Tagged: theology
Comment by reader on Duality and non-duality
Who is “the one” who is beyond duality, and experiences “non duality”? It is too a “separate thing/consciousness” isn’t it, or just a role? Check it… A “thing” that is conscious or not conscious of himself, that says or does not say “I”, is still of a separate discrete existence. Try biting your tongue, and experience how that extreme pain “is just a role”, playing through you. You will see how much you exist…even though to experience that pain is – “just a role after all” 🙂
Dear reader,
Thank you for your comment. Avyakt7 wanted to put your comment here for the “benefit of all.”
Non duality is not an “experience” as when you “experience” duality.
In your understanding of non-duality, you are coming from your intellectual mind, your mental reasoning to get to certain conclusions. With that “tool” all there will be left are just concepts to mentally “understand.” If avyakt7 could put this issue in different words to be understood, “I “ would.
This is about observing it in “yourself.”
Try tickling your feet. Would this experience show you “how much you exist”? Why this pleasurable experience should be different from biting your tongue?
Non duality is not about not feeling pain or pleasure. It is about going beyond those dualities by fully accepting them as what they are: “experiences” without the labeling in our minds.
The issue is the mind. When we feel pleasure we would like to experience that again, we look forward to that experience again and in that selection, we reject experiencing pain. This is not intellectual. See it in yourself.
On the other hand when there is pain, we typically reject it. This does not mean that I don’t have to do anything to lessen it, such as taking medicine. We reject it in our minds as undesirable, then we create a psychological trauma on that experience which will increase into further rejection, fear.
Look at a 5-year-old baby. He can cry at one moment and laugh 2 minutes later with the same intensity. The baby is not thinking about the “painful experience,” or “holding grudges” against someone; otherwise he wouldn’t be able to laugh right away. He is not thinking about a “role” being played. That is to live in non-duality.
If the baby could reason about all the moments he already fell off while trying to walk, he wouldn’t be able to walk quickly for fear of crying when he hits the ground over and over in his attempt to walk… Being reasonable about the “future” of trying to learn to walk would be detrimental.
According to the interpretation of the Bible by some, Jesus/Christ knew beforehand that he was going to be crucified.
http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVanswers/2006/02-03.htm
However, he lived life until that experience happened. He knew that Judas Iscariot was going to betray him; nevertheless; Jesus/ Christ lived life without grudges against him. He suffered when the time came and not in anticipation of knowing something. He was living in the moment, in non-duality.
Best wishes!
Enlightenment through duality
The time comes when our belief that there is only an answer, a right answer for everything, will be challenged by reality itself.
It is “either this or that,” is one of the greatest beliefs which is limiting our perception of many avenues and many paths.
Anyone wants examples to clarify? 🙂
Is free will true, or it is predestination?
It is both and neither. It is both, for both exist according to our consciousness. It is neither because they are just ideas.
Are we mortal or immortal?
It is both and neither. We will die, but we are eternal as well. We are neither mortal nor immortal. We are both. Those are not ideas for there is an experience of that. Consciousness.
Does heaven exist?
It does and it doesn’t. It only exists when we are not in it. Once we are in it, it does not exist. Heaven exists only out of comparison, out of duality.
There is soul consciousness and body consciousness. Are we the soul or are we the body? Both and none. In duality we think of a separation. Without duality, there is nothing to be separated. There is a wholesome unity.
Soul consciousness is a label to denote absence of duality in our awareness: man and woman, life and death, heaven and hell, good and bad, etc.
If we could imagine a consciousness beyond duality, we could look for the origin of that duality: Our minds.
Thinking is separation. Analysis will not allow us to know. When the object separates from the subject, there is just description. A description is not the same as knowing.
That is why, to know is not related with thinking. Knowing is a very distinct faculty beyond thinking.
Logic is just the game of words, which exalts thinking.
If we look at the beauty of the waters of a river at dawn, we will perceive how nighttime changes into day light. Morning time does not exist. Afternoon does not exist. Night does not exist.
It is just continuity. It is unity perceived as three different stages, separated in an artificial way to allow for language to describe phases when there is none….but there is. 🙂
A thinking mind will see separation only. 11 PM does not exist but only in a thinking mind. Nevertheless, we call 11 PM “late.” That label creates an idea. When we believe in that idea we create a world of our own. When this world is made out of collective conventions, we live in our own “fantasy world.”
The irony is that we call that fantasy, reality. We call that life.
Mathias: How much time have you existed, Ananda?
Ananda: I am eternal.
Mathias: I have not asked that. I have asked, how much time have you existed?
Ananda: 27 years. I was born 27 years ago.
Mathias: and before that?
Ananda: I think that I have lived before. But there is no proof. I do not remember.
Mathias: Aren’t you eternal then? How long have you existed?
Ananda: My belief says that 5000 years. That is my belief.
Mathias: Mathias has not asked you about your belief. Mathias have asked you about how much time have you existed.
Ananda was in silence. Ananda wasn’t able to respond to Mathias because Ananda was caught up in reasoning, logic and duality.
Ananda couldn’t see that Ananda has lived as long as time has existed. No beliefs in that.
Question on Brahma Kumaris beliefs
“SCIENCE VERSUS 5000 YEARS OF TIME CYCLE ! following are my questions.. 1.)5000 years of world drama is said to be like a recorded cd ,which plays the same thing even if repeated N no.of times if so, then what is the significance of the KARMIC ACCOUNT, what is my role here? all my thoughts and actions become predetermined then how can we say we create our own destiny? 2.)If the destruction of this world is going to happen with NUCLEAR WARFARE it will make the entire planet inhabitable for the next hundreds or thousand’s of years,{ japan is an example,even now radiation and related diseases persists in those regions} earth will become more polluted and hostile than ever before ! if so then when will SATYUG the GOLDEN AGE start? it will have to take a long break! 3.)The existence of DINOSAURS and other extinct life forms on EARTH is confirmed by SCIENCE, fossil remains and carbon dating results are proofs for their existence but, there is no mention in our 5000 year cycle that such species existed, did GOD FORGET THEM?.”
Dear reader,
Thank you for your questions!
I am afraid your questions came a bit late… This blog changed its path a couple of months ago from Brahma Kumaris knowledge to Spiritual knowledge in general and for all.
However, i will use this opportunity to give additional explanation and then answer your questions.. so bear with me! 🙂
Beliefs are out. Experience is in. A couple of days ago, it was shared that once the realization about our own eternity is experienced, then beliefs are useless.
Beliefs are “good,” when someone experiences protection and support through a religious system. It is the time for reformation.
Beliefs are “bad,” when they “box you,” and seclude your experience of life and make you part of the “cookie cutter” machinery.
Therefore, beliefs are neither “good, nor bad,” but useful according to someone’s timing in life.
In my experience, out of all the beliefs systems that I have been exposed to (Many, I need to say) Brahma Kumaris knowledge is the most complete, the most reasonable, intellectually speaking. This blog has plenty of articles about that.
The issue has been the way it was interpreted.
Here a little example:
So you know about an eternal, repetitive cycle. Then, why make so much fuss about “destruction,” when we can realize about our own eternity? Think about that.
So you know about an eternal, predestined movie; therefore, what you think you do out of your free will, is part of that movie. Your free will is predestination and predestination is your experience of free will. 🙂
This is just an intellectual concept, but there is the experience which is most important.
When you realize about your own eternity, then the movie of “doing things,” should not matter, when “being” is the most important thing. As it is “being” then “doing” aligns. This is what this blog has emphasized.
When the “little child” needs reformation, the “scary” thought of “destruction is just ahead,” makes you do something to earn your “paradise..” Do you see that? Death by itself is not scary enough, for everyone will die some day… But to be “saved” from destruction, makes it special… There is no death, but we die. I hope you could grasp this.. I know you will 🙂 There is “destruction” but we are eternal? I hope this is not hard to understand… 🙂
In my experience, the whole “experience” in Brahma Kumaris was to “reform myself.” Celibacy is the main ingredient that Brahma Kumaris uses for that. This does not mean that celibacy is “good” or “bad.” It is the “tool” used for reformation.
Why?
Even though it is one of the toughest “tools” for reformation, celibacy will allow you to experience a different consciousness when we are not repressing ourselves. This is the challenge. This is not only physical repression, but also emotional and how you approach life despite your unusual practice, will dictate your degree of “advancement.” Once you have experienced that consciousness, then you know better.
That is my experience in a “nutshell.” I would have not been able to go through it, if I did not have divine help. Here is where your “karma” comes into the picture. This “spiritual bug” comes from many past lives not just this one.
OK.. now into your questions 🙂
1.)5000 years of world drama is said to be like a recorded cd ,which plays the same thing even if repeated N no.of times if so, then what is the significance of the KARMIC ACCOUNT, what is my role here? all my thoughts and actions become predetermined then how can we say we create our own destiny?
Your karmic account is your own movie included in the “big movie.” The Drama. Your role is what you will experience as “doing.” In reality, you do not do anything… 🙂 but because you believe you do; then you do. 🙂
You “create” your destiny when you believe that you have “free will.” You do not create your destiny when you believe that everything is “predestined.” If you do not have “beliefs,” then everything moves as it should.
2.)If the destruction of this world is going to happen with NUCLEAR WARFARE it will make the entire planet inhabitable for the next hundreds or thousand’s of years,{ japan is an example,even now radiation and related diseases persists in those regions} earth will become more polluted and hostile than ever before ! if so then when will SATYUG the GOLDEN AGE start? it will have to take a long break!
Please see how many “beliefs” you are introducing in your question. Your belief of Nuclear warfare, is not completely accurate if you studied the Brahma Kumaris daily scriptures. In that belief system, there is a mention of natural disasters, famine, drought, diseases… Things that you did not account for in your belief. Also, It is mentioned in the Brahma Kumaris belief system, that there will not be a nuclear issue in Bharat and the rest of the continents will go under the oceans. Scary movie… huh? 🙂
Thus, your belief of Nuclear disaster surrounding the whole planet and making the Earth poisonous to live… is just another belief. 🙂
3.)The existence of DINOSAURS and other extinct life forms on EARTH is confirmed by SCIENCE, fossil remains and carbon dating results are proofs for their existence but, there is no mention in our 5000 year cycle that such species existed, did GOD FORGET THEM?.”
Dear reader, “confirmed by science,” is meaningless when we are talking about life. Your belief in science as the holder of “truth,” is just a belief.
How?
Life is more than the physical realm which is what science deals with. here is your definition of science:
“The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.”
In spirituality we can experience that there are many realms beyond the physicality of life, which are integrated. The proof is your own experience.
Quantum mechanics is getting closer to that “reality,” which makes “randomness” and “probabilities” scientific terms to use, when they only denote lack of scientific certainty.
Now, dear reader, I will ask you to please read the tab titled “scientific tales” for a through and convincing ride into the realm of tales for grown ups…
http://avyakt7.com/category/scientific-tales/
There all your questions about the 5000 year belief deal, the dinosaur belief deal and all such beliefs, are answered there. Otherwise, you could type the keyword “dinosaur” in the blog, and you will find articles related with that topic.
Dear reader, It has been a pleasure to reply to your questions, but let me inform you that avyakt7 has “retired” from intellectual debates and logical thinking when related with spirituality and the experience of life. At work I may need to use those skills, but then after those hours of earning my “paycheck” have gone away… those skills are “submerged.” 🙂
However, avyakt7 had his time in that “realm” and articles are available in this blog for those who would like to spend time on such things…
Best wishes!
Reforming conceptual religious beliefs
Dualistic thinking has brought about separation when there is unity in the sense of interdependence.
When there is separation, egotistical attitudes appear, and then the need to “reform” human beings.
The history of religion and moral codes as a reformer of human beings, could be explained in a few words; through duality, human beings have created the complexes of superiority and inferiority.
Religion and moral codes, then appeared to reform that invention with their solution: The complex of equality; which is nothing else but the perceived “better” side of the duality between equality and inequality.
A simple perception of the world will bring us to the understanding that “equality” is just a “nice” concept to fight for, believe in; etc. However, there is nothing equal in the experience of duality.
Human beings have different specialties, different skills; different circumstances of birth. Therefore, another concept was needed to illustrate that “equality.” That is “being equal under the eyes of God,” or by moral codes “as being equal under the law.”
Monotheistic religions, have invented the concept of Paradise; while moral codes, have invented the concept of “justice.”
Paradise is for the few. Religions have placed “Paradise” as the thing to achieve. Nevertheless; there is no equality there. Not everyone will be able to “be there.”
That is how monotheistic religions invented the concept of “free will.” You have the choice to “go to Paradise,” as long as “you follow the law given by God.”
Please observe that this “free will,” is not really “free will,” for the destination is already made up and the way to get there is by following a particular “law;” moreover; it is already known that only “few” chosen ones will go there, which without doubt destroys the concept of “equality,” which is the original trademark of monotheistic religions.
However the above is useful to “reform” human beings who have gone astray by separating themselves from that unity, that is from “God’s will.”
When a monotheistic religion proclaims predestination instead of free will; then another concept within duality is opened up (choice vs. predestination) and a sense of hopelessness arises for someone is already destined to go to Paradise while others are not.
Please see how dualistic thought has influenced our perception on how life works through an infantile vision, which has been used throughout history to move the “masses” out of fear.
“Good or Bad.”
A higher understanding is to observe that equality is not the answer but “numberwise,” which is not a ranking of who is better or worse (duality) but to see that human beings have different capabilities, which are useful in time. It is only our artificial value of those capabilities, which favors someone as being better or worse than someone else.
A higher understanding of being “numberwise,” could be framed in a childish context as well, when our comparison complex is taken into that “Paradise.” There a King is “better” than a maid. An archangel “better” than an “angel.” Therefore, we need to be the “best ones.” 🙂
Nevertheless, an even higher understanding is to drop all of those concepts, those complexes, all that dualistic thinking; to become aware of the source of separation; “the ego,” and to drop it as well.
That does not take a believe system but inner work, inner observation, inner awareness; that is “true effort.”
It is the path of dropping our concept of “self,” little by little, to encounter oneness with the world.
It is in that experience of oneness when the inferiority, superiority and equality complexes are gone. They will not go away if we only live in the world of concepts.
Question about the path of the heart and spiritual union
1. Find quoted below some CONCEPT which I have come across. I will be happy if you can kindly go through this and your experiences if any and your CHURNING on the subject will be of immense help to this SOUL.
“The heart is the only point at which the connecting link between the animate and the inanimate is most clearly felt. This is the reason why meditation on the heart is very useful. Further, heart is the field for the action of mind. Mind is always as it is. It is the heart which, as the field of action of the mind, is to be set right. Hence the most appropriate point for meditation can be only that where from the current flows on, either upwards or downwards. It can only be the heart and nothing else”.
Taken from the book “Complete Works of Ram Chandra, Vol. 1 (1st Indian edn., 1989)”, Chapter “Way to Realisation (Role of the Abhyasi)”, pg. 345, by Babuji Maharaj
Of course according to my present very limited understanding, it is “experiencing”, “being”, “witnessing”, “present”, “detached observer” that matters for the SOUL.
If you would like to go through and know more about the author/organisation kindly visit the following link:
http://www.sahajmarg.org/abhyasi
With Greetings & Good Wishes,
Dear reader,
Thank you for sharing that link. As you rightly pointed out, you came across some “concept.”
Gurus, religions and philosophies will give their “experience,” which are explained in a conceptual way.
However, as we are discovering; those concepts pretend to explain with dualistic words something which cannot be explained, thus; “believers” merely follow blindly a literal interpretation of those explanations and make that interpretation into a dogmatic creed. A religion.
The “heart” is another concept. It is a muscle pumping blood in the human body. If we believe that the physical heart is the center of feelings, it is just a belief. It feels as if feelings come from the heart just as when we believe that thoughts come from the brain. Then we could have more information from another source, mentioning for example; that “we are souls and we are located in the center of the forehead. A role is “recorded in the soul” which are thoughts manifested through the brain,” but the brain is not the origin of those thoughts, etc..etc.. etc. With so many differing concepts, which one is the “true” one? Certainly “one” must be the only truth… 🙂
Then, some will fight to find out who has the “truth,” and will demonstrate this by “scientific” means or by logic as if science and logic were the “reference for truth.” 🙂
The above is what “normal” people experience as a religious faith.
When you recognize by your own experience what are “feelings,” you will not worry about where are they “located.” That does not bring any further experience whatsoever. If we study the heart, the soul; as “concepts” we could care about their “location” but as an experience, it does not matter their “location” at all; for the spiritual experience is not related with that.
Nevertheless, when we talk about feelings to others who may be “uninitiated,” to be “understood” (or misunderstood) we will use the word “heart.”
There are some religious beliefs which separate the heart from the mind. There are others, however; which unite them.
The head is separated from the heart in a conceptual basis, but they work together, they are interdependent with the rest of the human being. That is the reality. The illusion is that we can think of them as “individual” entities all by itself. A change in the heart means a change in the mind. Likewise, if the mind changes; the heart will do so. The chicken or the egg dilemma. Who is first? 🙂
Dear reader, It is good to try and to explore different things. The spiritual experience is what is valuable; just be mindful about getting caught up in conceptual thinking and in taking the explanation, the map, the pointing finger as the “thing” to find.
Some religions will focus on the heart, others in the mind. Explore them. There is always room to learn when there is openness of a “big mind” and a “big heart.”
Best wishes!
2. Divine Brother, In today’s Murli Baba said that Baba can’t read our thoughts because we exist in the material realm. But then how is it that when we do manmanabhav , he will respond to our needs and also connect to us when we are in yog ?
Dear reader,
“Connection” means union.
Manmanabhav is union,
yog is union.
When there is union, everything is known.
Best wishes!
Different flavors of Spiritual Knowledge
Spiritual knowledge could be put into 3 “containers” in the human being:
1) The intellect: Reforming religions are in this group. It is about a philosophy behind it as “how to behave,” laws, commandments, etc are included. Their knowledge is meant to reform human beings. God is used as the source of that reformation. Examples: Christianity, Islam, Brahma Kumaris, Judaism.
Their views on “laws” are balanced with love for God. Without that love, their knowledge would be dry to digest. Notice that all of those religions have a philosophical eschatology (end of times) in their views. Even Buddhism could be considered here as pointed out by Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_time
2) The heart: The above religions could also fit into the heart in a way. There is that love for God. Probably Sufism is one of the higher exponents of this love to a super natural entity called God; but the “pure” path of the heart is shown by Taoism. In Taoism, it is about Nature and that love is not related with philosophical ideas or intellectual knowledge, but by observation and relation with Nature. That on going relationship brings that love with practical knowledge based on that observation. Thus, there is no philosophy about the origin of times or the end of times, nor explanations about God. It is the path of the heart because of that union experienced with everything while relating in it.
For many, God is metaphysical experience and hard to relate to. Nature however is available for all, although, most are not sensible enough to relate with it in that love. That demonstrates that our sensibility to beauty and gratitude to life is not developed.
There may be other paths as well relating with the heart.
3) The mind: This is the path of perception and deep observation of the self. Even though there may be, a philosophical belief of end of times or beginnings; the emphasis is on the mind since the mind is the filter, the lens which will connect us to our “reality.” Without a study of the mind, our perception will be colored by beliefs only. Zen is probably the highest exponent of this path. Buddhism also has the study of the mind as a main teaching.
Therefore, we have those 3 paths. All of them bring different experiences in the self. As a matter of fact, those individuals who are balanced in those 3 aspects in whatever their religion may be, are realizing wisdom. Then that wisdom will automatically take them into the ultimate “container” of knowledge; that is our ELEVATED ACTIONS. In other words, the confluence of those 3 paths should take us into our plain activity in the world. Our actions will show our spiritual level based on having walked the path of the intellect, the heart and the mind to know ourselves.
The law of karma (cause-effect) demonstrates this, for an elevated activity brings an elevated return.
Conceptual God
Who is God? 🙂
Every monotheistic religion has its own take on this question.
It is this. It is that. He comes personally to teach us. I had an experience with him, etc.
People fight among themselves to defend the “concept of God,” and ultimately it becomes a way to feel “special.”
Let us consider some answers about the concept of God:
How about this answer for starters: He is the “creator.” He is omnipotent. He is omnipresent. He is omniscient. He is our father. He is perfect. Any other titles?
Now the question to every reader: What does it mean to you?
God can do anything to me at any time. He can punish me. He can bless me. He can save me. He can get me anything I desire as long as I love him, worship him, etc. My love is tinted with fear. Moreover, my love is not truly love, until I learn to discover the meaning of love in me. The childish concept that God “will save you” if you just believe in him, is a fairy tale once spiritual knowledge is understood.
The law of karma does not allow for that fairy tale.
If God is the “creator,” what has he created? Some say the Universe, human beings, everything. However, if in fact, he created a human being in “his image,” would that mean that Adam (the first man) was a Caucasian, blue eyed male? Is that his “image”? Then, every other race becomes something further away from that “first creation.” If his “image” is something non-physical, how can I perceive that non-physicality? How can I believe that this non-physicality could belong to a religion?
If in fact, God is “perfect,” is he able to create a creation which deteriorates in time to be far away from the “original” creation? Is deterioration part of that conceptual view of perfection?
Now, if we go from the traditional religions into the non-traditional ideologies then we could find this:
If God didn’t create anything, for everything “recycles” itself in a cyclical view of time, then what is the meaning of God? What is his job? 🙂
He is not omnipotent because he cannot create; He cannot be omnipresent because not everyone sees him and if he is omniscient; then how can I have free will, if he knows what I will be doing? Some say, “He knows what you will be doing but it doesn’t mean that you are not acting out of your free will.”
Ladies and gentleman, If someone knows what I will be doing in the future; isn’t that proof that “my free will” is not really that for the outcome is already known? 🙂
How can He be omniscient if in fact there is a law of “cause and effect” and there is a cycle of time which is eternally repetitive? He may “recall” what will happen when I do not, but that is not to be omniscient but just not to be forgetful.
I forget. He does not. Maybe?
How can He be “my father” if I wasn’t created? Who invented that “relationship”?
Then, what is the meaning of God in this life or Drama?
Have you ever asked that question?
Simple. He/She (as however someone may like to conceptualize God) only helps us to remember who we are. That is all. That can happen through teachings, that could happen through experiences, that could happen through any other means. There is no “book” defining how that could happen.
The issue is that “to listen to Him” means to practice. To Be. To become. Very few listen to that.
Nevertheless, please see how much we have changed the meaning of God. Look how much we have “used and abused” that conceptual idea of God for our own benefit.
We have used that concept of God to create wars. To create religions to divide people between the “sons of God” and the rest. Just out of the ego of being recognized as something “especial,” when everyone is unique.
We have used that concept of God, to give ourselves power to dictate over others, to create fear among believers, to dominate people, to subjugate other beliefs, to feel empowered by a concept… when the whole idea of the meaning of God is simply to remember about our own divinity and to let that divinity emerge, so we become “like Him.”
That is all. All other concepts and brainy discussions are out.
Why?
Because that means conceptual ideas of God. No one can possess God. We can only have beliefs, concepts, definitions, discussions, debates, ideas of Him.
In short:
The truth resides in the self. “To be like Him”- His image, means to BE… not talk about him, to conceptualize Him/Her. To know God means to be his image.
Trapped in concepts, ideas, ideologies, isms, dogmas, etc. we have abused the significance of that pristine undeveloped image which could become a beautiful picture only when its meaning fully develops in the hearts of human beings.
Then, we become His image.
Exploring the Depth of Living 