Racing to the spirit?

In the churn of samsar, ambition is often celebrated as a virtue. We are taught to set targets, chase milestones and relentlessly pursue success. However, seekers often approach their sadhana, spiritual practice, with the mindset they use in the marketplace. But sadhana should never be done for a target. It must always be done with love, in total surrender, enjoying every moment of it. Otherwise, it becomes merely an egotistical phase, a new drive for the same old ambitious mind.

The object of desire changes, but quality of desire remains the same. Earlier, you wanted to be rich, successful and famous. Now you say, 'I want to become great. I want to become enlightened. I want to be a flying yogi.' This misguided ambition is often more difficult to detect than material greed. One becomes proud of doing something 'great' and 'holy'. You look at your old friends stuck in mundane pursuits and a subtle arrogance arises. You think, 'Look at them, wasting their lives, while I am undertaking a great pursuit.'

It is in this pursuit that many seekers go on wandering from place to place, looking for a mystical experience to validate their efforts. They calculate, 'I have done this much, so I must achieve this.' This frantic drive has ruined so many seekers. This is why sadhana should always be done under the guidance of a master. It must be done with love, in total surrender, and with no rush. It is not a race to be won; it is a blossoming to be allowed.