The much-needed message of this book is that spiritual practice is not a weekend hobby or an activity for adolescent seekers (of any age). Instead, the author makes a case for mature spirituality, which evolves from a serious commitment to the Path, and assumes dignity, integrity and personal responsibility for one's life choices. Lalitha proposes a series of "questions that matter" inviting the reader to delve deeply into issues that must be faced or clarified as he/she proceeds on any spiritual path, whether it is characterized by self awareness, contemplation and devotion, or service. Throughout, she argues that the playing field of spiritual maturity will never be separate from one's everyday lifeeZ¯one's work, relationships, art, physical limits, suffering, aging and dying. Such maturity will, however, always reflect a sacred regard for the highest principles (one's aim), along with gratitude for what is, and kindness, generosity and compassion toward others.
Lalitha is a farmer. Her ashram (spiritual center) is also a working organic farm. She knows the disciplined efforts needed to prepare a ground for planting, to nurture and maintain young shoots, to guard against predators and to harvest a mature crop. As a long-term spiritual practitioner and respected teacher she also knows the risks, the sweat and the fruits of the spiritual path. Cultivating Spiritual Maturity casts unrelenting light on the necessity for input from a trustworthy mentor, teacher or guru. But, the author wisely notes, even this choice requires maturity (i.e., discernment), and involves its own risks. This is not a business for naa¯ve children!
Among numerous relevant questions, she asks readers to consider:
- "What Path am I on?"
- "What am I really committed to?"
- "What do I call love?"
- "Am I on my deathbed?"
Full of practical help, the book cites dozens of examples relative to spiritual authority, doubt and confusion, a life of practice, and the facing and embracing of death.
Cultivating Spiritual Maturity is derived from recent talks and conversations Lalitha has held with her students and those interested in spiritual practice, making its message fresh, accessible and real. She speaks with compassion, yet is categorically unwilling to compromise the demands of committed, unsentimental work on self. Her book asks questions that point the way.
