Blending the art and science of spirituality into a wonderful alchemy of goodness is not easy, but try we must, says BATURAM NAYAK
The concept of spirituality is a dynamic one. Being so deep and enigmatic, spirituality has captured the attention of thinking people through the ages. As spirituality is not constant, it evolves even as humankind grows in wisdom and understanding. Therefore, it is only with a dynamic spirit that one can comprehend spirituality.
The great achievements of the human race can be attributed to the fine play of the spirit. In fact, all great teachings have their genesis in the human spirit, harnessing and managing the best beliefs and practices for the good of the people, the universe and its inhabitants.
All this makes one wonder: Is spirituality a science or an art? Or is it a healthy symbiosis of both?
In order to answer this question, we need to first enter the realm of our own spirit to directly experience its play in the labyrinth of our own experiences and sincerely address all that we have gone through, moment-to-moment, wherever there is a possibility of recall. However, like the pursuit of any discipline, art and science also demand utmost discipline to explore it ― it demands complete dedication, nurturing and even perfection to the extent possible.
In the course of our introspection and contemplation, we may find that the very best of our experiences and the finest of feelings that make a lasting impression on our life, seldom come. These experiences are like the rarest of the rare things.
But those moments of realisation, epiphanic moments, may occur as simple revelations when we are alone and in communion with ourselves ― our higher selves.
These are those rare moments of individuation, for which we keep on craving almost unknowingly, throughout our lives. When such an enlightening moment comes, we feel as if we were waiting for this to happen, all the while.
It may be shrouded with a mystic touch, but it really happens with each of us at some time or other in our life. It’s but a matter of how we are able to retain it and harness its power as a driving force for the conduct and betterment of our life.
One may attribute this to be a sort of blessing or simple grace, which is potent enough to be a life-changer for us, for the conduct of a good life or even a higher life. These very real, defining moments of life comprise both the good-moments and the God-moments of our life.
The momentous events in the life of evolved ones that we find so awe inspiring are simple testimony to it. These moments have gone into the making of a Buddha, a Christ, a Gandhi, a Teresa, a Lincoln … and every deeply devout individual around us, who appear appealing to us by virtue of their universality.
The secret behind these evolved souls is that they have reached this state by reinforcing the strength derived from the rapture released by the defining moments of their lives. In a concrete sense, these individual specific, momentous events carry immense strength to energise one’s spirit to scale its highest possibilities.
This is the substratum of spirituality, which comprises both the art and science of spirituality. It’s an art because it touches the subtlety of one’s being and invokes its finest sensibilities, to be used as a vehicle of his or her becoming.
It’s a science because it has a significant bearing on the functioning of one’s psyche, demanding a perfect maintenance of its homeostasis, which eventually culminates in bliss.
How does this occur? Can one consciously work for it? Can someone really lead us into it? Or does it naturally keep on occurring as a byproduct of our life situations as we confront it, and yet almost fail to notice it? If so, why do we remain oblivious to it?
These are really those intriguing questions on spirituality, which cannot be answered unless sought sincerely from the very core of our being. Silence is the most potent tool to make one experience this unique moment of truth. The blending-in of a subjective realisation with concrete action sets a spirit in perfect motion.
This, indeed, is the meeting point of the art and science of spirituality, which can happen in a perfect state of individuation and, only, in a meditative spell of silence.
Very few are capable of harnessing the power of silence and solitude, but those who can, are truly blessed. They can effortlessly vibrate with their core resonance and blend it harmoniously with the vibe of the universe with utmost ease.
They can also gracefully accept the offerings of life with utmost courage and confidence, compassion and humility. These are those very people who succeed in blending together the art and science of spirituality into a wonderful alchemy of a good life. This is not easy for all of us, but try we must.
Baturam Nayak, a postgraduate in economics, joined the banking sector in 1983 and retired in June 2020. He is a firm believer in simplicity and minimalism. “My faith is Oneness, एकत्वम्; that’s the way I would express myself and live in harmony with everything,” he says.
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