Hari
Om
Each 'Choose-day' we will investigate the process by
which we can reassess our activity and interaction with the world of plurality
and become more congruent within our personality.
KINDLE LIFE. We continue exploring points raised by HH Pujya
Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda-ji in the publication of this name. Remember, you
can purchase, (very economically!), the book from Chinmaya
Mission Publications or if you
prefer, the Amazon Link. Thus you can read
Gurudev's words directly and bring your own voice to the discussion.
"Self-redemption must come, ultimately, from ourselves. The external props such as temples, idols and gurus are all encouragements and aids. They must be intelligently used to help build up inner perfection." (Gurudev on why we require the trappings of 'religion', but also the need to keep perspective.
Chapter
Twelve brings us to THE PLAY OF MIND. It
could be easy to classify 'religion' as superstitious nonsense, filled with
ritualistic mannerisms and regulations which stifle 'life'. To see it thus is a
shallow assessment. Certainly many
institutions have used ritual and injunction as a method of guidance to the
point where, sometimes, the purpose of it all gets lost and spiritually they
become hollow. Religion, however, is not the name of the establishment which
seeks to indoctrinate and create walls; true religion knows no boundaries and
provides techniques for practical living; all faiths do have the same basic
'science of life' and philosophy of unity, when we are prepared to excavate
beneath the surface.
We
have established that 'life' is defined as a series of experiences. We saw the
three-part nature of 'experience'. It was noted that the experiencer reacts to experiencing according to the make-up of the mind and intellect. Every one
of us can experience the same event or object in an almost infinite number of
ways due to the variance of our personality.
What
is interesting about this, however, is that these outlooks are open to change.
That also, to varying degrees, certainly; but nonetheless, it is possible to
bring the whole spectrum of the world into alignment so that all is pure and
bright white light. This is what the Rsis found to be true and passed on as
request of their fellow humans; reconstruct the equipment which perceives,
those inner instruments of mind and intellect, and discover the world anew. If
it could be said that they had a slogan, it would be "Master the mind and
you master the world!"
We
find, however, that despite the possibilities of this concept, majority folk
are inclined to try and change the external world first. Seeking softer environments, 'prettifying'
and adding or subtracting elements continuously. Our entire society now works
on this premise; whole economies require an avaricious population, impatient
for more and more 'stuff' to drive them; politicians depend on dissatisfaction
of the population in order to gratify their own need for power; many scientific
arenas, whilst essentially noble, get lost in lust for lucre. Be clear about
this. Due to the cumbersome nature of population, we do require these things,
but a problem arises when the will of the people is generally less than noble,
for in the end, the number- crunchers, the rulers and the providers sacrifice
their values in order to service that voracious animal, "The People".
From
this arises the concept, in the spiritual view, that we must "become the
change we wish to see in the world" (Mahatma Gandhi). All spiritual texts,
kept in correct context, advocate self-development and promote the fundamental
values common to the whole population of the Earth. Central to these values are
what is called in Sanskrit, ब्रह्मचार्य/brahmachaarya (self-control), अहिंसा/ahimsaa
(non-injury) and सत्यं/satyam (truthfulness).