A Mini Exile in 2014 : New Year Message from Sirshree

This post is also available in: Hindi

As per the epic Ramayana, Lord Rama went on a 14 year exile. The year of 2014 can be a reminder for you to go on an exile too. Not a 14 year exile. But in the entire year of 2014, go on a mini exile for your spiritual growth.

Going on an exile does not mean going away to the jungle. It is an exile into your own mind. Going on a mini exile in 2014 means deciding to make 2014 a year during which you practice meditation in the marketplace, spirituality in the stock exchange, bhakti in the boardroom, tranquility in the theatre.

The way to practice this mini exile is to send your senses into an exile every time you get an opportunity The concept of going on an exile is just a reminder. Let us now examine how this concept can become a medium for your spiritual growth:

Exile for your eyes: Reduce watching some television serials or unwanted entertainment. You are not being asked to eliminate this entirely. But do send into exile some unwanted entertainment. Ask yourself, “Will I really lose anything if I send some serials into exile?”

Exile for your tongue: Reduce harsh words and hankering after taste. Decide which words shall you banish from your vocabulary and which foods shall you send to exile.

Exile for your ears: This year, expel hearing gossip or hearing the criticisms of others into exile. Reduce this to whatever extent you can. If you used to listen to gossip for 20 minutes in a day, reduce by 10 minutes.

Exile for your nose: Every time you smell a fragrance, take a deep breath. Thus, you are not sending the fragrance into exile, but you are using this as an opportunity to send your breath into exile. One long breath could be equal to two short breaths. So, you have sent these short breaths into exile. This practice will help in improved health too.

Exile for your skin: Reduce make-up or anything you do to beautify yourself to a small extent. There is no harm in grooming or looking presentable. There is no harm in doing make-up. But wake up before you make up. Check what do you believe yourself to be before you do any make-up. Make-up done considering yourself to be the body does not help in spiritual growth. If you consider yourself to be the body, then it gives rise to further desires such as: ‘I should look good’, ‘Others should admire me’. Analyze why you want to look good. Is it constantly required to look into the mirror? Remind yourself of your true nature and banish some unnecessary time spent in adorning yourself into exile. At minimum, consider being without any make-up one day in a month.

Exile for your gadgets: Dependency on gadgets is giving rise to habits that hamper your spiritual growth. These include constantly checking for email or SMS, updates on social media, etc. Remember that being on the Self (consciousness) is more important than uploading your Selfie (a self portrait). Once a month relegate all your devices. Live without gadgets for a day to begin reducing your reliance on them.

These are some ideas to welcome 2014. Practice these ideas whenever you can. Remember, we are trying to fit an exile of fourteen years into a capsule of one year in 2014. Therefore, take on a strong intention to find time throughout the day to send your senses or gadgets into exile. Be inspired by Lord Rama and Ramayana for this purpose. Lord Rama had Lakshmana and Sita accompanying him and was later joined by Hanuman. Lakshmana embodies ‘clarity of purpose’ (lakshya), Sita embodies ‘purity in action’ and Hanuman exemplifies ‘devotion to the almighty’. May these powers of clarity of purpose, purity in action and devotion to the Higher Self help you in your mini exile this year.