i know many people who pray and worship many deities or forms of god. e.g. its very common for hindus to pray and worship shiva, vishnu, hanuman, ganesha or pravati ma and so on. many hindus also worship guru nanak dev, gautam buddha andย sufi mystics.
i have also grown up in a hindu family who is open minded as far as religion is concerned. in my home, it was common to have photos of many hindu avataras as well as of mahavira, gautam buddha and guru nanak dev. i have also visited few churches with my friends and dargah of sufi mystics. for me, every religion is a way to reach god.
it is good to have religious tolerance and respect for all religions and gods.ย but when its a matter of spiritual sadhana then you must choose one deity and worship it totally.
importance of choosing one deity in sadhana:
when you worship too many deities then you are splitting your energies in worshiping different forms of god. this way you won’t be able to go deep in your sadhana. in the sadhana you have to invoke your deity grace and for that it is important that all your energies are going in worshiping one deity. so choose one form of god and then devote all your energies to it. this way you sadhana will go deeper and you will also grow along with it.
ramakrishna paramhansa had done many types of spiritual practice. but when he was doing one sadhana then he forgot all about other methods he had practiced before. he was total in every spiritual practice he did. so totality and complete devotion to one god is essential in succeeding in your spiritual practice.
there is a joke in spirituality. one person was used to worshiping many gods. one day he was crossing a river by boat and suddenly the boat started sinking. this person didnt knew how to swim. so he started calling the name of the gods he used to worship. but no god came to help him and the boat sank and he died.
because of his spiritual practice of daily worshiping many gods he reached heaven. in the heaven, he asked the gods why they didnt came to help him. gods replied that’s not true. because when he called lord hanuman for help then he was on his way to help him. but then you started remembering another god for protection. so lord hanuman has to go back. so this way, many god came to help him and have to go back. if this person had only worshiped one god then he would have been saved.
worshiping one deity will not only help you in succeeding your sadhana but will also be helpful at the moment of your death.
this rule of being total in one sadhana is true for mantra sadhana, meditation andย other spiritual techniques as well. e.g. in mantra sadhana you have to do the mantra siddhi which requires chanting the mantra correctly for a certain number of times. it could 1 lakh chanting of mantra also. mantra sadhaks usuallyย have one guru mantra which they chant with full devotion. in meditation, it is suggested to choose one meditation technique and practice it. if the technique works for you then stick to that meditation technique and don’t change it.
few important points in spiritual practice:
1. all deities, god and religions are good. they are way to realize god. what is important is to find your natural path. no need to waste time in comparing religions and spiritual paths. find the one which suits you and be honest to it.
2. don’t worship the deities or do spiritual practices for mundane gains. worship them to realize your true nature. once the deity is pleased with you then it will shower you with blessings and you will receiveย what is actually needed for you or good for you.
3. don’t get egoistic in your sadhana and don’t run after spiritual powers or occult siddhis. don’t misuse spiritual powers to harm anyone.
4. if you are doing a spiritual sadhana then live a satvic life, unless the sadhana demands tamasic or rajasik way of living.
5. purify your heart.ย don’t curse any one. always feel good about others. spread positivity, love and compassion in the world. whatever you share will come to back to you many times.
Ashu says
i guess i am also arriving on the same path..
The heart is already started inclining towards spiritualism.
Amit, whats the best way to connect with you for guidance?
amit says
Ashu, good to hear that you are moving towards spirituality. I don’t give any guidance as i am still on the path like you.