If you want to experience what spirituality is, and the peace and happiness that accompany it, then you need to cultivate certain universal values. These values would guide your thoughts, perceptions and behaviour, and allow you to live a positive life. You would experience an inner tranquility that will not be perturbed by people’s opinions, attitudes and behaviours, or by the hate, greed, violence and many other nefarious happenings that seem to be pervading societies everywhere. You can make yourself an island of tranquility amidst the turmoil. You would observe and be aware of what is going on in the world, but from a higher viewpoint or, we can say, a Divine viewpoint. It would be as if God is looking at the play of His children. He knows that one day they are going to grow up and behave as adults with wisdom.
What are the universal values? You instinctively know what they are, but just not paying attention to them and inculcating them in you life. But we need to understand that not all people would have the same level of knowledge, as all people came into the world with their different karmas in thoughts, words and deeds. Nevertheless, the seeds of goodness and love are inherent in their hearts. They need either an introspective stimulus, or an external one such as a guru to make the seeds germinate and bloom.
The universal values are easy to understand. They are Love for all of God’s creation from the inanimate to the most endowed human life. After love, there must be Compassion for all of the same beings. Then we need to add others to these: Non-violence based on love for all, Humility in all of our interactions with others, Respect for other people and their view-points, Charitable attitude towards all, Service as needed towards others, Pleasant Speech issuing from a loving heart, Openness and Transparency in our actions, Remembrance of God and His gift of life to all beings, and other such attributes. The negativities would, by themselves, leave you.
Widen your mental horizons to take in all that the Divine Master placed in the world. As Satguru Kabir said, “My Master dwells in every heart…” and “My Master is like fire in the flint stone, but the mind does not ignite so we remain in darkness.” Let us awaken to light and enlightenment
