The Misinterpretation of the Highest Spiritual Reality and the Current Conflict Worldwide

Nowadays it’s very difficult to go through newspapers— with the front page always reporting on suicide bombers, car bombs, bombs ripping through civilian areas causing casualties to women and children, hostage-taking by militants, and the list goes on. These incidents have become more pronounced and is a matter of international concern with events occurring everywhere irrespective of the geographical location. The perpetrators of these crimes against humanity malign the name of religion and bring it to disrepute.

Recent attack in Baghdad. 

The root of the problem lies in the perception of different spiritual realities as envisaged by different religious teachers, and the interpretation of which in the wrong sense, paves the way for violence.

The spiritual reality is the ultimate reality as experienced by the founders of different religions. In some religions, the ultimate spiritual reality is only one. In a religion like Hinduism, there are different spiritual realities—Nirguna Brahman (God without form), Saguna Brahman (God with form), Freedom of Purusha from Prakriti—depending upon the school of philosophy. Though there are gradations in the spiritual realities, they are integrated forward to the highest reality. This forward-integration of gradations of spiritual realities is one of the interesting aspects of the Hindu religion, and it is that which gives colour and taste to the religion. This gives freedom to worship for a man–a stone, a tree, an idol, innumerable Gods and Goddesses, and ultimately a God without form.

Integrated to the highest reality.

Therefore, Hinduism does not look upon with contempt the lower forms of religions as idolatry. Because everything points out to the highest reality. But the problem with other religions is this: they do not accept the lower form of spiritual realities; they do not integrate the lower form of realities with the highest one; some native pagan religions do not have any highest reality at all; Some religions have inadequate theological concepts to suffice their highest reality, by only relying upon the words of the founder.

The interpretation of the highest reality is always a difficult one and a dangerous one too, because of its high conception many followers tend to misinterpret it. Any highest reality to be of any benefit to mankind must be brought down to the practical plane.

The highest reality is devoid of name and form. The name and form do not exist in the highest reality. What exist is only ‘One’. We can interpret this highest idea in two ways—either by construction or by destruction.

By destruction, when the highest reality is devoid of name and form, the rest of the name and form then constitute only ignorance. Therefore, idols and idol-worship which constitutes name and form need to be destroyed. Say suppose, a religious teacher has said that name and form is ignorance and needs to be destroyed, the followers when they take up in the destructive sense, begin breaking all idols around the world and destroying all temples around the world. And they kill the followers of this ignorant religions. This is the result of gross misinterpretation. The result of which we see every day in the form of violence across the world.

Bamiyan destroyed by Taliban. 

By construction, when the highest reality is devoid of name and form, and when the ultimate reality is ‘One’, a man gives up all his identity related to his name and form and becomes One with the universe. He destroys the ignorance of name and form in mental space and not outside. When ignorance is removed, the aspirant becomes one with the whole world. Then the aspirant will be able to sympathise with the suffering humanity. They undertake various humanitarian activities to help the suffering humanity. This paves the way for love and not for destruction.

Therefore, for the good of the humanity, please do not interpret the highest reality in the destructive sense.

Thank You.




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Decoding the Inner Mind: Mapping Threats and How to Eliminate them

Gross and Subtle layers of the mind:

        Most of us are not aware of the inner or subtle workings of the mind. We are only aware of the surface or the gross layer of the mind. The surface layer is nothing but the resultant part or the action-part prompted by the subtle layers of the mind. What we see in the gross is only the expression of the subtle impulses, hidden deep beneath in the mind.

The most important thing to be noted is that men are not aware of the formation of these subtle pictures in their minds; they are not aware of the strengthening of these subtle pictures; there are not aware of the trigger which activates these subtle pictures into the gross form of action; they are not aware of the timing of activation of these pictures. Men are controlled by these pictures, instead of taking control of them.

Mind-gross and subtle layers.

The effect of these subtle pictures:

     What happens when we don’t have control over these subtle pictures? The result would be a disaster. We may commit gruesome crimes. These pictures, when triggered, overpowers a person of all a sudden and makes them commit crimes. A man then loses all sense of Dharma. He loses the discriminative sense and does act contrary to the Dharma. So, we must understand what these pictures are and how do they work.

How pictures work:

So, what are these pictures? These pictures are nothing but the sense objects. Any sense object can be a picture. For example, a movie poster, an ice cream, or a chocolate, etc. For example, when you look at a movie poster, even casually, a subtle image is formed. This single image can cause a person to commit a murder. You may say, ‘Please wait. It doesn’t make any sense. How can a casual look at the poster can end in a murder?’. Yes, it does. The image when impressed in our minds, do not go away, lies within the layers, even for years together. It does go away only when it is transformed into action.

Any associated trigger can prompt the image into action. For example, a call from your friend for a movie may trigger the action. You may not be interested, but the subtle image overpowers and makes you say ‘Yes’. Then once we are into a movie, say a genre of violence or an ‘R’ rated one, the image of the movie then gets collected in the mind. Next, these images will be waiting for transformation into action. A trigger again may bring these violent images to the surface and end up in a crime scene. 

It is a chain reaction. This is the process: seeing the image -> strengthening the image -> activation of the image. Therefore care must be taken about even what we look at because it may create a criminal in us.

R-rated images. 

Pictures responsible for rebirth:

Likewise, we consciously or unconsciously have stored millions of pictures in us. Suppose in a lifetime we may have worked out hundreds of these images and say we have passed away, but the pictures continue to remain in the subtle form and carry forward to the next birth. That is why we find in children, when they grow up, the influence of these pictures in the form of habits. We train up in a certain way, and they grow up in a different way. This is the same reason we find prodigies in children and young people.

Millions of pictures.

Suppose, when these pictures are very dark, say a person has committed many crimes and have killed many beings for his sustenance, the resultant karma will be so dark, and such pictures can be worked out only in an animal body. They take rebirth in an animal body and these images gets activated quickly and gets worked out. A human form is not necessarily required to satisfy animal impulses. So we must be very careful about killing other beings and entertaining sensual impulses.

So we must know how to decode our inner mind, find and map out impulses, and eliminate them at last. The elimination of these impulses results in the freedom of Purusha from Prakriti altogether or the realisation of our higher self. So we must understand how these pictures are stored and exist in a subtle form. The knowledge of which helps us in understanding the subtle pictures lurking behind in our mind. 


The four states in which these pictures exist:

According to Patanjali, there are four states in which the pictures or Kleshas exist. They are,

1.     Dormant,

2.   Attenuated,

3.   Interrupted, and

4.   Active.

Avidya is the breeding ground for the others following it whether they are dormant, attenuated, interrupted or active. (2.4)

Dormant:

The pictures remain in the mind in a potential form. They remain unnoticed for years, but they are not lost. They prop up when the favourable environment or condition prevails. It is very similar to a dormant volcano. They remain inactive for a long time but erupts all of a sudden.

Like a dormant volcano.

For example, we may have a negative impression on a person and continue to form such pictures in the mind. These pictures remain dormant. Suppose in future, if we confront the same person, these pictures get activated, and the situation gets escalated. There are hundreds of such examples of this type of pictures.

Attenuated:

By the constant practice of Yoga, these pictures are brought under control. Though they are not completely lost, they cease to be destructive. The first step in Yoga is nothing but removing ourselves from the field of sense objects and placing ourselves in an environment where we are not affected by these objects.

So, when dormant images prop up, these pictures will then do not have any objects to react upon, and therefore loses its vigour. When again, the same pictures prop up, and when it doesn’t find any objects, it loses its steam and intensity. Gradually they become attenuated. But they are not lost altogether. If we place ourselves in the sense-environment again, these pictures are bound to find a sense object and react.

So in Yoga, the first step is not to see a potential sense object. That is why we find some sages even blinding their eye for the sake of non-formation of these pictures. We begin to meditate only when we stop seeing sense objects. We stop seeing name and form on the lower plane and meditate on the formless in the higher plane.

Meditate to destroy impressions.

Interrupted:

Interrupted pictures are those pictures suppressed by other pictures more powerful than the former one. It is the matter of intensity and the matter of slot and timing of appearance of these pictures on the surface.  

          For example, at the time of grief over the loss of someone who is close, one cannot think of sensual pleasures. They are interrupted for the moment. When the grieving period is over, they come up again.

          Therefore, at any moment, do not feel rejoice that the kleshas don’t up to the surface. It may come when the spiritual mood gets over. Therefore, be patient in working out this form of impressions. It may deceive us into thinking that it doesn’t exist.

Active:

           Active kleshas are those that we see on the surface, in the form of gross activity. It may also mean the impressions which are more active at the present moment. All attachment, anger, hatred, aversion and the action motivated by these impulses are active ones. The impression, when it becomes active, cannot be prevented. This is the plane where we commit gruesome acts.

          A man is helpless in this plane except succumbing to these impulses. Therefore, it is of paramount importance, that we understand the working of these images. It must be rooted out in the beginning. In the end, it cannot be done.

          Therefore, we must find out our pictures, map them, identify threats and work out all pictures by the practice of Yoga and attain liberation.

Thank You.

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