Mind is the expression of brain. Whatever the brain perceives, process, and produce are expressed as mind. We are usually aware of very limited perceptions, processing, and produce of brain. The awareness is also a part of mind or perception by the brain. On the other hand awareness is the perception of brain about its own functions. Probably, at deeper level of awareness, possibly at unconscious and collective unconscious level the above statement may not be valid, but now it cannot be discussed here. The brain is capable of being aware of its complete function – from its peripheral to the deepest layer. Probably that awareness is the intelligence. The brain’s functions include creation, maintenance, and destruction. Being aware of the complete functioning of brain may be the height of ecstasy.
With respect to the discussion in this blog, the brain’s functions can be divided into three functional domains. The first functional domain is the control center of our body, where the continuous function of creation maintenance and destruction happens without any interval. It any way takes place perfectly as long as the conditions for its functions are maintained. The second domain is the perceptions beyond the limit of our body which perceives the happening around us and it is required for our living. Probably, there is one more domain which is the psychic entity within us, which is basically a stray function of brain and illusionary in nature. Unfortunately our conscious part of mind is almost completely occupied by this third domain, which is completely illusionary.
The activities of first functional domain are real, which is actually happening but we are almost unaware of it. The second functional domain is also real, due to which we are living our life on day to day basis. And third one is completely illusionary and with which we are fully occupied. This domain process the stray information belongs to second domain and may be little bit from fist domain, which then becomes our psychic entity. As our conscious mind is full of illusionary and it is functioning without any space or interval, we are unable to be aware of the other two domains of functioning of brain.
The problem with the mind or brain is that the conscious part of mind is completely occupied by unreal and illusionary things, for which there is no possibility of any kind of perception. The mind cannot perceive the illusionary images – it can only hallucinate at this level, but due to our way of life the conscious part of mind is completely with illusion or unperceivable. Whatever little perceptions we have in our life are perceived during the interval when illusions are set aside by the mind/brain. For our living, we need to have certain minimum level of perception. Hence the mind creates space for such perceptions when and where required. The success or achievements we think that we have in our life entirely depend on our brain’s capability to create space to perceive the happenings around us. And many of us yet have reluctance to give credit for our achievements to the capability of our brain. We give the credit for our success and achievements to some unknown entities or other planets and stars in the space, on the name of belief.
As mind or brain is mainly occupied with unperceivable images at conscious level, it slowly becomes dull and perception is fading away from us. As the perception fade away from us, we have to hang on with only illusions and need not say about the results. The brain or mind has to be very active and sensitive for perception at higher levels to take place. On an active and sensitive mind, illusions will not surface as it in a dull mind.
How do we know the mind or brain is occupied with unperceivable images? How do we know what we have in our conscious part of our mind is illusionary in nature? It is our real problem. We are used for this way of living and this way of thinking. It is not just us, generations after generation we are having this problem. It is hereditary. It may not be easy to perceive that what we have in our conscious mind is unperceivable. Whatever we have in our conscious mind can only been thought about- this is again multiplying the images. Here the problem is to understand and differentiate between what is thought and what is perception.
One of the reasons for some people failing in the path of spirituality is exactly the above problem. Unable to understand and differentiate between what is thought and what is perception and enter into a state of hallucination. And this problem arises due to some beliefs which they have and never tried/try to transcend, and hence anchored in those beliefs. And probably during last few hundred years the path of knowledge has taken back seat in almost all the cultures. As the path of knowledge is in back seat, the path of devotion has slowly becomes path of demand, which has no relevance to spirituality. For the majority of population in the current generation, spirituality means asking and demanding something and in return performing some rituals at most. If we fail to look beyond the path of demand, probably the whole of spirituality may be wiped out from the major part of humanity. If it happens, the knowledge repository in the form of scriptures may become nothing for a logical mind and entertainment for the illusionary mind. This scenario is inevitable.
If we can observe our mind for some time, we can get an idea about its current way of functioning. The mind is either occupied with thoughts or it is in asleep, without any perception what so ever. Suddenly it wakes up, but again just with some thoughts. It is never be active and without any thoughts - that is the space required in the mind. It may be active but without thoughts, only when we are doing any intensive work and whatever little bit of perception apart from the perception of that intensive activity is happening along with this activity. Whatever little space we have within mind is created during the time of such intensive activity, when thought may not be required for that activity, yet intensively involved in that activity. Will it possible to be without any outward activity, yet active within mind? This is the condition required for perception – the created space within our mind. All the rituals, symbols, religions, Vedas, Upanishads, etc are preparing the mind for such a state. Are we performing the rituals and following the symbols with this awareness. If not, why are we performing rituals? Why are we following symbols?
How to allow the space within mind? It is possible only by understanding what ‘space in mind’ is and what is ‘not allowing the space within mind’. Once we understand the element which takes away whatever little space available in mind, the very understanding starts providing the space for mind and hence allowing the brain to function. If we are willing the ecstasy of perceiving the complete function of our brain is not far away from us! This possibility is available for every one of us. Not only for just a selected, handful of beings!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Complexities in approaching spirituality
What is Spirituality? For me, spirituality is the way of life in which the brain is allowed to reach the limit of its potential. Memory, by the way of thoughts is not allowing required space for the brain to function at the peak of its potential. When we reach the stage of having complete freedom from our memory and hence thoughts, the brain will be having sufficient space to function without any blockage. I am not sure anyone can accept this definition!
Every one of us has our own view on spirituality based on the plane in which our thoughts and perception are anchored. This plane is based on our belief systems, our environment in which we are grown, the culture which we belongs and so on. Only very few might have dared to go beyond this plane of understanding due to the very fact that this plane of life provides enormous psychological security. Under the warmth of such psychological security, we consider all our suffering as natural part of our life and never look forward towards reality or truth, upon understanding which there will be no more sufferings. Under the psychological security provided by the belief systems, even many of the people who talks about spirituality, live a life far away from truth or reality.
During at least the last ten thousand years of human existence, there were people who were living with reality. Even at current date, there are many such beings, at least very few are in the lime light. Few of these beings who were close to reality wanted to take the reality closer to the whole of humanity. The result is the scriptures of all the cultures and all the religions. The unfortunate reality is that there experience with reality had to be expressed as words. Possibly, the experience with reality cannot be expressed with the available words of any language or they might not have the linguistic expertise required to take these reality to the humanity. Hence the only possibility is expressing them in a subtle way with the words available with the languages and the linguistic expertise they had. Anybody who has no idea about what the reality or truth is, these expressions of those realized people have no meaning. At best the common population can create their own pictures from these expressions of realized masters and hence a belief system.
Now we are left with the task of interpreting those scriptures, if at all we have any urge to understand how they felt about reality. But in reality, it has no meaning for the common population except getting an idea of the possibility of experiencing something called reality or truth. As almost all the interpreters relied on their linguistic skills rather than the understanding of reality or truth, the real meaning of the scriptures might not have been revealed to us and it cannot be. The unfortunate is that with those interpretations, the majority of the human population entered into one or other belief system and distanced themselves from reality or truth. At the current moment, the only possibility available to us is transcending all these belief systems, if at all we have any inclination towards reality. Please note that it is not just ignoring them, but transcending them. If we are not doing that, we will be left with just some beliefs which do not have any meaning except providing some psychological security. Such psychological security is destructive to the spiritual growth.
There are few genuine spiritual gurus trying to impart the spiritual process to humanity. But unfortunately a cult is getting created, may be due to the irrational devotion of their followers. Of course, they need followers to carry on their social activities and spread their messages to public. Again the unfortunate event is that most of the people touched by their teaching/methods entered knowingly or unknowingly in the realm of hero worship even though those spiritual gurus are advocating against such hero worship. Also they tend to take the spiritual Guru as their spiritual authority. Once an authority is accepted for spirituality, there is no more spirituality for that person. This is because the authority takes away the freedom required for spirituality. Almost every one touched by those spiritual gurus, start emulating that guru with respect to that attribute which influenced that common person. Those people forget that they are entirely different from the guru and trying to emulate that guru with respect to any of the attributes of that guru has no meaning and any such attempt will be futile for their own spiritual growth.
The spiritual gurus have to address people who are in many planes of understanding. Hence the followers have to use their wisdom while taking the teaching of spiritual guru. Otherwise the effort of the spiritual guru may mislead the followers instead of taking them closer to reality. Due to the blind belief or hero worship or acceptance of authority the people have with the guru, they fail to recognize the subtle messages from the guru and the message addressed to the plane in which they are and hence the possibility offered by the spiritual guru is being nullified. Even the close associates of those gurus might not been anywhere near reality due to the mere following, worshiping and acceptance of authority of spiritual guru- may be with very few exceptions.
The possible way to reach reality or truth through a spiritual guru is probably being with the guru and his teachings yet emotionally away from the guru. Now the question is, is it possible for the common population who are emotionally attached with all worthless things in life, being emotionally away from a spiritual guru who may be able to transform their life itself? It may not be possible. This is where the common population has to enhance their knowledge about spirituality while attempting spirituality. And here lies the core complexity in approaching spirituality. Due to this complexity, a commendable ratio of population who claims that they are spiritualist may not be anywhere near to spirituality. The unfortunate part is that they have no means to find it out. If spirituality is approached without the awareness of the traps in this path, it is very easy to get into one or the other trap. Once we are in the trap, the whole life will be a complete waste, whether or not one is in the arm of a Spiritual Guru. The way we are living now may be much better than the life within that trap.
Why do we need such a complicated spirituality? First up all, spirituality is not complex; our mind made it as complex with all the beliefs, opinions, and slavery. Secondly with spirituality, we have a possibility of living our life.
Every one of us has our own view on spirituality based on the plane in which our thoughts and perception are anchored. This plane is based on our belief systems, our environment in which we are grown, the culture which we belongs and so on. Only very few might have dared to go beyond this plane of understanding due to the very fact that this plane of life provides enormous psychological security. Under the warmth of such psychological security, we consider all our suffering as natural part of our life and never look forward towards reality or truth, upon understanding which there will be no more sufferings. Under the psychological security provided by the belief systems, even many of the people who talks about spirituality, live a life far away from truth or reality.
During at least the last ten thousand years of human existence, there were people who were living with reality. Even at current date, there are many such beings, at least very few are in the lime light. Few of these beings who were close to reality wanted to take the reality closer to the whole of humanity. The result is the scriptures of all the cultures and all the religions. The unfortunate reality is that there experience with reality had to be expressed as words. Possibly, the experience with reality cannot be expressed with the available words of any language or they might not have the linguistic expertise required to take these reality to the humanity. Hence the only possibility is expressing them in a subtle way with the words available with the languages and the linguistic expertise they had. Anybody who has no idea about what the reality or truth is, these expressions of those realized people have no meaning. At best the common population can create their own pictures from these expressions of realized masters and hence a belief system.
Now we are left with the task of interpreting those scriptures, if at all we have any urge to understand how they felt about reality. But in reality, it has no meaning for the common population except getting an idea of the possibility of experiencing something called reality or truth. As almost all the interpreters relied on their linguistic skills rather than the understanding of reality or truth, the real meaning of the scriptures might not have been revealed to us and it cannot be. The unfortunate is that with those interpretations, the majority of the human population entered into one or other belief system and distanced themselves from reality or truth. At the current moment, the only possibility available to us is transcending all these belief systems, if at all we have any inclination towards reality. Please note that it is not just ignoring them, but transcending them. If we are not doing that, we will be left with just some beliefs which do not have any meaning except providing some psychological security. Such psychological security is destructive to the spiritual growth.
There are few genuine spiritual gurus trying to impart the spiritual process to humanity. But unfortunately a cult is getting created, may be due to the irrational devotion of their followers. Of course, they need followers to carry on their social activities and spread their messages to public. Again the unfortunate event is that most of the people touched by their teaching/methods entered knowingly or unknowingly in the realm of hero worship even though those spiritual gurus are advocating against such hero worship. Also they tend to take the spiritual Guru as their spiritual authority. Once an authority is accepted for spirituality, there is no more spirituality for that person. This is because the authority takes away the freedom required for spirituality. Almost every one touched by those spiritual gurus, start emulating that guru with respect to that attribute which influenced that common person. Those people forget that they are entirely different from the guru and trying to emulate that guru with respect to any of the attributes of that guru has no meaning and any such attempt will be futile for their own spiritual growth.
The spiritual gurus have to address people who are in many planes of understanding. Hence the followers have to use their wisdom while taking the teaching of spiritual guru. Otherwise the effort of the spiritual guru may mislead the followers instead of taking them closer to reality. Due to the blind belief or hero worship or acceptance of authority the people have with the guru, they fail to recognize the subtle messages from the guru and the message addressed to the plane in which they are and hence the possibility offered by the spiritual guru is being nullified. Even the close associates of those gurus might not been anywhere near reality due to the mere following, worshiping and acceptance of authority of spiritual guru- may be with very few exceptions.
The possible way to reach reality or truth through a spiritual guru is probably being with the guru and his teachings yet emotionally away from the guru. Now the question is, is it possible for the common population who are emotionally attached with all worthless things in life, being emotionally away from a spiritual guru who may be able to transform their life itself? It may not be possible. This is where the common population has to enhance their knowledge about spirituality while attempting spirituality. And here lies the core complexity in approaching spirituality. Due to this complexity, a commendable ratio of population who claims that they are spiritualist may not be anywhere near to spirituality. The unfortunate part is that they have no means to find it out. If spirituality is approached without the awareness of the traps in this path, it is very easy to get into one or the other trap. Once we are in the trap, the whole life will be a complete waste, whether or not one is in the arm of a Spiritual Guru. The way we are living now may be much better than the life within that trap.
Why do we need such a complicated spirituality? First up all, spirituality is not complex; our mind made it as complex with all the beliefs, opinions, and slavery. Secondly with spirituality, we have a possibility of living our life.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Opinion
For any happening around us and anything around us we would like to have our opinion and views. If we are unable to form any opinion or our own view about the happenings or things, we feel inferior, but most of us somehow create certain opinion within us. If anybody interacting with us is not having any opinion or reluctant to express their opinion, we make them feel inferior. We and our education system continuously insist us to have opinion to anything and everything we come across. The media of present day create opinion about worthless maters and doing business out of that. As we are educated to have opinion about everything, we borrow the opinion of media and help the media to blossom their business.
What is opinion? Is it has any relation with perception? Is it has any relation with truth? If not, why are we having opinion about everything and why are we forced to have opinion about everything? Answering these questions may not be an easy task. Having opinion about everything and then doing anything and spend all our energy to substantiate our opinion has become our way of life.
Opinion is nothing but building an image about the object of interest based on what is seen, heard or read. If the opinion is exactly same as what is seen or heard or read, it is fact. It is not an opinion at all. We shape our opinion based on what is seen, heard or read plus the images we already have within our mind, which could be related to the object of interest in some way. For validating this opinion we may use any image we have with in our mind. Hence we never have facts with us. We are always having opinions and views. Even for the facts, we convert them as opinion and views.
What way this image helps us? Probably it may help us to show off that we are knowledgeable. Probably helps others to build a superior opinion about us, which in turn may earn respect from others. May be helps us to gain few more such petty things also. But to recognize these things as petty things, we may have to look into our life from another dimension. Unless we recognize these as petty things, which don’t have any value for our life and living, we keep on accumulating opinions.
If we really see into the opinions, we can clearly understand that they are diverting us from living. They are deflecting us from perception. They are preventing us from seeing/understanding truth and keep us away from truth. Unless we see the significance of living, perception and truth there is no possibility for us to see what is keeping us away from living - from possibility of complete perception and from truth or reality. We are never going to recognize the role of our opinions in keeping us away from living and truth.
Upon a clear examination of facts, we can understand that a life of ecstasy is not only gifted to very few selected beings. It is possibility is given to every one of us. The way to achieve it is also very easy. Only thing we have to do is just understand the possibility of such ecstasy in our life and create the space within our mind to capture it. Creating the space is that just understand the significance of our activities in our life and aware of our activities. Once we are capable of doing this, other dimensions of life will open for us.
Coming back to the subject of discussion, opinion keeps us away from seeing the reality. When we have opinion about something, we will not look into it any more with the longing to know. We take the opinion as the knowledge of that particular subject and move on without even looking into it. Even though we know change is a constant process, we fail to recognize the fact that the subject might have changed from its property when we looked at it last. We go on with our opinion and hence fail to capture the current reality of the subject as our opinion blocks us from seeing the subject with the urge of knowing. When we don’t have the intention of knowing, knowledge is not possible.
If we want to be anywhere close to reality, we must come out of the trap of opinion. While coming out of the trap of opinion, others around us may be building a negative opinion about us. To face this situation, we must be aware of the fact that others opinion about us are also just opinion and should be capable of ignoring those opinions also. This is possible only if we are very much clear about what we need and have a very clear perception that the opinions are not at all facts.
The opinion we need to come out may be the opinion about our parents, spouse, children, friends, other people, God, heaven, Guru, philosophies, religions and the list is limitless as we have opinion about each and every thing we encountered in our life. If we see this list with an opinion, it may looks like a mission impossible. But if we can really see the destructive role of opinion in our life, it is an easy task to leave all our opinions about anything and everything. Once we are free from opinions, we will be start seeing everything with delight, like a child. The delightedness on looking at our life entirely changes the quality of our life. Hence the real problem is not leaving the opinion behind us, but understanding the need for leaving them behind us.
What is opinion? Is it has any relation with perception? Is it has any relation with truth? If not, why are we having opinion about everything and why are we forced to have opinion about everything? Answering these questions may not be an easy task. Having opinion about everything and then doing anything and spend all our energy to substantiate our opinion has become our way of life.
Opinion is nothing but building an image about the object of interest based on what is seen, heard or read. If the opinion is exactly same as what is seen or heard or read, it is fact. It is not an opinion at all. We shape our opinion based on what is seen, heard or read plus the images we already have within our mind, which could be related to the object of interest in some way. For validating this opinion we may use any image we have with in our mind. Hence we never have facts with us. We are always having opinions and views. Even for the facts, we convert them as opinion and views.
What way this image helps us? Probably it may help us to show off that we are knowledgeable. Probably helps others to build a superior opinion about us, which in turn may earn respect from others. May be helps us to gain few more such petty things also. But to recognize these things as petty things, we may have to look into our life from another dimension. Unless we recognize these as petty things, which don’t have any value for our life and living, we keep on accumulating opinions.
If we really see into the opinions, we can clearly understand that they are diverting us from living. They are deflecting us from perception. They are preventing us from seeing/understanding truth and keep us away from truth. Unless we see the significance of living, perception and truth there is no possibility for us to see what is keeping us away from living - from possibility of complete perception and from truth or reality. We are never going to recognize the role of our opinions in keeping us away from living and truth.
Upon a clear examination of facts, we can understand that a life of ecstasy is not only gifted to very few selected beings. It is possibility is given to every one of us. The way to achieve it is also very easy. Only thing we have to do is just understand the possibility of such ecstasy in our life and create the space within our mind to capture it. Creating the space is that just understand the significance of our activities in our life and aware of our activities. Once we are capable of doing this, other dimensions of life will open for us.
Coming back to the subject of discussion, opinion keeps us away from seeing the reality. When we have opinion about something, we will not look into it any more with the longing to know. We take the opinion as the knowledge of that particular subject and move on without even looking into it. Even though we know change is a constant process, we fail to recognize the fact that the subject might have changed from its property when we looked at it last. We go on with our opinion and hence fail to capture the current reality of the subject as our opinion blocks us from seeing the subject with the urge of knowing. When we don’t have the intention of knowing, knowledge is not possible.
If we want to be anywhere close to reality, we must come out of the trap of opinion. While coming out of the trap of opinion, others around us may be building a negative opinion about us. To face this situation, we must be aware of the fact that others opinion about us are also just opinion and should be capable of ignoring those opinions also. This is possible only if we are very much clear about what we need and have a very clear perception that the opinions are not at all facts.
The opinion we need to come out may be the opinion about our parents, spouse, children, friends, other people, God, heaven, Guru, philosophies, religions and the list is limitless as we have opinion about each and every thing we encountered in our life. If we see this list with an opinion, it may looks like a mission impossible. But if we can really see the destructive role of opinion in our life, it is an easy task to leave all our opinions about anything and everything. Once we are free from opinions, we will be start seeing everything with delight, like a child. The delightedness on looking at our life entirely changes the quality of our life. Hence the real problem is not leaving the opinion behind us, but understanding the need for leaving them behind us.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Significance of Living
This may be a very common question for any one started looking inwardly. I have absolutely no knowledge to answer this question. However, like to put forward my views. It may or may not have any real meaning.
It may be a meaningless question, yet we have to have some convincing answers for this question to carry on our life. If we come up with a negative answer, the questioners may convince themselves to end their life also. There were instances of mass suicides on the name of spirituality or other reasons referred as cult suicides. Refer this link for some info about cult suicides - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_suicide. This might be due to the negative answer they could drive for similar questions. That could be the reason for so many belief systems across the world, including the religions – to derive any significance to the life. Belief is the easy way to find an illusionary significance for our life – Then we are going into the realm of irrationality. We may create our God and make the goal of our life as seeing the God. We may create the concept of Atman and make the goal of life as understanding the Atman. We may create the rituals and make the goal of our life as performing these rituals. We may create the concept of heaven and set our goal as reaching heaven.
What is living? Not the living of human being alone – Living for everything in the existence including animate and inanimate objects. We may define living thing as a group of material, with harmonious interaction with each other so that an energy field is created with in that group. Any material body have to have this energy field to keep its shape and property. This energy field may have fundamental relation with the existence itself. The whole existence may be one living thing, which may be referred as GOD. Each galaxy in the universe may be a set of living thing within the first one. Each star system may be living things with in the galaxies. Each planet may be living thing within the star system. Each stone, tree, animal, human are living things within the planet earth. The bacteria and other microorganisms may be another set of living things within us and other animate living beings on earth. The molecules and atoms may be living thing in the micro level. And subatomic particles may be living things at still lower level.
If we can consider this definition, our life has the same significance of existence itself! And an animal, stone, and atoms have the same significance for their existence as that of ours. Hence, when the existence destroys itself, it will destroy us also. Since there is no specific significance for our life, we may decide to end our life; there is no significance for that act also. Our body and energy will still be a part of this existence only. In the solar system, earth provides the proper condition for animate living things to evolve. We are aware that there are billions of star systems within this universe like solar system. Hence it may be possible in some other star systems to have condition for evolution of animate living things. Then what is the significance of our life? There may not be any significance for our life with respect to the whole existence other then the significance of existence itself.
If we look it from another angle, in the whole of infinite (with respect to our perception) existence, we are the only being with the power of thought and power of perception beyond sensual perceptions. We are the only being, using the power of thought and perception can understand and wonder the vastness of existence. We are the only being, with the power of thought and perception can live in never ending joy. Is it not a significance of our life? Why do we suffer in such a significant life? Why do we need to end such a significant life? If we are not living such a joyous life due to the ignorance of ourselves, does it erode such a significance attached with human life? Every moments of our life should be a celebration, for having such a significant life.
Now, we are a group of material on which the energy field operates. At this level, the significance of our life may be to establish the fundamental relation between the energy field which is our life and the existence itself, with the power of our thoughts, perceptions, and intelligence. In the existence, each and every particle is in support of existence itself. Hence the significance of our living also may lies on supporting this existence.
It may be a meaningless question, yet we have to have some convincing answers for this question to carry on our life. If we come up with a negative answer, the questioners may convince themselves to end their life also. There were instances of mass suicides on the name of spirituality or other reasons referred as cult suicides. Refer this link for some info about cult suicides - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_suicide. This might be due to the negative answer they could drive for similar questions. That could be the reason for so many belief systems across the world, including the religions – to derive any significance to the life. Belief is the easy way to find an illusionary significance for our life – Then we are going into the realm of irrationality. We may create our God and make the goal of our life as seeing the God. We may create the concept of Atman and make the goal of life as understanding the Atman. We may create the rituals and make the goal of our life as performing these rituals. We may create the concept of heaven and set our goal as reaching heaven.
What is living? Not the living of human being alone – Living for everything in the existence including animate and inanimate objects. We may define living thing as a group of material, with harmonious interaction with each other so that an energy field is created with in that group. Any material body have to have this energy field to keep its shape and property. This energy field may have fundamental relation with the existence itself. The whole existence may be one living thing, which may be referred as GOD. Each galaxy in the universe may be a set of living thing within the first one. Each star system may be living things with in the galaxies. Each planet may be living thing within the star system. Each stone, tree, animal, human are living things within the planet earth. The bacteria and other microorganisms may be another set of living things within us and other animate living beings on earth. The molecules and atoms may be living thing in the micro level. And subatomic particles may be living things at still lower level.
If we can consider this definition, our life has the same significance of existence itself! And an animal, stone, and atoms have the same significance for their existence as that of ours. Hence, when the existence destroys itself, it will destroy us also. Since there is no specific significance for our life, we may decide to end our life; there is no significance for that act also. Our body and energy will still be a part of this existence only. In the solar system, earth provides the proper condition for animate living things to evolve. We are aware that there are billions of star systems within this universe like solar system. Hence it may be possible in some other star systems to have condition for evolution of animate living things. Then what is the significance of our life? There may not be any significance for our life with respect to the whole existence other then the significance of existence itself.
If we look it from another angle, in the whole of infinite (with respect to our perception) existence, we are the only being with the power of thought and power of perception beyond sensual perceptions. We are the only being, using the power of thought and perception can understand and wonder the vastness of existence. We are the only being, with the power of thought and perception can live in never ending joy. Is it not a significance of our life? Why do we suffer in such a significant life? Why do we need to end such a significant life? If we are not living such a joyous life due to the ignorance of ourselves, does it erode such a significance attached with human life? Every moments of our life should be a celebration, for having such a significant life.
Now, we are a group of material on which the energy field operates. At this level, the significance of our life may be to establish the fundamental relation between the energy field which is our life and the existence itself, with the power of our thoughts, perceptions, and intelligence. In the existence, each and every particle is in support of existence itself. Hence the significance of our living also may lies on supporting this existence.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Perceptions
Sensual perception is the common factor for all living beings. It differs between the living beings only with respect to the number of senses. Human being is the only living species who have more than sensual perception, which is widely referred as sixth sense.
It may not be an easy task to capture the real meaning of perception beyond sensual perception in words. The description may lead us to some sort of imagination. There are multiple dimensions of perceptions beyond sensual perceptions. We human beings are capable of perceiving all the possible dimensions of perceptions. Yet we are unable to go beyond or can go just at a micro level beyond the sensual perception due to the way we are living our life. On the other side, we started losing the sensual perception also to a great extent due to the way of our living.
The term ‘way of our living’ indicates here about our attention to things happening with in us and around us. Due to this varied attention, the perceptual threshold is altered very frequently for various sensual perceptions, which leads to insensitivity to the senses, which is same as loss of perception. Are we incapable of being attentive to everything happening with in us and around us? Surely not! Our mind is inattentive to happenings due to its preoccupation with things which are created by the mind itself and caught between the things created by it. As the mind becomes the slave of its own creations, the thoughts, it appears to be very active but in an imaginary zone which has no reality. Due to the whirling movement of our mind within the things created by it, it has no space available for allowing even the sensual perceptions. When we are not able to perceive the senses itself, there is no question of the dimensions of perception beyond senses. When we are not able to completely perceive at least the sensual perceptions with zero or near zero perceptual threshold, we are actually not living. We just exist!
Our life is to live this wonderful life. When we are not in the field of perception, we are just wasting a possibility available to us – the possibility of living. What are the perceptions beyond our five sensual perceptions? We know that there are unlimited number of activities happening with in our body. The flow of blood, the contraction and expansion of muscles, the functioning of our internal organs are some of those functions. Are we able to perceive any of these happenings within our body? For example when we are attentive we can perceive to some extent the functioning of heart – the heart beat. I think this perception itself is something beyond our sensual perception. When we are in relaxed mood, are we able to perceive certain perceptions in the relaxed part of our body? When we have such perception, our relaxation actually gets multiplies. If we allow our mind to have enough free space, it is capable of perceiving such perceptions of our body and when we have that perceptions, the body and mind will be in a really relaxed mood. Please note that this perception is not due to imagination. If it is due to imagination, it is not perception – it is hallucination.
Why should we have perception? Perceiving is living. Perceiving is not in the past or not in the future. Perceiving is from moment to moment. It is living. If we do not perceive from moment to moment, we are not living – we are just existing.
All our problems are due to lack of perception. For example, when we eat a tasty food, we fail to perceive the taste from moment to moment. Due to the preoccupation of our mind with its own creations, we tend to recognize the taste only after the moment the taste bud senses the taste. We recognize it by comparison which is in the field of thoughts and not in the field of perception. Due to this, we tend to feel it again but repeatedly fail to perceive the taste as it is sensed by our senses. We compare the senses and after that we decide whether it is tasty or not tasty. Due to this failure in recognizing the taste as it is sensed, we rarely satisfied with the food and tend to over eat. If we really perceive the taste as the taste bud sense the taste, we will not over eat due to the desire of enjoying taste. We stop eating when required to stop, but will have a complete satisfaction of eating due to our complete perception of taste.
Another major problem for every one of us in our lives is the problem in relationships. This is the problem which constitutes the major part of all our problems. This problem is due to lack of perception. We never perceive or attempt to perceive others and other life forms. We just make images of others and other life forms and take this image as our perception at best. Then we act on these images, which never be the real action required based on perception. Due to this lack of perception or action based on image, a gap is developed between our actions and others and other life forms, which in turn create all the problems in relationships. Then how to perceive others and other life forms? It may not be possible to capture in words with our current level of perception. Unless we are capable of perceiving completely our senses and the happenings within us, any attempt to understand or explain the other dimensions of perception will enter into the domain of imagination. The discussion here is just to understand that we are capable of perceiving multiple dimensions of perceptions and the first step towards it is to perceive our senses completely and the happenings within our body and mind.
If we start perceiving these basic perceptions, nobody else is required for us to explain the other dimensions of perceptions. Our brain is capable of perceiving all those dimensions, if we allow the mind to have and expand the space within it which is created by the basic perceptions.
It may not be an easy task to capture the real meaning of perception beyond sensual perception in words. The description may lead us to some sort of imagination. There are multiple dimensions of perceptions beyond sensual perceptions. We human beings are capable of perceiving all the possible dimensions of perceptions. Yet we are unable to go beyond or can go just at a micro level beyond the sensual perception due to the way we are living our life. On the other side, we started losing the sensual perception also to a great extent due to the way of our living.
The term ‘way of our living’ indicates here about our attention to things happening with in us and around us. Due to this varied attention, the perceptual threshold is altered very frequently for various sensual perceptions, which leads to insensitivity to the senses, which is same as loss of perception. Are we incapable of being attentive to everything happening with in us and around us? Surely not! Our mind is inattentive to happenings due to its preoccupation with things which are created by the mind itself and caught between the things created by it. As the mind becomes the slave of its own creations, the thoughts, it appears to be very active but in an imaginary zone which has no reality. Due to the whirling movement of our mind within the things created by it, it has no space available for allowing even the sensual perceptions. When we are not able to perceive the senses itself, there is no question of the dimensions of perception beyond senses. When we are not able to completely perceive at least the sensual perceptions with zero or near zero perceptual threshold, we are actually not living. We just exist!
Our life is to live this wonderful life. When we are not in the field of perception, we are just wasting a possibility available to us – the possibility of living. What are the perceptions beyond our five sensual perceptions? We know that there are unlimited number of activities happening with in our body. The flow of blood, the contraction and expansion of muscles, the functioning of our internal organs are some of those functions. Are we able to perceive any of these happenings within our body? For example when we are attentive we can perceive to some extent the functioning of heart – the heart beat. I think this perception itself is something beyond our sensual perception. When we are in relaxed mood, are we able to perceive certain perceptions in the relaxed part of our body? When we have such perception, our relaxation actually gets multiplies. If we allow our mind to have enough free space, it is capable of perceiving such perceptions of our body and when we have that perceptions, the body and mind will be in a really relaxed mood. Please note that this perception is not due to imagination. If it is due to imagination, it is not perception – it is hallucination.
Why should we have perception? Perceiving is living. Perceiving is not in the past or not in the future. Perceiving is from moment to moment. It is living. If we do not perceive from moment to moment, we are not living – we are just existing.
All our problems are due to lack of perception. For example, when we eat a tasty food, we fail to perceive the taste from moment to moment. Due to the preoccupation of our mind with its own creations, we tend to recognize the taste only after the moment the taste bud senses the taste. We recognize it by comparison which is in the field of thoughts and not in the field of perception. Due to this, we tend to feel it again but repeatedly fail to perceive the taste as it is sensed by our senses. We compare the senses and after that we decide whether it is tasty or not tasty. Due to this failure in recognizing the taste as it is sensed, we rarely satisfied with the food and tend to over eat. If we really perceive the taste as the taste bud sense the taste, we will not over eat due to the desire of enjoying taste. We stop eating when required to stop, but will have a complete satisfaction of eating due to our complete perception of taste.
Another major problem for every one of us in our lives is the problem in relationships. This is the problem which constitutes the major part of all our problems. This problem is due to lack of perception. We never perceive or attempt to perceive others and other life forms. We just make images of others and other life forms and take this image as our perception at best. Then we act on these images, which never be the real action required based on perception. Due to this lack of perception or action based on image, a gap is developed between our actions and others and other life forms, which in turn create all the problems in relationships. Then how to perceive others and other life forms? It may not be possible to capture in words with our current level of perception. Unless we are capable of perceiving completely our senses and the happenings within us, any attempt to understand or explain the other dimensions of perception will enter into the domain of imagination. The discussion here is just to understand that we are capable of perceiving multiple dimensions of perceptions and the first step towards it is to perceive our senses completely and the happenings within our body and mind.
If we start perceiving these basic perceptions, nobody else is required for us to explain the other dimensions of perceptions. Our brain is capable of perceiving all those dimensions, if we allow the mind to have and expand the space within it which is created by the basic perceptions.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Our Relation with Nature
I think there is a fundamental conflict in this heading itself! We ourselves are also nature or a part of nature. The heading suggests that we are different from nature and hence establishing a relationship between us and nature. But the way we are living now, we separated ourselves from nature and started believing as separate entities and hence distanced ourselves from nature. As a consequence of this, we started destroying the nature with out knowing that we are destroying ourselves.
Since we are already distanced ourselves from nature, we need to establish the relation with it again. Otherwise the nature will be completely destroyed by us with out our knowledge. On the other hand, we will be completely destroyed by ourselves as we ourselves are nature or part of nature.
We are just a group of material which stays together in harmony and hence have an energy filed within it. This energy field, then sustain the harmony and hence the togetherness of this group of material. If this statement is valid, death may be considered as the weakness of this energy which is no more sufficient to keep this heap of material together in harmony. In this complex structure evolved from nature, there is a control center called brain and the processing of this brain is expressed as mind. The energy field with the brain might have given the intelligence to us. We must have got this intelligence to support the evolution process of nature. Unfortunately, instead of freeing ourselves using this intelligence from the struggle of evolution process, we are bonded with the struggle of evolution process and hence not allowing the required space for the intelligence to function.
In the process of evolution, till the time we were not having the function of thoughts and such a limitless memory (thoughts evolve out of what is there in the memory), the only functions we were doing were survival and procreation – to sustain evolution. There were no ego and hence no struggle to sustain ego. And hence there is no separation of us from nature. Once we got the thinking power, with the power of thought we were able to protect ourselves from other animals and then from the cycles of nature itself – Still we were without any ego and hence been with nature.
At certain point, due to the difference in capabilities and strengths, the concept of ownership might have been developed. This must have been the starting point of psychological entities like possession, attachment, desire and so on. With these psychological entities, the ego is already formed with in humans. Once the ego is there, then the question of sustaining it arises and we are at what we are now!
The above discussion might be a story. But if we observe ourselves closely enough, we can see the possibility of above story might had been the reality.
If we closely observe the nature of earth, everything exist here is in support of something else. Any living thing in this earth consumes something else and gives out another thing, which is required to sustain some other part of earth. That is, nothing in this nature is going waste. Nature has everything to sustain all available life forms in this earth. If there is anything excess in this nature, even any life forms including human species, by its own nature, bring in control of that excess item. If we observe closely enough, we can clearly perceive this from the historical events and the events happening now. On the other hand, everything in this nature is closely related with each other – with anything else in the nature.
Are we really aware of this fact? If so, we will not consume anything more than required from nature, which will bring in an imbalance in the nature itself. If we are really aware, we will not be doing anything which destroys the condition required for other living beings. If we are really aware, we will never waste any natural resources.
The fact is that, we do not have such awareness! We are over consuming. Not really consuming, but wasting! And the real fact is that we are killing ourselves and destroying conditions required for the future generations to survive due to this lack of perception.
Since we are already distanced ourselves from nature, we need to establish the relation with it again. Otherwise the nature will be completely destroyed by us with out our knowledge. On the other hand, we will be completely destroyed by ourselves as we ourselves are nature or part of nature.
We are just a group of material which stays together in harmony and hence have an energy filed within it. This energy field, then sustain the harmony and hence the togetherness of this group of material. If this statement is valid, death may be considered as the weakness of this energy which is no more sufficient to keep this heap of material together in harmony. In this complex structure evolved from nature, there is a control center called brain and the processing of this brain is expressed as mind. The energy field with the brain might have given the intelligence to us. We must have got this intelligence to support the evolution process of nature. Unfortunately, instead of freeing ourselves using this intelligence from the struggle of evolution process, we are bonded with the struggle of evolution process and hence not allowing the required space for the intelligence to function.
In the process of evolution, till the time we were not having the function of thoughts and such a limitless memory (thoughts evolve out of what is there in the memory), the only functions we were doing were survival and procreation – to sustain evolution. There were no ego and hence no struggle to sustain ego. And hence there is no separation of us from nature. Once we got the thinking power, with the power of thought we were able to protect ourselves from other animals and then from the cycles of nature itself – Still we were without any ego and hence been with nature.
At certain point, due to the difference in capabilities and strengths, the concept of ownership might have been developed. This must have been the starting point of psychological entities like possession, attachment, desire and so on. With these psychological entities, the ego is already formed with in humans. Once the ego is there, then the question of sustaining it arises and we are at what we are now!
The above discussion might be a story. But if we observe ourselves closely enough, we can see the possibility of above story might had been the reality.
If we closely observe the nature of earth, everything exist here is in support of something else. Any living thing in this earth consumes something else and gives out another thing, which is required to sustain some other part of earth. That is, nothing in this nature is going waste. Nature has everything to sustain all available life forms in this earth. If there is anything excess in this nature, even any life forms including human species, by its own nature, bring in control of that excess item. If we observe closely enough, we can clearly perceive this from the historical events and the events happening now. On the other hand, everything in this nature is closely related with each other – with anything else in the nature.
Are we really aware of this fact? If so, we will not consume anything more than required from nature, which will bring in an imbalance in the nature itself. If we are really aware, we will not be doing anything which destroys the condition required for other living beings. If we are really aware, we will never waste any natural resources.
The fact is that, we do not have such awareness! We are over consuming. Not really consuming, but wasting! And the real fact is that we are killing ourselves and destroying conditions required for the future generations to survive due to this lack of perception.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Rationality
It is a common notion that in spirituality there is no rationality and spirituality is just a set of beliefs. This is one of the reasons, the persons with capability to look deep inwardly and the persons having the capability to question are shying away from spirituality and looking inwardly. Unfortunately the domain of spirituality is occupied by personalities (the majority) who believe spirituality has foundation on beliefs. And it is unfortunate that the crowd follows such personalities to become more dump and blindfold. Naturally the mass with questioning mind rejects such believers or those propagating the belief systems. Then another group with the name of rationalist, for them the meaning of rationality itself is unknown, evolved and attracted the questioning minds. Here also the questioning minds were mesmerized by the so called rationalists, who are again blind believers – in the sense, a total irrational non-belief. Their job is just convincing the questioning mind against the belief system on the name of rationality. Unfortunately, the already shattered questioning mind failed to recognize the irrationality in the argument of so called rationalities as their ego find security with the so called rationalists. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the population falls in to any one of these categories and failed to recognize the rationality in spirituality or irrationality in the argument of so called rationalists.
What is spirituality? Is it some thing like searching a heaven for us? Or is it some thing like getting the grace of some unknown entity? Or is it something like renounce every thing in our lives and search for something which is unknown? Or is it chanting some manthras regularly and performing some rituals on daily basis with extreme belief on something created by their own thoughts? Or is it living the life in hope? Or is it some thing like following certain rules and refuse to see the beauty of existence without any flexibility? Or is it some thing like living in places of worship? Or is it mastering and then just following the religious scriptures?
For me, none of them looks like spirituality. All of them are just entertainment or tools used to forget the severity of life or tools used to escape the challenges of life. Spirituality cannot be all these things. It must be a way of life – way of gracefully living the life. In living, there is no scope for blindness caused by beliefs. In living, each and every thing is based on cause and effect. There cannot be an effect with out a cause and there will not be any cause which is not producing any effect. Hence in spirituality, there is no scope for irrationality. If we are irrational, we cannot be in the path of spirituality. Or if we are irrational, actually we are not living our life. Spirituality is about understanding our life. It is about understanding the existence. It is living our life.
We can live our life only when we understand our life and understand the existence. Then, what we are living now is not a life? It may be a very difficult question to answer. If we are completely happy with our current way of life – whether it is a life with understanding or ignorance, then there is no scope for the above question. We are completely OK with our life and there is not at all a need for looking inwardly or outwardly or anywhere else, other than the current way of life. But in practice we are not OK with our life. We are always complaining for one or the other. If we say, we are perfect and the complaint is due to the problems created by others – It is due to complete ignorance. In such case we are not really living the life gracefully. Here is the need for understanding spirituality and hence understanding our life itself.
If we really live a spiritual life, we have the complete understanding of ourselves and the existence. Once we have that understanding, not belief of any sort, there is any scope for irrationality exists. On the other hand a rational way of living is spiritual living and spiritual living is completely rational.
But the general notion is against what is discussed here. If we go with the conditioning of this general notion we may miss to look into another possible way of living. If we are really rational, we may possibly question this general notion and find our way of living - a better way of living may be possible for us. It is up to us whether we would like to be rational or irrational – Completely gaining freedom from the conditioning by the general notion.
What is spirituality? Is it some thing like searching a heaven for us? Or is it some thing like getting the grace of some unknown entity? Or is it something like renounce every thing in our lives and search for something which is unknown? Or is it chanting some manthras regularly and performing some rituals on daily basis with extreme belief on something created by their own thoughts? Or is it living the life in hope? Or is it some thing like following certain rules and refuse to see the beauty of existence without any flexibility? Or is it some thing like living in places of worship? Or is it mastering and then just following the religious scriptures?
For me, none of them looks like spirituality. All of them are just entertainment or tools used to forget the severity of life or tools used to escape the challenges of life. Spirituality cannot be all these things. It must be a way of life – way of gracefully living the life. In living, there is no scope for blindness caused by beliefs. In living, each and every thing is based on cause and effect. There cannot be an effect with out a cause and there will not be any cause which is not producing any effect. Hence in spirituality, there is no scope for irrationality. If we are irrational, we cannot be in the path of spirituality. Or if we are irrational, actually we are not living our life. Spirituality is about understanding our life. It is about understanding the existence. It is living our life.
We can live our life only when we understand our life and understand the existence. Then, what we are living now is not a life? It may be a very difficult question to answer. If we are completely happy with our current way of life – whether it is a life with understanding or ignorance, then there is no scope for the above question. We are completely OK with our life and there is not at all a need for looking inwardly or outwardly or anywhere else, other than the current way of life. But in practice we are not OK with our life. We are always complaining for one or the other. If we say, we are perfect and the complaint is due to the problems created by others – It is due to complete ignorance. In such case we are not really living the life gracefully. Here is the need for understanding spirituality and hence understanding our life itself.
If we really live a spiritual life, we have the complete understanding of ourselves and the existence. Once we have that understanding, not belief of any sort, there is any scope for irrationality exists. On the other hand a rational way of living is spiritual living and spiritual living is completely rational.
But the general notion is against what is discussed here. If we go with the conditioning of this general notion we may miss to look into another possible way of living. If we are really rational, we may possibly question this general notion and find our way of living - a better way of living may be possible for us. It is up to us whether we would like to be rational or irrational – Completely gaining freedom from the conditioning by the general notion.
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