Stages of Spirituality - 2

Spirituality has various stages of progress:

- Karma Yoga: Nobody can live without action. An attitude of Seva to every action is what is needed to purify our motives. Surrendering action and outcomes (good/bad) to a Guru or God and to go beyond results. Losing the ego sense and getting lost in the work is achievable. This  can achieve excellence and deep satisfaction.

- Raja Yoga: Maintaining health firstly. Through practice of Ashtanga Yoga and Hatha Yoga. Indeed the Yama/Niyama steps are also part of maintaining balance and mental health. Perfect health and glimpses of Samadhi are achievable.

- Bhakti Yoga: Devotion and dedication to God. Practicing Karma Yoga properly helps mature in Bhakti Yoga. Those advanced in this practice have their Ishta Deva/Devi always in mind. They identify with the God and feel one with that God. Becoming the Ishta Devata itself is achievable.

- Jnana Yoga: Knowledge of Self. That which eventually helps one know our own true nature, the truth of creation, the truth of God. Verily, fulfill the true purpose of creation of life. Becoming a Jivamukta is achievable.

Each person gets attracted to a particular path based on his/her spiritual maturity and mindset. Enlightenment is not possible in my view without an appreciation and inculcation of all paths in some measure in one's lifetimes.

There are various spiritual centres in Bharat today that cater to one or more of these paths. These are key centres per my understanding that excel in the paths listed above (there could be more beyond my current awareness).

 I've attempted to list them in order of relevance to achieving enlightenment (in my opinion)

1) Ramakrishna Mission: Jnana Yoga, Seva (Karma Yoga) in that order

2) Mata Amritanandamayi​ Ashram: Seva (Karma Yoga), Jnana Yoga in that order

3) Sringeri Sharadamba Peetam: Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga in that order

4) Art of Living: Primarily Raja Yoga, then Bhakti Yoga (mainly satsanga-bhajans) and Jnana Yoga (surface level) in that order. Seva here is mostly for the organisation's benefit.

5) Isha Foundation: Primarily Raja Yoga, then Jnana Yoga (surface level).

It's a sign of society's current lack of spiritual progress that we see followers dwindling from organisations at the lower level of relevance ( 5/4 - Isha / AOL) through 1 (Ramakrishna mission). 

Well, but it also means there's a lot of spiritual treasure and progress to be gained by all of us.

And the hope that as we make progress, we can truly set Gross Enlightenment Quotient goals as mentioned in the previous article.

The rush and the rework

Of what use the rush, the insatiable deadlines
What has come of thinking, that is not clear and calm

Companies have fallen, with sight on the quarters
Only those will live, where stakeholders at ease

You say today's the deadline, could you go back and ask
To self and the rest, won't they prefer the job done right

Things will take their time, and have humans at work
You give them balance, and leave all with less rework!

The Sunshine

May you shine, as the sun on cobwebs
Lighting up caves, dark for ages

May that warmth, drive out the frost
Numbing and hurting, but refusing to go

May that bliss, be the reason to live
And one that I reflect, all around the mist

Sorrowful Pleasure

Those delved in pleasure, oh they miss bliss
I feel so compassionate, so sorry for them
They know not that, they could stand at the helm

Remember that feeling, when you hold a loved one's hands
What you absorb, when the dawn's rays shine
Is there any pleasure, that can match that bliss

Why then do we, roil in desires
Why then this world, of petty wants and disputes

Engage in what you do, not pursue the result
Find a meaningful activity for purpose, balance your life
And feel that joy, a thousand desires cannot satisfy

A sudden rain

To the drums of thunder, were rain-arrows shot
The shiver of lightning, gusty winds raced from

Umbrellas upturned, still people in mirth
Intoxicating feeling, the water and smell of dirt

The Vedas being chanted, the Homas now fulfilled
Devas Indra and Varuna, these showers having blessed

The visible change with spirituality: the way we respond

All of us who balance worldly and spiritual life I'm sure face these questions:

1) Why do we firstly come into spiritual life. 

2) Is there any practical purpose to this

3) If the spiritual goal isn't reached, is it all naught

Well to answer the first question, I think many attribute various reasons. 

-> Oft attributed is difficulty in wordly life:

• Bereavement
• A sense of failure be it in educational result, office projects, or relationship
• Poor circumstances be it health or financial
• As a stress-buster

This usually wanes off when that particular feeling is assuaged or situation is taken care of. And as it often happens, life moves in waves. So things change, and the commitment to spirituality changes if this was the reason

-> Oft seen though is retirement from active duties. A sense of realization and acceptance that the end of life is appearing.

Typically people who get into spirituality at this stage in life, are there mostly to pass time and socialize with like minded people. Some of those who pursue spirituality during personal time are the more serious ones. But also at this stage, situations in health or family commitments etc means one is slower to grasp the deeper fundamentals and less likely to go further than Bhakti or Karma yoga..

-> The only reason that can sustain spiritual pursuit is an inner need to pursue it, and despite worldly commitments. If you find yourself young and successful personally and financially, with all the joys of worldly life beckoning and meeting you time and again, and yet don't feel attached to them. If you find yourself seeking something more profound. If you find yourself finding and taking time out to do sadhana and serve when you could be doing things that would profit you more in worldly life. Then you are someone who is spiritually advanced. You are one of the few who will hang on to spirituality.

Before getting into the second question, I'll take the third.

It's because the answer I don't have to give for this. The same question was posed by Arjuna to Krishna, and it's recorded in the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna's response was that your progress will show results in the next life. And this something one can logically have Shraddha towards. For if you see, people are born in various cicumstances. And with various tendencies (vasanas) and bent of mind (mental attitudes). This is all attributed to the Karmic outcomes of actions and efforts in the previous lives.

The Second question is the primary concern of this article.

And the answer I'll try to keep simple so that the message is forcefully conveyed.

There is indeed an indirect benefit to how we transact in worldly life, owing to our pursuit of spirituality. It's in the way we Respond to situations. 

We are very much engaged, involved, purposeful in our actions; but yet unattached. To the result, to the response, the reactions. To even the ownership of the action (not the accountability); neither credit nor blame. You firmly know you are just the medium. You have let-go in the mind already. You live and are rooted in the moment. You have no hankering for titles or pay, you love the responsibility, the task at hand. Your focus and concentration is impeccable, even when multitasking! Your mind is relaxed, free of tension. There is no question of needing a stress-buster, because you never feel stressed. This is different from the mind or body feeling exhausted. That you even feel after a good session of exercise or having satisfyingly worked on a mathematics problem. 

In short you are much much more efficient. And if not for lofty purposes as Moksha, for this benefit of being more relaxed and efficient itself, I hope people dedicate time to spirituality!

Stages of spirituality - 1

I feel there is not a place in the world as conducive to pursue spirituality as is Bharat. It has become so due to centuries and aeons of cultural, religious and philosophical heritage around spiritual progress.

Instead of competing with other countries on the same parameters as they do to measure development, those brought up here should appreciate our heritage and introspect our unique USPs. Something like how Bhutan measures itself on Gross Happiness Quotient. My challenge to our nation is: Why can't we measure ourselves on (say) Gross Enlightenment Quotient.

By doing this we'll first be forced to reflect, then introspect, and then come up with a way forward. The reason an entity, be it an individual, or a country looks outside for guidance, is the recognition that we have made mistakes. And the inferiority complex that goes with it. In the context of Bharat, it was the embarrassing fact that although united by religion and philosophy, the rulers never chose to be united. Which is why for centuries we were plundered and enslaved. Even our joint families don't survive because of that, we just refuse to adjust and share with one another and have a selfishness of my inheritance for my progeny alone.

I think the British rule was the last straw and the way nation-states are shaped in this day and age has also kept us together. But you can see from the corruption and the way political parties fleece their vote banks (which is nothing but segregation of the country), the way caste and religion still decides whom we befriend and marry, that we have still not grown above the mentality that led us to servility in the first place. So there is definitely a need to introspect, own up to our shortcomings, and plan corrective and checks-and-balances systems before we adopt a new development measure.

In the next edition, I'll go a level easier with an analogy of how we have the spiritual establishments in place already to help us seek the Gross Enlightenment goals.

I Alone am This, then what to Desire

Oh what's there in this world, that I must desire
When the whole world exists, in my consciousness

This world disappears, when I go to sleep
Time and place happens, when I look for it

What do I desire from it, when I only am This
Nay, not just, but more than any This

Why fear should exist, why see differences around
When everything is only, like waves or bubbles within me

It all comes from Within

It's not in the rain, the dance and the play
That I find joy, don't you realize
It all comes from Within

It's not in the moonlight, or mother's lap or kiss
That I find sleep, don't you realize
It all comes from Within

It's not in the looks, fragrance or voice
That I find love, don't you realize
It all comes from Within

There was never an other, place to settle
There was none for ever, other than myself
This world, this creation, don't you realize
Yes very much, It all comes from Within

Unlearn your Identity

Our problems begin when we begin to have an identity. And an identity is a must, a name and number (Aadhar or SSN) in this much-populated world, to have a semblance of order.

But the problems I refer to are those to do with living our personal life itself. This name and sense of self-identity, so very important during a child's growth, is equally important to be unlearnt, as part of the final phase of educational life.

Because it is after this phase, that one steps out independently to the world outside. And applies whatever he / she's learnt. I wish if this final phase be to  instill in us the feeling that the world, including nature is something that's been handed over to us, by generations and centuries of living beings. It's something to be honored and protected. That our self-identity, which we held so preciously to make ourselves skilled in our chosen vocations for so long, is now to be unlearnt, so we can learn to apply our skills selflessly. 

And most importantly, so that we may consider every our element, living and non-living around us, as brethren, all children of the same Mother Nature.

Our self-identity is the hardest fortress we have created around us,..what to speak of biases, personal, religious and nationalistic ones...If only we accept that the person next to us is a child of the same creator, won't we be more open to accepting his for his personal choices (be it clothes, religion, food, even sexual orientation). For isn't that what true love is: One that pours out, not wants in return. You begin to be more accepting. Inter-religious or inter-race marriages won't matter.

People will be less inclined to be anti-social. When the whole world is your family, whom to hurt, and with what end...

Race and Class are quickly forgotten. Won't you want to distribute your wealth for the benefit of your family. 

Environment is safeguarded: You would try your best to protect and nurture the life around you, be it nature or species of animals and plants. The sense of exploitation will go away. You begin appreciating why our forefathers took permission from the Gods when they had to kill life to consume as food. The sense of greed disappears.

Alas that all this hasn't happened yet. And hope that it someday will!!

Running out of film titles

When "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.." title was announced, I realized that indeed film-makers are running short of movie titles. And who's to blame them! Each year, there are apparently over 400 Hindi films. Sometimes film titles are repeated, but with the advent of social media, this causes confusion. You don't stand out as upon search of your film title, the older one also shows up.

So the film-makers have started "plagiarizing" popular songs. "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" and "Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan" are film titles from the same popular film song from the 1950's (YouTube Link) - albeit Mumbai was known as Bombay back then.

Next I bet they'll go after stand-out dialogues from popular hits of the past.

With these I wonder if royalty is provided to those original creators of these lines..Food for Thought!

The struggle in life and the feeling of being out of place

When you struggle is the time realization dawns, that this isn't just correct. It's not in rhythm; that you do not belong here. Of course, this is as quickly forgotten when times are good.

This is why the wise do not belittle the role of worldly suffering. For those mired in Maya, this is what gives the needed push to take a step back, a step up, and look beyond. It helps them handle the present difficult situation, and an anchor to hold on life to, a new meaning and purpose to life.

What's important is to hold on to what you reflect and determine during these times. I don't really believe that there are lessons to be learnt to avoid similar situations. Those lessons are already known, but still difficult times happen. And even if you implement the "lessons" from a past experience, you will definitely face some predicament of a different nature. Again, this is not to say that one should not takeaway what one can. For, putting your hand in the fire repeatedly despite the knowledge and experience that your hand will burn, is only a sign of insanity.

But at all times if you hold greater meanings and purposes to your life: Sadhana towards achieving Enlightenment; Serving selflessly those around, the society and nature at large. These give something to cherish, and the strength to not be bogged down by any bad situation in life. It also gives a broader perspective, beyond narrow religion/caste/community even nationalistic tendencies. It makes you an even more mature and patient colleague at work too. So there's much to be gained, but don't obsess behind it.

In the end, what you should be left with is the realization that the "struggle" is also a natural event. It has a rhythm and role of its own. And each of these would be a litmus test of your spiritual progress, of whether you are able to hold on to your compassion and bliss despite!

Good is what reduces attachment with Samsara, Evil is what increases it

In the pursuit of Vedanta, you learn to transcend, to accept the Good and the Evil as necessities of the dichotomy in Maya. Birth means Death has to follow. The rise of Day also foretells the fall of Night.

If it's Happily Ever After, you are being cheated to say the least. You are not in the real world.
But you can go beyond, beyond happiness and joy, with dispassion in whatever you do. And be in Bliss no matter what pain you feel at the relatively gross levels.

But there is the risk still of falling into a "so what" non-chalancy. Of accepting things as they were, enjoying the bliss of non-attachment.
There is also the risk of "delusion" which I felt when I watched the film Aks where the serial-killer kept quoting the Gita. Or when I learnt that Hitler and co kept referring to the Gita to justify mass murder.

There is better understanding now, and Swami Sarvapriyanandaji's talks have helped a lot. He defines Good as what reduces our attachment with Samsara, and Evil as what increases it. So when at the level of the Samsara, you refuse to turn a blind eye, you refuse to serve. Or worse, you start causing pain to those around, then you are a form of Evil. It'll tie you down to Samsara. There is nothing called not doing action. So the only way is to do Morally Good action and dedicate it to Lord, or by such means not taking credit to the result..

Pursuit of pleasure means you don't know Joy

Where outside do you seek, this joy within
Why not imbibed still, all your learning

They will only tire you, the pleasures outer
Deny you the bliss, veil it inside

It is said, that you seek pleasure
It is pitiful, that you are hurting

But know that the balm, cannot be the cause
Transcend this world, connect to the bliss within

Let there be Rain

Let there be rain, the one that blooms
Countless trees, and flowers within

Let there be thunder, not the one that scares
But the one that beats the drums of joy

Let there be lightning, like a countless moons
And the mirth of beholding someone greater that self

I look forward to rains, the green and wet earth
To bask in the dry sun, beneath flowing clouds

Deep sleep like maya dissolution

I went to deep sleep, the world disappeared
I woke up only then it's back

There were no people, no objects, no life
Why do you think really this world exists

Yes things have changed, the day has moved
But then this Maya, she even let's you think

How then, within Maya, can you answer
Why not you start, by first accepting Maya

Even Maya dissolves, in sleep or pralaya
Know that you can, you do control Maya

What constitutes Seva

Seva (Selfless Service) is intrinsic to the the culture of Bharat. As much as "lokah samastha sukhino bhavantu" and "Sahana vavatu". There isn't a sense of competition.

Although for those in the corporate structure, Service is used loosely for industries ranging from Hospitality to IT Support. But in the Bharat of old, all these would have been "Dharma". Your duty as per your role in society. So the meaning of Seva had to be specified as "Selfless Service" than just "Service".

But I see "spiritual" NGOs today deploying to their advantage, an army of volunteers, to market and execute their work, earn revenue, and yet be made felt as doing "Seva".

This article is to introspect my point of view of this, which I'm sure is a question that comes in the mind of many.

It's very easy to determine when, on behalf of the NGO, you serve a third-party. Like a village or a charity. That is no-doubt Seva.

It is also easy to understand when you serve free food on behalf of the organization to those seeking food.

But what when you are working on activities that benefit the organization monetarily, would it be Seva? Well, what if you don't want any money. Well, then it definitely is Seva. But if the organization doesn't have a policy or plan to pay you, but will only go seeking other volunteers, it becomes a Business Model in my view, a very profitable one.

I've seen some organizations like the Art of Living channelizing the volunteer movement very effectively. The free follow-ups after you attend their courses, imply that they pay rent of the place they conduct these follow-ups, and the generous time and Seva of the teachers, in turn benefit you. For Rs 1500 Basic course, you get free Annadanam and lifelong follow-ups. And I've seen how, in the Art of Living, the followers themselves volunteer to go further. There is no pressure for me to get involved if I don't want to. There is no money talk, just comity. So definitely they've come up with a unique model of making people feel part of something bigger than themselves, perhaps at minimal cost in terms of teaching, but definitely worthwhile in terms of the follow-ups.

But what has irked me is when their followers use "Seva" for calling out people to market their courses. I've also seen very less "Seva" to outsiders, all seva at the ground level seems to be for internal revenue generation. 

Being an NGO, all their money goes into upkeep or charity. But does it go into funding AOLs subsidiary businesses on FMCG and Ayurvedic hospitals.

End of the day, I'd like to think there are systems where all this is duly audited. And while the Seva model by the AOL has its pros and cons, no question about the fact that they have involved in big money charity in countries they've been involved in. And Guruji's been very assertive in speaking his mind, be in social issues or in defence of our heritage. Given his stature, name and fame gained, there was no push on him too. That has indeed been a great form of Seva.

Attachment to objects: It's within

A strange thing happened recently: My car (and actually my father's) which I use for daily office commute, was being taken away by the pickup guy for regular maintenance.

And I feel a pang: as if a loved one was being separated from me! My mind took a step back to seek to understand this better. How can I feel thus, for something that's clearly a non-living object. Up until now, I would rationalize this feeling when placed for living beings, especially humans. This pang resembled when my son was going to Anantapur for a week in 2014 after we'd just moved back, to give me and wife time to set up home in Bengaluru. And of course, there is no comparing the two for me, in mind and heart. I'm hardly attached (at least I thought so) to what's "material".

I had to now accept it: This pang was irrespective of living or non-living. This was nothing but a feeling of possession, an attachment! And "material" constituted both the living and non-living. For me, for all of us!

And this realization is the first step. This awareness that this attachment is irrespective of the object. It's the feeling of attachment that lies within. It shows, no matter what you think you are, you still have some distance to cover in the practice of detachment.

And why's that detachment important? The further tied down, the lesser the freedom, the experience of true bliss. The less this feeling of pure happiness, the more the desire, the seeking of pleasure, and delusion, the pursuit of objects (aims/ambitions including) in this world.

Analogies of Brahman

On Brahman, the common analogy is that of a "witness". It's difficult to understand because of the problem of deep sleep: If Brahman (Atman) is the witness, why don't I witness/experience my deep sleep. I know I was in deep sleep only because I wake up afresh!

Brahman has two aspects for lack of a better word that comes to mind:
- Aspect 1: It lights up the Prana/Jiva/Individual Self
- Aspect 2: It gets mirrored/reflected/borrowed by the Individual Self to light-up/enliven the embodiment/body-mind

VishishtAdvaita is partly correct, its only problem being that it doesn't go into the next level of depth: We the individual self are not a sparkling image of the Perfected Being (not yet), but once enlightened (and we end up as Jivamukta / Videhamukta), there is no difference.

The Witness analogy is only applicable to Aspect 1 above, and that too only during the individual self's waking and dream-sleep/REM-sleep state.
The Mind (Ego+Intellect+Manas/Memory/Thought) turns off in deep sleep (in dream-state it still is partly active). Without the Mind, the Individual Self cannot be experienced. If the Mind is off, Brahman has nothing to reflect upon.
It is the same analogy as sunlight in space: Space seems dark because there is nothing to reflect light. Come an asteroid or satellite or planet, we see it beaming in sunlight! And this is why the Witness analogy fails in the deep sleep context.
The Witness analogy definitely should be practiced during the Jagrat (waking) state and is easy to reflect upon and understand the Swapna (dream) state.
So a combination of the Sun lighting-up objects and Witness analogies should be used to appreciate Aspect 1 of Brahman.

The Sun reflecting on objects analogy can  be used to understand Aspect 2 of Brahman.
Just as the sun falling upon the mirror in a room, then gets reflected by the mirror to the rest of the room, so too does Brahman enliven the Jiva, which otherwise does not have an existence of its own (the stand taken by Advaita).
Thus the quality of the mirror (Samaras/impressions on the Jiva built up by the collective past births and current birth) determines the quality of the reflection.
Likewise, the sun getting reflected upon a number of buckets of water is an analogy to (apparent) multiplicity of Brahman. Again in this analogy, the quality of reflection depends upon the purity/turbidity of water.
Another way of looking at Aspect 2 is like the relationship of the Ocean and a Wave in the Ocean. Water in the wave is same as in the ocean. But the nature of the wave can be foamy/small/large.
Thus a combination of analogies of wave-in-water and sun's reflection-on-objects is needed to understand Aspect 2 of Brahman.

There we go again

No time to sit in one place for us
There's just the tiring, draining, travel for us

Long train journeys, gusty breeze on face
The peculiar stench that evening baths wash

The dusty bus rides, nauseating roads
Oh to our envy, the carefree cyclist grins

But nothing makes up for, the memories built
Unlike the flight taken, over unfamiliar clouds