Basic understanding of spirituality

Divine Life Society Publication: From Various Spiritual discourses by Sri Swami Krishnananda

Prejudice

‘Prejudice’ means a state of attitude which has entered into our very blood, and which influences every thought of ours – every feeling, and everything that we do in life. It is at the background of everything that we think and feel and act; that is called prejudice. It has no logical basis. A prejudiced person cannot be logically converted into a new line of thinking because already there is a predisposition to a particular way of thinking, on account of the atmosphere in which one has been brought up.

We must have taken thousands of births, and all the impressions of our thoughts, feelings and actions of millions and millions of births that we have taken add to the prejudice of our thinking, so that what we are thinking today is a cumulative effect of all that we have thought and felt and done in many, many births through which we have passed. But, this prejudice has become a part of our nature. It is not merely a psychological function in the ordinary sense of the term. It is something that cannot be separated from our own skin. Our very existence is a prejudice.

Spirituality

Spirituality is a state of being. Spirituality is not a way of living in the sense of conducting oneself outwardly in relationship to other people, but it is a state of being.

Being and Doing

Being is what we are. Doing is what we try to manifest in order that this being may become more and more complete. We want to expand our being, which we are trying to do by connecting ourself with other beings. Thus, even our doing or our action is only a need felt for expanding our being. Ultimately, being is the truth, not doing, because our doing is only for the sake of being. The necessity of doing arises on account of my not being one with others, and others not being one with me. If I am they, and they are I, the question of doing does not arise because there is nothing to be done. The connection between my being and your being is called action.

There is no such thing as a distinction between being and doing. There is no doing; it is only being moving within itself for its own sake, for its own expansion and intensity. Our activities in life are the attempts we make to come in contact with external realities for the purpose of the expansion of our finite being.

Knowledge and activity (jnana and karma)

The question of whether knowledge is superior or action is superior arises from another question: whether I am one with you, or I am different from you. If I am different from you, really speaking, then action cannot be avoided.

To be spiritual

The attempt at being spiritual is the effort of the deepest reality of our nature to come to manifestation, and to overcome the prejudice of our being in space, time, and causal relationship. That we are in space, time and cause is an error of thought. Even our doing or our action is only a need felt for expanding our being. Thus, ultimately, being is the truth, not doing, because our doing is only for the sake of being.

Aim of spirituality

The consciousness of the totality of Being – not merely an aggregate of particulars, but the real merger of Being – is the aim of spirituality. This consciousness has to be manifest in our action, even when there is activity.

Karma Yoga

When human relationship becomes philosophical, it becomes karma yoga.

Bondage

When human relationship becomes unphilosophical, it becomes passion, desire, a source of bondage. The same movement –, the same fire, the same water, the same sword, the same knife – can work both ways.

Our bondage is psychological and not physical. As the old saying goes, stone walls do not a prison make. A prison does not mean a building with walls, because even a house is a building with walls, but we do not call it a prison. However, we can call it a prison if our mind changes. So bondage is not merely a physical association, but is also a psychological feeling, and ultimately it is a state of consciousness. Subjection to gunas means the subjection of consciousness to the operation of the gunas.

Yoga

When our relationship with things outside is philosophically motivated and intelligently directed with a conscious purpose present in the mind always, never missed at any moment of time, it becomes yoga. All activity is yoga. All relationship is good relationship. Everything is fine and grand and beautiful in this majestic creation of God.

Necessity for a Guru

We cannot know our mistakes, because we have identified ourselves with it. Sometimes Guru’s grace, sometimes God’s blessings come and enlighten us, illumine us. When everything goes wrong, the intellect can detect that something is wrong; but if the intellect itself goes wrong, then who will detect the mistake? When we are on a wrong path, who will find out that we are on the wrong path?

What is ascent and descent

Evolution is not in space and time, because space and time are part of the evolutionary process. We are not moving as a leaf moves in the wind or a train moves on its track. It is not this kind of movement that is meant by evolution. It is a new type of transformation of consciousness that takes place.

To be spiritually awakened is not to be moving in space, up or down, but to bring about a transfiguration within oneself, an evolution consciously brought about within us, a florescence of consciousness itself, something like waking from a state of deep sleep. When we wake up from sleep, we do not move into space, and yet we know the joy felt when waking up from a bad dream. We have not moved in space, not even moved in time; yet, what a vast difference it has made in our life. We have awakened into our own consciousness.

Freedom or liberation

Liberation is a condition of consciousness and not a condition of physicality, materiality or any type of external association. Therefore, the ultimate freedom, which is moksha, being a state of consciousness, should be attained through a gradual ascension from greater states of subjection of consciousness, to lesser states of subjection of consciousness.

Sadhana is the way to moksha. Moksha is freedom from bondage.

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