Vitamins for your soul

By P.D. Padmasiri, 10th Aug 2011 | Follow this author | RSS Feed | Short URL http://nut.bz/3zzf.l4v/
Posted in Wikinut>Family>Daily Life

Peace can only be permanent if it conquers evil and brings about a true harmony between spiritual and material impulses of man through the correct spiritual guidance. If you are spiritually perfect the mind can be directed to work for the benefit of all living things.

Spiritual development

It is no doubt that the humans of the modern era are fortunate in being born at a time when the light of knowledge is shining with considerable luster. It is therefore an insult to our human dignity that we are utilizing that light not to improve our mind but to annihilate ourselves along with our environment.
Without having moral ideals, science poses a danger to all mankind. Science has made he machine which in turn gains control. The bullet and bomb are gifts of science to the few in power on whom the destiny of the world depends. Meanwhile he rest of mankind waits in anguish and fear. On this basis it is also of paramount importance that all the media available in modern times, be mobilized to save lives and civilization. In today’s context, man has conquered the world and gained supremacy by the onset of technological advancement all over the world, but, it is more apparent that his mental attitude is not yet changed. There has been outward progress from bullock cart to supersonic jet but mentally, the individual has not changed at all. On the one hand, it is this same man who has done miracles to conquer the world to make this world a safe heaven for all and on the other hand, he makes this world a virtual hell fanning hatred and anger in its haste to produce atomic bombs, heavy weaponry, missiles for the destruction of all human kind. Not does a single day pass without a war or any calamity being hit in press. There are violent conflicts between states. There has not been and never will be real happiness in the world without peace. All this happens due to moral decadence and breakdown of human values because nature of mind changes the world. In other words, man-made disasters, some other forms of natural disasters also occur due to human mental pollution.

The disastrous consequences of these events bring upon the world multitude of issues. In this context the religious way of life plays pivotal role for the cultivation of humane qualities that guarantees human dignity and also give credit to human intelligence as the only way forward. To most people a wealthy person, community or nation is one that is well off or rich in the sense of possession those things which contribute to material welfare. The word wealth originally meant state of well being (weal) but by usage became more and more to refer to those things which generally promote physical well being rather than he state of mental well being itself. This wealth consists of an aggregation of substantive things, which contribute to well being, and these things are called economic goods.

In modern economies, the ownership of wealth has become more indirect and is often represented by stocks, bonds and other such instruments of ownership. Wealth therefore is often thought of as consisting of these instruments, their money value, or even money itself. According to Buddhism wealth can be acquired, but one must family and the less fortunate beings. Sadly in many developed countries, wealth is sought after as the ultimate goal, not as a means to promote spiritual upliftment. When a person pursues wealth at the expense of all other consideration, then it is wrong. On a national level, when governments are prepared to destroy the environment in the name of progress, the citizens loss their confidence in life. Success is a related concept. We can be successful in anything we do materially. But we should never lose sight of spiritual success. Once we know the material success is subservient of spiritual progress we can seek both with understanding.

It is mentioned in the teachings of the Buddha, that man’s immoral way of life and his mental pollutions, such as hatred, cruelty, jealousy and impatience cause natural disasters. On the contrary, when radiating compassion and mental purity, love and sympathy develop in the mind. It is said that the natural law of cosmic energy functions smoothly. So we can change the world by controlling the mind. Therefore we should understand the paramount importance of mastering our minds spiritually with better perception and knowledge to identify ourselves who we are and what knowledge is. In reality, the quest for knowledge knows no boundaries. There is no limit to pursuing knowledge, because knowledge is clearly different from “feeling sure” about what exists or about the course of events.

Make this world a safe heaven

Since notions such as community, group and tribe are illusions of the sensuous mind, we arrive at a conclusion that all humanity is one and that its members should not be subjected to discriminatory treatment at all. Spiritual advancement should have 3 fold objectives at last. Firstly, It helps gain peace and happiness in this life. Secondly, it helps to have a contented and fortunate life thereafter, and thirdly, it helps achieving the ultimate aim of life: everlasting happiness and supreme bliss. We cannot overshadow eternal truth that lays in Buddhism which shows the path of peace, peace not of the grave but of the living, peace from out of deep understanding and proper appreciation of the realism of life. Peace can only be permanent if it conquers evil and brings about a true harmony between spiritual and material impulses of man. Therefore with the proper spiritual guidance, the mind can be directed to work for the benefit of all living things.

Meet the author

P.D. Padmasiri
I am from Weedagama, Bandaragama, SRI LANKA, HR Manager by profession and have 17 years of experience in my chosen field. I am interested in writing on Buddhism, Spiritual advancement, Nature etc.