Hari Aum.
Courage is one of the most essential qualities in a sadhaka or spiritual seeker.
Without this quality, there can be no success in spiritual or material life.
Let us examine this quality further. What is courage? How to we develop it? What help does the universe/Divine provide us in developing this quality? What is the foundation of courage? Let us explore.
Courage is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty”.
Courage does not necessarily mean the absence of fear. It involves the ability to conquer it, the ability to be a master of it and not its slave.
Courage is intimately related to dharma or goodness. When one aligns oneself with dharma, with the Divine, the feeling of courage arises naturally.
The knowledge that we are acting in accordance with the still, small voice of our conscience, our conscience which is rooted in the divine, gives us courage.
Our conscience, our inner moral compass, indeed our inner divine compass, speaks to us of truth, non-violence and other divine qualities. It is the voice of our higher self, which is an aspect of God.
Every time we consciously act in accordance with the divine qualities of ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness) and brahmacharya (control of our senses), we are expressing the divine aspect of our nature. And, courage is the nature of the Divine.
Courage is required at every step in life as a spiritual seeker. For example, it takes courage to:
-seek the Divine
-commit to spiritual life (while overcoming one’s inner doubts and fears, and the criticism of those opposed to spiritual life)
-face one’s own lower mind (deal with one’s own inner demons or undivine qualities—we all have these)
-perform a daily spiritual practice despite the various challenges that occur in life (related to health, family, work and so on). Mantra japa helps to develop courage.
-accept spiritual experiences (we all say we want these, but when they occur, they may feel challenging especially for the lower mind)
-speak the truth
-be non-violent
-control the senses
-develop divine qualities within oneself and rise above one’s lower nature
-to admit one’s mistakes and weaknesses (we all have these) and take steps to rectify them.
- to give up the ego, the lower self, the sense of separation from God.
-to accept uncertainty in life
-to live in the spirit of ‘Thy will be done’, a sense of acceptance of the will of the Divine (not as a slave to the lower self which says ‘my will be done’)
-to face the awakening of the Kundalini
-to face one’s karmas
-to face all challenges in spiritual life emanating from one’s own mind and body, other living beings and the world as a whole
Courage is the hallmark of a spiritual seeker. It is the beginning, middle and destination of spiritual life.
For spiritual seekers who are twin souls, courage additionally involves:
-accepting one’s experiences
-expressing one’s truth to one’s soul counterpart
God helps those who help themselves, as the saying goes. She/He gives courage to us when we ourselves take steps in this direction, when we attempt to live a life in accordance with dharma.
Sivananda says:
“Trials, difficulties, troubles and suffering are necessary for your purification and to strengthen your will and power of endurance. Face them bravely and come out triumphantly. Press on. Strive on with all your will; only then is the grace of God bestowed. God helps those who help themselves.”
Om Namo Narayanaya
Note for my twin soul:
Be courageous. Stop wasting time by running from the connection. Loving one’s twin is not optional (living with them is).
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
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