I know that only a handful of people will read this article. I do not even expect that everyone should read what I write. Because even if everyone reads it, 50% of them will not understand anything. The reason is simple. I do not write about my own selfish interests, nor do I write to satisfy the selfish interests of those who read me. So I am informing you beforehand, this article is long and there is nothing in it that will benefit you personally. Instead of wasting your time here, go to YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook and increase your “knowledge” by watching reels.
Lord Shri Ram, the incarnation of Shri Hari Vishnu, followed the code of conduct and came to be known as Maryada Purushottam. The same Shri Hari later incarnated as Krishna and used strategy and deception to defeat adharma, and was called Chhalia and Ranchhod. What was the difference between those two ages? It was to show the world that even the Divine must respond according to the needs of the era. If people could not recognize God in Treta and Dwapar Yuga, will they recognize Him in Kaliyuga? In Treta and Dwapar at least people had some understanding of spirituality, but in Kaliyuga the true meaning of spirituality itself is unknown to most. In Kaliyuga, Kali will spread such illusion that it will become difficult to differentiate between Kalki and Kali. And the largest army will stand against Kalki. Because people, surrounded by attachment, illusion, selfishness, and lust, will support adharma while believing that what they are doing is dharma. Just like Bhishma, Karna, Vikarna, and Guru Drona believed that the path they were following was righteous. That is why more than 98% of human beings will meet their end at the hands of Kalki.
The reasons why people are drifting away from spirituality are many. Spirituality has been limited to fasting, worship rituals, vegetarianism, and celibacy. Some hypocrites, for their own selfish gains, have separated mantra, meditation, yoga, and tantra into different labels to create divisions and markets. People are frightened in the name of deities and trapped in attachment and greed instead of being guided toward a simple and content life. Human self control has decreased. Everyone wants everything instantly. If something is to be learned, it must be taught in one day, one hour, ten minutes, or even a thirty second video, because people claim they have no time. They save time only to watch more videos and feed their hunger for information. So everyone has gathered a lot of information and lives in the illusion that they possess knowledge. Those who perform worship are mocked. If a child, due to impressions from past lives, naturally inclines toward devotion and worship, parents pull the child away from that path fearing that he may become a monk. Those who sincerely walk the spiritual path are deceived through wrong guidance and made to engage in impure practices or the worship of spirits and lower entities.
The biggest reason spirituality is declining is selfishness and greed. From school itself, humans are taught to do only that which fulfills their personal interest. A person wants to gain only that knowledge which increases income or fulfills selfish motives. This ideology is taught in schools where children are told that if you do this, you will get these marks, and later your salary will be this much. It is made to appear that earning more requires studying more information. Whether there is intelligence or not, wisdom or not, interest or maturity in the subject or not, higher marks mean guaranteed income.
Spirituality too has now been viewed in the same way. Whatever subject is connected to spirituality, classes have begun. People learn and immediately start their own classes to teach others, whether they truly know anything or not. A certificate is given and that becomes proof that you have learned. Can spirituality truly be learned in one day, one week, one month, or one year through a class? Take the example of yoga and meditation classes. Zen yoga, Brahma yoga, this meditation, that meditation, the market is flooded. When it comes to tantra, people jump directly to vashikaran, maran, Brahma Vidya, Brahmastra Vidya, Dash Mahavidyas, Sri Vidya. No one talks below that level. Diplomas and doctorates in mantra and tantra are being given in three days.
This is the age of information, not wisdom.
Through scriptures, books, YouTube videos, and online classes you may gain information, but not knowledge. And if you truly want knowledge, restraint is necessary. Ask your inner self honestly. Do you have knowledge, or only information? Do you possess enough discipline to acquire true spiritual wisdom? Reflect on this yourself.
To be continued.
Shivansh (Haryaksha) Jamdagni
