Spirituality - Part II.

Spirituality, materialism and physicality(ramifications of the human body) are neither at variance nor in conflict with one another. There is no need to renounce one in order to follow the other. There is nothing wrong in following the path of renunciation of worldly possessions in order to follow the path of spirituality by certain ascetics but it is not a pre-condition to tread on the path of spirituality. Similarly, deprivation of bodily needs is also not a pre-requisite. Too much is made out of the negative influences
of KAAM (Lechery), KRODH (Anger), LOBH (Greed), MOH (Obsessive attachment) and AHANKAR (Pride) as deterrents to the attainment of highest spiritual state i.e. MUKTI or salvation.All these traits can stay in moderation in a human being without causing any hindrance in his way to attainment of higher level of living. The ultimate destination of spirituality is just a mental state of equanimity that transcends all material possessions and bodily deprivations and creates in the achiever what in Hindi is called Sam Bhaav (Equanimity).. At this stage nothing shakes the achiever and no happening of the world, howsoever bad ,sad or shocking from the viewpoint of ordinary mortals, can raise even a ripple in his mind. Now it is his choice he can stay in this regime as long as he wants or he can join back his routine worldly duties.He may be the same person for people around him but he alone knows what he has become with his physical and mental potential much higher than others. Most of the Indians have often heard such things, they themselves know these well and can teach them to others but there are very few who can live them. Living is that matters.

Spirituality - Part I.

The path of ADHYATAM or Spirituality is considered by the young generation some sort of religious gimmick and the fad of old people.. Nothing could be far from truth than this notion.First of all it is important to note that spirituality has nothing to do with any sectarian religion. It is highly scientific and universal in nature. Secondly it is not at all hostile to materialism and physicality (ramifications of the human body). Whatever difference we find in a realized spiritual person from an ordinary person is the by-product of spiritual attainment or enlightenment. If a spiritual person changes his outlook towards materialism and physicality it is because of deeper understanding of the divine and universal facts and the futility of ordinary worldly activities and not because of any dictates of spirituality. An enlightened person has the choice to live like any other non-spiritual family person with a much better quality of life because of clear vision and highly enhanced physical and mental potential.The earlier a person understands this thing, the better.. Spirituality is also not a male domain as it was considered by some before the entry of certain female protagonists in this field who took courage to break the hegemony of male dominance. Anandmurti Gurumaa, Ritambra Didimaa, Brahmkumari Shivani and numerous others are living examples of this new genderless horizon of spirituality.

DP Sharma

Human Vision 

Human beings are gifted with two different visions: External and Internal. External vision is practical ,mechanical and very much limited. Two main limiting factors are space and time ,we can't look back and forth in time and we can't see beyond a particular distance and simultaneously in all the directions at the same time. Third factor is the condition,health and efficiency of the eyes. The first two factors are common and identical in all irrespective of any other condition but the third factor is
variable in all the individuals. Hence no two persons have similarity of vision with respect to any physical object. It is the same thing as there are no two persons, including identical twins, with identical mass, form , shape or appearance. Up to the level of physical vision all human beings are at as much advantage as animals, or even worse of because certain birds and animals are said to be having much better and more efficient eye mechanism. So we don't have much to boast about so far as our external vision is concerned.

  Besides ,external vision is highly deceptive. It is affected by the psychology of the viewer and the amount of light available. The viewer usually fails to see "what is"but only sees "what he wants to see". The amont of light falling on the object gives it different shades ,shapes and forms, thus presenting different realities of the same object under different conditions and circumstance This deception of the eyes is perhaps the main reason that some of our religious pundits have termed the external world as MAYA or illusion. The oft repeated illustration of man's inability to distinguish between a curled cord or snake in dim light is not the only case in point. Numerous other illustrations can be added to it. In fact the function of the External Vision is limited to  the physical needs of the body. In addition to all this the interpretive part of the brain that creates images of the viewed objects in the mind some times plays havoc with the external and physical realities of the world. With the help of external vision human beings can in no way rise above the functional level of Animal Kingdom.It is the Internal Vision that distinguishes man from other animals. But unfortunately most people fail to see the presence and significance of this vision and usually end up living their lives at animal level only.

As opposed to the External Vision, the Internal Vision knows no limitation of space, direction, time,abstractions or for that purpose any other impediments or obstructions. It is this vision that raises      homo sapiens above the level of animals and then to the still higher levels of Divinity and Infinity.

(To be continued...)

VIKARS versus DEADLY SINS

Every Indian knows well about five VIKARS or vices: KAAM, KRODH, LOBH, MOH and AHANKAR that according to Spiritual Teachers are deterrents to the attainment of MUKTI (salvation) or higher level of spiritual living. Many consider them necessary evils difficult to get rid of and willy-nilly accept them as way of life and some carry along with them a feeling of guilt. The number of corresponding vices according to Christianity is seven and these are termed as seven DEADLY SINS. Four are common - KAAM (Lust), KRODH (Wrath), LOBH(Greed),AHANKAR (Pride), there is no vice corresponding to MOH, and the additional three according to Christianity are: Sloth, Envy and Gluttony. I have never been able to fully accept or reject this viewpoint. For me the presence of these so called vices in moderation has never been a matter of concern or a deterrent to higher or spiritual level ,of living. The excess of any one or more in combination is highly damaging to the mind and body. The maximum apprehensions to the people are about the most haunting vice KAAM. After long deliberations with myself what I have been able to conclude, I would like to share with others. KAAM in Hindi is usually taken to mean as Sambhog (sexual intercourse) or more so as KAAMNA (desire). The English word LUST has the same connotations. Well sex as an procreative activity is inbuilt in human body, it cannot be and should not be banished from the body.In ancient times all the RISHIS and MUNIS indulged in this activity and never spoke against it.So SAMBHOG as a bodily function for procreation (not for pleasure) is essential and cannot be termed as VIKAR, vice or sin.It is basically an animal instinctive urge to survive and is pure and sacred.However, when sexual activity becomes a FUNCTION OF THE MIND,and begins to live in mind overwhelmingly it becomes Lust and is certainly a barrier to the spiritual and higher level of living.Not only that , it becomes a cause of numerous sex related crimes,aberrations and perversions.

The Universal Dilemma

There are certain questions which have often been directed to one's own self in every age yet no satisfactory and universally acceptable answers have so far been found to these questions and as a result these questions continue to echo and resound somewhere within human mind and continue to haunt mankind. Some of these questions are: who am I ? Where from have I come? Where am I to go? What is death? And above all, what is the purpose of life ? All these questions have stayed with me right from my childhood when I used to lie sleepless in the middle of night on my charpoi under the shade of open sky and stars. All through my life I have been shuffling through various answers that have been cropping up from time to time but without any satisfaction. Some claim to have solved riddles of these questions and others have left answers to the questions to an ultimate illusive power that they call God. The existence of God is almost universally accepted with the exception of a few skeptics and fortunately or unfortunately I am one of them.I am neither a theist nor an atheist. I am not a theist because I have not no far been able to perceive, visualize, conceptualize, realize God as others claim to have done, so I am not sure about God as the theists are. I am not an atheist in the sense that I do not deny the existence of God. I am at best an agnostic and remain open to confront GOD every now and then.

God versus Godliness:

I have not so far been convinced about the existence of God in physical form but I have always felt and realized the existence of God and Godliness pervading the whole universe. This Godliness manifests in various physical forms , actions and behavior of fellow human beings and all other creatures, and above all divine laws that govern and discipline this vast universe. Nowthe question arises whether God or Godliness can exist as separate entity , it will be the same thing as asking whether any color, white for example, can exist without without being manifested in some physical object. We cannot deny the existence of white color but at the same time we cannot see white color separated from objects. Whiteness in abstract form may exist in mind but it cannot be found anywhere outside. The same is true I presume with respect to God and Godliness,we can have some idea about God in the mind but we cannot find God outside in isolation in any physical object or form.We cannot give any physical form to God,though we can perceive and realize God or for that purpose Godliness in the outside physical world. The conclusion is that God and Godliness are certainly realities which cannot be shown to others but have to be realized by each individual separately and independently.

The Purpose of Life

One of the questions that has always haunted me right from childhood is: what is the purpose of man's life in the universe? Broadly speaking my genuine answer to. this question is that life on earth has absolutely no purpose and that man is just a puppet in the hands of fate, chance and circumstances. He was never given the choice for being born. Thus life having been forced upon man without his will or consent , the poor fellow has been left with no alternative but to fend for himself, give his own meaning to life and live accordingly till ultimately he is taken away by some unknown force, which some people call God. Some religious leaders try to dictate terms to man as agents of God and force him to surrender his free will and follow the directives. Most fall in line and prefer not to use mind or intelligence in deciding the ways of life. There are some who always feel restless and do not feel satisfied with what others tell them and are constantly busy seeking full satisfaction for their curiosity . My story too has been some thing like that. I have tried to seek my own answers to various eternal questions which defy any universally acceptable answers and one such question that I intend to deal with here is: what is the purpose of man's life on earth
  Notwithstanding the fact that in the ultimate analysis there is absolutely no meaning and purpose of life, the inquisitive man continues to find meaning and purpose of life and there is no dearth of advocates who claim to know everything on the subject, it is different matter that there is no consensus among them. The end result is confusion for the common man either to make a choice from the available stuff or to make his own effort to look beyond what others can show him. I hereby place on record the outcome of my efforts. In all humility I admit that there is nothing original or final in it, and all this has percolated to me from the existing thought bank and collective consciousness, the major share coming from the highly scientific, humane ,secular and universal Vedantic philosophy. I carefully avoid using any parochial adjective or qualifier like Indian or Hindu with Vedantic Philosophy because that gives it narrow regional and sectarian shade and false credit whereas there is no such thing. This philosophy has sprouted and grown on .this planet with 
collective efforts of mankind..

The purpose of man's life on earth can be broadly divided into four parts or stages: Survival, Improvement in the Quality of Life, Self Realization and in the final stage Merger with Divinity or Infinity. While gradually passing through these four stages ,man begins to see everything from hitherto unknown perspective and brighter shades and before parting with his mortal frame attains 
Immortality. Certain schools prescribe renunciation of the physical world as a pre-condition for going through the process of Self Realization and Merger with Divinity or Infinity but I have tried to take the untrodden path of BHOG (the genuine gratification of the senses and sense organs) and to my surprise and good luck have not found any hurdles or contradictions in way to my destination, though I don't claim that I have attained what others attained through renunciation. In fact, for me there is no way to compare my destination with the destination of others. What I can simply say with my own authority is that I cannot see anything beyond where I am standing now and I would not mind walking more if I see another horizon.

To be continued........