A short overview of the Judea Christian teachings
will hopefully provide us with a taste to pursue our inquiry in a more detailed
manner.
The Bible begins with these words, "In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth." We learn from the text
that the earth was formless, empty, and dark, and God's Spirit moved over the
waters preparing to perform God's creative Word. And then God began to speak
into existence his creation.
The simple explanation of the creation story is that
God is the author of creation. In Genesis 1 we are presented with the beginning
of a divine play that can only be examined and understood from the standpoint
of faith. How long did it take? How did it happen, exactly? No one can answer
these questions definitively. In fact, these mysteries are not the focus of the
creation story. The purpose is for moral and spiritual revelation.
God says,
"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.
God created the animals to fill the earth. God also
created man and woman (Adam and Eve)
in his own image to commune with him. He blessed them and gave them every
creature and the whole earth to rule over, care for, and cultivate.
Adam and Eve ate
fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, this causing their expulsion
from the Garden of Eden.
When Adam and Eve sinned (ignored God’s direction) they
experienced both physical and spiritual consequences.
The scriptures tell us that man is descended from
Adam and Eve and therefore also faces the consequences as did Adam and Eve.
What
are the consequences?
After the
fall, they no longer have all their needs fulfilled without any self effort.
They have to struggle for food, drink, safety from any harm or dangers or
illness.
They have
to follow God’s commandments and the guidance of the prophet. If they believe
in God’s Oneness and do good deeds for humanity and nature then God will reward
them by accepting them into His Paradise. Otherwise they will be punished by
pushing them in the hell fire.
In the
consequences of Adam's and Eve's sin lies the inability of human beings to save themselves solely by their own efforts.
It was by the grace of God (the Creator) that life was given to human beings.
It continues to be by the grace of God that human beings hope for and receive
atonement, forgiveness, and redemption.
The Old Testament is based on a legalistic system. What about he New
Testament?
Forgiveness
How does one receive
forgiveness from God?"
Act 13:38 declares: “Therefore, my brothers,
I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to
you.”
We read in Hebrews 9:12 concerning Jesus, “He entered once
for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but
by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption”.
Jesus’ main teachings
Jesus
proclaims a God of love. God is love, and said unto him, Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
KJV Matthew 22:37.
Jesus
taught to: love, to forgive, to accept, not to judge or pass judgment; to seek
first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you.
So what is the message for us?
We
are made in the image of God.
Adam
and Eve have sinned, therefore as off springs we all are sinners.
We
need to accept the creative process by faith.
We
need to live in accordance with the commandments and the teachings of the prophets;
in short in accordance with the scriptures.
Man
must do good deeds in order to be accepted into the kingdom.
God calls the shots. We are at His mercy.
It is by His grace that human beings hope for and
receive atonement, forgiveness, and redemption.
The Good news is that God’s only begotten son was given to the world,
taught for 3 years and eventually died for our sins. Through his sacrifice, or
death we are now saved, as long as we believe in Jesus.
Jesus portrayed a God of love.
How to
live successfully in the world and manifest one’s desires?
Principles to successful Christian living according to: Os Hillman president of Leaders, an
organization whose purpose is to help men and women discover and fulfill God's purposes.
Spend time with Jesus
Wisdom and power is gained through obedience in your weakness, not your strength
Make sure you are working where god has called you to work
When God gives a vision, let Him fulfill it by responding to His prompting, instead of helping Him make it happen
Receive what God gives you through obedience, instead of sweating for the outcome
Embrace time of adversity as opportunities to grow in wisdom, character and obedience
Identify and renounce the influence as any general stronghold that may have caused you to develop a compulsive behavior
Be accountable to God and others for your decisions
Pend time in prayer with God and invite others to partner with you to pray for you
Seek God for strategies for success in your work life
Now let
us now take a look at Samkhya Philosophy (a part of yoga teachings).
Samkhya like Christianity is dualistic. It views the universe as being composed
of two basic realities. These are the Realm of Pure Spirit Consciousness or
Purusha, and the Realm of Material Phenomenon represented by the Primal Force
of Nature or Prakriti, which expresses itself as intelligence through which
phenomenon come into existence and functionally operates thereafter via the
three gunas: sattva (creation), rajas (preservation), and tamas, (destruction)
respectively.
Purusha and Prakriti are dualistically the seeker and that which is sought, the
seer and that which is seen, the knower and that which is known, or essentially
the experiencer and that which is experienced, encompassing both the animate
and the inanimate realms of existence. In this relationship, Prakriti provides
the experience needed by Purusha for Liberation. Liberation or unity occurs
when subject and object become one.
When the bondage of attachments ruling Prakriti is gradually broken through the
progress of yogic Concentration (Dharana) and Meditation (Dhyana), the unbound
pure spirit of Purusha is finally separated and liberated from Prakriti as
total absorption in God (Samadhi) is experienced.
The study of Samkhya is enhanced when we realize
that it is based on
Sanatana Dharma (the eternal religion) which says: “The paths are many, but all
lead to only one goal, the Divine”
It also says that there is nothing divine or
infallible in the paths itself, only the goal is infallible and divine.
Originally the philosophies of both Sankhya and
Vedanta stayed clear of religion, leaving this matter in the hands of the
Brahmins or priests. Yet Samkhya forms one of the most important philosophical
currents. Samkhya is precise, rational, and logical, and therefore does not
deem it necessary to invoke the concept of God for explaining the manifest and
non-manifest multifarious nature and the individual self and the objective
universe.
Samkhya nicely advances the theory of the possibility
and the need to realize one’s true Self so that the bondage of ignorance is
broken and that the individual self may attain liberation. We have seen this in
Patanjali’s, system of Yoga, where he expounds the method and means to unite
our lower self with the true Self.
Samkhya
concept of manifestation
Spirit wants to express and will manifest in
accordance with one’s spiritual awakening.
When matter identified, one is subject to the laws
of cause and effect.
When primarily identified with the mind, dominant
thoughts and attachment to resulting circumstances determine one’s life. We
feel, think and act and accumulate karmic impressions which determines, to a
large degree, how we live our life.
The purpose of karma is to teach consequences, so
that by trial and error the individual soul may eventually acquires the kind of
faith that leads to life’s supreme goal, God realization.
How
do those who have reached the goal conduct themselves?
The answer one would expect, is a list of virtues.
But according to yoga it is to have banished all selfish desires. Their minds
are purified so that they are free from craving and self-will. Enlightenment is
not running away from life, it is living life to the fullest and in accordance
with one’s inner nature.
Identified completely with the Self, not with the
body and mind, they realize their immortality here on earth. They embrace the
unknown as the source of all creative activities; they see themselves in all
and all in them and thus are not capable of hurting anyone.
They are full of vitality, active, compassionate,
self-reliant for they look to the Self for the answers. They let spirit express
and watch for the opportunity to give and to serve.
Through meditation they access the field of pure
potentiality and by intention materialize their creative will.
Now
we take a look at Non Dualistic Vedanta
The fundamental truth as taught by all
religions is that man has to transform his base human nature into the divine
that is within him. In other words, he must reach the deeper strata of his
being, wherein lies his unity with all mankind. Vedanta can help us to contact
and live that truth which unfolds our real nature, the divinity lying hidden in
us.
Vedanta is also not a particular religion but
a philosophy which includes the basic truths of all religions. It teaches that
man’s real nature is divine. The aim of man’s life on earth is to unfold and
manifest the hidden God within him, and that Truth is universal.
Ramakrishna, in more recent years, said that
God can be personal as well as impersonal. He harmonized the three different
major systems obtained in Vedanta: the dualistic system, the qualified monistic
system, and the monistic system. (Dualism holds that God, the universe, and
individuals are separate, eternal entities. Qualified monism maintains God
alone exists and individual souls exist as "cells" in God’s universal
body. Monism views God, individual souls, and the universe as one Reality.)
Ramakrishna harmonized these different viewpoints by telling us, it is the same
actuality which becomes the personalized God. All roads lead to the same goal.
"Vivekananda, a disciple of Sri
Ramakrishna, gave the definition of what God is in a very scientific way: ‘God
is the highest reading of the Absolute,’ he said. So, Vedanta, and all
religions have this major idea called ultimate existence, or oneness."
Nature of
Man
What is the nature of man? Man is of the same
nature as God. But one can approach man’s nature from another viewpoint. One
can start a search by inquiring of that which is permanent that exists in this
universe. We begin the search from the standpoint of which we have no doubt.
We know we exist; we have no doubt about this.
Starting from here, philosophers may come, scientists may come and try to argue
still we know that we exist. So we start our search from this position, who am
I?
‘Am I
the body? Is the body subject to change?’ Scientifically, after seven years all
the cells have changed. So the body cannot be said to be real.
Now we consider the mind. Is the mind the
ultimate existence? But the mind is constantly changing. Some religions believe
in the continuance of the mind from rebirth to rebirth, even they believe at
some time the mind will come to a stop.
Divinity
of man
From our method of inquiry, Vedanta says man’s
ultimate nature is not the body, not the mind, but the spirit. Here we have the
idea of the divinity of man. Spirit is man’s essential nature not his
manifestation, where there are defects.
Now we should look at the divinity of the
soul. We call the divinity of existence Brahman (God). Brahman
is the word for the unity of existence. Atman, Self is
the word we use for the divinity of the soul, the essential nature of man.
Another important idea of Vedanta is the Unity,
the Oneness, of God. How does Vedanta define God? God is the highest reading of
the Absolute, as the Absolute appears to the limited mind.
Unity of
God
Different religious leaders say, ‘My God is
like this, my God is like that.’ Hindus say, ‘God is like this.’ Muslims say,
‘God is like that.’ Christians say, ‘God is like this.’ Can all the people be
right at the same time? Vedanta says no to this. How can they all be right?
The Goal
The Vedantist ideal is to realize his or
her spiritual nature. The ultimate position, as Shankara says is to know that
we are not the body, not the mind, but the spirit. But there are intermediate
stages, he added. In devotional language we call this quest the realization of
God. But in Vedantic language we call it the realization of one’s spiritual
nature.
In our ordinary lives we human beings don’t
represent the full spirit because it is mixed with the body and other
mental/emotional aspects with defects. However, realization of one’s spiritual
nature is the ultimate goal of life.
Through samadhi (Super Conscious Awareness)
can we have these experiences.
To gain samadhi we practice the four major
yogas, which are means of connecting the individual soul with the Supreme Soul.
The four yoga paths are: the path of devotion, the path of knowledge, the path
of action, and the path of meditation. These are the four major ways to gain
samadhi and experience the ultimate goal of life.
Putting
the teachings of Vedanta into practice
The philosophy of Non-duality or Non-dualism,
which is called Advaita, says that there is just One Spirit in the Universe,
and that everything, living or inanimate, is an inseparable and indivisible
part of this One Spirit. This is also the meaning of the word - "not
two" or non-separation". Non-duality further says that the world is
illusive, caused by the mind and the play of the senses, which make us regard
the world and everything in it, as real and separate from us.
For someone not familiar with this
philosophy, it might sound strange, but once understood, it can completely
change one's attitude and perspective about life.
Imagine yourself feeling the Oneness with the
Universe, enjoying a state of bliss and inner peace, but at the same time
acting and functioning normally in your day-to-day life. Imagine yourself being
active in the world, but at the same time being in a state of inner detachment.
We are usually not aware of this state,
because our thoughts, desires, and the five senses, draw the mind outside, to
the external world, and obscure the awareness of the consciousness that is
beyond the mind. It is through meditation that we can gain inner peace and the
ability to silence the mind, and therefore, rise above the obscuring veil of
thoughts. In the state of inner silence, we rise above the illusion of
identification with the mind, thoughts and ego, we go beyond the illusion of
separateness, and realize the oneness with the One Spirit. It is as if a new
sort of consciousness dawns, and we see the world from a different perspective.
With this kind of consciousness, we are able
to allow the mind to be active or silent, at our command. It becomes our
faithful servant, instead of being our master. We act in the material world, yet, our roots are in pure, calm and
limitless consciousness, which is not attached to anything and not
limited by anything. In this state, we live and view the world from the
non-duality point of view.
Separateness and Oneness
Though in our day-today life we look at other
people, as separate from us, as separate units, this is only a mental
viewpoint, convenient for functioning in our day to day life. From a higher
state of consciousness, all are One, and the terms "I",
"you", "he", "she" and "they" are not
real. There is only the One Spirit, Consciousness, which manifests in limitless
forms and ways. The external forms may be different, but the Spirit within is one undivided Spirit. It is the mind, which
lets us believe and feel that we are separate from others, but we are all part
of the same One Spirit manifesting and expressing itself through different
forms.
The concept of Non-duality
This concept is not a strange idea. It can be
experienced and lived right here and now, no matter where we are, and without
attracting anybody's attention. It is an inner state of consciousness, not an
external state.
It is possible to realize and experience it
in an ashram or a cave, and it is also equally possible to do so while living
in a town or city, with family and a job. This requires dedication, an open
mind, inner work, and turning the mind inwards.
Most people cannot afford to leave everything
behind in order to meditate and lead a purely spiritual life. They need to work
and support their family, and therefore, can devote only part of the day to
spiritual pursuits. The good news is that we can walk on the inner path of spirituality, without abandoning our family,
job or external lifestyle. With proper planning, it is possible to find
the time and the energy for the inner work.
Meditation, and walking on the spiritual
path, which lead to understanding and to experiencing Non-duality, can be
practiced anywhere, without making external changes in our life. We can stay
with our job and family, and still make spiritual progress and realize the true
meaning of this concept.
We need to look within, be aware of what is
going on in our mind, search for the source of our thoughts and where they come
from, learn to make our mind peaceful, and we will begin to be aware of our
true essence and the consciousness beyond our mind. This will lead to a better
understanding of Non-duality and of our Self.
What can help us to understand and
experience Non-duality?
Developing concentration, practicing
meditation, learning emotional detachment, reading spiritual literature.
