Dear Friends,
Namaste!
We saw in the foregoing discussion that although every action has equal and opposite reaction, sometimes the results of our actions are unpredictable – indeed disproportionate in the best case and incompatible in the worst!
This is due to a number of other forces acting at that point of time. In forthcoming sessions, we will examine answers to questions like – what are those other forces? Is this universe merely an accident or is there a pattern, a design? If the world runs as per some design or someone’s wish, whose wish is it? Does everything happen as per our wish or God’s wish? What indeed is God’s wish? Is God really in heaven and everything right with the world?
Yoga-Shastra has given a simple mathematical definition of God from a (human) being’s perspective. From this perspective, there is “Self” (“Jeeva”), there is “Environment” (“Jagat”) and the sum total of these two is God (“Jagadisha”).
But before we embark on finding out answers to these questions, let’s look at how these entities relate to Evolution and Yoga.
The entire journey (evolution) is all about “Joining together” (“Yoga”) of these entities so the person at the destination experiences nothing but “Brahman”. In that state, one experiences Unity in Diversity, that “Everything is indeed this Cosmic Energy” (“Sarvam Khalu Idam Brahma”) and “I am nothing but the Primal Energy” (“Aham Brahmasmi”).
We know from the law of conservation of energy that energy cannot be created or destroyed - it can only be converted from one form into another. For example, when we switch on the fan, electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy.
Once we understand that we are nothing but that energy, we understand that we are immortal and dimensionless. This is the “Sat” (Eternal and Infinite) attribute of “Brahman - the energy”. The other attribute of this energy is that it issheer and pure bliss (“Anand”). The third attribute of Brahman is “Chit” which means the energy is “aware” and can “experience” itself.
Thus the energy is a reservoir of eternal and infinite happiness and when we identify our “self” with that energy – or to be more accurate - we understand that we “are” that energy, we naturally attain our ultimate goal of being immortal, being infinitely and irreversibly happy and being aware of these facts.
But the Jeevas identify themselves with their body or mind or intellect or any combination of these. And that is called as “Avidya” (ignorance) which is also the root cause of all suffering.
It is like our Sun and Earth. Sun shines and earth basks in sunshine. Then cloud cover comes and does not allow sunshine to reach earth and earth experiences darkness. Wind blows the cloud cover away and earth starts getting sunshine again. However, another bunch of clouds again covers the earth and prevents sunlight from reaching the earth. This cycle continuously goes on.
Similarly, our mind (earth) experiences grief (darkness) when desires (cloud cover) prevent happiness (sunshine) from drenching the mind. Fulfilment of desires (wind) temporarily blows away the grief and mind becomes happy. However, soon another set of desires cloud our mind and we experience grief again.
The problem is, we think our mind is “us” whereas in reality, we are the Sun (reservoir of happiness naturally emitting light of happiness). The moment this mistake is corrected, we experience infinite and eternal happiness notwithstanding whatever happens in the mind’s ecosystem (could covers keep coming and going without affecting the Sun).
But how do we understand that we are not the earth (our body/mind/intellect)?
Our body continuously regenerates itself. Every day, millions of cells die and millions are born. In twelve years, every single cell in our body is fully replaced. But “we” remain the same. Hence “we” cannot be the body! Similarly our mind (due to emotions) and intellect (due to varying level of knowledge) is also mutant but again “we” remain unchanged.
Yoga-Shastra further goes on to state that we renounce our body at the time of death and get into a new one just like we get rid of old clothes and buy ourselves new ones. We continue doing this until we reach out destination of acquiring perfection but once that is attained, there is no need to continue the journey (and change clothes for sustenance!).
Thus we have seen so far:
1. All of us invariably and without exception attain perfect bliss
2. Death is not the destination, attaining perfect bliss is - which is just a matter of time
3. Yoga is the fastest, most scientific, most enjoyable and cheapest way of attaining perfection.
With this context, we shall now go on to the questions we have raised earlier in this discussion. However, that will have to wait until the next week.
Till then...
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