Hunger and Spirituality

Sri Ramakrishna and several other saints, including our very own Swamiji have often said that spirituality is for the rich, village folks who lead a simple life rarely have spiritual problems. (I’m not quoting anyone, I’m just paraphrasing). After reading such things, I used to think ‘What nonsense! If anyone has a spiritual bend of mind will definitely become a seeker irrespective of their financial background.’ While there is some truth in what I thought, it is not applicable for the general masses. I understood that through a personal experience that I’m about to share.

Biriyani is my all time favorite food. I can gobble up a whole box of biriyani by myself which is quite surprising considering how much I usually eat. Last Thursday my mom ordered some biriyani for dinner. Both me and my brother were saving space in our stomach for a hearty dinner so we skipped our evening snacks. All was well until 9’o clock. After that my stomach rose in revolt and it started growling. I just drank some water and went back to studying. But somehow I was not able to focus at all. All I could think of was how tasty the biriyani is and how much fun I’ll have when I’ll eat it while watching ‘Say yes to the dress India’. I continuously tried to refocus and after much effort I was finally able to finish the chapter I was studying.

It was only then, that this thought struck me like a lightning bolt. If I couldn’t study properly after skipping a minor meal how can people who live their lives from one day to next and barely manage to have 2 proper meals a day ever focus on spirituality. While I’m sure there might be exceptions, this is a fact for the general population. I believe those of us who are fortunate enough to lead a comfortable life and have a spiritual bend of mind must strive to achieve the highest spiritual goal in this life itself, lest we are not so lucky the next time around.

I would like to end this blog here. Thank you for reading this post and giving me your precious time. Hope to see you soon ! 😊