CHALLENGES IN UNIVERSAL CONNECTION

The challenges we face in our daily connection with the Universe and its objects include factors within the self such as negative emotions like jealousy, resentment, temptation to do wrong, and other factors such as the misuse power, presence of physical ailments and mental ailments. Factors in the external environment such as natural and man-made disasters, and social injustice can also thwart our harmonious connection with the Universe.
Physical illness and disability can produce pain, lack of mobility and weakness. The medications, regular check-ups and therapies can also cause adverse effects and consume a lot of a person’s energy and time. As a result physical illness can drain the reserves of a person, making the pursuit of spirituality difficult or impractical.

Every human personality has vulnerabilities that can get exaggerated to become a psychiatric disease, a personality disorder. Emotional stress and mental stress contribute to certain physical illnesses by influencing unhealthy lifestyle choices and by over-activity of the sympathetic system. Mental disturbances, especially if sustained, can lower immune resistance to pathogenic germs and also increase the incidence of allergic and autoimmune diseases.

Being genuinely happy about another’s achievements is one of the toughest challenges a human being faces along the spiritual path. Most of the time, despite what we actually express, we feel jealous, envious or resentful seeing someone else happy and successful, and even secretly wish ill for that person. Hypocrisy is inherent in human nature and we all indulge in it to different degrees. In its extreme form, hypocritical demeanor will cause chronic schism of actual inner feelings and outward demeanor, resulting in a constant conflict of energy vibrations and intellectual and emotional weariness.
We all indulge in temptations some time in our lives. The objects tempting us may be anything – food, clothes and accessories, beauty treatments, sex, alcohol, nicotine, psychoactive substances, money, power and so on. Satisfying the desires born out of temptations gives us pleasure and augments the temptation. Giving in to temptations and motivating others with temptation has a corrupting influence as both actions abet greed, obsessive behavior, selfishness, disobedience, obstinacy and encourage lawlessness, obesity, human exploitation and crime.
Human power exists in various forms. It can be possessed by virtue of birth, lineage, political connection, physical strength, unusual gifts and talents and even healing power. The possession of power can, on one hand, infuse positive energy into millions and bring about revolutionary improvement in masses of people, and on the other hand, corrupt the possessor and cause devastation of generations through exploitation and misuse.
Natural and manmade disasters create collective negative energy through the tragedies it brings to the victims. We all experience situations when people do us wrong us even though we haven’t done any harm to them or anyone else.
There is nothing unfair and no injustice in the Universe. These are manmade concepts. Each individual interacts with the Universe in his or her own individual way and this gives him or her whatever he or she deserves throughout life