Ego changing itself from arrogance to humbleness does not help much. Ego cannot transform itself in to something else too. It is only a futile play of the jobless and clueless ego. The ego undergoes a sort of transformation when it extended itself to recognize its connectivity with consciousness. It is not any mutation but only an expansion of ego from being limited to being free and boundless. Its somewhat like a henpecked husband some day discovered that he is not just a husband but also a man and begin to enjoy the simple joys of manhood. Husband realizing his manhood is not the end of husbandness but only a expansion to his hidden manhood. Sure enough the husband gets sort of transformed and who knows he can stop being henpecked and might become a source of joy to his wife without much effort.
Have you ever yourself felt the need to change or transform someone ?
I would rather play some video games. In fact I have felt that the 'someone' you mentioned should stop changing himself so often and so wild, but realize the changeless in him. I may not go and tell this to him but I would not mind saying it, if that someone asked me someday. Imposing changes on unprepared people can cause more damage than any spiritual goodness happening to them. Only a seeker of truth set upon a quest to realize his Self is fit for any transformation. The rest of them just look for some change in their mundane lives.
It would be disheartening if the transformed seeker cannot change this world by his honest efforts?
Lot many people have brought lot many changes to this world, without the inner fulfilment. In fact it is the lack of fulfilment within that drives people to change the world the way they think is more suitable to their own beliefs. If someone has set upon a mission to change this world, it is a obvious sign that he is only driven by his own need to do that.
In the same context, does the inner tranformation bring any change at all externally to a seeker?
Changes in himself may occur, he would still grow old and still his hair will turn grey and still he will die someday. His expressions may undergo change too. His thoughts are lot more clearer about himself and his life in general. Conflicting situations may now appear trivial. He may feel more complete about himself unlike before. That completeness brings along a sense of fulfilment which can be loosely translated as bliss. That said, the world remains the same and just how he perceive it alone possibly might change.
Can converting someone to another religion tranform a person?
Conversion always is superfluous. Changing some one's name, clothes, hairstyle, religion, need not necessarily transform the individual. Its something like changing the paint of the exterior walls and sell a house to a gullible buyer. He may be happy at the start till he moved in and discover the horrors that await him. Transformation of individual is a more silent and subtle process. Perhaps no one will even notice it.
I am always given to the feeling that people who convert others do it because they believed in other people's welfare ?
Its the other way around. To stretch the same example from previous reply, a person living in isolated neighborhood wants more people to come and live there, he may want schools, hospitals, shopping malls, roads and railways only to make his living better. He would feel more secure and valuable, living in a crowded metro than in some seclusion. Converting others is to make oneself feel good that he is not alone but has lots of company. When you do something alone you are never sure if that's the right thing to do. But if everybody seem to be doing the same, even if its a stupid thing, you don't mind doing it, because everyone is doing it already, especially if its in the name of the Lord. If strength of a religion lies in number of people in its fold, then it's really a weak religion. Thats why it needs more people to back up and strengthen.
Why some people are trying to convert others into their religion?
If you lived in a secluded area, you are bound to live in fear and insecurity. So every time a new resident move in you are bound to become happy. In fact you would try to get a road, some school and recommend people to build their homes in the same locality. The need to have more people around you removes your insecure feelings. Similar is the situation in a religious landscape too. Religion is just a belief system. It is always important to know how many more people believe what you believe and follow. If there is not enough people then one may try to bring them in to the same belief system to feel oneself secure. If you happened to live in a neighborhood where every one else followed other religions, you would feel the same insecurity. That's why people always look for their homes in a neighborhood where people follow same religion as their own. Converting others by force or a false promise is a sign of serious psychological disorder like fear and paranoia. Instead of liberating themselves, it is strange, sometimes people use religions to trap themselves and others. Its more the merrier, when it comes to recruiting people for one's religion.
Why subtler religions will have slimmer following ? Whats a subtler religion ?
A subtler religion does not define God so well. It cannot command people to live a definite life style. It does not force itself upon people, but is available as an option whenever needed by them. Refined religions transform people and gross religions may convert or change people. God or Truth is the subtlest of all and that's why there are no two Truths. Which means God is alone and not a crowd. But as it get grosser and grosser manifestation, huge crowd at other end is possible. Like a commercial holly wood movie hit the box office, while some classical art movie does not even find a theater for its release. The genre of these movies decide the fan following too. More subtler the greater difficulty in understanding. That's why slim following for subtler religions. Dull heads can easily follow some clear cut instructions more easily than decide one's life by themselves through reflection and contemplation.
In the same context what is your opinion on religious conversion?
Any form of conversion is so superficial. The quality of mind behind such conversions remain the same no matter what religion it follows. Its basic human right to follow any religion one wants to. A change in name, clothes and lifestyle does not change subtlety of the mind. We can assume that a religion with most grossest principles can be appealing to great volume of human masses globally and might emerge as the single majority religion, while the subtler religions will have slim following in future.
Why according to you the religions are so different from each other?
I don't think they are so much different from each other. They all talk about one truth. Even the communist talks about the same one Truth called equality. But only confusion among them is which one is the right one. Sum and substance of all religion is same but the approaches can be different. Some can be comforting and promising. Some are rewarding and punishing, while few can be very intricate and leaves a large scope for misunderstanding.
To see God as a saviour is OK ? I have been taught that way since childhood !
Savior of what? and from what ? if god is assigned the job of saving people, then there must be someone else who is pushing them all to some peril ? Then everything goes to this dichotomy of good and evil. Then god is not absolute but only relative. God need not save anyone from anything. But one can very well imagine that god is saving him from some danger and feel good about it.
So how should I look at God ?
In a spiritual sense, you should look at God as your very source of existence. If you connected to your source you would feel at home with your self. That brings the end to all your own inner conflicts. Just like you have a home town where you were born and grew up, you will always feel protected and safe when you are there. The connectivity you have with your hometown makes you feel that way. Its the same with god who is your very source of life. You will feel a lot protected and at home with yourself when you are connected with your source called god.
Why do you say God is a scary word? God is only to protect us?
God is not scary but the image we have created for various gods can be scary. God as someone who protects, rewards and punishes etc can make god look like your high school principal you wished to have never met. You say God is here only to protect us, but my question is from what ? Whatever you want protection from is also supported by the same god. Let say you have a troublesome neighbor and you want god to protect you from him but you should know that he also is probably protected by the same god.
Tuning up to the guru leads to tuning upto god?
If you want to call it that way. God is sometimes a very scary word. We can use another term safely to ward off images of a big god rushing in. That would be Inner Self. Tuning up to the guru does not automatically tune up to god, or the true self. First its tuning up to the guru and then tuning up to one's own inner self, which leads to tuning up to the collective consciousness.
Is it necessary to attune to a external guru to know one's own inner potential?
Not necessary but when the disciple does not know how to explore the inner potential (atma, god, self, consciousness) by himself, he needs help from outside. The guru just works like a catalyst and help the disciple to explore. The exploration, experimentation and the experience all belong to the disciple only. The guru just point at the ways to do them and that is it. The attunement of disciple here is to keep aside his own views about truth and follow the master, pretty much like listening to the instructor when you go for the driving lessons. Guru is like a spark from outside which lights up the explosion within the disciple.
When does a disciple refuse to attune to a guru?
When the disciple is used to the guru who is attuned to the disciple. The guru by default has to first adjust to the disciple's conditions and create a certain comfort zone for the disciple to feel a sense of belonging. But later when the guru begin to point out the Truth and reminds the disciple to move out of the comfort zone, it may hurt the disciple because of his immaturity and lack of understanding, the purpose of meeting the guru. Leaving a comfort zone created around a disciple where he is allowed to be himself at the start prove to be a spanner in the wheels as the disciple may not want to move away from the comfort zone and see the Truth but remain sulking about seeking.
Is it only disciple to attune ?
Even the guru attunes to the disciple. Infact at the start, the disciple may not know what the guru points at. Guru first attune to the disciple and try to speak a language understood by him. When the disciple got the hang of what is being pointed at, its time for him to attune to the guru and his teachings. But if he got much used to the guru's attunement, the disciple may want it to last longer. This is exactly where the failure of a guru and disciple relationship begins.
Attunement sounds new. Does it mean to resonate?
Attunement is a term used in parapsychology and even in certain occult groups. But its a beautiful word. Though its more popular as a theological terminology, I would certainly find it more fitting in the relationship between disciple and guru. The resonation can be the result of such attunement. Resonating is the outcome of attunemet.
Whats the right terminology one can use in the place of surrender?
There is a much more meaningful term for it. I would like to call it "attunement". The disciple only needs to attune himself to the teachings of the guru. It may not happen over night. Unless the seeker/disciple keep aside his own limited understandings about Truth, he may not be able to attune himself to the teachings of the guru. The seeker may have come with a strong idea to the guru that the whole world persecutes him endlessly, but when the guru points out the flaw in his thinking, he should be able to contemplate and free himself from such tormenting thoughts. But if he insisted what he thinks is right and only looks for solace or solution, he may miserably fail in his attempt and may fail the guru too. Attuning to the teachings of guru has been grossly translated as surrender.
Why should the seeker surrender to the guru ?
Surrender is such an ugly word as its used only for criminals on the run. Submission also can sound out of place. Surrendering somehow indicate a helpless state and there is something very unintelligent about it. The unintelligent seeker will have to slog a lot more on the path. Only such slogging seekers find surrender a very appealing idea. Usually the surrendering disciple is a irresponsible individual, he thinks the guru will now run his life, from feeding to putting him to sleep. He expects miracles performed on a daily basis, dead mother coming back to life in his dreams, rain stopped totally when he went out to watch a movie, his wife smiles at him voluntarily these days, are some sample miracles, he will expect and if happened will attribute to the guru.
Do you ever try to explain what is the right path to people who come to you ?
Many kinds of people come. Most of them do not aspire any enlightenment. But when someone comes with the idea of receiving enlightenment along with the handshakes, then it is important to explain to them what is enlightenment. But most of the times, they don't believe the fact that it cannot be handed out. So they look at me in total dismay and utter disbelief and then go to some other guru in town.
Why people want the enlightenment to be handed out ?
We are all more interested learning not just the trade but the 'tricks' of the trade. Human mind is more inclined to know the loop holes in the law, than the law itself. Such people when take to spirituality, usually would look forward to some shortcuts and corrupt ways of enlightenment. Mostly it is their ignorance about what exactly is enlightenment theoretically. We must keep in mind also the kind of electronic lifestyles, lived presently where everything happens with the touch of a button and push of the keys.
How do you respond to someone coming to you with the hope that you would 'hand down' the enlightenment?
I first try to explain the improbability of such a thing but if they appear not to believe what I said, then I usually change the topic to some TV programs and discuss sport events and movies and then send such people back home.
But there are certain masters who claim that they can hand over the truth to seekers. How far this is possible?
It would be like splashing water on a plant and clean up all its branches and leaves, where as the plant may remain ill-nourished, because the plant has to draw its food through its roots. If you build a concrete floor and cement the root and block any movement of water to the roots, but only splash lots of water every day on the branches, you would soon find the plant dead. Similarly, any changes on the surface such as change of name, clothes, and other changes on the physical level of the seeker can never help the seeker complete his seeking of the truth. He has to contemplate himself, meditate himself and know and experience the truth from within. Only clothes can be handed down, names can be imposed, rosaries can be gifted, blessings can be offered, but the truth of the consciousness can be only indicated and the seeker has to make that strange effortless effort, to know the truth as it is, from his own direct experience. No one can spoon feed samadhi.
Do I have to understand that all the teachings contain the same truth?
Need not be. They need not contain even the truth at times. But all the teachings certainly lead to the same truth. Only the seeker should be aware, that the knowledge of the truth can never be handed down physically, but the masters are here only to help indicating it from different perspectives. As the single creator or consciousness has exploded into million different expressions, the same consciousness can also be reached tracing back through the million different ways.
But there are different teachings we notice from different masters, why does such differences exist?
That's the beauty of the Consciousness. It can be bent and twisted any manner, but still it does not lose its original flavor. The different masters are a need, only because the seekers are never the same. Each spiritual seeker seeks truth from his own unique standpoint. If just a singular master was enough, then a single Krishna, Christ or a Buddha would have completed all the teachings for the world to follow. But not everyone accepts a singular view of the truth.
Why do you grow a beard personally speaking? Do you ever plan to shave it sometimes?
I dont grow the beard anymore, because it is fully grown already. I have not shaved it yet only because my photo identity in the passport or a driver's license is showing me with the beard. It would be as faulty for me to shave it now lawfully speaking, as much as you grow a beard and and appear differently. But given the chance I would shave it everytime I wish to. Do not ask me later why I shaved my beard after I did it.
But they say the beard consists of spiritual strength?
In olden days, perhaps even now, the judge in a court or even the member of a jury wears a wig which shows him as much older than what his real age is. So that the judgements and sentences are taken in the right spirit as a result of wisdom and experience. So the beard is nothing more than a sign of experience and wisdom. The ancient gurus lived in jungles and mountains, where the shaving was not a need. It has probably become a tradition even today, to sport a beard. The beard is just to show the unbiased nature of the guru. He remains the same for all. But at the same time we should remember that great world teachers like Krishna, Adi Shankara and Ramanuja and Buddha were not sporting a beard always. (pics include ARISTOTLE, SOCRATES)Even the beard, most gurus seem to sport a beard, why so?
It commands certain difference from the regular civilian. The idea is probably to show that the guru is not keen on looking good and handsome but little unkempt and unorganized. Besides, growth of hair is natural. Since gurus talk of the natural living, they may choose to leave the beard naturally than shave it everyday.
Is that the reason why gurus need special robes for identification?
Probably yes ! Because on the road, people dont identify someone by his wisdom or by his enlightenment but only by his clothes. For a guru, who wants recognition, the special ochre robes are a mandatory. So he need not be ignored unassuming pedestrian on the way.
Can you relate a event where you were not recognized as a guru ?
Not once but manytimes. But let me narrate a somewhat interesting story. At the end of a session with considerably large crowd inside the hall, I ventured out along with others to reach the car meant to transport me. But the car was missing as I was told it is parked at a distance due to non availability of the parking lot inside the venue due to the full house. I could not locate the car as I walked down the road (perhaps the driver went missing with the car for a cuppa) and participants on the road who just came out of the venue. They were not quite aware of what was happening in the darkness as many vehicles leaving the venue and they were perhaps in a hurry to reach home themselves. So they could not recognize me as the guru who was on the stage, till then imparting knowledge, but were honking the horn to get me out of the way. Though they recognized me soon and watched me helplessly, I decided to walk it all the way, since i did not have any cash with me at that time. It was a hilarious experience. That day I experienced briefly being just a pedestrian amidst people who consider me as guru. That also indicated to me that a guru is a guru only if the disciple wish to see that way.
How does a non seeker relate to a guru ?
Quite indifferently. Many times, the non-seeker does not even know the presence of a guru nearby. It is not necessary that a guru should be seen and accepted as a guru by the whole world. The guru also does not remain as a guru when he deals with the non seeker. On the road he is just a pedestrian. Inside the flight or the train he could be just one more passenger. There is no compulsion on the world to recognize a guru wherever he goes.
Does the guru always remain and behave like a guru? Can he relate to non-seekers too?
Need not be. Infact even the so called disciples who seek, need not always seek Truth and may not behave always like disciples. They may start to seek many other things besides Truth. The guru obviously is not a guru when he deals with a non-disciple, even if it appears like a guru-disciple relationship to the world.
But it is always said that the guru appears in one's life ?
Many things have been said, suitable to the convenience of a seeker with the lazy bone. But the guru does not appear one day like some ghost that appears on a lonely dark night. The Guru always existed, but the seeker comes to identify the person as the guru some day. It can be described in a rather rhetorical manner as appearance. But the guru never appears or disappears. He is just there. Some see him as a guru and some don't.
But Im told that the guru always come knocking on the door, how far that can be true ?
If a guru does that then he has already deprived the seeker from seeking the Truth. The guru need not go to the doorstep to deliver Truth, like parcel delivered by the courier boy. The seeker has to search and seek to find the doorstep of the guru to know the Truth. Even then it is the choice of the guru to accept a seeker as a disciple or not. The same applies to the seeker. He may find a guru but to accept him as his personal guru or not is his own choice. But the myth of a guru coming one fine morning and waiting at your doorstep while you are having a shower and breakfast is a nauseating idea.
So What Makes A Guru Ideal ?
There is no such a thing called ideal Guru. When the idea of a ideal Guru entered, then the seeker is only looking for someone who can fill the empty voids inside. You can never seek the Truth from an ideal Guru. Because he will be only busy on fulfilling the seeker's demands than showing the path to divinity. Many times the disciple and the ideal Guru can be lost making each other happy. They start to believe if everyone is happy and smiling all the time endlessly, it is a sign of enlightenment. They don't know that just beneath their smiles, many untold dangers are lurking. They would show up usually at the wrong time. Till the get out of their imagined happiness and start seeking the Truth uncompromisingly, it is only a doubtful living for the seeker. The ideal guru can never help a seeker. Because he is only busy to earn accolades from the people and disciples in particular than slap them and ask them to get back on the path to Truth, every time the seeker slipped. The slap need not be physical but a stern reminder, which can put the seeker on the spot and make him or her think for oneself. The ideal Guru provides that warmth and affection and get the seekers rotten beneath his loving embrace. It pushes the seeker to some illusory spiritual life.
is not that the spirituality is integral part everyday life?
Yes, spirituality is not alternative to anything, thats what it means. One cannot become spiritual only because he has lost the job and presently have lots of time in hand, so alternatively wanting to be spiritual. Approaching a spiritual master, not to seek protection, assurance or some emotional comfort, but only seeking the ways to know the truth. Being spiritual is not to replace one of your free time hobbies. Its not one more activity, which can replace some other activity.
which type of people usually join a spiritual organization?
Many types. If observed closely, it will be surprising to find people with varied interests join spiritual organizations. Firstly it is clear that not all those who become a member wants personal spiritual enlightenment. - Individuals who believe that organizations are meant to replace their troublesome family life in to a peaceful and secure spiritual life with no answerability or responsibility - who grew old and have much time at disposal - who planned to get spiritual(whatever it meant) after retirement - who believe austere life will bring grace of god and other related goodies - who want peace of mind - who has a religious bent of mind - who has a service bent of mind - who believed in living meritorious and righteous life before death (in order to reach heaven) - who simply like to associate with the master (out of love) (mostly such people don't bother to follow what the master says) - who has a fancy for spiritual practices (like chants, rosaries etc) - who wanted a cure for ill health - who was sent by others - who wants to get over the psychological phobias (fear, insecurity etc) - who wanted a fatherly or motherly love - who seek solace and comforting words - who want to become powerful in the form of reading minds and performing miracles etc Just a few samples of them. Many can have more than one of these as a combination. At the same time, we must admit that there are very few and very rare, veritable seekers who come exclusively to dedicate their time on knowing the Self in the form of awareness or awakening.
What is the problem in depending an organization for emotional support?
A spiritual organization is not a breeding ground for plethora of emotions. But at the same time it is not a cold, blunt, unemotional body of vagary and heartless subversiveness. The seeker of Self primarily attempts to member himself with an organization only to rise far above the binding emotions. But strangely, the organizations too function like a family at many times. People give up their own families and take refuge in to some organization, only to create fresh new relations for camaraderie or bitter hostility. Neither the organization, nor the founder of the organization, nor the member realize that the purpose of an organization is to meet and share the wisdom of the presiding master on how to make their lives better in their own homes and at their workplaces. Any organization that encouraged its members to quit their profession and family and create an emotional bond among its members had already slipped far away from disseminating Truth.
What is Akshara Foundations ?
Its a trust which regulate the activities and proceedings. The trust is more like a facility to conduct the programs for the purpose of sharing spiritual knowledge.
So the member should never contact the organization again?
Not really. That's absurd thinking. The member is free to make a contact when there is a need. But should not heavily lean on the organization for emotional, moral support. The member should realize, the idea of becoming a member of an spiritual organization is only to get over with the emotional and impulsive self. But unfortunately many members get emotionally attached to the organization even though they show success in being non emotional to other relationships. The institutionalization of the individual begin at this point. But having learnt the basics of spirituality, one is required to experiment them out in the world outside amongst their daily acquaintances. Not that the member cease all relationship with the organization but should know how much is too much, when it comes to depending on the organization or the guru. The organization should more or less function like a automobile service center. Every time your car breaks down you may want to go there and give it for servicing. Every time theres a challenging situation where your spiritual knowledge failed to rescue you, perhaps you may make a contact with the organization for a solution. But even that if you resort on a daily basis, it would become meaningless.
So where is the need for any organization?
Organizations serve certain purpose. Only the members should know it well. Its just like going to school. You spend sometime learning in a school. You could not have said that you wanted to stay back in the kindergarten because the 'miss' who taught the nursery rhymes was very nice to you and never bothered to ask you about homework. Despite good environment in the school, you will have to be leaving them all someday. Of course you can go back to the same school as a teacher or decide to work as a non teaching staff. But learning happens only for a certain period of time. The spiritual organizations must be clear in its understanding about membership and about the period of time the member should spend there as a learning student. They must be evicted if they don't show any progress but would still want to remain and become a botheration for other students. The life membership in organizations is a ridiculous idea. It implies that you have no chance of any freedom or spiritual enlightenment for a lifetime. To stay put there, become a senior member, start a faction which fight other factions, create clouts, get power hungry, live in illusory spiritual growth, get attached to the proceedings of the organization, create rules and codes of conduct out of once-upon-a-time formalities, will take this member too far away from the purpose of being there. It is ridiculous when you hear some members cribbing a lot about the organization and the founder, but still hang around there. Being in a organization is necessary to some extent. Like spending some time in the lounge before taking a long flight. You read magazines, eat, drink, watch tv and then when you hear the announcement about your flight, its time to get moving however comfortable the lounge is. The organizations too make similar announcements is what i think.
Truth is not organized you said, can you elaborate ?
True! Even in creation, it is quite stunningly evident. Soaring mountains, mysteriously deepening oceans, open fields and thick jungles, the contrast is quite telling that the creator did not have a plan spread out, while creating this universe and earth in particular. Only human mind organize cities, towns, communities and societies. God or the creator did not have to look for any security unlike me and you. Because only security seeking human beings resort to organize and plan the life for consistence and comfort. Besides, you can organize only which is in disintegrated parts. Like Vedas and bible. Like Arabs and Asians. Putting smithereens into a single piece is called as organizing. But consciousness is not divided even one bit. It is a complete whole. There is no need or possibility of organizing anything about it. Organizations which were built to help seekers find the Truth are almost always a failure except the fact that they grow in size and numbers over a period of time. Seldom one ask how many members of a certain organization really got enlightened. Organizations help the seeker to organize ways to search the unknown. But after a squirming dozen years of being around, they realize that they are immobilized. After the initial euphoria of mantra chanting and deeply meditating and guru gazing, the member of a organization busy start raising funds and enter into side alleys of spiritual path only to not to look back again. A standard package sold at an organization, for a price, cannot bail the entire world of seekers out of bondage and sufferings. All organizations have limitations. They cannot take the seekers beyond a certain point. Its like having an appetizer before the meals. Who would want to settle with an appetizer, at the cost of missing the entire meals that would follow? The organizations can create a hunger but cannot satisfy the same hunger by just keep offering the appetizer.
Does it help being in a spiritual organization, to get spiritually enlightened ?
Sure it does, but to what extent must be known. Firstly you should understand the context of the organization. Do they have an agenda ? If yes, do they include the individual's spiritual growth as main issue? Many organizations announce their arrival at the spiritual arena and make a few minds find peace. But is that what you want - peace of mind? Some organizations begin spiritually and then slowly make a detour into social upliftment programs. Are you ready to clean up the sidewalks of a shantytown, in the name of spirituality? Organizations sometimes do not update their programs and may still follow old ways introduced when the master was around. Certain organizations have unbelievably limited vision. You may have learnt to sing few religious songs, they may teach you how to smile even on the face of misery. But that does not suffice. Most organizations are non-dynamic and rigid with strict code of conduct. They have limitations, which may not be known at the start, for a seeker. As the seeker evolves into the process, soon he would find the same organization does not allow him to grow further. The organization can give you food to eat, but to use your hands and spoon and eat the food by yourself is your choice. If you waited for the guru to come and feed you, it is evidently clear that you are not yet fit for spiritual enlightenment. Really speaking, Consciousness is not organized itself. You cannot capture it in an organized manner. Some set of regular austerities cannot reach you across. But for someone groping without an idea, the organizations are like the beacon towers that flash a bright beam of spiritual light. Organizations are like home for the homeless, who wish to lose all identity and find a brand new spiritual identity. They also help its members to make a meaningful life in the competitive world. They can help a seeker to have an identity as a seeker, perhaps sometimes a unmade promise of a distant enlightenment. Eventually the seeker should be aware that he should rise above the portals of a organization and seek the Truth himself. It only means that he should not be banking on the organization to hand out enlightenment but while belonging there, he needs to rise above it, to know the Truth himself.
Being with a guru, observing him, can one learn how to be spiritual?
Ha ha ! That's called as borrowed wisdom. Leave alone the guru, you should not imitate anyone, when it comes to spiritual enlightenment. The strongest influence will be the guru. The disciple tends to adapt the guru's style of walking, talking, writing etc. Some organizations even make it a rule, that the followers should adapt to a particular style of clothing etc. It brings a lot of discipline(like in a school), but need not necessarily bring enlightenment to them all. Being with a guru, does not make one qualified automatically to become a guru. Such gurus often live in the shadow of the glory of their gurus and have nothing to contribute themselves. Some disciples take pride in claiming how great his or her guru is and in the melee of trumpeting the guru's glory, they forget their own need to reach where their guru had already arrived. Its not following the hairstyle, clothing or speaking of the guru that one can be successfully spiritual. The point will be sorely missed out that way. Being close to a guru, within the earshot proximity, can work negatively at times. One may start to live in the comfort zone of protection and security and would not want to strive for their own freedom. The other difficulty can be when the disciple start to live in the borrowed wisdom of the master and as a result keeping his own faculties blunt and useless.
Can spiritual concepts be imbibed at young age ? Will it help ?
At a much grosser level, yes. But the finer aspects of spirituality cannot be imbibed or inculcated. Because the Consciousness is not a concept. Its not a idea. Only ideas and concepts can be taught or learnt. But the Consciousness is more experiential and one has to be sufficiently prepared for such a direct experience. As much the inculcation of spiritual ideas help a child to grow in some particular psychological zone or a state of mind, it can also be a major stumbling block when the child has to grow out of it some day. But the imbibing of ideas certainly help a child to grow in a particular direction in life. Nevertheless, there is no guarantee for any faster spiritual growth because due to early education in spirituality. Only moral aspects of life can be absorbed by the child to follow or reject at later stages, according to the situation,people and environment, by the child as it grows. Character building, personality development, self help, moral education, physical fitness, stress free thinking are some of those concepts or ideas which can be successfully learnt or imparted and one can even find benefit at various times in life. But spirituality as a process need not have any age limit to start or to complete. There is no deadline to achieve or attain anything in spirituality. So the child can be exposed to spiritual learning but you cannot expect the child to become a Buddha at the age of three.
What should be the attitude towards anyone who has no urge for this process? Should there be force applied ?
The more you apply force, the farther the person will go. Unless you want to turn someone anti-spiritual, do not compel or apply force. There is a old latin american saying, ' you cant open the petals of a flower with your fingers, it should open itself '. When you pressurise someone to be spiritual, the natural flavor is lost. He tends to diregard and reject all forms of spiritual practices easily available to him. The best way is to have him inspired in an atmoshpere, which is charged with practical spiritual wisdom. Still better, if you apply the spiritual knowledge you have gathered, in your own life, then it is going to be very difficult for others to resist watching you. Later on, they have not much choice but to get pushed into the onrush of spiritual urges. If you insisted upon anyone to forcibly practice any form of spirituality, then you have simply thrown a spanner in his wheels of life.
What are the most common conditions that turn some one to be a seeker ?
Everyone is seeking for something. Power, status, money, respect, companionship etc. So everyone is a seeker that way. But few seek to know if there is anything existing beyond what they have experienced sensually in the world, who can be termed as a spiritual seekers. If your question is about what are the situations in life that turns people to become spiritual, then we have plenty of situations in hand. But of the lot, i would say the most ideal seekers began their seeking with triggers from unknown quarters. The subtle nuances of the spiritual process happen more easily when you look at it as an exploration. Perhaps a bit of adventure thrown in. In fact the spiritual process of exploration should be little more scientific. Otherwise, people who take to spirituality, because life has become a big burdensome challenge and wanting to get out of 'everything' sort of seekers would take a much longer time to complete this process. Sometimes one even gate crash into spirituality by catching the wrong bus. However such people tend to stay on and complete the process unexpectedly a lot more swifter. Of the whole lot, my understanding is that the process can be difficult for someone, who has had a very conditioned upbringing, where a lot of concepts and ideas have been fed already in the name of spirituality and tradition. Such seekers take pride in their upbringing but tend to loose sight on the goal.
Without a guru, how does one come to know that he has become spiritual?
You are more spiritual when you come up with more convincing answers to life than someone coming up with more trickier questions on life. Indeed, answers that came from you need not convince others but if it convinced you, then you can be assured that you have become spiritual. True sign of spirituality in your life is when you stop asking questions but began answering questions, when asked by others to you. When you have questions only and absolutely no answers, then still you may be a seeker but certainly not spiritual yet. Your answers need not be so perfect, but the fact that you have stopped asking questions about life make you more spiritual. Some people think gurus should be kept busy by asking them many questions. But even if you have a guru, it is not a must that you always have to ask him questions of all kinds and drive him nuts. The simplest way to check if you have really become spiritual (without a guru in sight) is to see how much you have come to accept your life as it is. If there is repulsion and revolt when you think of your life and all its corresponding events, then you have not arrived yet as a spiritualist but still a seeker only. The truly spiritual person, despite his many fold challenges in life, does not inject himself with frustration and bitterness, but remains at ease with himself, busy sorting out the puzzle of life. A seeker can get desperate, can react out of frustration, can be disgusted, can suspect and reject but the spiritualist cannot afford to do any of them. Just because some one could recite a mantra well, cannot make him to be an accomplished spiritualist. At the same time, there may be someone, who does not know any formal spiritual concept and is never bothered to study scriptures, can still be very much a spiritual person. Despite many years of austerities and spiritual practices, one can remain utterly nonspiritual. It is a strange phenomenon, to see how the world of spirituality pretty much functions(laughs).
Does initiation by a Guru make one more spiritual?
Its a formality. Learning always happens with someone who knew it already. That is an ideal situation. A kind of a guide who knew the pitfalls well, who can save you from getting trapped in them, can show you the path make you a master unto your own self. The guru and the seeker enter into a strange contract which is not clearly defined by any scriptural book. Mostly it is the mental status of a disciple that decides the kind of relationship entertained between them. But the guru should know where to draw the line and stop. This can be a initiative for the seeker, under the guidance of someone who he thought could be his guru. Initiation gives assurance to the disciple that he is being formally inducted into the fold of the guru. But one can seek and find with the help of a guru even without any formal initiation. The formal initiation by a guru into seeking does not make a disciple more special in any manner than those who walk the path without a guru.
What exaclty makes a person spiritual ?
Nothing much. Just anyone who thought that there is more to life than what meets the eye and other senses, is spiritual. Just like movies. You would look for something more than sounds in the movie that please your ears and locations in the movie that please your eyes. But the story to touch your self somewhere deeper is far more important. Not just the senses. Such movies alone become legendary. In life too, similarly, you look for not just a life that pleases your senses but you search for more. When you began your search beyond your senses, you have become spiritual. The spiritual urges can happen to anyone at any point of time. It does not require a special economical status. Man or woman, young or old, a tax payer or even a fraud, it can happen to anyone.
God has created man. Man, in turn, has fashioned his own God. Many Gods, in fact. What is the role of God in man’s life?
God created man. This is real. But the ‘God’ created by man is not real; it is just an image. God’s creation is reality while man’s creation is only a concept or an assumption. That is why man has to ‘believe’ in the God which he had created. If that God is real, then there is no need for belief. In certain religions, the followers are called ‘believers’. So deep is their doubt that they have to reaffirm their ‘faith’ every time by believing in God. God created by human mind is nothing but convenience. But people hold on to these images and beliefs. They also want to make others believe in their God. They go around insisting that their God is the ‘only’ God. People fight because of these Gods. There have been brutality, violence, aggression, bloodshed and even wars in the name of Religion. It still happens in our times. And God who created man is watching this madness, silently. Without rewarding or punishing. The God factor doesn’t punish or reward. It merely has a presence. When someone says that God has punished him, it is only his imagination. It is the same case when one says God has rewarded him. It is just a mind game. Man simply transports himself to these experiences. God does not reward or punish. There is a common belief that man should praise God. God does not want any praise. God does not seek praises from man. Your praises do not make him happy. You praise a politician or a bureaucrat if you want him to do something for you. When you praise God you are bringing God down to the status of a mere politician. The concept of praising God also implies that if you don’t praise, God will punish you. That would mean God is some kind of an autocrat! Because he has the ability to visualize, man imagined a super power. In the Stone Age when man was living in caves, lightning and thunder terrified him. So he saw thunder as God. Among the industrialized nations, like Germany, there are people who still worship thunder as a God. The aboriginal man worshiped many natural elements that he feared or could not understand. He worshiped certain animals that were helpful. He designed animal headed Gods. Tribal Gods are endless. As man evolved his mind developed. He started giving shape and image to his Gods using his frantic visualization. Man became so clever that he gave an intelligent reasoning to these images. He could also logically talk about them. His logic has only pushed him away from his God than bringing anywhere closer. This had happened to all the logical and analytical people. They always questioned only in order to prove the absense of god than questioning in order to find out if there is anyone called god or an unseen force.
Some symbols and idols can help man focus on God?
These symbols or idols created by human mind can help an individual to walk the path or atleast get into the path to start with. They can successfully draw your attention from interventions of the world. They trigger a certain reverence in you. They can give you inkling of what actually God is. But somewhere they can also mislead you and confuse you. Many people get stranded with idols on the path to enlightenment. Some people even expect the idols to come alive someday and perform a miracle for them. There are some, who are waiting to trust these idols as real, if the idols have eaten the food or drank the milk they kept in front as offerings. The symbolism is not realism. But only an indication of the real. To get hooked to the idols and hoping the idols to speak the local language is childish. The famous story of a zen master who was found one cold night, inside a temple burning Buddha statues to keep him warm. The priest who heard this from the onlookers is startled and rushed to the temple to admonish the master. When he reached the temple the master was found digging the ash burnt from the wooden buddhas. The priest in an angry tone enquired what the mindless master was doing. The master replied calmly ‘I am searching for Buddha’s bones’. The story is outrageous. But what Basho conveyed is profound. He prompted to the villagers that Buddha statue is not actually Buddha. But they stop or hinder the growth of the individual after some time. If man is not alert he will get bogged down. People are not willing to go beyond these Gods. They don’t want to see beyond these images. Without these images they feel they are left out, their spirituality is lost. They live in an imagined spiritual life. It is not real spiritual life. Ramakrishna Pramahamsa is a great Hindu mystic. He was devoted to Kali-Ma(a fierce goddess worshipped by many Hindus), his personal God. He always visualized Kali during meditation. He saw her in his dreams. He could talk to her. She, in turn, kept him on the path, providing him security and comfort. After a while Ramakrishna was frustrated about his spiritual life. He felt that he was shackled. He was not getting the liberation that he anticipated. He explained his situation to his guru and pleaded for help. The guru inquired Ramakrishna on whom he mediated. Ramakrishna said that it was ‘Kali’ on whom he mediated. The Guru gave him a sword and said; ‘Next time when Kali-ma appears in your meditation cut her head off with this sword’. This came as a rude shock to Ramkrishna. He protested, ‘Guruji, what are you saying. I love Kali Ma so much. She has helped me to grow all these years. She has done no harm to me. Why should I destroy her’. The guru replied, ‘I agree that Kali has brought you this far. But if you really want to be liberated reach the ultimate spiritual summit then you have to destroy her from your mind. She will not allow you to grow’. There are many interpretations of God - a loving entity, rewarding, bestowing, praise-seeking, punishing etc. Some men created God in divine images while others created God in ghostly images. Where love is absent there is fear. Some people think of God as someone who will punish with vengeance. There is a belief that if you don’t behave, God will punish you. In this case, there is no love but only fear. Fear and love do not go together. Another view of God is someone who grants your every wish. Whenever you want something, simply give God a request and He will fulfil that desire. If God does not do it, you give Him a reminder. You pray, ‘God I asked you for this, but nothing has happened so far. Please do something about it soon’. (laughs) Another sign of ignorance is to say, ‘I will pray for you’. It implies that God does not know what is good for you, so I have to explain this to God. Prayer has become a big thing now. Pray for our football team to win the match. Pray for the country. Pray for anything and everything! When man, an individual created by God, prays he makes a mistake. True, it can be a great psychological help. Unburdening your sorrow on to God can be a relief. But God is not going to do something just because you ask for it. The idol worship is a particular lower rung in the spiritual ladder. But it is not a waste of time to go through the idol worship for a brief while. But to climb the rungs ahead and reach to the top is a must. But standing atop you should not dismiss idol worship. Need to have the understanding when someone is in to idol worship. A drunken man in a bar declared that it takes just one drink to get him drunk. Everyone looked at him with surprise. He continued ‘usually it is the eight drink that gets me drunk’. The drunken man’s conclusion that the eighth drink alone gets him drunk is to deny the earlier drinks which have prepared him to get drunk during the eighth one is illogical. The idol worship only prepares you and never an destination by itself.
One should accept God’s plan in any situation ?.
The right word is ‘in-tune’. Don’t fight it. Don’t try to alter it according to your personal wish. What is the guarantee that what you are thinking or asking the God is right ?. Your small mind probably has imagined wrongly. God does not have a plan actually. To plan is to think of future. God cannot function in future. God belong only to this present moment. There is no past or future for the creator. To plan is human. The planning is primarily a human strategy. It is a certain insecurity about future, so man goes on planning. Family planning, career planning, economic planning, housing plan are done by a insecure human mind to protect himself from threats to his existence in future. The planning is always going to important to man. He is capable to plan even his enlightenment. God does not plan. The truth is not organized. In fact the God’s creation is a beautiful mess. If you closely observe, the world is a collage of cultures, traditions, religions and races which many times encounter each other in great conflict. The world also is a big mix up of geography. The hot deserts and cold continents in ice and merciless mountains and abysmal oceans are a clear indication that world was not planned and created. Unlike USA where the state borders are drawn like symmetrical boxes with a ruler, the creation is simply wild. There is no logic why three fourth of the earth is under water while man is fighting for every inch on the surface. When God created this world there has been no planning. He just sprung. Just like the flowers bloom. There is no plan when a flower blossoms. It just opens the petals. The tree does not have plans about retirement. Everything in nature lives without a plan except you. Usually donkeys don’t plan about marriage of their children. So it is a special gift only to human beings. That is why spirituality cannot be planned. It just happens. The daddy and mummy may push the boy to church with all good intension but he will land up in the nearest pub at end of the day. I know a French boy who studied with me in a Buddhist monastery eventually quit his monk hood and became a fashion photographer in France. He came to my room before he left the monastery and explained to me that he was going to be a photographer. I told him, that was the real thing for him to do and not monk hood. In fact he was a relieved man to leave the monastery. The spiritual plans need not work always. I have also known another friend of mine who went to drop his mother in his car to an ashram happened to spend a brief time there and left his business and friends to join the ashram. He is serving the Hindu organization as a chief swami presently. He never had plans as young boy to become a ascetic but just few minutes spent in the ashram (Hindu monastery) changed his lifestyle forever. The spiritual practice is also a kind of planning. In sanskrit they call it as sadhana. The sadhana is usually aimed at practicing rituals in a particular manner. Fasting on particular days and feasting on the rest of the days and counting the beads in a rosary at a particular speed for a particular number of times for a particular number of years are a few examples. They go to a particular temple every year and shave their hair. Some other grow beard and go to another temple and they strictly don’t shave till their pilgrimage is over. There is planning involved in all these. I know people who plan their meditation also meticulously. They meditate for exact number of minutes which indicates their age. Suppose if you are 46 years old then you should meditate for 46 minutes only. There is a belief that if you face northeast and sit with spine erect during sunrise and meditate for number of minutes matching your age with a mantra in the mouth then you will attain spiritual prosperity. -Please don’t try this It is just an impossible example (laughs)-
Can people pray to thank God for what He has done for them ?
Can a common man have such a clarity ?
First of all, these are not complicated lofty concepts. The truth is simple and plain. To tailor the Truth to match the ignorance of the people is wrong. The correct way is to explain the Truth as it is. He may or may not understand immediately. But someday when he is ready, the full truth would have been available to him. Instead, if you tell him various ideas and stories about God, it will be more harmful to him in the long run. Because you are making him believe in certain untruths there is a danger that he will get stuck to it. I would call this as the spiritual indigestion.
Does religion play a positive role anytime?
Religion is a merely a ‘means’ to an end. Just a route map. The end is something else. One should pass through religion and get out. But unfortunately, ‘organized’ religions will not let you leave. The ways and means of religions are questionable. ‘Organized’ religion will not allow an individual to be free. They trap an individual and sustain him in their structure. They will not allow the individual to move out of the structure. There is no need to fight against religion. With maturity one can understand religion in its totality. No religion can stop an individual if he decided to withdraw. When one understands the binding role of religion, and goes above it, then religion will lose its control on him. Nowadays more and more people have realised the constricting nature of religion and have opted out. Many people limit religion to only certain rituals obligated by family or social necessity. To some people religion is merely a cultural responsibility. They are not bound by it. It is difficult for people who have been deeply into religious rituals from childhood. While there is a growing number of people’s disenchantment with religion, more and more people are becoming aware of their spirituality. In general, a real Hindu is not seriously into religion as a regimen. Hinduism is not a religion but merely a way of life. It is spirituality oriented. Some political organisations are now trying to adopt a revolutionary concept of Hinduism. They are trying to ‘organize’ Hinduism. Their goal is to sustain Hinduism in the face of perceived threat by other religions such as Islam and Christianity. Unfortunately by forming Hinduism as an organisation they do the same mistake committed by Christianity in the past. This is a tragedy. This may sustain Hinduism but will also bind a Hindu who considers this birth is meant for Moksha (liberation) It is amazing that those people who had lived thousands of years back during the time of Veda’s were much wiser than modern man with regards to religion. It has to do with life in general which was very basic in those days. People lived in small communities and got along well among themselves. There was not much of a threat of invasion by others. But now a lot of differences and threats exist among people. People look for organisations to protect their own clannish and territorial interests. Even Jesus did not start a religion in his lifetime. It was his followers who started the religion.
