The author defines spiritual power as 'that inner awareness and the capability to awaken of mind from the ignorance that we are not solely body and mind, but something more'. He goes to explain in detail that 'something more'.
The author contends that acquiring spiritualthliss may not be within everybody's reach, but those who are keen and sincere can achieve this objective by delving deep into their inner selves to find out their shortcomings and how to overcome them so that they can lead complete and wholesome lives.
Life is but a dream; we all want something out of everything. On the one hand, our mind is designed for developing the ego, yearns for material acquisitions and is obsessed with attachments; it clings to the body mesmerized by thoughts of `me, mine and myself. On the other hand, we claim to be honest, religious, kind-hearted, generous and what not. In this realm of hypocrisy, there is a constant war of conflicting emotions that we wage against ourselves. Soon, the mind gets conditioned to child-like beliefs; creating a fear within us that God will punish us, if we do this or that.
The irony is we remain confused in spite of attaining so much knowledge through various sources. We have created Gods - some divine beings above ourselves: is this out of fear, insecurity, arrogance, or a sense of superiority that my God is more benevolent than yours? Or is God just in our minds? We all have divinity within; seek and ye shall find (as stated in the Bible).
It seems we just do not know what truth is all about; nor are we true to ourselves. Love and truth are the most carelessly used words and grossly misunderstood by us. We use the word love liberally for all those we are sentimental about. The truth within us has no depth as it keeps changing over time, and also differs in its meaning visa-a-visa every individual. Many of us just don't have the guts to face the real truth and its reality. Such truth hurts our ego and self-esteem to the extent that we are ready to delude and deceive others, and also ourselves, as long as our ego is fed and remains inflated.
Now, we come to the crucial question: What is spiritual power? In my view, it is that inner awareness and the capability to awaken our mind and to get rid of the ignorant notion that we are solely body and mind, but something more. What exactly is that something more, which makes us who we are? Our consciousness, in order to recognize this truth, has been empowered with spiritual awareness to experience and realize the self and its relationship with the universe.
This awareness is empowering because it enables us to know who and what we really are and the purpose of our existence on this earth. The lessons we learn, and our experiences and realizations on this spiritual journey, empower us with that added energy to pursue the goal of fulfillment in life where there is a balance with regard to the material and the spiritual.
Spiritual awareness can lead us to that completeness in life, which we all yearn for. Spiritual empowerment provides us that access to a journey within ourselves in search for the ultimate reality and its truth. However, the most crucial factor on this aspect of awareness is that it empowers us to become aware of our own thoughts, feelings and actions. We keep analyzing and judging others, not giving any consideration to the inner functioning of our mind.
How real is reality? Do we see it as it is, or as we perceive it? Our minds, cluttered as they are, create their own realities; our past experiences influence these realities to a large extent. Only the true nature of reality cannot be distorted. It exists as it is, whether our sensory organs agree or not. So the ultimate reality of life is to be one with the universe, overcoming all our differences. This is the aim of spirituality, going beyond the mind-body connection into a spiritual realm, where all that exists is only one and not two.
Both science and religion have not been able to fathom the basis of our consciousness or the need for the 'soul. As a result, due to the religions we follow, our minds are conditioned by a variety of beliefs, dogmas and superstitions. And with science constantly moving its goal posts, doubting and challenging everything, there is no finality to our reality.
Though it may sound odd, science and spirituality are compatible; in recent times even die-hard scientists have accepted this as the gospel truth. For instance, Carl Sagan (1934-1996) once said: 'The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both.’
This book marks a progressive series from my three previous books, clarifying the subject of spiritualism in its true actuality, without blending into any religion whatsoever. I am not pointing to anything new or to something beyond our capability. In our journey from the self to the Self, we should question every belief that our mind commands, before finalizing the best route, commencing from materialism and moving towards spiritualism.
My books neither offer preaching, mantras or enlightenment nor are they based upon any archaic or dogmatic doctrines or precepts. For that, we have enough orthodox preachers and so-called 'gurus' regurgitating every day, what has been narrated for centuries, in different versions. In my opinion, spirituality simply revolves around one word: 'Oneness. How complex have An American astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author and science communicator. Know Thyself, Lead start Publishing, Mumbai, 2015.2. Think from the Heart and Love from the Mind, Lead start Publishing, Mumbai, 2015. The Ultimate Reality, Lead start Publishing, Mumbai, 2015.
The spiritual path is an inner discovery to awaken that inherent spirit lying dormant within, which is created, along with the material path, as we go on. To know how and why we should create it, we need a truthful understanding of our very own self. We know that there is a mind, body and spirit connection, but most of us are not aware of the profound impact it has on our overall well-being. We use these words liberally but do not care to comprehend the deeper essence of each constituent for the fulfillment of all three in totality. As a result, the body and mind are widely studied but the spirit remains neglected. This volume reveals that even after we acquire, accumulate and attach all that wealth and knowledge provides, life still remains incomplete. There will always be something amiss, until and unless you embrace and encompass that spiritual quotient in its true aspect. In the manner that the right medicine does wonders for your body, the appropriate path of spiritual awakening effortlessly transforms the mind towards wholeness in peace and joy.
Since the subject of life has two distinct connotations: to enlighten the mind through the methods provided by spirituality and to awaken the spirit, which happens to be imprisoned in the mind by emotional desires. The former route is to seek, understand, contemplate, apply effort, discipline and practice the methods to quiet the chattering mind as provided by spirituality. The latter path takes us towards a state where you simply become a dispassionate witness to your own mind and naturally get rid of all that it clings to. Each path that I explore leads to new discoveries about the mysteries of life. Relentless research and moment-to-moment experiences add further realization to my devotion. I am not willing to give up the material life yet yearn for that right balance between the material and spiritual. Despite the varied and paradoxical complexities of life, all paths eventually lead towards the same direction of oneness in absoluteness.
The result is before you, a creative amalgamation of articles for the spiritually inclined reader, spread over volumes. They are different yet intertwined; deep and profound with varied questions about life that we ask at different stages. Each article will leave you with the desire to find your own answers. For instance, one needs to go deep within to find answers to questions like why happiness is so momentary and constantly followed by its shadow-sadness. Why is love and hate so closely linked that you can sometimes feel both for the same person at the same time?
I have dealt with the importance of self-realization in the last chapter of volume one (Spiritual Power: Being & Becoming). If you dwell on this long enough, you will find a simple answer. The Buddha achieved all sorts of realization only when he gave up all his material comforts, became a total ascetic, and submerged the self in oneness with the universe.
All that he practiced and preached was from the discipline of his own mind. Can we, as ordinary mortals, achieve such a level of self-realization while we are alive? Whether you believe it is possible or not, we will still need to comprehend the whole subject of life in its totality so that we are well aware of what life is all about.
On the other hand, the self or the spirit only needs to be awakened since it is already enlightened in pure awareness. Experiencing the methods provided by spirituality and its realization is entirely the domain of the mind which, in fact, represents the shadow/ego or the second self. The spirit is independent from the mind; we simply need to recognize and awaken the presence of our actual identity which needs no further realization. It simply witnesses the mind and the rest is taken over by the mind to perform and participate in with its own level of consciousness. So, you will fathom that both are complementary yet contrasting.
I have elaborated upon the phenomenal power that our mind wields over us. We know we can achieve whatever goals we set for ourselves, yet one single negative thought or doubt in the mind can wipe that slate clean. We worry about the past and future while neglecting the present moment, denying ourselves this precious gift of now. Meditation and spiritual living help us to overcome such worries and doubts.
Every thought process needs your presence to first observe, be aware and conscious of, and, then, to experience and realize any situation. So, the presence of your being in the moment, meaning, the spirit or beingness, is more important to take you beyond that power of sensing from your intellect. It takes you into a spiritual zone, where you just observe and witness what the mind does. The moment you start to think, everything revolves around your self-centeredness. As your mind moves along-from observation into thoughts, past beliefs, imaginations, choices, intention, emotions and experiences-you will realize the level of aliveness or creativity you have carved out for your own individuality. Each article stipulates the fundamental basis of our life, which I have gathered from many great sources along the way. Today, a whole new class of people has emerged for whom spirituality and not religion, is the new buzzword. This is not a cult; it is a natural occurrence since religions have become obsessed with blind beliefs and pseudo dogmas popularized by politicians and so-called gurus. Most of them revel in the luxuries of thousands of followers doing their bidding, offering them false promises of bringing supernatural transformation in their lives.
In this book, I have tried to tackle even more soul-searching questions, such as what is actual reality? Does there exist, on our part, a willingness and courage to question it? Life, for me, is a reality; I look around and see Nature as a whole, which is reality. However, my own experiences and thought processes may seem to be real, but are, perhaps, not, since they are totally unique to me. An awakened person realizes that all the knowledge that we have gathered over the years about the universe and its existence is nothing but a creation of our collective minds. Furthermore, how I see myself or how others see me are two different realities. It is said that one man's food is another's poison; similarly, one man's reality can be totally different from another's. In science, reality does not exist unless we measure it; in spirituality, reality is existential, as it is-what it exhibits in the present moment. Yet, the ultimate truth always remains a reality-we are all connected as one unitary constituent, which is aware and watching.
Book's Contents and Sample Pages
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Hindu (1751)
Philosophers (2386)
Aesthetics (332)
Comparative (70)
Dictionary (12)
Ethics (40)
Language (370)
Logic (73)
Mimamsa (56)
Nyaya (138)
Psychology (415)
Samkhya (61)
Shaivism (59)
Shankaracharya (239)
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