Ways to cleanse the soul.

I'm interested in the different ways one can cleanse the soul while traveling in India, people talk about India as a destination one can find themselves spiritually and that is what I'm really seeking, to start again and cleanse myself from all the bad stuff I've done in the past. I've heard of the Ganges purifying the soul, what other ways could one archive this. Could I perhaps employ a spiritual guide that helps in these matters, Thank you.

Hot wash, with prewash. Put a stain remover in the prewash. Fast spin, but with crease control. Hang out to dry.

There. Job done.

But seriously: what on earth do you want? What you have done is what you have done and nothing is going to change that.

India might well take your mind off it, though. That might be just what you need

Nice points Nick. What is done, is done. I've been sober for almost two years now, and part of that (at least for AA people, of which I am not one)(though I do pick and chose) is forgiveness. Forgiveness, from what I understand, is not having someone who you might have offended/need/want forgiveness from, forgive you, it's about the asking. And then, not doing that anymore . . . but I digress

What my times in India have done for me (and I've bathed in the Ganges numerous times and in a number of places) is not so much cleanse my soul, as expose it to me . . . expose me to Me. I often return more aware of myself - including things I don't find so savory about myself . . . and then it's up to me to do something those things . . . or not.

I believe that - as a Westerner - to expect the Ganges to do those things: without a deeper than skin-deep belief system in place, might just be so much water running off your back.

I sincerely wish you well Billy.

Ganges will not wash off sins - in its present form, it will not even wash your body. You could meet a master who is enlightened - Satsang can wash off sins.

Saying it on this site gets lot of people heckled - but that is their problem!!

That is quite charming......

Hee hee...

What is possibly the greatest enlightenment, development, or whatever, that any person can attain? To take responsibility for themselves. No saviours, no redemption, no Jesus, no Babu. Just You.

Wow. Doubt if I'll make it, to be honest ... but at least I'm not desperately searching for all and any possible escape clauses. (ok, I did ask for a plenary absolution in a Cathedral gift shop: apparently they'd been out of stock for a few hundred years).

Of course, if a helping hand can be found along the way, that's nice, but there is no absolution, and if you believe that there is, you might as well join the RCs and get it off your chest in the confessional once a week. Cheaper than buying air tickets.

Here's a snippet from one of my helping-hands-along-the-way... guilt is a self-indulgent waste of time. You can either put right what you have done wrong or you can't. If you can't, then you must just accept that.

Asking forgiveness is asking to be let off. Ask, instead, for understanding.

Giving forgiveness is not for the benefit of others, it is for ourselves, so we do not have to live with the caustic and poisonous effects of anger, hatred and so on. It is good housekeeping. Comes easier to some than others.

Finishing on this note: bad stuff? Just how bad? Mastermind any genocides? Kill even one solitary person? Run a torture camp? ...No, I didn't think so. Break a few hearts? not fulfil a responsibility here or there? That's life, omelettes, breaking eggs and all that stuff. Being ordinarily dumb, hurtful, uncaring and even downright nasty are not matters that need soul laundry. Your soul is as bright as, err ...a very bright thing.

Today, I read about the arrest of a person who's crime was to have a five-year-old girl murdered, and have her blood ritually sprinkled over the property he was building. He was advised that this would be auspicious, and end a run of bad luck that was preventing the completion of the building.

Come to India!

You'll see wonderful and amazing things. Open your eyes a little further, and cast them away from the tourist sights, and you'll see some pretty dreadful and brutal things too.

Puts things in perspective, eh?



(Whoops... nearly lost this lot. Luckily my browser still had in memory)

Last week's AAAS had an interesting article on critical thinking and religious beliefs.

To read the full study you have to be a member of AAAS Nothing is free in this world, is it ?

Is it this story?

I still can't do that damned sum --- so the theory fails for innumerate atheists

I don't the politics all I want is the spiritual.

Yes. AAAS has the actual academic paper, but the same study nonetheless.

If spiritual as so easy; we'd be bottling it enmasse for distribution to the far corners of the globe. If spiritual involves spirits, I have a few Jamesons everyday

Usage of Dopamine has better outcomes that Ganges water.

All good points....

If you're feeling bad about the past, do the right thing in the future. Be a good example to others. Your smile is a gift to the world. Share it.

@Billy - you don't need to travel to India to cleanse your soul. You can do that at home, or indeed anywhere.

A spiritual teacher would be helpful, to answer questions for you - although be aware that they will never give you a straight answer.

Alternatives to bathing in the Ganges: Mantra repitition. It's a bit like brushing your teeth. Doing it once does not count for much. To derive the benefit you need to do it every day, twice a day. And instead of two minutes for the teeth, it's twenty minutes for the soul.

As John Lennon wrote and sang:

"India, India, take me to your heart
Reveal your ancient mysteries to me
I'm searching for an answer, but somewhere deep inside
I know I'll never find it here - it's already in my mind"

http://youtu.be/kStyPurc1pI

All the best.

Nothing is permanent. Nothing has inherent existance. All phenomena arise in the mind. Stop clinging to your past actions, let them go. And stop looking for an answer outside of yourself. Nothing can "cleanse" you. The sins you perceive are all in your head. The actions have happened, they are past now. Live now in this moment and do it as skillfully as possible.

Yes, looking to the past and the future can sometimes be useful as we can learn from our mistakes and plan to do better. But too often we end up wasting time and making our situation worse. Look to the present and stop living your life in regret.

Well - the study does not give details of how they arrived at the conclusion - what is the use of someone saying something without details / arguements.

Even if we accept that is true - it is not universally true, I am a highly analytical and logical person (my job demands that, my friends are sick of how logical I can be and IQ scores confirm it) - but believe in a Master and spiritual matters steadfastly. I have found proper spiritual studies very convincing logically and experientially as well. But there is a lot of pseudo or partial spirituality out there and religion is not spirituality, it started there but is currently close to organised racketeering (not in all cases but mostly).

One issue I find in discussions with western guys is that they assume spirituality is what Christian faith tells them and they try to counter that. Some of the concepts taught by realised Masters in India are very much in line with what they say about Individual liberty and not carrying guilt and not the "being born in sin" concept - you see old religious books are allegorical and subject to interpretation - please do not assume an argument and start refuting it.

One other complaint I have is that whenever anyone asks a question on spirituality, instead of guiding the person, there are silly arguements on why spirituality is fake - can't you just provide info and let the person decide. If someone asks for a travel or trekking itineriary, people are very helpful - at most send them a link to be beware while choosing a travel partner. No one assumes that all travel partners are there to con you.

Similarly, have a caution post for imposter Gurus and spiritually enlightened people and let us not assume, everyone is there to con you. Rather than constant cynicism on the spirituality forum, it is better to shut it down (though it is very much relevant as travellers do associate India with spirituality and that in no way means everyone here is spiritual here).

Dr. Rudi - while the points you make are valid. One steadies in oneself but to reach that place one may wander at first.

When you say Mantra - one given by a true master, recited mentally with full attention cleanses, perfunctorily reading from a book or repeating with tongue may not do a great job.