The Best Way to Juggle Family and Spirituality

When many of us think about spirituality, one picture that commonly comes to mind is a monk meditating in the Himalayas without thinking about food, family or any material things. Therefore, many people may conclude that spirituality is not for us because we live in family situations with various responsibilities on our shoulders. Even when we feel like doing something for our spiritual growth, we sometimes are unsure how to begin or take the first step. 

Sadhguru addresses this common question in an interview and clearly tells us that spiritual growth is an individual journey, it is unique. It does not matter if we live alone or are married or have children, it does not hinder one’s spiritual growth rather we can use these things as aids in the process.

Sadhguru further elaborates on spiritual growth in marriage: “If you’re looking for spiritual life, it doesn’t matter what kind of person he is, you can use everything for your growth – if that’s all your focus is. But generally your focus is both ways, you want to have a little bit of that, a little bit of this – it’s a mixed fair so, it gets a little complex. See, if you have to just throw one ball and catch it, it’s easy. You want to do two, it gets a little complex. You want to do three, it takes much more. You want to do five… tough, isn’t it?”

“So, how much you want to juggle with your life is a choice that every individual has to make. If you have the capability to juggle a dozen balls effortlessly – wonderful! But most people will get freaked out if they try to juggle anything more than two, three. Such people, it’s better they keep it within that, or just go for one – just the spiritual ball – easy. Two becomes a little complicated; as the numbers increase, it becomes very complicated. Now you want to be spiritual, now you want to have a good family life, you want to be a good husband, good wife, good father, good neighbour, socially active, you’re ambitious, you want to conquer the world, you want to do business, you want to do many, many things, nothing wrong, but it demands different levels of capability. Nothing wrong with it, but you must see what you’re capable of, and what you’re not capable of. If you take up juggling more than you can handle, you’ll get distracted to… endlessly get distracted, completely freak you out.” 

He further emphasises that the spiritual process is an individual affair, which cannot be shared and asks us to handle that aspect properly “As far as your spiritual process is concerned, anyway you are alone. Nobody is with you. It’s only the bodily process, the material process of life, which you can share with people. You come alone and you go alone. Even if you have a twin brother or a twin sister, you still come alone and go alone. So, when it comes to the spirit, anyway you walk alone. So, don’t mix that up. So that part of it, you handle well, the material part of it, according to your capability, to what extent you can do it, you do it. They come your way, it’s wonderful; if they don’t, don’t grudge them, it’s just that you don’t have to go that way.” 

“You make sure the spiritual part of your life you handle it 100% properly. The material part of your life is never 100% proper, never can be. Is there any family which is a perfect family? Is there any relationship which is a perfect relationship? Is there any business which is a perfect business? Is there any career which is a perfect career? There is no such thing – don’t seek that. Life will become wasteful, and fanciful, if you seek such things. They all happen to the extent you are capable of handling them, that’s all; but they’re not going into a disastrous mode – all right.”