classes here and there and I do practice it every day now.  I like that yoga addresses physical and spiritual wellbeing.  For me, it’s been tremendously helpful in calming my mind, which tends to run endlessly and has a hard time sitting still.  

I’ve always felt that meditation is an important part of my spiritual practice, but it’s also been tremendously difficult for me to sit and have a real, focused meditation.  I went to a 10 day Vipassana retreat years ago, and after that I could sit for an hour at a time.  Since then, however, my ability to stay focused has declined drastically.

When I practice yoga in the evening, I do some physical/stretching exercises and end with some pranayam (breathing exercises) before I start my evening prayers and reflection.  The yoga poses and stretching, followed by the breathing exercises, helps my mind be much more calm and focused.  Hopefully I’ll get some more mindfulness meditation into the mix, little by little.

Well, there’s a little recap on what I’ve been working on lately.  My wife Sapana just mentioned to me that her shoulders hurt from our yoga class this morning, so it’s been a good day.

I thought I’d end with a quote from the Bahá’í Writings that I like to reflect on sometimes, one that encourages me to meditate:

 O SON OF THE SUPREME!
To the eternal I call thee, yet thou dost seek that which perisheth. What hath made thee turn away from Our desire and seek thine own?
~Bahá’u'lláh, The Arabic Hidden Words 

Since the title and theme of the blog has to do with seeking the truth, I thought I should start with a post on the topic. The search for truth has been a driving force in my spiritual growth, and I consider it to be a vital part of our human existence. This is a quote from Bahá’í Writings that explains just how much we should be thirsting for the truth:

The state in which one should be to seriously search for the truth is the condition of the thirsty, burning soul desiring the water of life, of the fish struggling to reach the sea, of the sufferer seeking for the true doctor to obtain the divine cure, of the lost caravan endeavoring to find the right road, of the lost and wandering ship striving to reach the shore of salvation.

- Abdu’l-Baha

This may sound a little extreme, but I look at it as an ideal to strive towards. There have been times in my life that I have been passionately in search of the truth, but I must admit that I’m nowhere near the state described in the above quote. It’s difficult not to become complacent or to lose focus when everyday life has many demands and distractions. But even in this spiritually complacent, materialistic environment in which we live, it is possible to find a burning passion for the truth. Living with that kind of driving force in your soul makes life so much more vivid and meaningful.

Truth has Many Facets - But Don’t Get Lost in Definitions

There are many different facets to seeking the truth, and not everyone has the same idea of what truth is. I could get analytical about different types of truth, but I think that the process of seeking the truth is more important than the conclusions I come up with. Whatever understanding I may have, and whatever concepts I may form in my mind, are all based on my own limited perception.

I can try to define truth with words, but words are very limited. For example, if I had lived in a small cell all of my life and never seen the outside world, you could explain to me what it’s like to sit on top of a mountain and watch the sun rise over a distant horizon. You could convey all of the senses you felt, and all of the emotions you experienced. Even if you gave the most beautiful, fluent explanation, I would not fully understand what it’s like to sit on top of the moutain. I would have no experience to compare it to, and would probably come up with perceptions that were very different from what the actual experience would be.

Therefore, words, while having the potential to be very powerful, still have limitations. I believe that the search for truth must transcend words. Deeper truths must be realized in the realm of personal experience. This happens through a process of self purification, prayer, meditation, virtuous conduct and service to others. It also involves study of spiritual texts, but it cannot be merely an intellectual pursuit. Spiritual texts should work as a field guide - a field guide is not helpful until you get down in the dirt and do the work.

Some Traits of the Seeker of Truth

There are many passages from Bahá’í Writings describing the process one must go through when seeking the truth. Here is part of one of my favorite passages on the subject:

O My brother! When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. …

That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vain-glory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk. …

Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being.

- Bahá’u'lláh

If you would like the see the whole passage, I have put it here. There is a lot that can be reflected on from this quote, and this topic will warrant more posts in the future. For now, I would like to see if any of you out there have any thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my blog. This is an idea I’ve had in my head for a while. My hope is that it will:

1. Help me better organize my own thoughts and solidify my spiritual practice
2. Create a conversation on these topics that are so important to me

The title, Everyday Seeker, occurred to me a while back.  It has two different meanings:

1. Seeking the truth in everday life - while at work, doing the dishes, or in any of the ordinary aspects of life.
2. Seeking the truth every day - the search for truth requires consistent effort and is not a one-time thing.

Really, these two perspectives are pretty much the same thing.  The main focus I would like to have in this blog is how to apply spiritual teachings and the search for truth to every part of life, even the most mundane. There is a Buddhist concept that I like, that of inviting everything into your spiritual practice.  For example, if someone cuts you off on the freeway, it’s a great time to practice mindfulness, being aware of your reaction as you tense up and want to yell at the other driver.

The irony about all of this is that I’m about to leave for a 10 month service trip to India with my wife, so that will not feel so ordinary. But I imagine that after some time, even there we will work into a regular routine. I have spent time abroad in Ecuador, Mexico and Costa Rica, and in each of those places the original mystique eventually mellowed out and I had my everyday life in those places.

As I see it, wherever I go and whatever I do, I will still be the same person with many of the same challenges along the spiritual path. I hope that something I write in this blog will be meaningful to you, and that you will share your thoughts and experiences as well. May God guide all of us to greater peace, fulfillment and understanding.