Spirituality is essentially defined as the oneness of soul to the universal soul. It is about finding the same cosmic energy in all living beings. Spirituality takes an individual from “me” to “we”. We are highly fortunate for India is officially the land of saints. The likes of Swami Vivekanada have laid down their lives for the highest spiritual practices and purposes. We are living in reservoir of knowledge and not learning. It’s akin to swimming in an ocean of wisdom and not tasting a drop. It is ironic how we complain about not having enough time for finding inner peace while we don’t take a step towards spirituality and continue racing towards materialistic goals and pleasures. Spirituality takes one’s attention away from instant gratification and offers lessons on patience, perseverance and aiming for the highest ideals for the benefit of not just the self but all of mankind. This is why youth would do good to follow spiritual principles.
The condition of youth today is pitiable. We are lost in a fantasy world with its various illusions of online friendships, fake relationships, gadgets and the web. We forget the concept of real-time and measure happiness in terms of the numbers of ‘Likes’ and comments. While meeting a person face-to-face, we hardly look up from our phone and conversations are devoid of any substantial “catching-up”. We talk about sensitive issues like poverty and women empowerment on social media but do absolutely nothing about these in the actual world. The lines between fact and fiction blur as lying and cheating online become the norm. End result of this situation is the making of frustrated, confused and hurt youth of the nation. Spirituality has a lot to offer here in terms of healing.
The first step towards spirituality is to take your mind away from all distractions. “Non-attachment” is the key. Meditation is a prime spiritual practice. Here, breathing is in focus and all consciousness shifts to one’s body and the inner eye. Body posture and thoughts are monitored while keeping track of how one breathes and what it does to the body. The aim is to keep the mind still and learning how to focus it on just one thing. It is highly beneficial for people in all ages but especially so for the youth which needs to focus on high priority goals in life, study, build their character and help in the development of our nation. Meditation and a move towards spirituality is known to give amazing results to students in terms of improved concentration, focus and sharper memory.
Besides meditation, other spiritual principles also help youth a lot. The basic idea of moving away from one’s selfish motives and not hurting others makes for significant development in one’s character. Moving towards the higher truth translates into believing in a higher power which has brought down cases of depression in the past. Spirituality is also known to have improved health significantly. It is the change in perspective which moves from outward healing to inner healing. It focuses on changing thoughts and bringing in positivity. Miracles happen when one adopts a positive approach to life for then everything seems possible and motivation levels are higher than ever before. Spirituality demands people to be more aware of their presence in the universe and the higher purpose they are here to fulfill. It takes one’s mind away from fruitless pursuits and urges them to make way for truly resolute activities.
Take a leaf out of the lives of highly efficient Indian leaders such as PM Narendra Modi and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and you will find the underlying theme of spirituality loud and clear. Both these leaders spent a lot of their time meditating and reading spiritual texts. Their lives are a shining beacon of hope for all Indians today as they are prime youth icons. In principle and practice, they followed spirituality and the results are for everyone to see. Hence, spirituality can be the greatest boon in the youths’ lives provided they follow a disciplined approach towards it.
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