ASK MAULANA

Your Questions, Answered

When surrounded by problems, how can we remain positive?

It is very easy. If you become negative when you face problems, you become unable to tackle those problems, while if you remain positive you will be able to tackle it the right way. It is, therefore, quite counterproductive to become negative when facing problems. You simply cannot afford to be negative.

What, according to you, is Spirituality?

Spirituality is a discipline by which we can develop our personality along positive lines. Broadly speaking, there are two schools of spirituality. According to one school, spirituality is based on meditation; this spirituality may be called heart-based spirituality. I, however, believe in the other kind of spirituality that is based on contemplation. You may call it mind-based spirituality. Mindbased spirituality is based on thinking.

Could you give an example of mind-based spirituality?

For example, in our life there can be negative experiences at any moment. These experiences disturb our spirituality; but by applying our mind we can cause all this negativity and the tension generated by it to disappear and thus maintain our spirituality.

But, to develop ourselves spiritually, is it necessary to detach ourselves from the physical world?

No. The physical world can be helpful in developing spirituality. If you become a slave of material things, then the physical world becomes an obstacle to developing spirituality but if you become the master of the material world, you will be mature enough to squeeze spirituality from material things. For example, if someone abuses you, don’t become upset. It is better to shake hands with him and say: ‘My friend, there was a news item in today’s paper and I would like to have your comments on it.’ In this way, you can change the subject and so turn negativity into positivity.

How important is anti-self thinking?

Anti-self thinking means constantly reassessing your activities, constantly revising your own plan. It is said that ‘to err is human.’ This being so, it is a must for everyone to discover his errors and concede to having made wrong judgments. So, anti-self thinking is a self-correcting process. It means finding out where you went wrong, how you missed the bus.

It is often said that a person engrossed in spiritual issues is not very concerned with success in the material world. What is your comment on this?

I cannot subscribe to this notion. You know, Mahatma Gandhi was a spiritual person but was totally involved in national politics. So, there is no contradiction between these two areas. On the contrary, spirituality may help to achieve great success in fields other than that of spirituality. For spirituality makes you a mature person, and a mature person is in a better position to deal with the affairs of life.

So, is spirituality then a human need?

Yes, spirituality is our greatest need. Spirituality being a tool for normalizing a situation, it enables one to think positively and to live as a tension-free person. Spirituality makes one a mature person, one capable of taking healthy decisions.

Is science supportive of spirituality?

In a direct sense science cannot support spirituality, but in an indirect sense, it can very well do so. It can be a great supporter of spirituality. In every scientific discovery there are some implied spiritual lessons. By pondering over these discoveries, you can find the spiritual aspects of the lessons they teach.

Could you give an example?

For example, science has discovered that the heart is an organ for pumping blood and that this pumping is directly controlled by our unconscious mind. If it were up to me to cause the heart to pump by applying my conscious mind, I certainly would become so busy that I would have no time for anything else. This makes us realize the great gift of nature. It has made our conscious mind free. So, spiritual aspects in the discoveries of science are implied.

 

 

Please send your questions to
[email protected]