Sabbath Day
Question
Beloved Dhananjay,
I work throughout the day to be as productive as I can intellectually, through physical exercise, and meditation/Sadhana x2. I respect all religions, and I will read all their texts by the time I self-realize. I don't encounter the ten commandments often, but I am very dedicated to Jewish and Christian ideals. The commandment pertaining to keeping the Sabbath day holy and resting throughout it is a problem for me.
I know that all God-inspired scripture and direct messages that are in sacred texts are there for a purpose beyond what we understand. Oftentimes, the text cannot be interpreted literally to get the full essence and therefore must be interpreted to fulfill the greatest good, morally, ethically, and practically.
When our bible says to keep the Sabbath day holy and rest throughout (i.e. our mules, servants, ourselves), the Jews interpret that an individual should not do the slightest creative/constructive activity. I believe that this is an extreme view, and I make sure that I only read little spiritual text on this day but meditate a lot. I want to know the significance of the commandment in a practical sense so that I know that I am doing the right thing. I have not found any scientific research to backup the significance of resting for an entire day every week, and I have not looked much.
I do fulfill the commandment in multiple ways though. Perhaps every day is a holy day. I try to keep myself holy by living a life of brahmacharya, giving my body rest from toxins. I meditate often, giving my body rest from work and allowing it to consolidate memories and repair. I cultivate the spirit day in and day out, which gives us the only true rest. I am afraid that I will not fulfill the commandment to the fullest extent if I work on Sunday, my Sabbath day, but I know that you possess superior knowledge on every subject pertaining to the spirit and God's will. Is it necessary to rest a full day in order for our bodies to reinforce themselves for another vigorous week of productivity or are these enough?
Thank you for your continual responses,
Answer
What is 'Rest' on Sabbath? It is letting go of all worldly thoughts & deeds, merging the mind into God and remaining quiet in the truth. In other words, it is meditation. The common man is attached to the world and considers God separate. So on Sabbath, he gets a chance to let go of the world and remain in solitude, fixed on God. This is the significance; it is very simple. To the one in quest of the self, all days and times are Sabbath, for he remains detached, ever fixed to the truth. He who does so follows all the commandments, in their true essence.
ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)