1) The Journey to Sainthood: Understanding the Path Beyond Material Life
Why Do People Become Saints?
This is a question rarely asked because most people do not aspire to become saints. Yet understanding this journey offers insights into our deeper spiritual calling.
Saintliness is the condition of a human being who becomes unsatisfied with materialistic things. A true saint is someone who continuously searches for something beyond everything that this world offers. When material possessions, achievements, and worldly pleasures no longer bring fulfillment, the soul begins its quest for higher meaning.
The Beginning of the Spiritual Search
This spiritual search is not common for everyone. Most people's search stops when they find satisfaction in material things. However, for some individuals, no amount of worldly success brings lasting peace. It is at this point that the spiritual journey begins.
The search for the ultimate truth continues for many years until one achieves complete satisfaction of the mind. During this period, the seeker may abandon the materialistic life and begin on physical journeys, traveling from place to place in search of answers, and eventually find the right place where they can settle and continue their spiritual practice without constant movement.
The Role of Spiritual Guidance
The attraction towards the materialistic world never motivates anyone to begin this search. Instead, the quest often arises from listening to spiritual talks or reading spiritual books, which create questions without immediate answers. At this crucial juncture, the seeker may try to find the right Master who can provide guidance and clarity.
A right Master plays a vital role in satisfying the disciple's quest and helping them realize the ultimate truth. The connection between Master and disciple is most important for anyone searching for spiritual enlightenment. During this spiritual journey, numerous questions and doubts naturally arise. If these doubts are not properly clarified, the search may come to a halt.
Finding the right Master for a disciple is often difficult. Similarly, finding the right disciple for a Master is equally challenging. This sacred relationship requires perfect compatibility and mutual understanding.
The Difference Between Saintly and Materialistic Life
Saintly life is fundamentally different from materialistic life. Materialistic life demands numerous comforts and luxuries to maintain happiness in this world. However, these facilities and luxuries do not create happiness for a saint. Despite having access to all worldly comforts, a materialistic person can still transform into a saint when their inner search begins. The saint becomes so deeply involved in their spiritual quest that they have little time or interest in materialistic activities. The needs of a saint become simple and minimal. What once seemed essential for happiness becomes meaningless when compared to the joy of inner discovery.
The Transformation Journey
It is important to understand that initially, all saints were materialistic people just like everyone else. However, their transformation into saints occurred due to their persistent search for something beyond everything.
This transformation doesn't happen overnight. It is a gradual process where the person slowly loses attachment to worldly things while developing a deeper attachment to spiritual practices and self-inquiry. The external life may appear to become simpler, but the internal life becomes infinitely richer.
The Ultimate Realization
Once their spiritual search reaches completion, saints realize the ultimate truth of existence, the realization of their true "Self," not the limited identity defined by name, form, profession, or relationships, but their eternal, unchanging essence.
This self-realization brings complete fulfillment that no material achievement could ever provide. The saint discovers that what they were searching for externally was always present within. This understanding marks the end of seeking and the beginning of being established in truth.
