To Listen or Not to Listen?

Whom to listen to in this crazy world when it comes to spirituality? Today, we call Sri Ramakrishna as one of the greatest Gurus to have lived among us but back then too, people could not see His divinity and called Him crazy. Maa Sharada eventually had to make a distance from those who called Her husband a lunatic and stay aloof as she could not bear them talking bad about Her husband. The reason Sri Ramakrishna was called a madman was because He dared to follow His own heart. He was transparent, a simple being like a soothing, flowing river, a man with impeccable knowledge and unshakeable humility, a person who spoke lovingly, He, the Guru of Swami Vivekananda was called a lunatic.

Well, with all fakeness and fanaticism in the name of spirituality and religion around us, one may safely call somebody mad and continue to do what they have been doing for years and that’s not a problem at all. If you are happy, what else is needed? The question is- whom to trust when it comes to spirituality especially when you are seeking an answer? At this point, looking at your own track-record helps and so does looking at your own heart. As far as I am concerned, I have followed my heart more than books in terms of spirituality. When I was a kid, Sai Baba soothed my heart and then during my college years, came Baba Neeb Karori in my life like a magic. Now it seems, all whom I have looked up to have led me here to Swamiji and by Divine Grace, I have never fallen for anybody fake. Just naming three does not mean that I disregard the many genuinely Divine Gurus out there. In os.me, I met many wonderful souls few of which are truly Divine and unforgettable who are there to set us back on track with their lovely writings! All this because I gave my heart to what my heart led me to! In my experience, things messed up when I started paying attention to the commotion that was outside my heart and it includes all- mental commotion, social commotion, stereotypic commotion and the list goes on and on. And one may ask- why did that happen? Well, let me quote the overwhelmed P. D. Ouspensky like Swamiji did in his post– “I feel this is a mad world. Mad people are selling widgets and mad are buying them. The mad are talking to mad. This is one big madhouse. Please take me back, I can’t stand the crowd.” One has to see one’s own track record, one’s own experience as what may work for me, may not work for you but one thing is for sure- when the Divine is in the heart, there is nothing to fear.

Swami ji then concludes the same post with a wonderful statement- ‘If they call you crazy, it may just be them! Be yourself. Discover your own truth.’ Hence, feel free to discover your own truth!