“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Bg.4.34)

One thing we need to understand is that to make sure we are always going in the right direction, or whenever we have questions, or when there are problems to sort out while traveling the spiritual road, it is not always enough to depend on a book. But you need a spiritual teacher, a guru whom you can approach for guidance. A genuine guru can help in making sure we remain on the right path.

Sometimes people feel there is no need for a guru. But in this material world, we are all born in varying degrees of darkness. It takes a spiritual teacher to pull us out of the illusion. And no matter how a person acquires spiritual knowledge, whether it is through this booklet, or through a friend or some other way, it can all be traced back to a spiritual teacher somewhere. So accepting a proper guru or teacher is important. Only by being humble enough to accept spiritual knowledge from without can we become qualified to receive such knowledge from within.

A guru is one who should be in a proper sampradaya or chain of disciplic succession, and his teachings must also be in accordance with what the scripture verifies, and with what other advanced sadhus or devotees teach. This is the unique system of checks and balances that is used in the Vedic system. It is not that just anyone can claim to be a guru and say anything he likes. But the guru, scripture and sages must all corroborate each other to make sure people are not fooled or improperly instructed. If a guru says something that is not established in scripture, or is not advocated or approved by other knowledgeable sages, then his authority may be called into question. So following these checks a person can verify that he is following rightly.

Once a proper teacher is found, then you must approach him submissively. You cannot order him to give spiritual knowledge, which is rare to find anyway. In exchange for the guidance and instruction, traditionally it is expected that you offer some service in exchange, or some dakshina, which is an offering of money. This also purifies the time you spent making the money that is offered. A spiritually realized and experienced guru can guide you because he is accepting you to follow in his footsteps to the same spiritual reality that he has already entered. However, one needs to be careful because such a soul is very rare, and if we might find such a person, we should take it most seriously. As Lord Krishna explains:

“Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” (Bg.7.3)

“Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a genuine spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and even-mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth–all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.” (Bg.13.8-12)

We must always be aware of the need for constant improvement in our character, and for adding qualities that serve our purpose. The above verses list a number of such qualities that we need to consider and see how best we can add them to our character.

To sum up a few of these, humility is to see ourselves as spiritual sparks that are no different than any other of the innumerable souls spread throughout the creation. This leads to loss of pride, tolerance of any situation, and following a simple lifestyle. Nonviolence means to be kind and understanding in body, mind and words. Ultimately nonviolence means to relieve people of their suffering by giving them spiritual knowledge so they can rise above the bodily platform. This also leads to the renunciation of objects for gratifying the senses. Cleanliness is next to godliness, as it is said. So we should strive to be clean in both body and mind.

False ego means to identify with the temporary body, which is not our real self. Absence of false ego means to see yourself as the spirit soul that merely occupies the body, like being in a container, or the driver of a vehicle. Then all forms of bodily distinctions, whether it is beauty, intelligence, strength, riches, etc., will not weigh us down with false ego and pride.

Perception of the evil in birth, death, old age and disease means to recognize the disturbance or unnaturalness that this causes for us. We naturally have goals, but this cycle of birth and death disrupts everything and is the opposite of our eternal nature. Nonattachment to our children, wife, home and the rest means to recognize that though you may interact with them and have responsibilities for them, nonetheless they belong to God. They are not entirely yours but have been given by God and actually belong to God. So you have to act in a godly way in your concern and love for them, and train them in God-consciousness as well. If you are married or have children, you must accept those responsibilities. Nonattachment does not mean that you use spiritual life as an excuse to give up your responsibilities to your dependents. That would be the exact opposite to what is spiritual life. Spiritual life means you become the most responsible. Seeing your family and possessions in the right frame of mind leads you to even-mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events. This is necessary.

This is what leads to constant and unalloyed devotion to God, and the desire to remain in a situation, whether it is solitary places or remaining aloof from the materialistic mass of society, wherein it is most accommodating for continuing your process of self-realization. All of these qualities is what Krishna declares to be knowledge, which is uplifting. Contrary to these principles is darkness, which drags one further into ignorance and the continuation of one’s material existence. As Lord Krishna says:

“Fearlessness, purification of one’s existence, cultivation of spiritual knowledge. Charity, self-control, performance of sacrifice, study of the Vedas, austerity and simplicity; nonviolence, truthfulness, freedom from anger; renunciation, tranquility, aversion to faultfinding, compassion and freedom from covetousness; gentleness, modesty and steady determination; vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, freedom from envy and the passion for honor–these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.” (Bg.16.1-3)

“From whatever and wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self. The yogi whose mind is fixed on Me verily attains the highest happiness. By virtue of his identity with Brahman, he is liberated; his mind is peaceful, his passions are quieted, and he is freed from sin.” (Bg.6.26-27)

Naturally, treading the spiritual path may not always be easy. We have been so conditioned to the material lifestyle that there may be times when we must tolerate the unnecessary urges of the senses, or suffer the mood swings of the mind, or even be exposed to demands and wants of others around us. All these may affect us in certain ways, or make us consider compromising our spiritual standards, regulations or practice as they pull us this way or that. But we must simply keep trying and never give up. It’s as simple as that. When we see ourselves getting off-track, we simply pull ourselves back. When our mind wanders off in the wrong direction, then we must use the intelligence and pull it back where it belongs.

We should never get discouraged and never get depressed or think that the process will not work. There are already so many others who have succeeded before us. You must simply step back and witness how the material energy works, or how the mind reacts to various situations. Then remember how you are the spirit and not the mind. So you have to keep working at controlling the mind, which merely takes practice over the long-term. How well you control the mind indicates how much you are advancing. In time, with spiritual advancement, the mind will not be so restless or attracted to materialistic activities. It will simply lose interest.

So how you control the mind is simply how you engage it. The more you read the spiritual and Vedic books, or associate with others to discuss spiritual topics and the activities of God, or meditate and chant God’s holy names, the more of a positive impact they will make on the mind. Then the more purified it becomes, and, naturally, our lives become more peaceful. As we become freer from bodily attachment, we are also less attracted to questionable or debilitating desires, habits and activities. This is what paves the way for our mind to remain fixed on God, without swings and shifts, and attain the greatest happiness.

“The yogis, abandoning attachment, act with body, mind, intelligence, and even with the senses, only for the purpose of purification.” (Bg.5.11)

As you progress in your spiritual purification and realizations, you will see how to use all aspects of your life toward your spiritual progress. So from the time you get up, to taking care of your children and family, or going to work, dealing with others, even eating and sleeping, can all be done in a way that adds to your spiritual development. All activities can provide lessons to learn and give insights into our connection with God and all His parts and parcels. Or it may also give insights into the futility of pursuing sensual delights which will emphasize the need to continue our spiritual advancement. In this way, we will remain motivated to use the body like a tool, along with the mind and intelligence, for purification in our transcendental existence.

By acting in this manner, for the real purpose of life, we will continue to have deeper and deeper realizations. As we develop, then in the not far too distant future, we will be assured of liberation from mundane vision and material existence, and return to the kingdom of God. As Lord Krishna describes:

“Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.” (Bg.5.26)

The word “mantra” means “the mind” (mana) and “tool” (tra). Therefore, the word mantra literally translates to “A tool for the mind”.
Mantra is a combination of divine syllables and sounds, which when chanted lifts oneself to higher states of perception, awareness and realization. In this way, layers of illusion and confusion are peeled away giving one clarity and focus.
Their use varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra. They are primarily used as spiritual conduits, words or vibrations that instill one-pointed concentration in the devotee. Other purposes have included religious ceremonies to accumulate wealth, avoid danger, or eliminate enemies. Mantras originated in India with Vedic Hinduism and were later adopted by Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains, now popular in various modern forms of spiritual practice which are loosely based on practices of these Eastern religions.

“And when you have thus learned the truth, you will know that all living beings are but part of Me–that they are in Me, and are mine.” (Bg.4.35)

As you continue with this path of devotion to God and your study of His instructions, not only will your own relationship with God be rekindled and gradually revealed, but you will also see how all other entities are also spiritual beings, though forgetful of this since they are in varieties of material species of life. And the human form provides the best facility in the way of intelligence to analyze and discern our spiritual identity. And since all creatures are also spiritual in essence, they are also parts and parcels of God. They all belong to God. In fact, everything is but a display of the energy of God. In this consciousness you will see that actually God is everywhere. What is not God? Thus, you will never feel alone because all beings are parts of God and all things are but the energy of God.

Furthermore, in this vision of spiritual truth you will see how everything is balanced. The material creation comes from an initial cause, which comes from God. And everything that happens to us is also based on the process of actions and reactions, or cause and effect. This is called the law of karma. Thus, nothing happens without a reason.

Yet, those who are without such a spiritual perception cannot understand all this. In fact, they may challenge or even insult the spiritual perspective. Thus, they are affected by and remain stuck in their own foolishness. In this way, they stay helpless to do anything but put all their energy into making the most of this one life because this is all they see. Plus, they are ignorant of what lies beyond. That is why Lord Krishna explains:

“The endeavoring transcendentalist, who is situated in self-realization, can see all this clearly. But those who are not situated in self-realization cannot see what is taking place, though they may try to.” (Bg.15.12)

“This very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” (Bg.4.3)

One thing for sure is that if you are here reading this, you are alive. And if you are alive, then you are here for a purpose. You are special. You are not an accident. You are a spiritual being in a material body. You are a product of God’s intention. You are a spiritual part of God and have every chance of regaining that awareness and realization. When we raise our awareness above the level of ordinary activities, free from mental and sensual influences, then we can get a glimpse of that reality which makes it clear that we are spiritual in nature, above all the mundane things that go on all around us. The reality is that you are actually connected directly to God, if you can only be aware of it.

Furthermore, as a spiritual being, you are always connected with God. That never changes. You only need to fully awaken this awareness to understand the comfort and loving exchange that is possible between you and God. And God provides full facility for the living beings to awaken to this awareness by providing books that contain His message, such as Bhagavad-gita, or gurus and teachers who can show the way. The Lord can also provide you the impetus to search out this knowledge by providing inspiration from within, as the Supersoul.

In any case, God is your friend. He is concerned for you, and that is why you are being presented with this knowledge in this booklet. It is all God’s arrangement for your upliftment. If you use this properly, the reciprocation between you and God will increase. Your relationship with God will become more apparent and your natural position as God’s devotee will be revealed, and the transcendental mystery will become unveiled. Therefore, it is God’s concern for you that you now have been given this opportunity.

“In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has achieved this enjoys the self within himself in due course of time.” (Bg.4.38)

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Bg.5.29)

Knowledge is the essence of power, the motivator for change and development. And spiritual knowledge is from the power of light. It can put you in touch with your higher Self up to the point of perceiving the existence of the Supreme, if used properly.

Knowledge is also the awareness of the purpose of life. And the above verses point out that the wise sages who know that the ultimate purpose is to understand our spiritual identity and God, attain the supreme peace, and engage all their activities for progressing toward that goal. This is to uncover ourselves from the illusion or maya, which hides the reality of our spiritual essence. This is one of the main things that spiritual knowledge can do for us.

Therefore, following in the footsteps of the sages, we can enter the sublime peace by utilizing transcendental knowledge to perceive our real self and to understand the ultimate goal of life. Then we can enjoy our higher selves that are within this body, and deeper than the mind, and eternally connected with the Supreme Being. This perception is what actually reveals the true purpose of human existence and brings peace from the complexities of material life.

This is the importance of cultivating our understanding of transcendental knowledge and its difference from material knowledge and education. Real education is not merely a matter of gaining some craft or skill, like becoming an artist, or car mechanic, or even a doctor or computer technician. Real education is that which unveils who we are and what is the spiritual dimension. This is what shows how this material life of ours is only a lightning flash when compared to the eternality of our soul’s existence. That is what we need to perceive. That is why it is said: “This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.” (Bg.9.2)

Reincarnation is called samsara in the classic Vedic texts of India. The word samsara is Sanskrit and means being bound to the cycle of repeated birth and death through numerous lifetimes. How this works is that those who are materially conditioned transmigrate through different bodies according to one’s desires and past activities (or karma) and familiarities. Their desires, if materially motivated, requires a physical body to enable them to continue to work out their material longings in various conditions of life.

Generally, in the Eastern traditions it is considered that all forms of life or species have souls, which is the entity who reincarnates. Previous to when an entity is ready to incarnate as a human being on Earth, the soul may have gone through a whole series of lives in order to experience various levels of existence and consciousness. The principle is that an entity may actually progress through the different species of life, gradually working their way up until they reach the human form. Of course, the body is only the covering of the soul in which it appears. The living being will continually move upward in its cycles of reincarnation until it has experienced all the main varieties of existences that the material realm has to offer. This way the living being is fully experienced in working out material desires or longings in all kinds of forms by the time it reaches the human stage. Of course, not every being may have to go through all of this.

How reincarnation works is most elaborately described in the Vedic texts of India. The Bhagavad-gita (8.6) explains that whatever state of consciousness one attains when he or she quits this body, a similar state will be attained in the next life. This means that after the person has lived his or her life, the numerous variegated activities of the person forms an aggregated consciousness. All of our thoughts and actions throughout our life will collectively influence the state of being we are in at the time of death. This consciousness will determine what that person is thinking of at the end of one’s life. This last thought and consciousness will then direct where that person will most likely go in the next life because this state of being carries over from this life into the next.

As it is further explained, the living entity in the material world carries the different levels of consciousness from one body to another in the same way the air carries aromas. In other words, we cannot see the aromas that the air carries, yet it can be perceived by the sense of smell. In a similar way, we cannot see the types of consciousness that the living being has developed, but it is carried from this body at the time of death and proceeds to another body in the next life to take up where it left off from the preceding existence. Of course, the next life may be in another physical body or in a subtle body in between births, or even in heavenly or hellish states of being.

After death, one continues the consciousness that was cultivated during life. It is our thought patterns that build the consciousness, which then directs us toward the required experience after death. One’s state of consciousness or conception of life exists in the subtle body, which consists of mind, intelligence and false ego. The soul is covered by this subtle body, which exists within the gross material form. When the physical vehicle can no longer function, the subtle body and soul are forced out of it. Then, when the time is right, they are placed in another physical frame which properly accommodates the state of mind of the living entity. This is how the mental state which attracts the dying man determines how he begins his next life. If the dying man is absorbed in thoughts of material gain or sensual pleasures of wife, family, relatives, home, etc., then he must, at some point, get another material body to continue pursuing his worldly interests. After all, how can one satisfy his material desires without a material body?

For this reason, it is best that a person always cultivate pious activities and spiritual thoughts to help him or her enter a better life after death. If a person has tried to cut the knots of attachment to materialistic life, and engaged in spiritual activities, to the degree of advancement the person has made, he or she can go to a heavenly realm after death, or even reach the kingdom of God.

In any case, we can begin to understand that dying in the right consciousness in order to become free from the cycle of birth and death is an art that takes practice. We have to prepare for the moment of death so that we are not caught off guard or in an unsuitable state of mind. This is one of the purposes of yoga.

After what can be millions of births and deaths through many forms of life, trying to satisfy all of one’s material desires, the soul may begin to get tired of these continuous attempts for happiness that often turn out to be so temporary. Then the person may turn toward finding spiritual meaning in life. In one’s search for higher meaning, depending on the level of consciousness that a person develops, he or she can gradually enter higher and higher levels of development. Finally, if a person detects that he is actually not this body but a spiritual being within it, and reaches a spiritual level of consciousness, he can perfect his life so that he will enter the spiritual strata and no longer have to incarnate in the physical world. Thus, liberation is attained through Self-realization and the development of devotional service to God, which is the perfection of the spiritual path. Through human existence on Earth, the doorway to many other planes of existence is possible, including entrance into the spiritual world. It only depends on how we use this life.

The idea that a person has only one life to either become qualified to enter heaven or enter eternal damnation offers the soul no means of rehabilitation and only endless misery. This is not reasonable. The doctrine of reincarnation gives anyone ample scope to correct and re-educate himself in future births. An eternity in hell means that an infinite effect is produced by a finite cause, which is illogical. God has not created men to become nothing more than ever-lasting fuel to feed the fires of hell. Such a purpose in His creation would not come from an ever-loving God, but comes from the faulty ideas of man and his imperfect conceptions of God. After all, how many spotless men could there be in this world? Who has such a pure character to receive an immediate pass to heaven? The Bhagavad-gita explains that even the worst sinner can cross the ocean of birth and death by ascending the boat of transcendental knowledge. We simply have to be sincere in reaching that boat.

Furthermore, a person reaps the results of his sinful deeds for a limited amount of time. After being purged of one’s sins, meaning suffering the painful reactions from one’s bad activities, a person, knowing right from wrong, can have a fresh chance to freely work for his emancipation from further entanglement in material life. When he deserves and attains such freedom, the soul can enjoy perfect and eternal bliss in its devotional union with the Supreme Being. This is why it is always encouraged for one to strive for spiritual knowledge and the practice of enlightenment. By developing sincere and purified devotion for the Lord, one does not have to worry about one’s future birth. Once a person has started this path of devotion, each life will take one closer to spiritual perfection, in whatever situation one finds him or herself.

So a person is encouraged to repent for one’s sins or ill choices that were made while under the influence of lust, anger or greed, and cultivate forgiveness, purity and generosity. A person should also engage in charity, penance, meditation, japa (personal chanting of the Lord’s holy names), kirtan (congregational singing of the Lord’s holy names), and other spiritual practices, which destroy all sins and removes all doubts about spiritual knowledge. Then through steady practice one can gradually reach the spiritual world and be free from any further entanglement in reincarnation.

“But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.” (Bg.4.40)

The start of something new always requires faith, no matter whether it is starting a new job, moving to a new location, getting married, etc. We have to have faith that it will work to our benefit. But in this case we know that by pursuing the spiritual path, it will make positive differences and improvements in our life, in our consciousness, and even in the world. This is the long-term goal and award–attaining God consciousness.

Of course, as it is said in the above verse, for those who have no faith and who doubt the advice in words of God in the revealed scriptures attain neither God consciousness nor real happiness. The point is that happiness itself must come from within. There is no external or bodily activity that will bring happiness if you do not already have some joy in your heart. Naturally, some bodily activities may bring some pleasure, excitement or thrills, but they will not invoke a deep feeling of fulfillment if they do not affect you on a higher spiritual level. In fact, most bodily acts simply give you something to do while time slips away. They are like diversionary tactics that keep your mind and body occupied while time goes by.

Naturally, we do have to expect that there will be those who doubt the revealed scriptures or the instructions of God. But we have to look at them with sympathy because experience has shown many times that individuals who are dedicated to that which gives little else but temporary pleasure are often left with feeling less than fulfilled. They may even be disappointed, cynical or even lost in life, though they may not admit it. So we do not want to take such a road.

However, while traveling and walking in the light of spiritual awareness means that whatever you do will bring higher and deeper levels of joy and happiness. As we continue to walk the spiritual path, everything will get clearer. The point is that beauty and happiness are already within you. You are a creation of the source of all beauty and joy. The spiritual path merely reveals the inner and spiritual you, and relieves you of the mistake of identifying with the excess complications or illusory drama that goes on around us. This sort of experience increases our faith since it is the result of our dedication and witnessing what can happen in our own life by taking these instructions seriously.