When young six years of age I used to accompany my mother on foot to Jain temples. There I used to find lot of women, but few men indulging in japa mala chanting something from their mouth. When I asked elders in the family what it was all about, I was advised to take one myself from the closet and indulge in chanting. When I asked what, I was told to chant, Namokar mantra until I finished all beads in the Mala or 108 times. Meaning I had to indulge in Japa 108 times.
Chanting namokar mantra 108 times without any results, I stopped indulging in this practice after some time. No matter how much I asked elders in the family or in the temple no one told me about the philosophical or spiritual meaning of indulgence in japa mala. I never indulged in a ritual from six years of age. I was a believer of path of logical reasoning, path of self enquiry. Unless the ritual satisfied me from within, I discontinued the same immediately. So much so I stopped going to temples altogether.
When I asked elders in the family the meaning of namokar mantra, all appeared blank. Even if they had information, they were not parting it with me thinking I was too young for that. Sometimes later we went to bigger Jain temples in different cities. There I found people indulging in circumambulation around the temple and chanting namokar mantra all along. When I asked them benefits of the same, all were mum. Why indulge in rituals that carried no meaning or lead towards God Almighty.
With passage of time I slowly realized that going to temples, indulging in rituals carried little value. If I ever wanted to reach God in present life, I had to change my strategy from religious to spiritual. It was path of spirituality detailed in Bhagavad Gita that directly leads human beings to God Almighty. Born in a Jain family, I slowly developed more faith in scriptures of Hinduism primarily the sacred Bhagavad Gita, the sermon given to mankind by Lord Krishna in the battle of Mahabharata above 3600 years before now.
From the beginning of life I had 100% faith in God. From six years of age I started travelling path of absolute truthfulness. I slowly started travelling path of pure spirituality, path of unknown as I never got a spiritual master, preceptor to guide me in the journey of life. It has rightly been said, “as many human beings as many different paths to God Almighty can there be”. The entire spiritual journey was uncharted territory and in absence of a spiritual preceptor, it was purely a journey into the unknown.
Not getting proper replies from elders really hurt me. I developed more and more faith in teachings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana, the two spiritual stalwarts I believed gained enlightenment in their lifetime. I was perfectly right in my surmise. These two spiritual stalwarts Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana initially started their search of God via path of karma yoga and bhakti yoga but finding God could not be reached via path of bhakti yoga alone, both finally switched to path of jnana yoga (absolute wisdom) to reach God in their lifetime.
With passage of time I just ignored all rituals, path of religion. Instead of indulging in japa mala, I indulged more in path of self enquiry, path of logical reasoning, path of Neti (not this, not this) as preached and practiced by Maharishi Ramana. I seriously started journey towards God 13 years of age. 25 years of yoga meditation I finally had Sakshat Darshan of God Almighty in all its glory. When I read the dictation given to me by God Almighty, I realized that I had reached 8.4 millionth manifestation, last in cosmic life cycle.
My journey of life had finally come to an end. All my life I never indulged in kundalini awakening but absolutely unknown to me my kundalini had awakened fully. Moment I leave my mortal frame; I shall but attain salvation moksha forever. Having realized self… I can say with authority that indulgence in rituals, japa mala truly carried no meaning on path of pure spirituality. In present times none reached God via path of religion (path of rituals). In the circumstances why go to temples, churches or mosques?
If our goal of life was reaching God in present life, we must indulge in spirituality not religion (rituals).
By: Vijay Kumar “Atma Jnani”… The Man who Realized God in 1993 – (Ref 150903)
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