Toronto, Ontario
“Charge your batteries!"
This may be a common enough saying in reference
to your engine, as in the mechanics of your car. Or it could be a remark to
address one's need to get excited about something, to raise the enthusiasm and
get out of the doldrums. Lest we forget
the departed meaning, facetiously, did your soul die and should we not revive
it?
Can the soul die? According to the Gita, it would
be impossible to kill the soul because of its resilience. "It cannot be
cut to pieces by any weapon, burned by fire, moistened by water nor withered by
the wind." Indeed the elements cannot destroy what is anti-material. It
may be considered, however, that one's "umph" for doing the spiritual
thing could be lacking. The illusions of the world beat us down real hard depriving
us of the will to do anything that's spiritually devotional.
This mood of being invested of energy, whether
material or spiritual, is reflected in the character of Arjuna. He set down his
divine weapon, the Gandiva bow, out of sheer loss of eagerness, and losing the
sense of purpose. Indeed his battery needed charging and his life long
companion, Krishna, was there to help. A few words of encouragement was all
that was necessary to lift the spirit of Arjuna. It's often through hearing or
simply by doing that an automatic recharge can take place.
I noticed on my recent visit to Montreal that
throughout the course of the day people come to make their few minutes stay in
the temple to pump up their spirits by sitting there and chanting or by
offering some selfless service in some way. Here, also at base - Toronto, I
observe the participation of individuals who come to do some menial activity
such as cleaning floors or pots. This kind of stuff brings out the meekness in
someone. I also get a "zap" from the daily walks through forest or
concrete-and-lights while doing the mantra meditation. We all have our own
version of boosting.
So figure out what that is, your approach, but do
take some approach for the sake of the soul. Hustle for the soul. It's worth
it. Don't deprive it like the bird in the cage that's not feed. Don't just
notice the cage and neglect the bird.
Someone might argue that the soul should be self-stimulating
and should not require our mastering of zeal. No! We've buried the spirit with
our indulgences. It's time to go deep.
I hope you can dig it.
8 KM
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