Why go through Spiritual Stress?

We may wonder and question: Why should we go through all this spiritual stress?  What is the necessity to break our head to find out who we are, where we have come from and what is God?

Quite a valid question, isn’t it?  We feel that we are wasting our time in life on matters that will hardly have any relevance. But on further introspection the question that arises is, “Are these questions relevant or not?”  Let us take one step back - what is the whole world seeking?  The whole world seeks happiness.  People chase achievements to get pleasure from money, fame, success.  It gives them happiness, but money can’t buy happiness because money can only provide pleasures. Moreover, there are disappointments, after which happiness comes to an end.  Some are lucky to hit the second peak.  They leave achievement and go towards fulfillment, which is fueled by contentment, peace, joy, love, faith, hope, universal connection.  They too are seeking happiness. But ask somebody who has climbed the achievement peak, and the fulfillment peak whether they have experienced everlasting joy?  There may be peace and there may be pleasure, but one thing that is still missing is purpose.

So, what can give one purpose?  The only way I believe to find purpose in life and everlasting joy is probably to search for answers for the questions. In that case, the question that arises is, “Is spiritual quest truly meaningful or is it just a waste of time?  What will be the final outcome of this spiritual quest?”  If the spiritual quest can truly give us everlasting joy, liberation and the nirvana, then is it not worth pursuing and finding answers to the questions that the world ignores?  There may be so many questions that the majority of humanity doesn’t even consider worth asking, but if this can give us the ultimate joy, then think about it - isn’t it worth it?

AiR