A change of vision is the remedy given by all Masters of Truth who have gained the vision. Therefore, keep smiling, all falls are a rise in the Total – Swami Chinmayananda
When I first read this quote, I wondered – A change in vision? Vision about what? What falls? As I reflected on the significance of its meaning over and over again, its wisdom slowly began to unfold in my mind…
We all know that our attitude determines how successfully we meet a problem or challenge in life. This is nothing new.
But a vision is something that goes beyond mere attitude.
Companies formulate vision statements to solidify their goals and ideals which provide the framework for all their strategic planning. It gives them tangible goals that inspire them to strive and grow.
Your personal vision is based on your core values and understanding of life. It determines your entire outlook on life and how you live it to achieve your goals.
I am not talking about only accomplishing worldly goals, but importantly achieving our spiritual goals. For that we need a spiritual vision of life.
Spiritual Vision of Life
The spiritual vision of life doesn’t come from merely reading or hearing about it. It is clearly formulated and imbibed into your consciousness during quiet time spent reflecting and contemplating on your daily experiences and life as a whole.
We are so busy with our daily preoccupations that we don’t stop to seek out the deeper meaning of life, our purpose and place in it.
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience,” as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin so aptly said.
A spiritual vision of life accepts that life has beauty, harmony, purpose and meaning. It understands that all of life’s experiences are meant to help us rediscover our innate spiritual nature.
Spiritual Vision in action
When you live with a spiritual vision, you will accept that everything that happens, happens for the best because you know that the Universe, Source or God is benevolent and loving. Even ‘bad’ things happen for a good reason.
Just as a raw diamond is subject to many ‘painful’ cuts before the beauty inherent in it emerges, you will see life’s painful experiences as having the potential for bringing out the divine best in you.
Such a view of life will help you in developing a greater acceptance and poise in life.
Law of Action and Reaction (Karma)
This poise and acceptance comes from understanding an integral law of life – The Law of Karma.
When it comes to facing life, we don’t really have a choice. Even if we escape certain challenging people and circumstances, the universe has an uncanny ability to present the same challenges under the guise of different people and circumstances. No matter how many times we run away, the same challenges keep coming back.
One of the common questions we all have is why do we have to suffer these challenges and problems of life?
Vedanta explains that an action doesn’t end when it is done; an action only ends when its reaction is experienced by the doer of the action.
Actions are Seeds, Reactions are the Seedlings
Like seedlings, reactions to actions materialize after the seeds of action are planted. They show up according to Nature’s laws.- some soon after the action, or others can take many years and even lifetimes to surface.
So, if we are experiencing challenges that seem to have come out of no where, these are the results of past actions.
There are no accidents in the universe, only incidents.
We can only overcome reactions from past actions by actually going through those experiences. This is the only way to complete what we ourselves started.
A spiritual vision fosters a firm faith in divine purpose and intelligence. This inspires us with the strength to meet life with the wisdom that we can carve a better future for ourselves by making higher and better choices today.
Keep Smiling
The spiritual vision of life doesn’t come from merely reading or hearing about it. It is clearly formulated and imbibed into your consciousness during quiet time spent reflecting and contemplating on your daily experiences and life as a whole.
Once a spiritual vision becomes your own conviction, then problems and personal challenges are seen as precious opportunities for your inner divine unfoldment.
Then, as the master of Truth, Swami Chinmayananda says, you will keep smiling as all falls will be seen as a rise in the total.
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