2008 New Year Message

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2008 New Year Message

 

 

The religious and spiritual works of Hinduism have

produced an unimaginable body of books, treatise,

scriptures and other similar texts. Carried away from

the distant past are the most profound religious

scriptures like the Vedas, Brahamanas, Puranas,

Samhitas, Upanishads, Shrimad Bhagwata Mahapurana

(which contains the 'Gita' etc.) and many more too

numerous to be listed here. A study of these works,

written primarily in Sanskrit or in other vernaculars,

leads one to experience a sense of expansion in one's

knowledge, imagination and consciousness.

 

From an academic point of view, these valuable texts

teach spiritual philosophies, spiritual theories and

spiritual sciences. These in their quintessence

propound certain vital aspects of the spiritual

realms. Understanding philosophy and theory is the

first step for a spiritual practitioner. However, it

needs to be clearly understood that a mere study of

spiritual and philosophical discourses is not enough.

Any knowledge, which is not put into practice, shall

not be of much use as the path of spiritual progress

calls for direct experience and knowledge. So it is

necessary for the spiritual practitioners to graduate

to practicing the applied aspect of spiritual science.

Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Gyana Yoga, Laya Yoga, Bhakti

Yoga, Hatha Yoga and tantras etc. are the applied

principles.

 

How does one achieve spirituality? As mentioned

before, merely by reading spiritual or religious texts

one cannot spiritualise oneself. In its generic sense,

the word 'spirit' means an indestructible divine

energy form whose continued and unlimited play, sets

into motion a series of changes in all forms of

existence including human beings, starting before his

birth and going beyond his death. Different people

understand the word 'spirit' differently. Some term it

as 'jiva' (living entity), some term it as 'prana'

(life force in the living being), some call it as

'chetna' (divine consciousness) or 'atma' (a part of

the ultimate reality called God or Brahama). These

four words, jiva, prana, atma and chetna are

intrinsically related. However, 'atma' is primordial

causative factor, of chetna, jiva or prana. In a way

it can be said that, a continued consciousness beyond

time and space is the very nature of the 'atman'.

 

'Atma' and 'paramatma' are the essence of the divine

creation, 'ultimate realities' beyond time and space.

The cosmos is nothing but the external manifestation

of the 'paramatma'. Therefore, each created object

contains a subtle and small part of the 'paramatma'

termed as the 'atma'. Since 'atma' is a part of

'paramatma' it contains all the attributes of the

'paramatma'. It is omnipotent, omniscient and

omnipresent in an unfathomable time continnum.

 

So then what is God realization? The word 'atma

sakshatakara' (God realization) means, realisation of

one's own 'atma' or consciousness. Even though these

particles of 'paramatma' called 'atma' may be

functioning in a 'Jiva' it is never separate from its

root, that is 'paramatama'. Therefore, the realization

of God is not the understanding of the material

manifestation of 'atma', which includes all the living

and non-living, visible and non visible things and

forces of the Universe. Even if one can travel to all

the Universes in space and gain knowledge about it he

cannot have said to have realized God.

 

Consciousness in its various forms seen on the earth

emanates from 'atma' or soul or 'paramatma'. All forms

of energy in the Universe emanate from consciousness,

and all forms of materials emanate from those

energies. Thus, consciousness is superior to energy

forms and materials of the Universe. Whereas

consciousness can explain and control all energy forms

and materials, however, the reverse cannot be true.

Therefore, all religious worships of all deities in

any form may not necessarily spiritualise a man. Any

experiment in the spiritual science, means expansion

of his own limited consciousness to the State of

Universal Consciousness. That science by which

consciousness can thus be evolved is called 'vigyana

maya jagata' or spiritual science. To achieve this he

has to introspect (dhyana) on his own conduct and

thought processes continuously. Idol worship, mantras

and rituals are prescribed procedures at the beginning

to purify oneself. Once the mind is purified through

the control of senses the consciousness slowly starts

expanding. There is no short-cut to this.

 

If one studies Sri Sai Satcharitra, one would find

that the actions of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba reflected this

Universal Consciousness. To evolve spiritually, we

should therefore try to follow his precepts and

conduct in letter and spirit.

 

Jai Sai Ram