How to Grow Spiritually

Essentially, a home is an arrangement to live. People make arrangements according to their means and needs. You choose an arrangement that is convenient for whatever purpose you live for.

A home is not just the building. It also includes all your other arrangements – your wife or husband, your children, maybe your parents, your neighbors, and the neighborhood.

The idea of living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier, to have infrastructure and a community.

People chose to live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless – though it may not be working that way for many right now.

You need to create a situation in your home where everyone is there because they want to be there. Just see if anyone is feeling trapped or suffocated in your home.

There may be people who feel that way, and you don’t even know. They may be speaking to the neighbors, not to you.

If they are feeling suffocated, open larger windows for them, or put them on the rooftop – whatever is needed to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there.

Once you create this atmosphere, suddenly, home is a nice place to be. But if there is even one person who does not want to be there, he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe that is difficult to live with.

First of all, check yourself – is this the place you want to be? If it is not, see why. If it is, see why. Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a wonderful place for you to do your sadhana (spiritual practices), to live well, to be peaceful, and to be joyful.

Let this not become a hellhole for you – it is your home. It is an arrangement that you made – no one shoved you into it. It must work the way you want it to.

If you are a spiritual seeker, why can’t your home be set up like an ashram? It would be great if everyone was a volunteer at home.

Do not volunteer only in the ashram – be a volunteer at home too. Many people have shared with me, “Never in my life, I ever thought cutting vegetables could be such a fantastic experience.”

I said, “Why? You never ate vegetables in your life?” “Yes, but…” When they are at home, they expect someone else to do it.

The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there. Set an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in. Your home should be an arrangement for your growth.