Sowing

Hari Om

'Freedays' are the 'gather our thoughts' days; Q&As; a general page reviewing the week so far…

September's close  draws on apace. Autumn falls. A timeless analogy for the passing of the days, weeks, ...eons… For those who work closely with the land either at small, home garden scale or mass farming, the importance of carrying out certain tasks before impending seasons and part thereof is well understood. In working life of all sorts, there will have been deadlines to meet, quotas to fill and such like.

Spiritually, there is the same need, but it is all too often neglected.  Most doctrines will provide a structure of practice intended to be carried out by the adherent. In virtually all of these, however, the suggestion is that by 'being good' we will gain "heaven" or "nirvana"… we see these words and we think we know what they mean. The priests and teachers all point to them as being something physical which can be won as an award for doing the right things at the right time. Mostly this is benign and can certainly be an incentive to at least accept that there is something higher and better to work towards.

In Vedanta, however, and particularly in Advaita, the possibility of gaining 'heaven' right here and now is what is put forward as the goal.  The term 'heaven' does not exist actually.  We will be, gradually, exploring the wider theological picture given in Vedanta as we go along; here it is merely that the seed is being planted. What seed?

That you are "God". We all are "God". We all exist within "God". The peeled back, no-holds-barred Truth. In Vedanta we substitute the term "God" with "Brahman". This in turn is a representation of Self.

Consider this passage:

"...And when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say LO! Here or LO! There; for behold, the kingdom of God is within you."   

(St Luke ch 18 v 20-21) 

Sweet Yeshu knew this Truth. It is an unfortunate twist of language and concept that the possibility of 'realisation' has not translated into the Western paradigm. One of the most wonderful things of learning Vedanta and something of the language in which it is given is that it allows us to return to our own familiar scriptures with fresh eyes and renewed understanding. Gurudev himself had said, when challenged by the Hindu 'aristocracy' as to why he was teaching in English and permitting the presence of non-Indian devotees, (not to mention establishing ashrams and centres on Western lands), that it was pertinent as Self had no boundaries and all intelligent beings had the right to break through the apparent bindings to return to Self-hood.

What is more, that Self-realisation/'kingdom of God' exists even now.  We are simply blind to it.  It is here and is not an object to be observed, as Lord Jesus has told us; all that is required is that we look within. There will be those ready to dispute this. Gurudev has said:

"...the textbook remaining the same, even when the same teacher is explaining and expounding the Truth… we find that different students are benefited by same instructions to different degrees...this phenomenon...is due to the student's preparedness or unpreparedness within to receive the Knowledge Divine…" 

Parents know this. There may be three children before them.  "There is ice cream for tea but only if your rooms are clean!"  Each child interprets the term 'clean' individually. No matter how many times each has had it demonstrated what the parent's idea of clean is, they will each fall short in some way.  This can be because they are not yet advanced enough in practice, or age, or have quite simply not had their mind focused and rearrangement of mess suits them! The model child is the one who not only cleans and tidies, but seeks to remove rubbish and perhaps declutter, removing toys or books or trinkets which they have outgrown. This leaves room for more grown up things to find a place...and there may be some ice cream in the offing...

This is what we must do in our minds and hearts. Declutter ourselves and prepare to receive bigger and better ideas and concepts.  With these we can explore and make further preparations. Knowledge only arrives when ignorance leaves. It is as easy as that. Or as difficult.

Yesterday you will have noted a short video at the end of the post.  Here is the second in the series.  Navratri is the festival of the Goddess; a celebration of the female. More on this tomorrow.