Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale is a source of inspiration for the Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SSRF). He established ‘Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay’ (MAV) to spread Spirituality all over the world.
MAV conducts 5-day spiritual workshops at the Spiritual Research Center, Goa. The purpose of these is to provide momentum to spiritual practice by informing the spiritually curious about the practical aspects of spiritual practice. Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale’s guidance to the spiritually curious in one such workshop is given here.
Importance of spiritual practice as per ‘Gurukrupayoga’
1. The best satseva to obtain the Guru’s grace is to translate spiritual matter to propagate Spirituality
Mr. Sean Clarke : Ms. Mami wishes to perform satseva of translation into Japanese.
Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale : This is the best way to propagate Spirituality. The Holy texts reach thousands of people. We can go to a city and tell 500, 1,000, 1,500 people personally about spiritual practice. However, the Holy texts can reach everywhere. Only because of SSRF, you could reach here. If Sean (Editor of ‘SSRF’ website) or Sadguru Cyriaque Vallee of SSRF had travelled all over the world to propagate Spirituality, how many people could have been contacted ? In contrast, 90 lakh people visit SSRF website every year. Therefore, translating spiritual matter is the best way to propagate Spirituality. However, while performing this satseva, you should forget that you have translated, but have an attitude of God helping you. It should not be just a matter of ‘translating articles’, but what you have learned at that time which should practised as soon as you get home. In doing so, you will realise the importance of the seva of translating articles because we learn a lot while performing this satseva.
Normally, we read Holy texts. But, when we have to translate, we study it in the true sense. It is this study that takes us further into spiritual practice. When you go to propagate Spirituality, spiritually curious people will ask you many questions. If you can resolve all their doubts, they will have faith in Spirituality and the spiritual practice you are telling them about. In this way, you will progress spiritually and go closer to God.
2. If you perform spiritual practice sincerely for the first 1-2 years according to Gurukrupayoga, then, you will definitely progress in the time you spend later on spiritual practice.
Mr. Trang Wayne : What should be done to increase yearning, spiritual practice and satseva ?
Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale : When you keep performing spiritual practice sincerely, you can gradually experience 1-2% Anand (Bliss). Once you experience it, you do not go back to your previous unsteady state. In worldly life, we obtain happiness, not Anand. There is a difference between happiness and Anand. Therefore, according to Gurukrupayoga, one should strive to perform 8-fold spiritual practice – overcome personality defects and ego, chanting, satseva, satsang, Bhavjagruti (Awakening spiritual emotion), Tyag (Sacrifice) and Preeti (Love sans expectations). After 1-2 years of continuous efforts, you will experience some Anand. After that you will never go back but go forward only.
While performing translation satseva, you should forget that you have translated, but have an attitude of God helping you !
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