(Apr 27, 2013) Spirituality is the Expansion of Being

Spirituality is the Expansion of Being

From Divine Life Society Publication: “True Spiritual Living” by Swami Krishnananda

Spirituality is not a way of living in the sense of conducting oneself outwardly in relationship to other people, but it is a state of being. We have heard from many people that spirituality also implies intense unselfish activity. Then, how do we say that spirituality is a state of being, rather than doing? This peculiar notion has arisen because you have a distinction between yourself and other people in the world. Inasmuch as my existence – which is called ‘my being’ – is different from the being of other people, I have a necessity to develop a relationship with other people. This is called ‘doing’. So, the necessity of doing arises on account of my not being one with others, and others not being one with me.

You have a being of your own; you exist. And I have a being of my own; I exist. But my being is different from your being. So, the connection between my being and your being is called action. As long as we are different from one another, there shall be a difference between being and doing. This is also the reason for the philosophical distinction between knowledge and activity – or in Indian Sanskrit parlance, jnana and karma. Whether knowledge is superior, or action is superior arises from another question: whether I am one with you, or I am different from you. If I am different from you, really speaking, then action cannot be avoided; it is superior in its own way.

We have a compulsive feeling that there is some connection between ourselves and others but we cannot see any connection visibly. On one side we feel that we are an independent people, and that is the reason why we sometimes become selfish and exploit others. At times, we have a humanitarian feeling, a feeling of brotherhood and unity with people. This double attitude of our nature is the cause of our sorrow.

Distinction between being and doing has arisen out of the prejudice of our being in space, time, and a causal relationship of things. Space is a way of disconnecting one thing from another thing. It is because of space that you appear to be different from me. Space prevents us from merging, which has created this distinction of thought, feeling, action, etc. That we are in space, time and cause is an error of thought.

Thus, the whole of human life is a drama of two scenes – being and doing. Being is what we are. Doing is what we try to manifest in order that this being may become more and more complete. Thus, even our doing or our action is only a need felt for expanding our being by connecting ourself with others. Thus, ultimately, being is the truth, not doing, because our doing is only for the sake of being.

All our beings should join together into a single being, like a single ocean having all the drops within it. The whole ocean is one drop only, but it contains small drops. We cannot separate them. But, if we join many stones or sand particles together, we cannot call it a single unity. So, our joining together socially, politically, economically, and externally is something like trying to join millions of sand particles together, which are different from each other. They will never join.

Spirituality is the consciousness of being. And whatever we do as an action is meant for expanding being. That is why they say karma yoga is a yoga by itself for attaining God-realisation. Every kind of relationship with others is an attempt of the soul to come to a unity of being, in a largeness which expands to entire infinitude. We merge in the Supreme Being called God, as all drops merge in the ocean.

We bring a spatial distinction even between us and God. The concept of God, the real Being, transcends the idea of space, time, and cause, and is inseparable from our being. This consciousness of the totality of Being – not merely an aggregate of particulars, but the real merger of Being – is the aim of spirituality. This consciousness has to be manifest in our action, even when there is activity. It is very difficult, therefore, to even conceive what real spirituality is, let alone practice it. But once it becomes a part of our natural way of thinking, we become supermen from that very moment. This is the aim of our life.

Continue to read:

“Spirituality is the expansion of Being” by Swami Krishnananda

“The Doctrine of the Upanishads”  by Swami Krishnananda

“God Exists” by Sri Swami Sivananda

“Karma Yoga” by Swami Sivananda

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