At some
level, we each long to feel healthy, happy, prosperous and spiritually
content. But though we may yearn for such blessings, they do not come
to us automatically. We must make a sincere effort to attain them.
And equally important, we must also know the means for fulfilling
these natural desires.
There
is a method for achieving life's rightful goals. It is an ancient
(though timeless) spiritual science known as Vedanta — the applied
science of self-fulfillment. And like all sciences, Vedanta has certain
rules and practices for accomplishing its goals.
It may
seem strange to use ancient means to solve modern problems. But even
long ago, people hungered for worldly comforts, regardless of how
they defined "health," "prosperity" or "happiness."
Vedanta
holds that inner peace cannot occur while our worldly desires still
burn. Either let them go or attain them, teaches Vedanta — but
don't die with unfulfilled desires!
Yet it's
notoriously hard to simply "cancel" such worldly longings, even if
we wanted to. So modern Vedanta borrows from a variety of teachings
and methods — some also ancient — to help us satisfy those
eternal yearnings.
Many
of these "borrowed techniques" fall into the category of "body+mind"
methods. They include modalities such as acupressure, muscle-testing
and other powerful procedures.
Further,
while some of Vedanta's methods are purely "mental," they not merely
"positive thinking" — rather, Vedanta's procedures "force" the
mind to "cancel" its hidden, self-sabotaging patterns.
And there
are even techniques which target the metaphysical Source of wholeness.
Yes, this Source can actually be accessed to satisfy virtually any
legitimate need we may have, be it for prosperity, healing or other
aspects of well-being.
It is
a mistake to believe we are doomed to unhappiness and failure —
the Universe wants us to be happy. Happiness is the key to our success
in life!
But is
such a holistic approach to self-fulfillment really necessary? Absolutely!
In seeking to satisfy our natural desires, we often shoot ourselves
in the foot. Or sometimes the obvious "grail" of our quest isn't really
the answer, at all.
Take
prosperity, for example. The apparent answer seems to be attaining
more money. Yet a recent poll by the Bankers Trust Private Client
Group — which caters to individuals with net worths of at least
five million dollars (and counts many of the world's wealthiest families
among its clientele) — revealed that the vast majority of those
responding admitted they felt "insecure" with the amount of money
they possessed.
In short,
they believed they needed more! Shockingly, the wealthier they actually
were, the less confident they reported feeling! In many cases, the
wealthiest respondents believed they needed at least 60% more money
to "feel secure."
Or take
the case of others who, say, win the lottery or receive similar sudden
windfalls of wealth. Within a short time, a surprisingly large number
of these "winners" are as broke as before receiving their treasures
... but are often left sadder for the experience.
What's
wrong with this picture? The answer is that money, alone, cannot erase
"poverty consciousness."
Conversely,
Tibetan Buddhist monks (who own virtually nothing) are among
the happiest people on earth. In a way, you could say that their special
training has taught them to hold a "prosperous viewpoint."
Is it
better to be rich and feel poor or to feel prosperous with whatever
you possess? Those who choose the latter will feel right at home with
Vedanta.
The goal
of Vedanta is known as "Self-realization." This is a special
mental state characterized by an attitude that can only be described
as "unflappably good-humored." In short, the Self-realized individual
is the picture of spiritual peace and contentment ... regardless of
his worldly success or "failure."
Vedanta
is an ageless journey of inner discovery. It was well-established
even before there was a written language, and its few but profound
Truths were transmitted orally, from teacher to father to son. But
Vedanta is a living, dynamic tradition — it has grown and adapted
itself to become as modern as tomorrow.
Vedanta
is not a religion; its principles may be applied by anyone seeking
spiritual fulfillment. But although it is Universal in its outlook,
Vedanta has its roots buried deeply in the East. It is the source
of such widely-used (though often misunderstood) terms as karma,
dharma, "Enlightenment" and "Liberation."
And Vedanta's
contention of reincarnation and the existence of past lives is widely
accepted by people interested in New Age ideas.
As we
travel deeper into Vedanta, it is normal for our natural talents and
powers to sharpen. Perhaps even supernatural abilities — sometimes
called siddhis — will begin to manifest themselves on
their own.
In any
event, as we become established in Vedanta, we find its benefits radiating
outward toward healing, improving our "prosperity consciousness" and
other aspects of practicality in our daily lives. We find ourselves
becoming more healthy, wealthy, wise and happy, following this secret
pathway of the ancient masters.
