Methods of getting maturity ?

Hinduism says; ‘life a great voyage from the known to the unknown’. The sole purpose of this voyage is nothing but, spiritual maturity. This applies not only to the ‘human beings’, but to all the living beings as well. All beings are continuously maturating, knowingly or unknowingly. The Hinduism says in each step of the life, with each experience, with each work - the ‘soul’ gets maturity, but the maturity level differs on the kind of work or experience the ‘soul’ faces or involves. But, in many walks or steps of life the maturity gained is negligible, but the following FOUR categories will impart considerable maturity on the ‘soul’ concerned.

Broadly speaking, there are 4-different methods to get maturity. These follow, in the increasing order of imparting maturity, in general:

1              -  Sorrow and suffering

2              -  Taking risks

3              -  Contemplation or concentration

4              -  Spiritual practices

As it has already been mentioned, although every step or work of life gives its own maturity to the ‘soul’ concerned, although negligible, the above four works will give considerable maturity to the ‘soul’ concerned.

1) - Amongst these FOUR things, the first one “Facing sorrow and suffering” is the very common thing happening in life that gives maturity to any ‘soul’. This usually happens to those ‘souls’ that are not doing any other thing from the above FOUR things in order to uplift themselves. After all the life is meant for the ‘inner growth’, the ‘spiritual growth’ and when the ‘soul’ is not doing anything to uplift it self, in order to help it the nature acts as a master and drives such souls on the ‘spiritual ladder’ by bringing onto them ‘sorrow and suffering’. This implies that ‘sorrow and suffering’ in life are not to make the ‘person just suffer or weep’ but, it has a deeper and ulterior motive behind it, i.e., to uplift the soul.

In the battles of life, this is how the lower level beings, animals, birds etc., are generally uplifted on the spiritual ladder. Just by feeling sorrow and suffering and of course with all the smiles – these animals are pushed up by nature on the spiritual ladder.

This is the lowest level of maturity imparting mechanism possible in the world and of course the ‘beings’ need not do consciously anything generally, to get ‘sorrow and suffering’ and for this kind of ‘uplift’.

Although it is the usual means of uplift of the of the lower level beings, this does not mean that “sorrow and suffering” will not invade the somewhat matured beings. There is every possibility that ‘sorrow and suffering’ could attack any being – this is the general means through which the low level beings are uplifted.

2) – The next mechanism that could give maturity to the ‘soul’ is through “taking risks” of different kinds. While taking risks, the inner strengths are brought out and the ‘soul’ gets certain maturity. This could take place in the life as part of living, or the individuals could take risks intentionally. For example, when a thief or dog or snake attacks you, you could take risk to face the situation. On the other hand you could go to a forest to catch a lion or a terrorist by taking risk on your own. Such situations will give you maturity, as these situations will bring your inner strengths out. One or both of these kinds of risks are possible in the life of anyone or being in life.

This is possible in the case of all the beings, not only to ‘human beings’. This happens more usually in the animal kingdom, in the forests. For example, the wild animals are forced to take risks usually to save their lives or their newborns from predators and this gives maturity to the animals concerned.

3) - Contemplation or concentration ~ is another kind of maturity imparting mechanism to the souls. While you are ‘researching’ on any problem or thinking on any problem in life or even if you are shooting or hunting - you will get certain maturity – as these are all involved with concentration or contemplation. This too could happen to all the beings and not only to the ‘human beings’ in particular. For example, while a tiger is hunting a deer, or while a kite is chasing a ‘pigeon’ – all the FOUR beings concerned in fact in a way are in meditation. The minds of the tiger and the kite are fixed on their targets and the minds of the deer and the pigeon are focused onto escaping. Thus all these FOUR beings are in meditation in a sense. This gives them maturity.

4) – Finally the ‘spiritual practice’ as everyone knows is the direct way for the spiritual growth. There are different forms of spiritual practices - meditation, prayer, chanting the names of god and eastern Yoga being some prominent examples. So, naturally these practices will give maximal growth or maturity to the individual [soul] compared to the other THREE methods mentioned earlier.

Here it is worthy to note that, the last one ‘the spiritual practice’ is exclusively for the ‘human beings’ as it is beyond the reach of other animals, evidently. But, the other THREE methods mentioned before could happen equally well to the animals, birds etc., beings as well so as to the humans in one or the other way.

Another point to note is that, the FIRST one is entangled only with pain or sorrow but, the others three are involved with as well. 

So, in general the possible means of getting maturity are these: to take calculated risks; to concentrate [as in shooting, hunting, fishing, reading etc.] or contemplate; and to get involved in spiritual practices – the last one being the best.

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# Bhargava Kotur