Spirituality is a progression from the gross
to the subtle phenomena. It is a progression from a personal to an impersonal
ideal. The grosser forms of spirituality are nothing but the expression of the subtle forms of spirituality. Nevertheless, it is the subtle
form of spirituality which brings more tangible peace for the mankind. Here, we
will examine the evolution of spirituality from the gross to the subtle forms.
The majority of people think of God as
something extraneous from the real subject within. They conceive an external
God, which is far removed from the real subject within. The grosser forms of
spirituality involve appeasement to these external Gods. These forms of
spirituality generally appeal to the sense organs.
One of the most common examples of this form
of spirituality is to set up loudspeakers with a deafening noise, venting up
high in the air, the musical numbers of Gods and Goddesses. The children, who
prepare for exams under these conditions face a tough time and had to forget
the prospects of obtaining good marks in the subject.
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| Loudspeakers. |
Next, comes the vacation, when men visit their
personal Gods in far-off places. They carry utensils, cooking ingredients, and
accompany an innocent creature for sacrifice. They believe that their personal
fortunes will be doomed if they don't offer a sacrifice to these Gods. They are
countless such examples which mark the gross forms of spirituality.
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| The appeasement. |
Next, comes the form of spirituality which
appeals to the intellect. It involves reading books and listening to spiritual
talks. If the speaker is an illumined soul, it will have a marked effect on the
subject. But, if the speaker is under the domain of ignorance, it will not have
a lasting effect on the subject. Only those phrases, commandments, poems, and
lectures uttered by an illumined soul remain. The rest naturally move to the
recycle bin.
Therefore, men, who progress along the path of
spirituality, must not judge the intellect to be the end aim of spirituality. In fact, real spirituality is infinitely larger than mere reading and
lecturing. Lecturing without illumination is a kind of a nuisance to the world.
It shatters the peace both within and without.
Next, comes the highest form of spirituality
which lies within the subject. This form of spirituality always comes from a
formless source. It comes from an eternal voice. Sri Krishna in Gita, Buddha in
four noble truths, and the message of Swami Vivekananda, all constitute this
eternal voice. In fact, Swami Vivekananda once said that he is the voice
without a form. Though these men had left their physical body ages ago, their
‘eternal voice’ continues to help humanity even in this age, and in the ages
henceforth.
The highest form of spirituality is too subtle
to comprehend and derived from an impersonal ideal. This impersonal ideal is
completely devoid of a 'name and form'. Everything merges into 'One absolute
Brahman'. Absolute silence marks the highest illumination since the duality is
completely absent. The illumined souls preserve absolute silence unless they
have a spiritual mission on earth. There are many illumined souls who
transmitted spirituality by silence. A mere touch or a look will redeem the
humanity itself.
The real source of spirituality has always the
subtle origins. They either come from an eternal voice, or from the prayer of
the great souls. They come from the outcome of the deep meditation within. The
great souls have all obtained illumination through this method. Buddha obtained
enlightenment in a forest, Jesus obtained illumination in a desert, and Sri
Ramakrishna obtained illumination in a temple.
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| Deep meditation. |
Therefore, the gross form of spirituality
exhausts the energy within because of the outward flow of energy. The
intellectual form of spirituality, without accompanied by illumination, is
futile. The real form of spirituality comes from an impersonal ideal and
accompanied by a deep meditation within.
Thank You.
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