Thiest, Athiest or something else

Thiest, Athiest or something else

by | Apr 19, 2023 | Insight

As the subject mentions, we are going to discuss about theists, atheist or is there any third way of knowledge about existence of God and related phenomena.
In general, we categorise people among these groups, the people who believe in their God or his existence and other people who don't believe in it. You might have come across the concept that this both categories are nothing but same and there is chance that something else does exist.
Now first of all, we want to concentrate or focus on the fact that why it is called as believers and nonbelievers are two sides of same coin. Also,one thing you might have noticed that believers believe that God exist, whereas atheist believe that God does not exist . Now check closely the fact that both these categories assumes something whether it is existence or non-existence about the God. None of the parties have made any experiment to confirm their claim about God being him as existant or non existant. This is how it has been explained that both believers and non-believers of God are on same side who do not make any experiment and without any evidence they have started assuming something taking some scripture or messages of some messenger as a standard.

Next point is, there are some traditions or groups who make experiment, find observations and reach out to some concrete inferences. There also you will find that non-believers exist in such group. Now how you look at this? Basically what has happened is the group of people or devotees, following their traditions have recorded the same experiences, but they have interpreted them differently. This is another point wherein evidence-based system also has reached to the result about existence or non-existence of God.

But there is one thing for sure if you follow the opinions of believers or non-believers who do not make any experiments, and without any reason after getting their minds conditioned due to some reasons, you also might fall in the categories of blind believers. If you start believing on their interpretations and inferences of experiment made by the traditions or devotees of that particular path - Then also you do not have any evidence-based opinion on your own because what ever the experiences and their inferences collected by that group of people about existence or non-existence of God is rather surreal. So these results cannot be exhibited to the public in open. In Modern scientific world , still many are trying, but the fact has remained secret since ages.

So it's best that you do not take the side of any of that two but start your experiments on your own wherein your body and your mind is your laboratory and experience is derived in this laboratory through the experiments of Sadhana which can make you reach to some experiences and their inferences. In this case, you have will the right to interpret all those experience on your own also you have a better chance and a responsibility to present those experiments with their interpretations without any political dogma and you will have confidence in your observations ..

विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः।

रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते।।2.59।।

We will take one Bhagwat Gita Shloka for reference. The complete meaning for this Shloka has been given as below.

The object of senses will become irrelevant(, but does not get lost) who has followed the practice of Neerahaara and when such devotee gets the vision of the ultimate, the desires and attractions inherent to these objects of senses will get vanished.

we want to put your focus to words 'परं दृष्ट्वा' pronounced as 'Param Drashtva'. This has been clearly indicated in this Shloka, that the ultimate can be brought into a vision. You can see him in some form so the existence which is beyond the range of your senses can be brought into Such range. So if our Scriptures and the experiences of our ancient people support this phenomena then it is worth while to think that when there is a possibility to have a vision or confirmation about existence of God, then why it is necessary to believe on something or sayings of some people.

In conclusion, I would like to make only one point that the human should make all his effort to derive this experience which will lead him to the knowledge instead of putting himself into the conservative belief system. You can bypass this belief system when you have your own experience.

2 Major Paths of Sadhana

2 Major Paths of Sadhana

by | Mar 1, 2023 | Practice

There are only two paths of Spiritual progress. That's what Bhagwad geeta says in its 3rd Adhyaya. And those are Karma and Samkhya ie Jnyana. Everybody is qualified for path of Karma because whoever has Karmendriyas that is 5 organs of karma, he will be able to follow the path of Karma.

But its not the same for Jnyana. You need to qualify the threshold level of Logic, open mindedness to pursue on this path. Though you have inclination or interest in this path, still you have to do karma. One more tricky thing about this paths is that if you are layman doing his karma religiously with his fullest efficiency with whatever skill he possess, he will get entry into Jnyana.

So Karma Sadhanas are being done with five organs of Karma. But Jnyana Yoga is being done with only one organ ie.mind.

But if you are follower of opinion that on broader terms Karma is being done on three levels , by Kaya-Vacha-Manasa i.e by body, by speech & by mind, Then Jnyana as a Karma to be done by mind and intellect becomes part of Karma Yoga only. So you have only one path for spiritual progress and that is Karma.

In this perspective, three things namely Karma, Jnyana as sadhana or Jyana Yoga, and Jnyana as a object should be distinguished and to be understood by sadhaka very clearly, in the beginning itself.

Followers of Jnyana yoga doing their sadhana with mahavakyas , Upanishadas or NirvanTrayi assume whatever written in those books is required to be made by heart, that is what ultimate crux of reality is. Seldom they end in lipstick vedanta and start assuming this is what sadhana and its fulfilment is.

Ashtang yoga as told by Patanjali, mantra yoga, Bhakti yoga, tantra yoga even Kriya yoga and many different types of Yogas are all Karma Yogas. They are all called as Anvopaya ie very little means of Karmic effort.  Jnyana yoga also starts with karma, A karma of Vichara or Vichara Sadhana.

After initial substantial efforts in Karma, the sadhaka receives some spiritual experience. This experience imparts some knowledge, veil above his identity is removed for a instance, But that glance is so addictive that the sadhaka wants to reach that state again and again. This experience is the function of the tradition a Sadhaka follows or type of Yoga he does. Then actually he decides which is his real path.

In Karma yoga such experiences help sadhaka to annihilate karma samskaras but in Jnyana yoga habit of Logic and rational mind is used to change inclinations of mind and thereby slowly as you progress on the path age-old karma samskaras loosen their grip.

So spiritual experience is not the essential requirement of Jnyana yoga so you are now clear as why it is said that a Guru is must for all Karmic Paths. You need an experience to impart the knowledge or   reveal some aspect of reality. So you need proven path of methods and procedures, that’s what Guru donates. In some traditions Guru directly imparts Spiritual Experience called as Shaktipaat. But Jnyana Yoga is not adhered with such requirement of experience. Rather in some traditions of Jnyana Yoga such experiences are treated as mayic or materialistic. So Jnyana yoga or any yoga treated with the methods of Jnyana Yoga doe not need a Guru.

For some sadhakas , they get experience in one path still the attraction for other does not vanishes. They have such Karmic patterns and Samskaras. They need to follow different paths as their Karmic bandhanas unfolds, as their samskaras spring up from their inner being.

So you find there are many paths for your spiritual unfoldment, and also you can find people talking about taking different paths in single lifetime.

Plan Your Spiritual Journey before you venture

Plan Your Spiritual Journey before you venture

by | Feb 7, 2023 | Practice

We can compare our spiritual journey with practical one i.e. if we go for some voyage or visit some city on holidays.

We plan it well, Plan itenary, means of travel . By road or by air or may be by sea. When we will reach our destinied city? Our dwelling place, a hotel or a hut or a relative. Places to visit. We plan this all very nice.

A spiritual progress is also like this journey. So the seeker should plan his trip to inner world well in advance. Study all the stations, he might come across. Pros and cons of all the paths available to reach his destination.

Though this is ideal, it takes lot of time and involve much of your effort. You should get familiar with all the routes, all the paths available. At least you need to keep scanning till you find your way. Also, qualification is the main problem in this area. Because in real world you can get many experts who are familiar with the route and the city you are going to visit. In spiritual realm, you need to obtain a sufficient qualification, not to prove to anybody else but sufficient enough to take your own decision, about the path you will take. First hand knowledge is always useful in such cases.

But everybody cant spare enough time for such search, everybody cant have sufficient enthusiasm and searching mindest to arrive at concrete decision.

So people always try to find Guru, who has traveresed the path and reached that destination, who can guide us at our journey. So once again the question of authenticity arises. The seekers are ready to believe in the people who have acquired Guruhood because their friend or relative is telling them so. But they themselves do not have any method to judge or decide about such people.

Actually, commen sense is the only wise criteria to judge these people, But this commen sense is highly uncommon which gets proved when we see people following some quack.

Its always better to know about your path or sadhana from written tradition may be it may be bookish or from some living Guru. Because when you does not know where to go you are just one more wanderer wasting your time. (Time has been alloted to  you to waste or expend on different tasks you are doing in life , that's different story.) Sadhaka first need to analyse different stages one goes through if taken that path, are we ready to handle those stages? What's our mindset, and what is the qualification to take that path. He/she needs to compare the environment demanded by path and present situation. Also, upcoming duties of sadhaka should be checked for their compatibility.

One more important aspect of Planning your spiritual journey is What is your destination? Is it knowledge, Joy, some divine miracle or freedom from bondage of Births and Karmas. Because this is your real inner urge which will compel you to walk on the path or literally will drag you through  the contours of your path. If you are sakam Bhakta or from the category of Aartas then think how boring a path of Knowledge to you? At the end you will get diverted to knowledge automatically but directly you should not jump on it. Because you can exhibit only those virtues which are inside of your being, you need to control, pacify, manage all those aspirations emerging from you time to time. While walking on the path you will fulfill those and while doing so your desires or aspirations will get elevated due to your sadhana and slowly as you deepen, transformation will take place.

Or sometimes the person exhibits differently for different situation, some of his old karma and its samskaras come at surface then his mindset sways, moods keep on swinging. The path taken earlier feels insufficient so in such cases the person might need to take other keeping the principles same. So wisely he should choose his path and keep a constant check of his mindset, whether he is not swaying away from his chosen path. If for some reasons, he compromises for some relevant other path, as said before he should keep his principles intact.

At the end, in a nutshell, A sadhaka should prepare himself to walk on the path by planning his journey, choosing the path compatible to his temperament or physical situation in life. He should decide whether living Guru or principles taught by some ancient but deceased person or information recorded in a  book called as scripture is sufficient to him to walk on the path. The first and formost is what is the destination, knowledge, Joy, some divine miracle or freedom from bondage of Births and Karmas. JanmaKarma Bandhas.

4 Types of People Approaching God

4 Types of People Approaching God

by | Dec 26, 2022 | Theory

One day, one of old friends, who was well aware about my inclination towards sadhana and sort of Spiritual progress, asked me how to begin Sadhana?

"Well, " I said " You can start reading biographies of Saints." At that time also I knew that it was not complete answer but somehow a person at the beginning can get some glimpses of this evasive path. If he was still persistent I would have needed to go little deeper about how to begin on this path.

Actually, It is well known fact that every person is unique and every person carries different set of Karmas and their Samskaras and so every person needs to study thoroughly before taking up any path. And so instead of taking refute only in single path, seeker should apply the way how his samskaras and his karma is taking the shape, at least in the begining.

Broadly there are four categories of people who approach to Ishwara, The Lord supreme ( Now this one question is different whether you believe it or not , but for time being, let us assume that there is one ). The 4 types of people approaching God are Aarta, Jigyasu, Bhakta, and Jnyani.

Aarta means pained, distressed or afflicted. When human heavily burdened by his own Karma, find himself helpless. And in such times approaches to Almighty in expectation of getting some help. His breathtaking Load of Karma can get detached  for some time at least partially or fully. And you can find many testimonies of People of How God or Guru helped them in their state of distress. Also, You might have come across those stories also where no such help came to hand. People in distress were left in their dire situation as they are.

Jigyasu are happy with their life how it's going. They have their own ways of handling their distress, loosen their Karmic burden on their own or maybe they don’t have toiling Karma Samskaras or if they have, it's not the time ripen enough to get the fruits of those evil deeds. Mostly they don’t want anything from God but they wonder how this World is? What this God is? What is the life ? How it is made up of ?  And so many … One more peculiarity of Jigyasu is that they don’t believe anybody. And want to experience on their own and want to get convinced with their own Experience. If they Start believing then they will get easy entry into the League of Bhaktas. To find out such answers they approach to God. Jigyasu literally means desire to know.

It's very easy to know Bhakta if you know what Vibhakta is. Vibhakta literally means departed, separated. Bhakta essentially means to experience the intimacy with God, always. Presence of God becomes reality for Bhakta once he set his mindset to do so. And this is very personal affair how a bhakta reach this exalted state of feeling always near to God. This is just one step before reaching Advaita, feeling oneness with God on broader terms.

Jnyani is the supreme state of awareness wherein you exactly know How the world is made up of? You know all the essential secrets of Being one with God. You understand atman is only one ,that which is in you the same is in me. He understands this very truth not only philosophically not only intellectually but with one's own direct experience. Rather such direct experiences impart real knowledge to him. After receiving such experience words remains insufficient and sedimentary and what he explains remain to be understood without real experience. He approaches to God because he knows there is nothing except God.

Now before taking a startup on the path of Sadhana, you need to evaluate yourself properly where you fit in. Because, there are different sadhanas for different types of people.

On broader terms if you think of popular ways or known traditions, Daivat Shastra and Mantra shastra are suitable to aartas. Yoga and Tantra for Jigyasu. Mantra Shastra and bhakti yoga for Bhaktas. And Yoga, Vedanta, Jnyana yoga for Jnanis are suitable.

Ref: BhagwadGita Chapter 7.

 

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