Swami teaches....Part 93
Links to Swami Teaches - Part 92
Light and Love Further, Webster’s defines Self-realization as "The fulfillment by oneself of the possibilities of one’s character or personality." Philosophers refer to the Self as pure Consciousness, (also call as pure
Awareness, pure Being, Atma, Brahman, God, etc.). They have mentioned the
actions of Self-realization for centuries. (Ramana Maharishi,Indian sage
1879 -1950, who taught the path of self-inquiry; Bhagwadpada Acharya Sankara
i.e. Adi Shankara, approximately 788-820 CE, Adwaitha philosopher; Sri
Aurobindo,1852 - 1950; Swami Vivekananda,1863-1902; Mahatma Gandhi,
1869-1948, etc.). Since the Self is at the center of our Being, Self-awareness is actually
more correct than Self-realization because realization implies a first Self
that could realize another, second Self. However, there is only one Self and
to realize the Self means to BE that Self. Our ego can realize the Self. The
Self can be the Self, Atma as witness, always the same, timeless, spaceless,
eternal,stable. Other Avatars like Mahavira, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammed gained Self-realization in their lifetime. They cleared all the hurdles and reached the pinnacle of their cosmic life. The life for them had come full circle. Beyond Self-realization, there is nothing left to be achieved in the whole of Cosmos. The seeker of spirituality who desires reaching the stage of
Self-realization in the present life has to burn the bonds of karma forever.
Before individual reaches the stage of Self-realization he/she needs to gain
absolute control over the senses and the mind. The intermittent stages of heaven (Swarga) and hell (Naraka) never lead to Self-realization. Different animated bodies developed over the yugas through involution (emanating from higher planes to lower planes) and evolution (returning from lower planes to higher planes), including by karma and reincarnation in various states of consciousness. Only human beings can reach the stage of Self-realization. However, in the
present life if a human being indulges in fulfilling wanton desires, which
shall never lead to Self-realization. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836 - 1886, celebrated mystic; mastered all
types of Yoga) and Maharishi Ramana (Indian sage, 1879 ¬-1950, who taught
the path of self-inquiry) reached the stage of Self-realization before they
left their mortal frame. By ancient spiritual texts the essential ingredient to reach the stage of Self-realization are practicing celibacy for many years. It is only then the awakening of the Kundalini can occur. Yoga meditation is required to be practiced in the Savasana pose for longer periods. This gives control over breathing as it is traveling the waves of breath that one can reach the inner domains of Atma within. The process of neti (not this, not this) as practiced and advocated by Maharishi Ramana. Neti is the process, which makes us understand that everything in the cosmos is built up of the Great Oneness. Explicit Faith in the Lord is the only requirement what the pinpointer to enlightenment is. God has shown Grace to all who have abiding Faith in Him, to achieve the Cosmic goal. On the path of Self-realization, one has to be truthful in all circumstances
of life. Maintaining truthfulness is the most difficult task in the Kali
Yuga. To be able to cross over the Samsara (physical manifested life) there is the need to understand the essence of Bhagavad Gita. The doctrine of Bhagavad Gita was put forward by Lord Krishna to King Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra in the battle of Mahabharata. (There were many serials "Swami teaches... “ articles on this topic). Moksha is the stage when an enlightened individual, who has realized the Self, decides to leave the body, to become free from the cycle of Birth and Death. (To reach to the state of Moksha is possible during the lifetime). Atma within finds finally place in the abode of the Creator of the Cosmos (the place from where it started its journey) and the individual become one with the Creator. How noble and full of bliss is the path towards Moksha (Salvation). Moksha is seen as a final release from one's worldly conception of self, the
loosening of the shackle of experiential duality and a re-establishment in
one's own fundamental nature, though the nature is seen as ineffable and
beyond sensation. However, the actual state of salvation is seen differently
depending on one's beliefs. Adwaithins believe in the theory of reincarnation of souls (Atma) into
plants, animals, and humans according to their karma. They believe that
suffering is due to Maya Reality, and only knowledge (Jnana) of Brahman can
destroy Maya. When Maya is removed, there exists ultimately no difference
between the Jivi-Atman and the Brahman. One can worship God in any way and
in any form. The serial of Creation (principles Satkaryavada) by Upanishads declare that first of all, the five subtle elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth) are created from Iswara. Ether is created by Maya. From ether, air is born. From air, water is born. From water, earth is born. From a proportional combination of all five subtle elements, the five gross elements are created, like the gross sky, the gross fire, etc. From these gross elements, the Universe and life are created. (According to Satkaryavada, the cause is hidden inside the effect. How can Iswara, whose form is spiritual, be the effect of this material world? Adi Shankara says that just as from a conscious living human, inanimate objects like hair and nails are formed, similarly, the inanimate world is formed from the spiritual Iswara). Adi Shankara taught that it was only through direct knowledge of non-duality that one could be enlightened. Although Adwaitha also proposes the theory of Maya, explaining the Universe
as a "trick of a magician", Adi Shankara and his followers see this as a
consequence of their basic premise that Brahman is real. Their idea of Maya
emerges from their belief in the reality of Brahman. (By the way, famous quantum and atomic physicists Erwin Schrödinger and Robert Oppenheimer were Vedantists). There is the direct relationship between quantum mechanics discoveries, mass, frequency, energy that 20th century physics has established and the Adwaithic 'Unity of the Universe' as the Great Oneness. These relationships, formalized as equations by Planck and Einstein, suggest
too that the whole Universe blend into a One that exhibits itself as many
(namely, mass, energy, wave etc). By Adwaithins' view that everything is but
the manifestation of an omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent "the Great
One". When Krishnamurti asked Bohm what is the point of the mystery, Bohm gave the following succinct reply: "Of the mystery? I think you could see it like this: that if you look into
the field of thought and reason and so on, you finally see it has no clear
foundation. Therefore, you see that "what is" must be beyond that. 'What is'
is the mystery." (Krishnamurti and Bohm. 1987, p. 46). The "objective reality" by human's mind is largely a construct of thought, and not recognizing this leads us to endless circles of self-deception - in science as well as in life in general. When David Bohm's widely known book "Wholeness and the Implicate Order" was
published in 1980, the "holographic model" quickly became an active topic of
discussion. This does not prove anything, but it does show that modern physics can be rigorously consistent with the existence of higher realms of Truth, Order, Existence, and Eternity. (Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Baba. The Divine Discourse. "The Essence of Buddha's Teachings." 11 May 1998, Brindavan; Sathya Sai Baba. The Divine Discourse. "Purity of the Heart is True Sadhana." 9th October 2005, Prashanti Nilayam; Sathya Sai Baba. Essence of Vedic Knowledge.1. Upanishad Vahini; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 20. "God and you are One," Chapter 15). References: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2005; Indian philosophy David Bohm. Wholeness and the implicate order. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1980. http://www.godrealized.com/selfrealization.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-realization PS: In this article, the main spiritual designations begin with capital letter. Namaste - Reet Light and Love By Vedas and Swami's Works science cannot explain the world totally. People cannot 'fly' beyond the Universe. Human consciousness reflects the world from an own limited point of view by senses, by various body-mind (brain) activity. From certain balance between them depends on human's behavior, human's truths and untruths; human's level of intellect, state of consciousness with the unconscious. Human's behavior also depends on social rules: rules of which class he/she belongs and legislations of governments. On this level, all is right what is in accordance with laws. However, the laws are relative and mostly reflect the human rights and obligations what is benefit for concrete type of society or class, not for human society as Atmic Unity, the One Unity. It is spirituality what can promote ethical values, the spirit of tolerance and equal-mindedness. The science of spirit is essential for developing human values. The holy duty of human is to ever aware of the Atma that is installed in
every living being. This is the basis of brotherhood of human and the
fatherhood of God. The basic law of Nature declares that energy cannot be created or destroyed - but it can be transformed. The Sun in the process of stellar fusion transforms energy hydrogen and helium atoms into an electromagnetic energy, including light. Similarly, the spiritual fusion can take place inside human's consciousness. The spiritual power has the capacity to transform negativities tendencies into higher forms of vibrations. Seeing the life in the infinite Divine context of space and time will deepen
one's perception of life. In general, from the quotation may be to conclude that without spiritual truths the whole quantum science has no meaning. The whole cosmos reflects in human's mind. Therefore the role of
neuroscience to understand the nature of consciousness and consequently all
other phenomena which are related to it is great. This task is hard to solve
without entwining neuroscience with spirituality; today some steps towards
it have made. Computing systems are able to scan activities of axon (so called "molecule of nerve"), neuronal cell body, to create a computer-based "copy" of brain as some machine. It is scientific reality. Ray Kurzweil, the technologist-turned-futurist has championed the marriage of the biologic and the cybernetic. By Kurzweil human being is a "spiritual machine." Changing the brain, with or without gene alteration, speaks to what it means to be human. Drugs or magnetic fields that modulate cognition may bend the very definition of who we are. We are not a body, but this body is a carrier of Atma. From that concluded
that everyone has a sense of Atmic responsibility to create harmony,
balance, and order between conscience, intellect, mind, senses, and body.
It is one spark towards spirituality as some neuroscientists have come to
conclusion that the essence of what we are is not only in our genes. Vedas,
ancient scriptures (modernized, generalized, analyzed by Swami) thousands
years ago declared the same. By the way, the modern neuroscience has discovered that in old age areas of the brain, when they are 'busy' can renew themselves. Beyond producing new nerve cells, the brain also rewires itself in response to experience. A deep understanding of so-called neural plasticity may reveal how far we can go with physical therapy, not only to repair the brain but also the spinal cord. The prospect of enhancing normal brain function is real. In addition, with it will come a host of ethical issues concerning who has access to what? Will a "smart divide" separate elite who can afford to self-administer a memory pills or different modern medicines from the rest of society that copes with rote learning by burning the midnight candles? Real equality among people has to be achieved not by the equal distribution of material things but by the cultivation of love, which promotes a sense of the Divinity that is inherent in all beings. The equal distribution of wealth through socialism is declared as the ideal, but is it possible to bring about such equality? Even if material wealth is distributed equally, can you ensure equality in desires and aspirations? By taking away a part of a rich person's property and giving it to a poor one, you may give satisfaction to the latter, but what about the dissatisfaction caused to the person who has deprived? You must look beyond material things to the Supreme Being who is the provider of all things. Swami underlines that today is considerable progress in various fields -
scientific, economic, political and so on, but all human's actions are
motivated by selfishness. Human has become a plaything in the hands of own
selfishness. There is no unity among people. Unity can come through thyaga
(sacrifice), not through the pursuit of desires and comforts. You must
cultivate chatty, which does not mean giving some money to a person in need
or to an organization. A person may call him/herself a great devotee, or
sadhaka or scientist, but without a spirit of sacrifice, there is nothing
great in person. People have the marvelous capacity to think about and imagine what is true
and good. People can easily imagine and feel the emotional content of the
quality of kindness, the qualities of bravery, compassion, justice, love,
etc. The recent study of human's brain declares that some areas of brain linked to perceiving others' intentions show more activity in unselfish versus selfish types. (The neural mechanisms of altruism remain unknown for neuroscience, empathy and its component abilities, such as the perception of the actions and intentions of others, by the team researchers have proposed). By Scott Huettel (an associate professor of psychology at Duke University
Medical Center, in Durham, N.C.) selflessness (altruism) did not grow out of
a feeling of doing good for others, but out of the recognition that there is
another person that has too the similar intentions and goals. The researchers used high-tech functional MRI (fMRI) to observe "hot spots" of activity in the participants' brains. Participants were also asked to complete a questionnaire aimed at assessing their personal levels of altruism. The team observed the whole brain region, called the posterior superior temporal cortex (pSTC), kicked into high gear as altruism levels rose. The pSTC is located near the back of the brain and is not focused on reward. Instead, it focuses on perceiving others' intentions and actions. (It was less clear why pSTC activity gets ramped up in the brains of altruistic people). The researchers found that pSTC activity was highest when study participants were observing the computer play the game on its own, not when they were playing themselves. The researchers concluded that altruism may rely on a basic understanding that others have motivations and actions that may be similar to our own. (People who had damage to that brain area were much less altruistic). In spite of the study has many unsolved questions, it shows that
selflessness is hidden in human's mind as a fingerprint, pattern of human's
true Self, Atma what is equally illuminates all brains. However, a sincerely Self-realized i.e. Enlightened person have obtained the feeling of equanimity, oneness of the all Creation. When all is the Great One what is developing in infinite diverse forms by the flute of the Divine Will, at first sight is there a need at all to write books, have discussions, send mails, etc. about this topic? Even if it has done with the whole heart and with the best wishes, there is always the Ego involved in it. However, Self-realization and Ego are mutually exclusive. Is the mundane activity (to share, to teach, to discuss, to explain and so on) the inner, spiritual contentment what has programmed to human’s mind, a prerequisite for Self-realization? It is as an aspect of Self-realization. Here the Self-realized person as live in this world and still not has tainted by Ego. For example, mother Theresa lived normal life but reached to the heights of Self-realization. Avatars in their body forms have a sincere desire to help humans understand their True Self. This desire was as their Duty before the humanity. For instance, Swami lives among humans the life comparable with all others and Swami does not tire to teach the humanity, but at the same time, He is the Self-realized Avatar. The Self-realization seems to have different aspects. 1. Self- realized one has fused into the Great Oneness. He/she illuminates around the Divine Light of Awareness silently, without any word, mundane action. This silent is holy. 2. The other is Avatars aspect. Being Self-realized during their lifetimes, they continue to do their Divine duty - to teach the humanity. Near to this have reached the great human Souls, Mahatmas, Sages, from past to present days who had realized the Self also during their lifetime and teach through their experiences the humans. They are Messengers of Avatars. 3. Many noble human beings are jet on the path of the Self-realization. They are the seekers of the Truth. They are continuing to write the books and held on different discussions with the aim to share with others their insights, to receive from others rewards, feedbacks, as positive, so negative. All this circle of sharing serves to the seeker as pinpointer to find own path for realization of the Self. For the seekers of Truth the role of good company and good conduct are
significant. (Morality is the basis of right conduct. Whether it is the
state, the society or the individual, the basis for all of them is
morality). Sharing the thoughts and insights with such company is as symbol
of unity in diversity. Swami many times underlines this. This unconscious
feeling of eternal unity, Atma has programmed in human's mind. Scientific and whatsoever humans' achievements are dependent on the body and mind. Even the Divine can be realized through the body. But the body is only an instrument for realizing God. Moreover, the Supreme Atmic Principle is immanent in it. "The Lord, give me the courage to change the things which can and ought to be changed, the serenity to accept the things which cannot be changed and the wisdom to know the difference," is often said in West. (Reet's
compilation from, Sathya Sai Baba. The Divine Guru Poornima Discourse.
"Quest for Truth" 9 July 1998, Prasanthi Nilayam; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol.
13. "The Sai Religion," Chapter 23; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 18. "Equality
through Love," Chapter 28; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 22. "Religions and
morals," Chapter 24; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 20. "Spiritual basis for value
education," Chapter 20). Dharol Tankersley, C Jill Stowe and Scott A Huettel Scott Huettel. "Altruism is associated with an increased neural response to agency." Jan. 21, 2007 online issue of Nature Neuroscience. http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nn1833.html or when you have no password the brief summary available: http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nn1833.html PS: In this article, the main spiritual designations begin with capital
letter. Light and Love Human's greed is the greatest pollutant. Greed stops human from sharing with others. Greed also obstructs the preservation of ecology. This greed not only pollutes the gross, physical environment but also contaminates the subtle atmosphere; it stimulates negative emotions in the subtle mind. These negative emotions influence the minds of all the people around; if one person is angry and agitated, the anger and agitation does not stay limited to that one person but rubs off onto all those whom person comes in contact with. Negative feelings of hatred, anger, jealousy are the root cause of all disasters and misery in the world, whether they are economical, political, or social. Most of the wars are triggered off by such feelings; and war is always accompanied by waste and natural disasters, which take ages to balance out.
Many negative feelings in life come focusing on things
outside of our direct influence. So long as we continue to focus on these
things, we are bound to feel frustrated. There is only one thing over which
we have total control and that is ourselves - the attitude to the situation
and what we do about it. (For example, here are several hot
topics of global ecological disasters in nature caused by human's unbalanced
actions and spiritual darkness. Allergies get worse Environmental
(ecological) consciousness is pictorially inbuilt in the human mind
similarly as the seeds of selflessness and altruism. Throughout history,
Nature (or Prakriti) has always been adored in India; mountains, rivers, the
Sun, the Moon, the trees have been revered. Ancient cultures all over the
world have exhibited a deep reverence for Nature. For many of them, God was
not in temples or churches, but was inherent in Nature, in the five elements
(earth, water, fire, air, and space). Hinduism, the most ancient religion,
adores Nature through the five elements and has even defined spirituality as
tatvabodha or understanding the Principles of Nature. When we start moving
away from Nature, we start polluting Nature. Today there is a pressing need
to revive the ancient practice of honoring and conserving Nature. A human's mind longs for unity and
harmony, longs for Love, often without knowing what this Love in essence is.
This is as some kind inner, hidden awareness of human's mind on the path
towards the Self-realization, what reflects from the ninth level of
consciousness. D. Uznadze defined this problem as, "The objective reality influences on a psyche directly. This direction defines actions". D. Uznadze understood necessity to introduce gap level between external world and own person's actions. This gap is "course of action" named by author as the Set. The Set - it is a tendency to move in order to which was defined. Also the Set is be ready to do the actions after the some kind inner mental patterns. The Set depends from little changing of situation as in external world so in internal world. It seems that Uznadze's Set is quite near to the Self, the Divine Spirit within. Consciousness is as a 'supernet' of activities what consist consciousness and the unconscious* (the last seems to be in relation with conscience, intellect and the Self).
By psychology consciousness cannot be separate from
unconscious, similarly as human beings cannot be separate from the Self. The
consciousness is always in connection with the unconscious components. There is a large area of the unconscious, what is a topic of discussion of modern psychology, neuroscience, and biophysics. Nobody exactly knows what really under the unconscious is hidden, but there are thoughts, hypotheses, theories. Modern psychologists point out that the conscious mind is associated with a much broader and deeper mental system, with the unconscious mind. Consciousness always seems to favor
novel information. However, recognizing novelty requires an implicit
comparison the old knowledge that is represented contextually. Probably the
unconscious shapes conscious experience. Probably the unconscious contextual
assumptions can become consciously accessible. Every percepted statement has
presupposed hidden information that has to be understood before it can make
sense. (The quality of conscious and unconscious perception seems to depend
on the person's awareness of the Self). Probably many of the scientific discoveries (which have largely unconscious contexts) reflect the reality of the unconscious activity what will guide humans to their Divine nature. Today many branches of modern science search the integration with spiritual outlooks, because without the lasts they cannot develop. How is possible to create as God knowing nothing about God? There is one interesting feature to
be noted. The religion has no one Founder as the others have. That invisible
unknown founder is God, the source of all wisdom. He is the Prophet of this
Sanathana Dharma. He is the Founder; His Grace and His Inspiration
manifested through the pure Sages and they became the representatives of
this Dharma. When the moral purity of people degenerates, God takes form as
grace and inspiration in sages and teachers. He has also given through the
Upanishads the Sathya-Jnana, the Wisdom concerning the Reality. Love itself, and not the object of Love is significant. This Love should not be based on expectations of a reward or return. It is not an article of commerce. It is a spontaneous offering. No one can describe the nature of the Divine Love. It is beyond the reach of poets. The one who is immersed in the waters of the Divine Love will be unable to speak to anyone. Those who speak about God in the world do so only from superficial experience, but those who are wholly saturated with God's Love will find no words to describe their bliss. Love begins to turn from the head into heart. Love pictorially becomes our companion and teacher in whatsoever situation. Human's relationships are not only changeable sensational feelings, but they are also as mirrors for learning about themselves, and others. The oneness of the Divine subsumes everything. Worldly love is based on the desire to receive. The Divine Love yearns to give. Spirituality is opposed to the ways of the world. However, worldly activities cannot be avoided. But, if whatever is done is made an offering to please God, it gets sanctified. So individuals can realize their true humanness. There is a wish to try to define Love, as a part from sensual perception, quality consciousness and unconsciousness together. However, it seems impossible. By neuroscience and philosophy one can try to explain only excerpts from it. Is it essential at all to find the definitions? The basis is Paramatma with the Principle of Creation, as activity beyond of human consciousness, in all its aspects, properties which are themselves parts of this creation.
Everyone should regard him/herself as a Messenger of God. It is the royal
road for human to realize the Divinity in him/her and in everyone.
"To see a world in a grain of sand (Reet's compilation from, Sathya Sai Baba. The Divine Discourse. "Human Values and Education." 26 July 1999, Prasanthi Nilayam. Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 2. "Sprouts of faith," Chapter 51; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 10. "Truth of Truth," Chapter 35; Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 20. "Spiritual basis for value education," Chapter 20. Sathya
Sai Speaks. Vol. 21, "Love - The Key To Human Unity," Chapter 34. Sathya Sai
Speaks. Vol. 28. "The power of the Divine Love," Chapter 1; Sathya Sai
Baba.Essence of Vedic Knowledge. 1.Upanishad Vahini). C. L. Rubinstain. A ground of common psychology. Moscow. "Pedagogics", 1989 (in Russian). D. Uznadze. Person behavior kinds. Moscow. 1966 (in Russian). V.V. Nalimov. Realms
of the Unconscious. The Enchanted Frontier, Philadelphia: ISI Press, 1982.
There is no complete definition of
the unconscious. In addition, the explanations and approaches of modern
science are different. The scientific approach declares that some of the
properties of unconscious seem to be beyond of humans mind. In a state of
deep meditation is possible to reach near to them. But there are no words,
no explanations in words for this 'bright nothingness.' |