Spiritually elevated persons are born in different times, countries, climes and creeds. They live their unique, enlightened lives and leave behind a legacy of teachings or guidelines for people of their own time, as well as future generations to follow. For those who believe in the legacy, the teachings seem like an incessant stream of holy water flowing close to them. As these spiritual aspirants go deeper and imbibe the teachings, they may even find the path to freedom from bondages of this world. And if they seek material prosperity, they might also get that by following the guidelines of those holy men or women. This can be seen as the practical part of spirituality, which is an important aspect in day-to-day life. People often mistakenly think that spirituality and householder life are two incompatible paths. They wrongly believe that a householder is less spiritual than a renunciate and that spiritual life is meant only for old age. But the fact is that spirituality is not exclusive to any particular lifestyle or any individual. Everyone can lead a spiritual life, including a householder, by following the right path. The Hindu religion believes in one distinct idea: this world is not merely an object of illusion. When someone sees a rope in dim light, he mistakes it for a snake and reacts to it with fear. He first sees 'something,' and then imagines it as a snake. That 'something' is the reality, and not the snake which the seer conjures up in the mind. So, Hinduism says that behind even the illusion there is reality. This reality has to be discovered in this world full of māyā or illusion. Hindu legends like Mahābhārata and others exemplify this fact by citing the story of a hermit and a householder woman. The hermit lives in the forest, observes austerities, and becomes endowed with some mystic power, which he boasts about, feeling elated. Once, the hermit comes with a begging bowl at the door of a chaste woman, who is busy with household chores. She asks him to wait for a while. The hermit gets angry, thinking that the 'ignorant' woman does not know about his inner power. But the moment such a thought crosses his mind, pat comes the voice of the woman from the inner apartment, 'My son, I am serving my ailing husband, and shall not be long; don't be impatient with me. I am not the crane in the jungle whom you just a while ago reduced to ashes by your yogic power.' The hermit gets dumbfounded, and when the woman finally appears to give alms, he humbly seeks her advice. Swami Vivekananda's chief aim was to bring Vedanta from the seclusion of the forest to daily life. That, indeed, is Hindu teaching coming down the ages. The ways Vivekananda showed us to achieve this are very practicable, and can transform even worldly people into spiritual persons.
Many believe one must renounce worldly life to pursue spirituality, but Swami Kritarthananda teaches us otherwise. He argues that anyone whether a busy professional, student, or married couple can lead a spiritual life by following the path of righteousness. With profound insights from Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, the author provides practical tools for integrating Vedanta into everyday life, offering readers a roadmap to peace, purpose, and a deeper connection with the divine. This is a guide for those ready to deepen their spiritual practice while embracing their responsibilities in the world.
Swami Kritarthananda has authored several spiritual and scholarly works including Vivekananda Smritih and Scriptural Foundations of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. His in-depth knowledge of the scriptures and of the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and Vedanta give him the unique perspective of applying Vedantic principles to enhance daily life. Seventy-two-year-old Maharaj Kritarthananda is an honours graduate in Mathematics from the Ramakrishna Mission Residential College, Narendrapur. He resides at the Ramakrishna Mission Headquarters in Belur Math, near Kolkata
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