Multi-Level Spirituality

People commonly misunderstand Hinduism to be a polytheistic tradition. This became quite apparent when I recently facilitated a discussion at Leicester University entitled ‘Misconceptions of Hinduism’. Ironically, the word Hindu is itself a misnomer. It’s not mentioned anywhere in the Bhagavad-gita (the principle scripture for Hindu’s) or any other Vedic scripture for that matter. For conventional usage (vyavaharika) we may employ the term, but in the ultimate sense (paramarthika) followers of the Bhagavad-gita would not use such an identifier.

Back to the subject of God, the Vedic path was actually a strictly monotheistic tradition but one could say it was also poly-cultural. Throughout the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, numerous passages affirm Krishna to be the one Supreme God, known by different names in different world religions. Interestingly, however, the Vedic teachers were aware that the majority of people would not simply be searching for that one God in life, but would also have many other ‘not-so-spiritual’ desires during their sojourn in this world. Thus, different types of worship were recommended so that they could step onto the ‘spiritual ladder’ while simultaneously pursuing their material aspirations. For example, different scriptures recommend worship of nature and worship of different ‘demigods’ to attain fame and fortune. The master plan was that gradually they would come to a more focused and pure sense of spirituality, completely divorcing themselves from worldly pursuits. Ultimately, they would come to the point of worshipping the one Supreme God.

Thus, although strictly monotheistic, the Vedic tradition did recommended different types of worship. Unfortunately, people nowadays misinterpret all such worship to be on an equal level, asserting quite erroneously that all paths lead to the same destination. On the other extreme, many become confused and frustrated by seeing so many so-called contradictions and conflicting recommendations of worship. Thus, only when one is able to understand the various scriptures and their different injunctions in context of the entire body of knowledge, will one appreciate the ingenuity of the multi-level spirituality offered in the Vedic path.

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Idols?

The shrine at our temple is undoubtedly the main attraction. In dialogues with those from Judeo-Christian or Islamic backgrounds, I regularly encounter some uneasiness as to how God can appear in a ‘material’ form – idols made by the hands of man. It appears limiting, imaginary and almost childish – to treat God like a play-doll by dressing Him, feeding Him and putting Him to bed at night. Can God truly reveal His divine self through material elements? Can a factual and deep relationship with God be established via such rituals?

While many see the material world as completely separate from the supreme spirit, the ancient Vedic tradition defines God as the source of everything material and spiritual (janmadya asya yatah). Even physical elements have an intimate relationship with God. The cause is present in the effect. Thus, God’s imminence in the material world may be brought to the surface when material objects, such as marble, metal or wood, are directly engaged as vehicles of worship according to authorised prescriptions. God, after all, is the complete whole and can simultaneously manifest Himself in everything within and everything beyond our experience. To say He cannot appear in a certain way would be to place a limitation on the supreme.

I often tear a piece of paper in front of people. Nobody blinks an eyelid. I then request them to produce a £20 note from their wallet and do the same. Understandably there is significant reservation. Although made of the same substance, one has been empowered by a higher authority to carry significant added value. Thus, not only do we approach it with great respect, but also receive tangible benefit by recognising its value. Similarly we can offer our worship to God through authorised physical media in the form of Deities. These forms are not simply representations or icons, but actual manifestations of the divine personality, and one who enters a transcendental exchange with Them can directly perceive that.

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Emotional Rollercoaster

It’s amazing how we often allow minor things to determine our state of happiness and peace. Life can be a real emotional rollercoaster. You can have a great morning, but by the evening the world looks completely different. Each and every interaction, incident, comment, expectation and frustration seems to significantly alter our sense of wellbeing.

I guess some are more sensitive than others, but we all experience this to some degree. The ancient scriptures explain that one who is in such a state of emotional flux is basically in maya, or illusion. Maya literally means “that which is not”. So how do we deal with the fleeting emotions?

Well, half the game is simply to ignore the mind and all the momentary concoctions that it comes up with. We learn that we can’t always take ourselves too seriously. The other half is to strengthen the intelligence and try to see the world through philosophical glasses. The rational and sagacious approach helps to keep things in perspective. But the ultimate winner is to become spiritually self-realised. At that time, one realises the temporary nature of the mind, the body, its interactions and the events of this world. In the context of the soul’s eternity, one is no longer affected by the hub of emotions generated by the temporary ‘vehicles’ we are driving. The Bhagavad-gita likens the self-realised person’s consciousness to a colossal ocean which is constantly being filled by various streams and rivers, but always remains calm, balanced and never overflows.

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Can’t live with them... Can’t live without them...

Our relationships in this world are riddled with complexities. Differences of opinion, misunderstandings, false expectations, breach of trust and lack of respect to name but a few. How many times were you frustrated, angered or saddened by somebody else’s behaviour today? How many times have you dreamt of flying away to a far-away place, thousands of miles away from everyone and everything? How many times have you just ended up withdrawing yourself from a difficult situation and hiding away in your own safe emotional space?

Living and interacting with others is extremely troublesome. This may well be the reason why significant numbers of spiritual seekers find great solace in the idea of ‘oneness’ – the notion that the perfection of life is to merge into the universal energy where there is no individuality or variety. No more relationships, no more conflicts, no more problems. But can we really live without relationships?

The Bhagavad-gita explains how relationships infused with pure selflessness are actually the most profound expressions of spirituality. As we learn to live in a more and more selfless way, we’ll find our relationships become more and more pleasing. We must develop our vision to see others as spiritual entities, beyond the temporary conditionings they are affected by. Until we reach that pure platform there will inevitably be friction, and one must exercise restraint. As our great teacher Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur once commented: "When faults in others misguide and delude you - have patience, introspect and find faults in yourself. Know that others cannot harm you unless you harm yourself."

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Doctor Who?

“Why don’t you get a job?” – that was the immediate question an elderly Indian man in Loughborough asked me last week as I hurried through the town centre clad in my saffron robes. I could sense a feeling of disapproval mixed with amazement, but I tried to empathise with him instead of becoming defensive. Anyone from an Indian background will know about the family pressures to graduate and become a doctor, accountant, or at the very least settled in some professional career. After all, the prestige of the family rests upon it.

The Bhagavad-gita explains how every civilisation functions around four powers: labour, economic, military and educational. Although divisions and classes have become synonymous with discrimination and exploitation, practically every society exists with such classification in one form or another. In reality, an organized society needs different people to do different things. If they interact in appreciation and cooperation then society will flourish, but if there is competition, exploitation and criticism then there will be chaos.

No doubt, every society needs doctors, lawyers and accountants. However, a healthy society also needs spiritual teachers - people who will dedicate their time, energy and personal comfort to remind people that in the midst of their worldly duties and responsibilities, there is a deeper purpose that shouldn't be neglected. That is also a valid and important contribution to society. All occupations have a unique function and importance, and a mature person can recognize and appreciate that. The ultimate success of life is when we develop the spiritual understanding that all the roles and occupations we are currently playing are temporary, and that our real identity is a spiritual one. In the words of Shakespeare “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts”

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Disaster Zone

The catastrophic earthquake in Haiti has dominated our thoughts. I recently came across some statistics which got me thinking about global disasters. Disraeli once said that there were three kinds of lies in this world - lies, damned lies and statistics! I agree in many cases, but I was satisfied by the integrity of this source and the relevance of the figures so I'll go ahead and post them anyway. We are 25 days into 2010 and so far this year...

- 74,000 people have committed suicide
- 505,000 people have died from cancer
- 84,000 people have died in a road accident
- 42,000 mothers have died while giving birth
- 210,000 people have died of hunger

(www.worldometers.info, Realtime Statistics Project)

If we broaden our vision (beyond simply what the media decides to cover as the 'issue of the day') we may find that we are actually living in one huge disaster zone. When they asked Srila Prabhupada why the death rate was so high in India, he replied with the greatest of clarity - "the death rate is the same everywhere - 100%." Nobody makes it out of this world alive.

The Haiti disaster reminds us of the cruel realities of this world and the pain of seeing people suffer. Maybe that's something we could reflect upon every day. The Haiti disaster impels us to come out of our comfort zone, make some sacrifice (time, money, resources) for the upliftment of others. Maybe that's a sentiment we could consider cultivating everyday. Truth be told, this entire world is a disaster zone. The Vedic scriptures define a real spiritualist - one who is unable to tolerate the sufferings of others. We pray the victims of the Haiti earthquake find peace. We also the pray the millions of other suffering souls in this world will find the same.

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The brighter side of life...

If you ever meet a Hare Krishna devotee on the street you may want to brace yourself. It’s likely that within the first 5 minutes of conversation topics such as suffering, old age, disease and the futility of material enjoyment will surface. I was once giving a Sunday lecture at the temple and could see some uncomfortable faces when I started speaking about the reality of death. I guess they had come along with their kids for a casual afternoon at the temple. They probably weren’t expecting some guy to start talking about such deep and depressing matters. It all may seem a little pessimistic, especially if that’s all you hear before you decide to leave. Surely there must be a brighter side to life.

When it comes to the harsh realities of life we try not to turn a blind eye. Flick through the newspaper, turn on the TV, click onto the web and the stories speak for themselves. I always found it amazing how we can see such suffering and then automatically put it to the back of our mind and get on with life without a second thought. How can it be pessimistic to talk about what is actually happening in front of our eyes? These things are real, and the spiritualist faces them head on without any fear or inhibition.

Someone once said, a pessimist sees problems in every opportunity, whereas an optimist sees opportunities in every problem. The spiritualist doesn’t have to dodge and ignore the acute sufferings of this world out of fear that it will launch him into some depressive state. Why? Because in the midst of all the problems that we face in this world, the spiritualist is seeing an amazing opportunity. Through enthusiastic and determined spiritual practice one can actually elevate the consciousness to a level where they are living and functioning in this world, but experiencing something far beyond. One can achieve lasting peace, happiness and real fulfilment – but only on the spiritual plane. Thus, a spiritualist could be described as simultaneously an optimist and a pessimist; pessimistic about the opportunities for happiness from material externals, but optimistic about the power of spirituality to awaken the deeper happiness within.

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Progress not Perfection...

Winston Churchill once made an interesting statement. “Success” he said, “is the ability to go from failure to failure without any loss of enthusiasm.” Success may not lie in being perfect, but in determinedly endeavoring to move closer towards perfection. Thomas Edison was reputed to have never become discouraged in his attempts to invent the light bulb. Rather, he deemed every one of his failed attempts as a success – “Now I have discovered one more way that doesn’t work”.

It’s rare that we wake up one day and suddenly reach the perfection we always desired. More realistically, it will take a lifetime of struggle and incremental improvement. That journey, however, is joyful all the way when we learn to celebrate progress not perfection. Even in positions of leadership, we have to keep in mind peoples best efforts to improve and view their performance in that context. Where there is progress, perfection is only a matter of time.

In our spiritual endeavors there is also no shortage of failure. After analyzing our hearts and spiritual character many of us can safely conclude that we are definitely ‘works in progress.’ We hear accounts of spiritual practitioners who were completely selfless and pure in heart. Every one of their actions seems so perfect yet so natural at the same time. How do we relate to such perfect examples? Maybe a good measure is to compare with ourselves rather than comparing with others. Where was I one year ago and where am I now? Drawing inspiration and encouragement from the good example of others is essential, but we also have to understand that we are on our own spiritual journeys, experiencing our own individual difficulties and dealing with our own special obstacles. I am trying to focus on how to progress on that journey, more than lamenting about how short I fall from perfection.

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