Spiritual Strength: Learning to Navigate Life’s Waves
Our beloved Sri Swamiji has always had a deep love for nature—riverbanks, seashores, gentle hills, and lush gardens filled with greenery. These serene outdoor spaces are not just places of beauty for him; they are sanctuaries for divine contemplation.
Sri Swamiji points out that nature has a naturally calming influence on the mind. It is for this reason that saints and spiritual teachers often encourage aspirants to perform their sadhana—whether japa, kirtana, meditation (dhyana), or self-inquiry (vichara)—in such peaceful environments. These places possess a unique power: they quiet the mind effortlessly.
Sri Swamiji is also a keen observer—not only of human nature but of nature itself. Drawing inspiration from what he sees around him, he once shared a profound insight, likely inspired by an observation at the seashore. Watching fishermen and their young children play joyfully in the waves, Sri Swamiji noticed something deeply symbolic.
Children of fishermen, accustomed to the sea from a young age, move through the waves with ease. 
They know when to cut through a wave, when to ride it, and how to return safely to the shore without much effort. In contrast, an ordinary person—someone unfamiliar with the ocean—may struggle even while standing at the water’s edge, unsure how to manage the force of the waves.
Using this vivid analogy, Sri Swamiji explained an essential truth about spiritual life. Entering the path of spirituality does not mean that problems will disappear. Challenges are common to everyone—those who lead a religious or spiritual life, and those who do not. Spirituality does not offer a guarantee that life will suddenly become free of difficulties.
So what, then, is the advantage of spiritual practice?
Sri Swamiji beautifully explained that spirituality gives us the capacity to maneuver through life’s problems, just as the fisherman’s children maneuver through the waves. A person rooted in sadhana—through prayer, nama kirtana, japa, or meditation—develops inner strength, clarity, resilience, and acceptance. Problems may still arise, but they no longer overwhelm or break us. Instead of becoming complaining, resentful, or defeated, a spiritual practitioner learns to face challenges with balance and courage.
This is a reminder for us to not expect the complete absence of problems simply because we attend satsang or take spiritual practice seriously. The real gift of a spiritual life is not escape from difficulties, but it lies in the strength given to wade through them unscathed.
Our scriptures affirm this truth. The Puranas and Itihasas show us that even divine incarnations faced immense challenges. Sri Rama and Sri Krishna, though avataras, encountered crises, opposition, and hardship in their worldly lives. Challenges are an inherent part of existence; life itself demands solutions and resilience.
However, when we equip ourselves spiritually—even with something as simple as a few minutes of prayer in the morning and evening, chanting the Mahamantra, quiet meditation, or heartfelt japa—we prepare ourselves inwardly. We gain the grit, acceptance, and wisdom needed to face whatever life brings.
Such spiritual grounding ensures that our higher journey—the pursuit of divine love and ultimately moksha—remains steady and unimpeded, even as life’s waves rise and fall around us.
A truly beautiful and loving message, reminding us that spirituality does not remove life’s waves—but teaches us how to ride them.
Based on Sri Ramanujamji’s talk
Pranitha Susendrakumar, 19 yrs, St. Augustine, FL
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