Re:The two Viewpoints of this Manifested World

[Guest guest]

Dear

 

The human being can be broken up into two components. One which recognises the

external world of change and tries to adapt to it. The other, often

subconscious, which seeks a permanence behind that change. While empirical

science seeks to tackle the former, divine science seeks to guide man towards

the latter making him realise and identify with the unchangeable, indestructible

soul. Both are necessary and both are science in their own way. For empirical

science you need facts and sensory proof, for divine science one has to take

recourse to self revealing truths, an outcome of inner experience, that come

ones way when one starts practising spiritual methods.

 

Man can either live in the external world alone or decide to seek out the

internal world. Many prefer, or rather, are forced to take recourse to the

middle path. Most of us do that. But it would be a fallacy to assume that one

would go towards ruin if they followed the divine path alone. I have personally

come across at two such personalities who have rejected the external world

altogether and give their prime attention to the spiritual world. They do not

struggle for existence, God provides for them. Among them one is blind. Both do

not touch money.

 

Sri Ramakrishna was once quizzed on "ajagar vritti" or the posture of some

spiritual aspirants to remain inert to the world, receiving whatever alms that

come their way. Sri Ramakrishna said that it usually happens when the aspirant

can think of nothing else except God, then it becomes God's duty to take care of

his devotee. The state, he said, would never benefit a hypocrite. In recent

times we have the example of Ramana Maharshi who spent his early years absorbed

in deep meditation totally forgetful of the world. During this period there

appeared on the scene attendants who took care of his bodily needs.

 

The ideal would be to live in the world without allowing the world to live

within us. As Swami Vivekananda put it, cultivating intense dispassion in the

midst of intense activity. This state can be achieved if one lives solely for

the benefit of others without bothering about ones selfish interests.

 

And again the sincere spiritual aspirant gets all the benefits of good health

and energy without having to acquire the knowledge of the internal anatomy or

the secrets of the ways in which the body functions. It is well known that the

body performs best when one tends to forget about it. And again, when we are

innately healthy we do not remember the body.

 

However, as you said, today secular needs are very pressing and we cannot ignore

it. However we should subtly inform the stressed out patients about their

spiritual side so that they can achieve a balance between their dual selves.

Otherwise they will go back to their old routine and be subject to even greater

misery.

 

Buddha did not ask anyone to reflect on the world, he stressed on change to hint

at the impermanence of the world so that mankind would turn away and concentrate

on going beyond the change. Unfortunately his teaching was so effective that all

traces of creativity disappeared from India which turned predominantly ascetic.

However Hinduism has always stressed on the entire gamut of experiences by

dilineating the chaturvarga of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha and also the four

ashramas of Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyas. Today we cannot

practice the four ashramas externally but we should cultivate an inner attitude

corresponding to the ashramas. That would take much of the stress away from our

lives and help us lead a life that is in accordance with all the goals we should

pursue keeping dharma or the natural laws in mind.

 

Regards,

Jagannath.