What is dark night of the soul, how long does it last and why it happens? Three great Masters share powerful tips!

Just as writers go through a phase known as 'writer's block', spiritual seekers pass through a much dreaded phase called 'Dark night of the soul.' Know what the 'Perfect Masters' say. ! [READ: Tantra and Tantric Practices: What does Tantric mean?]

FOLLOW MY BOARDS ON PINTEREST

Speaking to Ruzbeh N. Bharucha on this, Dada Vaswani, ''Everyone has to go through it. It is like being stripped naked. There were Spanish mystics such as St. John of the Cross, St Teresa of Avila, Raymond and others who described it as 'dark night of the soul' and even in Christian literature, there is a chapter titled 'The Cloud of Unknowing'.'' This phase is known to visit even the best and most perfect 'Masters' before they achieve a state of ''illumination.''

So, what exactly does a seeker feel and experience during this scary sounding phase called 'Dark night of the Soul'?

[READ: Who is Meher Baba? The Irani Zorastrian Perfect Master]

Here are some signs of the 'dark night of the soul' phase:

1. The feeling of losing faith, unable to continue on the Path because of self-doubt and a sense of dejection that the Master has turned away.

2. Following this, a seeker feels like there is no use living in this world anymore.

3. The world and everything in it begins to feel meaningless and the seeker feels like a misfit in the world. [MUST READ: Why LOVE MATTERS]

4. Note that seekers are spiritually trained not to ever consider it as anything but a sin that can multiply karmic consequences.

Sri M, in his book titled ''The Journey Continues'', explains: "Every sincere aspirant passes through these dark moods; they are the tools that Nature's negative forces use to test the sincerity of the aspirant. Great saints have these moods. In spiritual terms, this is termed as 'dark night of the soul'."

When this happens, what does a seeker do? [READ: True knowledge]

According to Dada Vaswani, ''He has to pass through this period to be 'purified'...it is then that he steps on to the second stage - the stage of illumination. Then the Light shines within Him, and he knows He is the Light unto Himself. He does not doubt - he moves forward, onward, upward, inward, Godward."

Sri M quotes the great and revered Master Babaji's words, "Meditate calmly, chant the sacred AUM or just relax by listening to melodious music. Don't take any serious decisions. Wait till your mind becomes free of tension. A person who knows the secret of Pranayama can get over this condition easily."

And what happens once a seeker overcomes this phase?

"Your mind attains the capacity to experience spiritual bliss and you begin to depend less on what others have taught you and what you have read, all your doubts will vanish and your progress on the spiritual path will accelerate,'' Sri M writes quoting Babaji in his book.

Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, in his book Journey to Self Realization, says: "God sends you the experiences you need, that you might profit by them. Every experience is a good teacher if you learn from it; but it is a tyrant if you abuse the opportunity with resentment and non understanding. With right attitude, life is very simple and very easy."

[PERSONAL FAVOURITE: A Dad's Advice to the Daughter He loves]

Have you ever experienced a phase similar to 'dark night of the soul' in your life and how did you tackle/overcome it?

Comments

Most LOVED Posts

Does something bad happen if the diya goes off?

Is it bad if a diya goes off? This is a frequently asked question among people who light the evening lamp or diya regularly in their puja room. Cultivating the attitude 'Everything is Divine Prasad', which embodies Prasada Bhakti , is a good way to minimise negative thoughts with regard to one's way of worship. When we light the lamp in our homes, imagine you are sending out divine love to the world. When you burn the incense stick, imagine you are burning away all negative karma within each family member and offering it before your Ishta Devata. [READ: How To Light Deepam at Home and Why Malayalis Light Nilavilaku ] [Image by Sachin Yadav @ Pixabay] What Happens When A Diya Goes Off? Many consider it as a 'bad omen'. For a devotee who worships Ishta Devata, everything represents Divine Gra...

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. [ Let's Connect on Facebook ] As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. The most essential factor is unwavering focus and concentration when you light the lamp every eve...

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences. [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste. You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being bor...

A Book Review: Why The Immortals of Meluha by Amish turned my expectations upside down

The Immortals of Meluha by Amish: Before I talk about Amish's Shiva Trilogy 1: The Immortals of Meluha, let me give you a brief personal background about this. [READ: Why OM is Powerful] For latest book reviews, subscribe to Svara's Newsletter ! The Shiva Concept Didn't Impress Inititally My grandmother, while she lived, was an avid devotee of Lord Shiva and she felt His constant presence in her life in the form of "Ernakulathappan" the Shiva deity who is worshipped in Ernakulam city. She would go and pray there every morning and evening. The joy in her eyes and the excitement in her walk- it was like a woman in deep love and yes, she loved Lord Shiva more than anything. Her devotion ran deep and she tried her best to talk me into it...but the rebellious teenager I was, I have to confess here: I was totally contemptuous of the Shiva concept. A rebellious phase probably, I don't even know why I felt that way then. My mother is also a Shi...

What is the story of Shivaji? The great son of a great mother called Jijabai

Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha warrior whose guerrilla warfare tactics are fleetingly mentioned in Indian history textbooks, is increasingly relevant today. A Hindi movie 'Tanhaji' starring Ajay Devgn and Kajol got many of us curious to know more about this warrior. Sadly, we don't seem to have much information in our history textbooks! [ READ: Significance of Surya Argya and How do you Light Deepam? ] Source: Anjali Natarajan on Twitter Shivaji Maharaj: The Great Son of a Great Mother Jijabai The more I read about Shivaji Maharaj, the more fascinated I am. I wondered why we have learned so little about this great warrior and his great mother Jijabai, and why public memory has been totally erased from most history books! As a mother, I have always been fascinated by how some of India's greatest and most revered men and women are individuals who were deeply influenced at an early age by their mothers. Bharat is a country that belongs to...

Petals!

Search This Blog