1.2_Spirituality – An Introduction

Spirituality refers to the science & study, the precept & concept, the truth & nature of Spirit, the Soul. 

Of the Body-Mind-Jeeva instruments every individual is endowed with, body, a physical entity, is fairly easy to know. 

Mind, the astral entity, is a puzzle to pursue. 

Understanding of Jeeva, the causal entity, is not in the ambit of everybody’s capability. 

Soul is off-limits for everyone except enlightened-souls. 

Hence, most aspirants consider the study of Spirituality as exotic/ esoteric & conveniently keep it for the later/end part of their lives!

Actually there is no aura of mystery in understanding the science of Spirituality. 

Yes, it does demand a different orientation as our mind is ‘programmed’ to look at everything with a logical frame of mind 

(Our mind firmly believes in what it sees as existing; conversely it assumes that what it does not see as not existing. 

Our intellect refuses to accept what is beyond its grasp even if it were true! 

It even vehemently refutes the oft-proven fact that its abilities are limited by evolutionary & environmental factors!! 

Many were the protagonists who even went to gallows for proposing what did not appeal to the logic of the day though the truths propounded were later accepted as path-breaking!!!). 

Disengage conventional logic for a moment and the Truth shines by itself.

What is Spirituality?

Spirituality is awakening/ illumining our Spiritual essence. 
It is the seeking/ realizing of our True nature. 
It is comprehending the Unity of existence.

It is never a direct search for God (the truth of/ knowledge about God is incidental to the ‘search’ for Truth). 

In fact, it is never a seeking for anything other than ‘Self’. 

It is also not even a search in the conventional sense because we can only search what is ‘lost’; the ‘object’, i.e. our inner ‘Self’, was never ‘lost’.

Similar to material existence, mere knowledge of the Truth does not amount to Its experience. 

We need a path & process which we can trudge & tread to ‘experience’ the Truth – the process of Spiritual evolution!

Thus Spirituality can be defined/ summarized as that which helps ascertain:

• The validity of World, the reality of God and the relevance/role of ‘I’
• The true nature of ‘Self’
• The process of evolution which awakens/ illumines our spiritual essence.

Spirituality is concerned with the Truth (Self/ God), its apparent manifestation (as World) and its ambiguous perception (by ‘I’, the seeker).

·       Truth is One, One only & One without a second (Ekam eva adviteeyam Brahma).

·       Truth is One, but Its manifestation (by the Creator) is myriad & manifold (I am One; let me be many (Eko’ham, Bahu Syam))

·       Truth is One, but Its perception (by the created) is manifold & mystified (Truth is one; the wise call it by many names (Ekam Sat, Vipraa Bahuuda Vadanti)).

Spirituality is all inclusive – it accommodates a believer’s convictions as well as a disbeliever’s confusions. 

The Vedas even declare, “Who really knows? Who can presume to tell it? …Even the Gods came after its emergence …!”^NS 

Many individuals squabble about the possibility/impossibility of God.

But everyone including the non-believer has to acknowledge the fact that they exist (Sat). 

The very fact that we accept our existence as real means we are aware of our existence. Therefore, Consciousness (Chid) (= awareness) must be our real & true nature. 

This acceptance/awareness of our own existence is the starting point for spiritual pursuits. 

In the final moments of enquiry/ exploration what matters is not whether God exists or not; what is important is developing an understanding of the Unity of Existence. 

Scriptures declare that Spiritual seeking is difficult & demanding. (Cf. ‘Learned ones say that the path of spiritual life is difficult; it is sharp like a razor’s edge (Kshurasya dhara nisita duratyaya; durgam pathas tat kavayo vadanti) ^KU1.3.14). 

It is so because, Mind veils (Avarna) our true nature; and without mind, we can’t begin the enquiry! The so-called effort/care needed in walking the razor’s edge is only to overcome the propensities of a ‘programmed’ mind. Once ‘unconditioned’, mind becomes our ally in our spiritual pursuits.

In fact, the self-effulgent Self doesn’t require the insentient mind for realizing Its true nature. Wise men say, Self is realized when one is blessed by Self only (Ishwar Anugrahad eva pumsam advaita vasana) ^KU.

This is the acme of experience, enlightenment & ecstasy – the realization of the Unity of Existence & our True Nature (SatChidAnanda swarupa).

The sum, summary & substance of our enquiry is to develop an understanding of our spiritual/ True nature. The query starts with the realm of World, continues with the sphere of ‘I’, and ends in/with the domain of God.

The Scriptures verily proclaim,

“He who knows God, is verily God (Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati)”^KU.

"One who knows God, attains the Supreme (Brahmavid Aapnoti Param)”^TU.

“By knowing It alone, Individual Soul (Jeeva) transcends death; there is no other way for this (Tameva viditvati mrityumeti; nanya pantha vidyate ayanaya)”^{SU 3.8}.

Thus,

•      Being God is our natural state!

•      Being human is unnatural!!

•      Not knowing this Truth, we suffer as if ordained by fate!!!


The Essence of Spirituality:

Basic Truths

Everything is verily God only (Sarvam Khalavidam Brahman).

God alone is Real and Truth (Brahman Satyam); World is unreal (Jagat Mithya); Individual Soul is none other than the Universal Soul (Jeevo Brahmaiva Na parah)

Creation is an outcome of Maya weaving its web over Brahman.

Creation manifests as the tangible Nature aspect & intangible Life aspect.

The Nature Principle

The Nature principle (Prakriti) is constituted of primal qualities, Tamas, Rajas & Sattwa.

Their eternal interactions & their infinite combinations produce the universe of endless & countless names & forms.

The Life Principle (Soul)

•  The Life principle (Purusha) animates entire creation.

• Even after its association with Prakriti, the Soul never becomes a participant; It only remains a mute Witness (Sakshi) in its Absolute Essence & an experiencer in its Relative Aspect.

Jeeva

• Though the Life principle is universal, yet, when it associates with Nature, it appears to be individualized (Jeeva).

• Primal Ignorance (Ajnana) is the cause & core of (individualized) self. It is beginningess (Anadi).

Bondage

• The identification of Self with Body and Physical World causes its bondage.

•  Bondage is aggravated by Karmic acts & alleviated by Dharmic acts.

The Law of Karma

•  The ‘bound’ Soul gets subjected to Law of Karma.

• Immortality is reached when the Soul is free of Karmic Residues.

•  Law of Spirituality is not influenced by Law of Karma; on the other hand, it influences its operation through Birth, conducive environs and compassionate preceptors.

The Law of Dharma

•  Dharma is what holds life & existence.

•  A Jeeva following the tenets of Dharma finds liberation at the fitness of time.

Body & Mind

• The Mind is the cause for Bondage & Liberation of Soul (Mann eve Manushyana Karan Bandh Mokshoah).

•  'Killing' Mind by a conscious process libertes it.

Liberation

• Ignorance can be overcome only by the Knowledge of enlightenment – no other means and path liberates the Jiva fully.

• Liberation is not like reaching another place or plane of consciousness – there is no Space, Time & Causation factors involved.

•  Liberation is simply realizing the Oneness with God – He, who knows God, is God himself (Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati). It is not ‘Becoming’ but ‘Being’ – It is only a Self Revelation/ Realization.

The Paths

•  The ultimate goal of all our lives and that of all Yogas is that God is there, I am here and we must be united to become One; The paths may differ but the goal is always the same.

•  God is seated in the seat of Consciousness in every human being (Eashwarat sarva Bhootanam hriddesherjuna tisthati); To realize God, we have to just turn within.

•  The wise, therefore, do not search for God anywhere else in the material world.

•  Initially the Jiva has to be told that “You are verily That Supreme Brahman” (Tat Tvam Asi); The Jiva on removal of Ignorance realizes that It verily is the God (Aham Brahman Asmi).

•  Liberation takes place either gradually (Krama Mukthi) or instantly (Sadyo Mukthi). It can take place either when we live in this body (Jeevan Mukthi) or after shedding it (Videha Mukthi).

• Spiritual seeking consists of Rational aspect – the Intellectual understanding (Jnana Yoga); Emotional aspect – the feeling of kinship with God (Bhakti Yoga); Volitional aspect – the desire to perform action leading to God-realization and the attitude with which they are done (Karma Yoga).

Individual Experience

•   Realization is an Individual experience.

• God cannot be understood from reading books alone (Shruti); 
    It cannot be realized by Experiment and Logic (Yukti); nor  can it be learnt from the teaching of a teacher alone  (Vidya). It can be attained only by personal experience      (Anubhava).

Practice (Abhyasa)

• Spirituality lays great stress on Individual efforts   (Prayatna).

• Even if Gods themselves come and give sermon   (Upadesha), we still may not develop Wisdom.

•  We can attain endless joy only if we have the yearning  & if we put in corresponding Practice (Abhyasa  adramate yata dukkaantam cha nigachchati).

God’s Blessings (Anugraha)

•    Self-realization is not attained as we reach a city, etc.         Since there is no reaching or attaining It, there is no ‘path’   leading to It. By Intellect or mere Intelligence, this goal       can not be reached (Upa Naisha tarkena matir apaneya).

•   Enlightenment/ Experience comes to those and only when     the Individual Self decides to reveal Itself (Ishwara             anugrahaadeva pumsum advaita vaasanaa).

•   Grace (Anugraha) of God is bestowed on us after we have   reached the limits of self-effort.

•   God’s blessing (Anugraha) automatically follows Practice  (Abhyasa). The experience (Anubhava) automatically          follows Blessings (Anugraha).