SPIRITUALITY
THE PATH
TO YOUR
LIFE
SOURCE
We
all know that we have a Body and a Mind. Our body is visible. Our mind, though
not visible, is always in use, and is rooted in our Body. We think, we know it.
Mind
without the Body and body without the Mind – do not exist. Both statements hold
good – only so long as LIFE resides in the body.
We
know we are alive. We became alive sometime in the past (at the time of our
birth) and we know that we will cease to be alive sometime in the future(when
we die).
So,
there is always this nagging question in our minds – what happens to us when we
are not alive; that is – before our birth and after our death.
When
we are alive - we work with our physical organs, the five senses and the mind.
These are the only implements we are endowed with – for all purposes of our LIFE.
The
five senses and the mind give us all data (we call it knowledge) about the external
world. But, they are totally incapable of giving us any data about what lies
even one layer below the outer layer of our skin. Our knowledge and perception
stops with the outermost layer of our skin. Anything below that – is not made
for your direct perception.
Even
if, by some accident, you bones, lungs and heart get exposed outside – and you
happen to see them or even touch them –you will never have the sensation,
feeling or perception – that they actually are YOU or an integral part of you. Your senses and Mind are just not made to
perceive anything in you other than the outer most layer of your skin – as YOU.
Even the so called organ of our Intelligence, namely the mind, does not feel
that it is YOU proper.
Our
Body, below the outermost layer of our skin, is made in such a way – that it is
not to be felt, sensed or perceived by us until – there is a problem with it. Pain and disorder are the only sensations that
make the existence of any inner part of us known to us. Pleasure resides in the
outer most layer of the skin along with other sensations.
It
is true that human mind is far more well developed than all other living beings (possibly). But,
our (human) mind also is capable of perceiving the external world only - through
the five senses which act as its Gate-ways.
But
there is an inner world below the outermost layer of the skin. Normally, using
the mind and the five senses, we are capable of inference by external example, to understand what exactly is within
us. We can see a dead body or a photo –
and infer that, possibly, we are also like that inside our own self. We are not
capable of feeling our own inner parts, sensing them, or communicating with
them in ways in which we communicate with outside world.
Our
five senses are all externally focused. Always. They lack inward focus. The
mind is just a repository of sensory inputs and their synthesis. There is
nothing else which is there in the mind.
So,
we lack any implement with which we can focus our attention inwards. There is
probably a good reason why we are not given this ability for inward focus and
inward control. Our mind is at best a very imperfect instrument, very
forgetful, very foolish and very unfocused by its nature. If it gains control
over the inner organs, that can well be the moment of the death of the body and
mind both. It can’t manage a darned thing inside or outside the body with a
reasonable degree of perfection, for even a few minutes. It can’t even manage
itself. Therefore, the control over our inner organs is placed under some other
power which can manage them much more efficiently than us.
But,
we do begin to wonder – who is that power who so efficiently manages the lungs,
the heart, the pancreas, the kidneys, the circulatory system, the digestive
system and so many other intricate, inter-connected systems within the body and
the mind?
Who
is that Power – who is the source of all LIFE in us?
We
are not alive – by our volition and discretion! This is very obvious. We are
alive due to the volition and discretion of that LIFE SOURCE in us.
The
purpose of SPIRITUALITY is to reach that
LIFE SOURCE in us. Only Human being is capable of SPIRITUALITY; Capable of reaching the LIFE
SOURCE in himself. You cannot reach the LIFE SOURCE in me. Nor can I reach the
LIFE SOURCE in You. But each of us can
reach the LIFE SOURCE within our own self.
This
is the Possibility that all of us have.
Religions
are not capable of that. They try to seek out a GOD, outside us somewhere, who
can place us in a hell or heaven, when we don’t stay on earth. That God may be
a Cruel God, Benevolent God, impartial God, passive God, active God, Lord of
Heaven, or Lord of Heaven and hell, assisted by angels, or thwarted by a devil –
you can have any number of theories for a thing like that, which will never be
in your direct knowledge Until you DIE.
But,
spirituality is not LIFE AFTER DEATH. But, it may well be that as well – apart from
being LIFE as we are right now.
Spirituality
is – realizing our LIFE SOURCE right now, when we are alive. There is a FIXED
PATH for realizing this LIFE SOURCE. Obviously, you will seek out your life
source, where your LIFE is, right now.
It
is inside you. Therefore, you will have to seek it out, through an inward
Journey. Not through an outward Journey – which cannot lead you towards it –
but leads you away from it.
Since all of your five senses are outward
bound, there is need to stop their outward journeys to the extent feasible –
and if possible, direct them inwards. If this is not possible, silence them to
the extent possible. This is a necessity to stop or minimize all external
distractions, which will drag us outwards again and again and put us back on
outward journey.
Mind
is a synthesis of all sensory inputs. Therefore, this also is outward bound – taking
us away from the LIFE SOURCE within us and therefore needs to be silenced.
That
is why – Patanjali calls Yoga as silencing of all Mind works –yogah chittha vritthi nirodhah. You may stop its outward journeys
from now – but, your mind has a huge baggage of sensory inputs from the past –
which are always ready to start some outward Journey at the slightest excuse.
That possibility must also be removed. That Purification of the mind is
achieved through the 8-step path of Ashtanga Yoga. Start it with Yama and
Niyama. These are all self-purificatory steps enabling us to start our inward
journey towards our LIFE SOURCE.
Aasana,
Pranayama and Pratyaahara are steps to start the Inward journey. Pratyaahara is
the first inward step. Then comes Dharana or fixing the path of the inward
journey. Dharana after some successful journey becomes Dhyana, and Dhyana,
after some more successful Journey becomes Samaadhi; and Samaadhi, after some
more successful Journey becomes nirvikalpa samaadhi, where you are together
with the LIFE SOURCE. There, You become the LIFE SOURCE yourself. Eesvara is
just a name given to the LIFE SOURCE – by Patanjali. You can give it any name
you like. Patanjali does not mind.
This
Possibility is there in YOU. It is a wonderful, extraordinary possibility.
What
are you waiting for? Start your beautiful Journey towards your Life Source.
All the way, there are Great rewards waiting for you - as Patanjali himself promises -and as You will experience yourself.
=Yours
v.vijayamohan
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