Basic understanding of spirituality
Divine Life
Society Publication: From Various Spiritual discourses by Sri Swami Krishnananda
Prejudice
‘Prejudice’ means a state of
attitude which has entered into our very blood, and which influences every
thought of ours – every feeling, and everything that we do in life. It is at
the background of everything that we think and feel and act; that is called
prejudice. It has no logical basis. A prejudiced person cannot be logically
converted into a new line of thinking because already there is a predisposition
to a particular way of thinking, on account of the atmosphere in which one has
been brought up.
We must have taken thousands
of births, and all the impressions of our thoughts, feelings and actions of
millions and millions of births that we have taken add to the prejudice of our
thinking, so that what we are thinking today is a cumulative effect of all that
we have thought and felt and done in many, many births through which we have
passed. But, this prejudice has become a part of our nature. It is not merely a
psychological function in the ordinary sense of the term. It is something that
cannot be separated from our own skin. Our very existence is a prejudice.
Spirituality
Spirituality is a state of
being. 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.
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. We want to expand our being, which we are trying to do by connecting ourself with other beings. Thus, even our doing or our action is only a need felt for expanding our being. Ultimately, being is the truth, not doing, because our doing is only for the sake of being. The necessity of doing arises on account of my not being one with others, and others not being one with me. If I am they, and they are I, the question of doing does not arise because there is nothing to be done. The connection between my being and your being is called action.
There is no such thing as a
distinction between being and doing. There is no doing;
it is only being moving within itself for its
own sake, for its own expansion and intensity. Our activities in life are the
attempts we make to come in contact with external realities for the purpose of
the expansion of our finite being.
Knowledge and activity (jnana and karma)
The question of 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.
To be spiritual
The attempt at being spiritual
is the effort of the deepest reality of our nature to come to manifestation,
and to overcome the prejudice of our being in space, time, and causal
relationship. That we are in space, time and cause is an error of thought. Even
our doing or our action is only a need felt for expanding our being. Thus,
ultimately, being is the truth, not doing, because our doing is only for the
sake of being.
Aim of spirituality
The 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.
Karma Yoga
When human relationship
becomes philosophical, it becomes karma yoga.
Bondage
When human relationship
becomes unphilosophical, it becomes passion, desire, a source of bondage. The
same movement –, the same fire, the same water, the same sword, the same knife
– can work both ways.
Our bondage is psychological
and not physical. As the old saying goes, stone walls do not a prison make. A
prison does not mean a building with walls, because even a house is a building
with walls, but we do not call it a prison. However, we can call it a prison if
our mind changes. So bondage is not merely a physical association, but is also
a psychological feeling, and ultimately it is a state of consciousness.
Subjection to gunas means the subjection of
consciousness to the operation of the gunas.
Yoga
When our relationship with
things outside is philosophically motivated and intelligently directed with a
conscious purpose present in the mind always, never missed at any moment of
time, it becomes yoga. All activity is yoga. All relationship is good
relationship. Everything is fine and grand and beautiful in this majestic
creation of God.
Necessity for a Guru
We cannot know our mistakes,
because we have identified ourselves with it. Sometimes Guru’s grace, sometimes
God’s blessings come and enlighten us, illumine us. When everything goes wrong,
the intellect can detect that something is wrong; but if the intellect itself
goes wrong, then who will detect the mistake? When we are on a wrong path, who
will find out that we are on the wrong path?
What is ascent and descent
Evolution is not in space and
time, because space and time are part of the evolutionary process. We are not
moving as a leaf moves in the wind or a train moves on its track. It is not
this kind of movement that is meant by evolution. It is a new type of
transformation of consciousness that takes place.
To be spiritually awakened is
not to be moving in space, up or down, but to bring about a transfiguration
within oneself, an evolution consciously brought about within us, a florescence
of consciousness itself, something like waking from a state of deep sleep. When
we wake up from sleep, we do not move into space, and yet we know the joy felt
when waking up from a bad dream. We have not moved in space, not even moved in
time; yet, what a vast difference it has made in our life. We have awakened
into our own consciousness.
Freedom or liberation
Liberation is a condition of
consciousness and not a condition of physicality, materiality or any type of
external association. Therefore, the ultimate freedom, which is moksha, being a state of
consciousness, should be attained through a gradual ascension from greater
states of subjection of consciousness, to lesser states of subjection of
consciousness.
Sadhana
is the way to moksha. Moksha
is freedom from bondage.
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