Have you ever felt your spiritual disciplines aren’t producing the expected results? Despite your efforts, your negative tendencies — your Sanskaras — keep resurfacing.

You find yourself stuck in old habits and emotions, unable to maintain a state of purity and calmness. You may even wonder, “Are my spiritual practices even working?”

Welcome to the spiritual world, my dear! Your struggle is not uncommon.

A Story of the Wise Monk

Once upon a time, in a serene monastery in the mountains, there lived a wise monk known for his profound inner peace. A young disciple approached him, frustrated by his inability to maintain a pure mind.

“Master,” the disciple said, “I meditate daily, chant mantras, and follow all the teachings, but I still fall back into anger and sadness. Why can’t my mind stay pure? Are my spiritual practices not working?”

The wise monk smiled and handed the disciple a small clay pot. “Take this pot to the river, fill it with water, and bring it back,” he instructed.

The disciple obeyed and brought the pot filled with water. The monk took a stick and stirred the water vigorously. “Look at the water now,” he said. The water was murky and filled with swirls of sediment.

“Now, let the water settle,” the monk instructed. The disciple observed as the sediment settled slowly at the bottom, and the water became clear again.

“The mind is like this pot of water. External events and internal thoughts agitate it,” the monk explained. “Spiritual practices are like adding fresh water to the pot. Each time you do that, you replace a tiny part of your old tendencies with purity. With patience and persistence, your mind will become pure.”

The Pendulum

Purifying the mind is not an overnight occurrence. The sooner we accept this, the smoother our spiritual journey becomes.

To grasp this better, consider the mind as a pendulum. At times, it swings towards a state of pristine purity and then swings back to old, negative tendencies.

For most people, this pendulum oscillates at a high speed. They experience happiness and sadness, peace and anger, multiple times in a single day. After some diligent spiritual practice, the pendulum slows. Instead of having emotional rushes multiple times a day, you will have them a few times a week.

Eventually, the oscillation reduces to once a month, and so on. One fine day, the pendulum will stop, and you will reach equilibrium, as described in Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

Slowing Down?

It’s essential to remember that change comes in small increments. At times, it might seem like watching grass grow! However, this is the nature of the beast. The journey towards a spiritual goal is gradual and requires a steadfast commitment.

Rather than burdening yourself with the expectation of rapid results, focus on measuring your progress. Ask yourself: Are my negative tendencies slowing down? Am I able to catch myself being negative and make attempts to change it? If the answer is yes, then your spiritual practices are working.

Remember, the key to your spiritual growth lies in patience and persistence. No matter how small, every step forward is a sign of progress.

The trick is to keep walking with hope, faith, and surrender. For those who do that, the divine will take care of the rest.

Om Tat Sat.

Love,
Sri Devi Om