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INTRODUCTION

Man knows only that which is perceived directly by his 5 sense organs. The remaining major subtle activities of the subtle world are known to him only because of holy scriptural injunctions and   experiences of great saints of the world. This subtle information has not been experienced by majority of world humanity. As a result laymen tend to wrongly label subtle divine information as the figment of the imagination of great saints. These ignorant laymen say that divine subtle principles are not ‘scientific’ enough for them to accept as truths. They have faith in modern material science because they can be proved with the help of the 5 sense organs (ear, nose, eyes, tongue, skin). On the other hand subtle divine laws are beyond the ken of the 5 sense organs and hence they cannot be ‘proved’ directly. If we truly understand the deep import of material science, religion and spirituality can be looked upon as a deeper scientific law which can certainly be experienced with a refined subtle psyche. If we succeed in purifying our psyche so as to make it subtle all so called differences with reference to modern science and spirituality/religion can be easily dissolved to naught. Our revered Gurudeva (author of this e-book) has initially very deftly dealt with modern material scientific principles and then correlated them with subtle divine principles. Thus he has shown us all that what you see in this material world is but a manifestation of divine cosmic consciousness which is otherwise called God. In this book our revered author covers the topic of modern science and its correlation to spiritual sciences.

From the spiritual standpoint what is ‘bondage’ and ‘liberation’? What is ‘Maya’? How can we know that what is perceived directly by our senses is also real? Our revered Gurudeva while answering these questions writes that if contemporary blind beliefs and dogmas in the field of religion and spirituality can be erased with scientific logic people will accept religion and spirituality whole heartedly. If science is correctly correlated to religion/spirituality and vice versa world humanity will gladly accept both and thus prosper both materially and spiritually. Thus both modern science and spiritual sciences need to march ahead in tandem. The author with the help of sound scientific principles opines that if modern material science fails to accept a spiritual basis it can create havoc and a material/spiritual downfall for the entire world. Today’s dire circumstances all over the world are proof of his deft analysis.

Our planet earth is a part of the solar system. The cosmos is known to harbor innumerable universes. Today modern science is asking this question: In the entire cosmos is it that only planet earth has an advanced human civilization or is it that elsewhere in the cosmos too there are other more advanced civilizations? The author gives details of the cosmic form of divine consciousness along with various cosmic activities. He says that God is an ecological authority that balances the entire cosmos which is made up of galaxies, planets, stars etc. This is a scientific presentation of religion/spirituality and it has been proved beyond doubt via quotations from various scientific and spiritual texts accepted by one and all. While detailing the cosmic form of the solar system our revered author says that the divine authority is present vividly in every pore of the cosmos. Further each individual soul (humans, birds, beasts etc.) are God’s units. Every individual soul must yearn to know this cosmic divine authority and thus realize God. God realization is the key to eternal material and spiritual bliss. This precept is very scientific which is accepted by any wise person. The scientific basis of theism and that all that we perceive in this world definitely is based on cosmic laws has been detailed and proved in this e-book via sound logic.

This entire e-book proclaims only one thing and that is that modern material science should not limit itself to proof that is obtained by the 5 senses only. Today people wrongly believe that science and spirituality have nothing in common. But the fact remains that science and spirituality complement one another. Thus if material progress is achieved with a spiritual basis one will not see the chaos and strife seen today all over the world. Spirituality and religion control our mental arena. With its help our thinking can be made pure and taintless. Hence we should give more importance to disciplining our very thinking using spiritual tenets/precepts. If our thinking is apt and pure our actions too will be superior.

While searching for truth it is most desired that all traditions and beliefs be tested with logic and sound scientific argument. Thus only that truth should be accepted by us all that pass this crucial test. This aspect of science is called philosophy (Darshan). It is only when material science unites with spiritual science that an Omnipotent Science comes into being. Apt thinking, rationality and imbibing of discipline is the basis of scientific religion/spirituality and shall also become the religion of the 21^st century. When spiritual science which purifies our psyche/consciousness unites with modern material science that augments our material life, it will lead to material and spiritual prosperity. Ultimately the age old dream of great leaders and thinkers of the world can be realized viz. “A BEAUTIFUL BORDERLESS WORLD”. It is only then that Sat Yuga (Golden Era) will manifest radiantly. This is what our revered preceptor Yuga Rishi Shriram Sharma Acharya writes in this e-book.

CHAPTER 1

THE RELIGION OF FUTURE-SCIENTIFIC RELIGION

SPIRITUAL SCIENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MATERIAL SCIENCE

In the designing of each unit of this cosmos two principles are inseparably conjoined to one another. One is gross (visible) and the other is subtle (invisible). Gross is that which is directly perceived by the 5 sense organs. Subtle is beyond the ken of the limited knowledge of the 5 senses. Subtle knowledge means wisdom. Gross is called informative knowledge and subtle is called Vijnana or science. In spiritual parlance these 2 aspects are called gross and subtle.

The visible potential and utility of each unit of the cosmos is minor. Its true omnipotence can only be found in the subtle. It is only after understanding its true potential and utility that all round benefits accrue else everywhere one will find dust and only dust. With a superficial eye one can only see ponds, rivers, trees etc. We see laymen walking here and there like toys moving with the help of batteries. If all this was the ultimate goal of life man too would limit himself to eating, procreating etc like other animals and birds of the world. He would hence never think of material and spiritual progress/advancement.

Dust spread on the ground is of no value yet modern science tells us that a tiny atom of a dust particle has immense energy. The blue sky looks like the hood of a huge tent but space scientists and astronomers tell us that its subtle potentials are amazing and infinite in nature. Meaning the potential of that seen with our gross eyes is nothing compared to the omnipotence of the subtle world. This subtle world is beyond the ken of the human mind and intellect. No doubt that the subtle is conjoined to the gross but in order to tap it/understand it the limited human intellect, mind and sense organs are of no use. Instead this human intellect has to undergo focusing and purification so as to make it subtle and radiant. Only then will the mysterious subtle laws of the cosmos unfold within our pure soul. One has to dive deep within the recesses of the psyche which is like a diver diving deep down in the ocean to grasp priceless pearls. Direct information of the gross world is called Jnana (information) and wisdom of the subtle world is called Vijnana (science). Informative knowledge is attained by all living beings whereas science can be attained only by human beings.

The potential of grossness is very miniscule. Subtleness is an infinite storehouse of energy. Grass growing in the garden seems very green to our gross eyes and when we touch it, it appears soft and smooth. Despite this its subtle form is infinitely more important since medical herbs can be made from it. The subtle chemical form of a blade of grass is priceless because it can cure many diseases as mentioned in Ayurvedic texts. The gross appearance of minerals and ores is that of dust. Each mineral/ore has minor differences like that of color etc. but when subtle chemical analysis is conducted, each of these is classified as iron, gold, silver etc. All this is the result of subtle research and analysis.

Today modern science has given world humanity so much power which is akin to the ferocious powers attained by demons in mythological literature (Puranas). All the 5 demigods (Devatas) serve them. Fire god (Agni) cooks food. Water god (Varun) gives us water in our taps etc. Wind god (Vaayu) whirls our ceiling/table fans. Space god (Akash) transmits sound in radios, televisions etc. Earth god (Dharti) gives us priceless minerals, ores, oil etc that it holds in its womb. Ancient mythological demons were known to overpower all these demigods and thus lived a life of pomp and aplomb.

Whatever material advancement attained by modern material science will definitely amaze our ancient ancestors. If today’s human being of the 21^st century is reborn after a thousand years he too will say in wonder that what was achieved in the 21^st century is infinitesimal compared to what is achieved a thousand years later. All this is the gift of material science. Science means subtle. Subtle means that which is beyond the ken of the senses, mind and intellect. The reason why we human beings can take pride in being denizens of a planet (Earth) that is best amongst all planets of the cosmos is that we have made an apt combined use of material power and scientific curiosity. It is because of this scientific bent of mind that planet Earth which is otherwise just a mass of dust, stones etc. leads all the planets in the solar system. It can be said to be a heavenly kingdom.

We all are indeed blessed to have this heaven like wealth because of the combined efforts of material powers and scientific know-how. We all feel that in future even more advancement will be witnessed. Thus mere words cannot point out the deep import of scientific thinking. Demonic powers are called energy (Shakti) and divinity is called grandeur. Hence material powers devoid of spiritual values are called demonic.

Now let us deal with the second aspect of creation which is consciousness. Consciousness dwells in all living beings. Pranis (living beings) have Prana (vital force). Consciousness is the substratum of all living beings and hence is called Prana. Let us not argue further but accept that the gross body of living beings is a mere instrument of its inherent conscious nature. The mysterious potential of consciousness cannot be measured by our limited intellectual powers and sense organs. Man’s gross activities and powers too are thus limited. With its help man looks after his basic needs like food, housing, clothing etc. His life revolves around earning money to support his family. Other living beings too lead such lives albeit at a small scale. Man super-cedes other creatures as far as his special skills are concerned like speech, language, art, music etc. Despite this he fails to capitalize more in the field of creativity because of the illusory lure of the 5 sense organs and their objects. Apart from this, what can I say about those who are praised as great intellectuals? Even they merely eat, sleep and breathe and ultimately enter the jaws of death. Thus what more remains to be added to the description of man’s life and achievements? Since man believes in only that which is gross/visible, his pursuits and attainments too are very limited and ordinary. Man differs from other beasts only as far as possessing an intellect that gives him more physical comforts. As against this animals are ahead of man in certain ways. For example elephants possess more powerful bodies, horses can run at great speed, dogs can smell things very sharply, monkeys can easily jump about here and there and birds can fly up high in the air without the use of scientific technology. Man is classified as a terrestrial animal. Hence the capabilities of water and air based creatures are much more potent. The world of minute germs, bacteria, viruses etc. too is full of wonder. Thus how can man compare his physical capabilities with other so called lesser creatures? Of course we human beings overlook this fact by praising one another’s musical, literary, business etc capabilities so as to label ourselves as the greatest species amongst all creatures.

We human beings must hence realize that our greatness lies not in our gross capabilities but in those that are subtle and invisible. Subtle capabilities are those that lie way beyond our gross intellect and mind. Subtle in other words is called spirituality. Spirituality is that subtle fount of energy that can give us both gross/material and subtle/spiritual prosperity. Know for sure that man’s true powers lie not in this physical body made of flesh, blood and bones but that they abound in the deep recesses of his soul. This vault of soul power is so gigantic that all the material powers of this gross world put together will not even be of the measure of the drop of an ocean. This is proved by the fact that scientists who have used only a fraction of their soul potential have achieved so much technical advancement and thus have glorified planet Earth. Other planets are gloomy in comparison because spiritual powers have not been awakened by them. Of course it is impossible to measure the potential of this cosmos since it is so gigantic and infinite. Whatever we discover or unearth amazes us no end but the fact remains that much more lies undiscovered and untapped. Accepted that man cannot create this cosmos but he can certainly unearth its secret mysteries which are an infinite/eternal storehouse of divine energy. The value of diamonds lying in a vault cannot be known to a layman. It is only a jeweler who can differentiate between common glass and precious diamonds and make a glittering necklace etc. out of it. Similarly the onus lies on human beings in discovering the untapped potential of the subtle world just like the jeweler who ignores stones, glass etc and unearths precious diamonds.

Modern scientists are more and more wonderstruck with the increasing unearthing of material powers. As against this if only they start researching into the potentials of the subtle spiritual world they will have to accept in sheer amazement that all the material progress of the past, present and future put together will not be even an iota of the grandeur of the spiritual arena. It is a fact that today’s man is just one step higher than his predecessor species i.e. apes. This is because he limits his capabilities to his physical body and a mind and intellect that have very limited powers. He fails to realize that his true unlimited potential lies deep in the cave of his psyche and soul. One’s personality cannot be measured merely on the basis of its superficial beauty, handsomeness and a fleeting bank balance. With the help of hard currency one can at the most procure perishable material comforts that give momentary and fleeting pleasure. In fact if man truly wishes to become great he should seriously start tapping the infinite vault of spiritual powers that lie deep in the cave of his psyche.

Maharshi Vyas proclaims: I shall now share a secret with you all and that is that amongst all creatures in the world, man is supreme. Over here it should be noted that Vyasji is not talking of man’s material advancement but is pointing towards his inner spiritual potential which is infinite and eternal. Spiritual Sciences help man to understand and unearth these spiritual powers which only has the power to bestow true greatness on mankind. Science deals with the unfolding of nuclear energy from atoms and spirituality deals with the awakening of unlimited divine powers present in every individual’s soul.

Today the layman accepts material scientific progress wholeheartedly because it is presented in a very logical and scientific manner by the scientific world. As against this the layman is not very inclined towards accepting spiritual tenets because they have not been presented scientifically and have wrongly been associated with wild superstitious beliefs. In fact spirituality has faced a lot of flak and mockery because certain ignorant sections of society have put forth some illusory concepts in the name of spirituality for their own selfish gains. Hence today spirituality has no place in the life of modern mankind because of wrong illusory superstitions associated with it. It is at this juncture that the enlightened thinking classes of the world are requested to ignore these blind concepts and instead research into those eternal spiritual precepts which are true and greatly beneficial for world humanity. These blind concepts are like the fleeting clouds in the sky that ‘cover’ the sun (spiritual precepts). Clouds however dark can cover sunlight for a short length of time but sooner or later it will start shining with full brilliance. The same holds true for spiritual tenets because even if its grandeur is covered for a short time, they can never get erased forever. Spiritual laws are as real as scientific laws. Science has given mankind material wealth and comforts. So the need of the hour is that we now dive deeper into our souls so as to awaken our infinite spiritual potential and thus attain eternal bliss. In this manner world humanity will prosper both materially and spiritually.

As far as the anatomical aspects of mankind is concerned there is not much difference within this species. Exceptions could be in the form of visually, mentally etc challenged people. There maybe differences as far as material means are concerned but not in the realm of circumstances faced by them. Despite this many are poor, sorrowful and in a demeaned state. A few lead lives of contentment but rare are those who not only reach the pinnacles of progress but help others to attain the same with the help of their inner radiance. These rare brilliant men change the gloomy world environment and transform it for the betterment of world humanity. The question hence arises as to why there is such a difference between the 3 classes of men described so far?  If one reflects deeply it becomes clear that the differences have virtually nothing to do with the material means available or conducive circumstances. The bare truth is that the mental states of these 3 classes differ a great deal. It is hence very clear that a radiant, taintless psyche has the capacity to awaken infinite dormant powers of the soul which in turn help bring about desired transformations in the external material world. Not only are the external situations transformed for the better but that spiritual powers attract material powers and means like magnets that attract iron filings. This is the secret that answers why one man lives a demeaned life and why another lives a spiritually and materially advanced life. It is no use blaming anyone for one’s status in life because it is man who can either resolve to remain downfallen or lead an all round exalted life. The golden eternal law of life is: ONE’S MENTAL STATE SHAPES ONE’S EXTERNAL, WORLDLY CIRCUMSTANCES AND NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND. Man is the father of his own fate. Hence it is very important that one studies these golden precepts and deeply imbibe the same in one’s daily life.

It is not enough merely to see the nature of things instead they should be deeply studied, imbibed and made apt use of. Consciousness is not an object but is energy in nature. Hence greater caution is required to unearth its potential and then make apt use of. Stones, bricks etc can be moved about here and there but transport of electricity, gas etc. needs more caution and know-how. We are all aware of the dangerous repercussions of misuse of electrical machines, scientific technology etc. Yet know for sure that misuse of energy can bring in much more disaster for not just one region but the entire world. The greatest wealth owned by man is his soul force/consciousness. The human body is an instrument that manifests the Almighty Lord’s divine energy. Thus man is a mini representative of God. Hence it is the prime need of the hour that man first studies his divine wealth and then makes apt use of it for world well being and peace. Great scientists of spirituality (prophets, saints, Rishis, Munis etc) call it the Science of Spirituality or Brahma Vidya. If one rigidly refuses to accept and radiate his/her divine grandeur he sure is courting trouble in the form of a material and spiritual downfall. Today everyone in the world use a lot of time, energy and finances to protect their material wealth like oil, gas, petrol, weapons etc. As against this consciousness is a Super Power which lies deep in cave of the soul of all individuals. It has the capacity to give a boon or a curse. When demigods are insulted they shower curses on the culprit. When they are pleased they give boons of all sorts.

Consciousness itself is called soul-god (Atmadeva). It is totally involved in one’s daily life just as blood, bones etc are one with our physical body. It is consciousness that helps in blood circulation, nerve impulse movements etc. The moment Prana (vital force) leaves the body the latter becomes lifeless and starts rotting. In the same way consciousness propels external and internal movements of one’s life. It has authority over our thinking and hence character. It is this subtle personality of the nature of consciousness that lies deep within the layers of our psyche/soul and is the author of our destiny. When this deep inner personality becomes tainted and distorted man faces poverty, strife and insults in the external world. If this deep personality is made sacred, pure and a vault of spiritual values one will be respected in the external world and will be able to attract material means for one’s own happiness and that of others too. We hear stories from mythological literature wherein the demigods of heaven give boons to their pure hearted devotees. In reality the demigods of heaven are nothing but one’s pure, sacred inner personality which gives boons like fame, material comforts etc in the external world.

Spirituality is nothing but austerities that help purify our soul. How can one ensure that consciousness is not attacked by distortions and taints like envy, greed etc? How does one ensure that instead of this our consciousness marches ahead on the path of spiritual advancement? How does our consciousness become brilliant, radiant and sacred? The science dealing with all these questions and answers is called Spiritual Science. Not only that it is not less important than modern science but that it super-cedes the latter in terms of value. Of course modern science has given man a lot of material means and comforts so that he can lead a better life. Now what remains is that man should start radiating his inner consciousness by adhering to spiritual values and thus become divine. If one makes use of modern material comforts and scientific technology with a psyche that oozes with spiritual values (integrity, commitment, generosity, divine love etc) one will never face tension and stress that we are all facing today. It is only the use of material comforts without a sound spiritual psyche that is the root cause of our day to day stress full life.

CHAPTER 2

LIBERATION FROM MATERIAL BONDAGE VIA A SPIRITUAL VISION

HOW ARE MATERIAL OBJECTS REAL DESPITE US SEEING THEM DIRECTLY WITH OUR GROSS EYES

An important question to be dealt with is: Is what we see, understand and experience with our 5 senses true in the absolute sense? At the gross level the immediate answer will be in the affirmative. This is because there is no reason to say that things perceived, seen by us are illusory. We are so dependent on the dictates of our sense organs and mind that we think that objects, individuals and circumstances are absolutely true. And yet if we delve deep into this question the answer is that the so called proof of reality of objects given by our sense organs is unfulfilled and illusory in nature.

Various scriptural scholars since time immemorial have advised us all not to believe our sense organs that say that our daily experiences are true and instead maintain that we should develop a spiritual vision. If we insist on accepting that all that we see and experience is the ultimate truth we sure will face many uncomfortable situations. This can be proved by the ancient example of the proverbial deer running after a mirage in the dessert in order to quench its thirst. In desserts like Sahara etc travelers have often come across mirages which from a distance look like a pond of water. A thirsty deer in a dessert runs after this mirage to quench its thirst. The eyes of the deer tells it that there is water at a few furlongs away but the more the deer tries to reach this ‘pond’ the more the latter ‘runs’ afar. Ultimately the thirsty deer accepts defeat. Another example is that of a rainbow. Try as much as you can but you can never ‘catch’ the illusory rainbow. The brilliance of solar rays that fall on water creates an illusion in our eyes and thus our eyes tell us that there is a tangible rainbow. Yet the fact remains that the rainbow is but an illusion harbored by our gross eyes.

Take the example of a movie. We see pictures laughing, crying, walking etc on the screen. It seems very amazing and miraculous. But the question asked is whether all this movement clearly visible to the gross eye is real and true?  Individual pictures which move at 16 second cannot be seen individually by our eyes. As a result an illusory moving scene is created. Individual pictures which are actually unmoving can be seen moving by our gross eyes due to the creation of an illusion. Voices emanating from loudspeakers come from one place and the picture is at another place. Yet our eyes and ears are fooled into believing that the picture is actually talking, singing etc.

At dawn in the morning and twilight in the evening the sky manifests amazing hues. Yet are these colors truly real? Actually these different hues do not exist but because solar rays create an illusory effect in our eyes, we all notice these colors. The sky appears to be blue in color but the fact remains that no such blue color exists in space. Our eyes under the influence of illusion ‘sees’ this blue color and fools our intellect in the process.

The function of the human eye is to understand the nature of an object via color perception. Yet the fact remains that majority of the times our eyes succumb to illusory effects and thus gives us wrong information. Let us study the following examples. The chimneys of mills and factories emit a lot of smoke. If you minutely analyze the color of smoke, it differs now and then. When the base of the chimney has trees, buildings etc that are not lit up the smoke color seems black. Bang opposite to this if the building trees etc are lit up with sunshine the smoke appears to be brownish. When smoke emitted from burning coal, wood etc is exposed to sunlight its color appears yellowish. In actuality smoke is colorless. The illusory color is due to the designing of the carbon atom and other material present on fuel. Light gets reflected away from it and thus smoke seems black in color.

In the rail engine the tube of the boiler emits blue steam but when it enters atmospheric air, its particles become larger and appear white in color.

There are many factories which use low quality coal and hence the smoke emitted is dark black in color. If one visualizes the sun through this smoke, the sun appears like dark red.

Many types of germs, bacteria etc are present in water which cannot be seen by the naked eye. They can be seen only with the help of a microscope. With our eyes we can see many stars in space but the fact is that there are infinitely more stars not perceived by our eyes. Thus since our eyes have limited capacity we take the help of gigantic telescopes to view those innumerable stars not seen by our naked eyes.

Even today we are unable to fathom the deeper layers and units of an atom despite the phenomenal success achieved by modern science. Its more gross aspect has been calculated via subtle mathematical calculations. No doubt scientific technology has helped in finding out the overall design of the atom and yet mathematical calculations based on inference have been of much greater help in the research of the structure of the atom.

In order to find true reality we will have to make more widespread and all encompassing our research and testing methods. It is a great error on our part to rely only on information given by our 5 sense organs. Today majority of research laboratories base their testing methods on the ‘direct proof’ given by the 5 sense organs. Hence many a times they fail to come to the right conclusion. In the previous paragraphs we have detailed the fact as to how our eyes can be misled into giving wrong information like the sky appearing to be blue in color when in actuality this is far from the truth. If we insist on relying on our 5 sense organs only then we are bound to stray in darkness for eons together. Modern science uses scientific methods to prove many ancient beliefs and superstitions as false. Despite this if modern science insists on believing that their 5 sense organs are the final proof of all research conducted then know for sure that they have come out of the iron cage of superstitions etc (which is required) only to enter the golden cage of so called direct proof offered by the senses.

Leaving aside some gross facts whatever we see, hear etc as far as other aspects are concerned is believed to be absolutely true. Yet the fact remains that we are far from the truth. We are very much used to believing our day to day experiences with the help of the 5 senses as absolute truth. And yet if we go deeper into all this we will realize that time and again our senses have led us in the wrong direction. In fact our 5 senses give us various experiences solely on the basis of some gross beliefs. If these beliefs are changed then our previous conclusions and inferences too will have to change automatically.

Our brain centre has the capacity to give levels of information that is very common. If we remain satisfied with this then we can say that whatever we see, experience etc is truth. Yet the bare fact remains that our very hypothesis on which our 5 senses and brain function is itself erroneous to a great extent. Hence how can such an intellect realize the absolute truth and reality? This question is so tedious that it is very difficult to answer with ease.

While selling fruits, vegetables etc weighing scales are made use of. The basis on which we measure weight itself is based on a hypothesis. Without this all businesses will come to a grinding halt. Yet the question remains as to whether our very basis of weighing materials is true in itself? When one thinks deeply about this our intellect will get rattled. Weight by itself has no existence since it is very relative. Weight of an object is nothing but the force required to obstruct the influence of earth’s gravitational force on the object.  An object that weighs 37.33 kg on earth weighs 18.7 kg when raised at a height of 3.5 miles. The more you raise an object higher up in the air the more weight it sheds. There is an area between earth and the moon wherein if an object is weighed there it will be weightless. Even if a gigantic mountain like Everest is placed there it will be weightless. This mountain will hang in space in this area. The force of gravitation on other planets is varied. The weight of an object on planet earth will differ significantly when weighed on other planets like Mars, Neptune etc. Thus we can conclude that weight of any object is relative. This is because weight depends on certain hypothesis and circumstances.

In our daily transactions we make use of the measure of speed a great deal. Speed too is as important as weight. We can reach from one place to another with the help of various vehicle options like car, plane, ship etc which have various speeds to cover distances. But the question asked is whether the basis on which speed is calculated is factual or hypothetical?

While writing something seated on a chair and table we feel we are not moving and instead are steady. Yet it is a fact that we are moving at a speed of 1000 miles per hour in one direction. This is the movement of planet Earth. It is because we all dwell on Earth, we too perforce move while the Earth is revolving and rotating on its axis. Our sense organs fail to experience this speedy movement and hence it is under the illusion that or body is steady and unmoving. The sense organs experience movement only when we walk, ride a horse, move in a car etc.

The Earth rotates on its axis and hence we come back to our original position after moving for 24 hours. But even this is not totally correct because the Earth revolves round the sun at a speed of 666,000 miles per hour. The Earth returns to its original position in space after 365 days or 1 year. Even this is not totally true because the sun revolves around the ‘Super Sun’ along with the Earth and other planets of the solar system. Further this ‘Super Sun’ too revolves around another ‘Super Sun’ and God alone knows how many more such cycles of circumambulations take place. Hence the gist of all this is that we cannot return to the same destination in which we are situated today at least in this birth of ours. If we move from our space we do so eternally. And yet our deluded minds insist on falsely conveying to us that we are static all the time and that we are not moving along with planetary etc movements.  

The measurement of speed too is illusory just akin to that of area. If 2 trains move side by side at the same speed it will appear as though both are moving and swaying identically. If 2 cars approach each other from opposite directions at a speed of 40 miles/hour they will feel as though their car speed is 80 miles/hour when they whiz past side by side. Same is the case with 2 trains that move in opposite directions (side by side). They too will feel that the speed is double while they pass each other. If the speed and direction of the movement of other planets, galaxies etc were to be ditto as that of Earth interstellar space too would appear motionless and static. The sun, stars etc would never arise nor set under such circumstances. All planets etc would remain where they were for eternity. At that time despite all of them moving at same speeds they would appear motionless.

Speed is very much relative. One can measure speed in many ways. If you subtract 90 from 100, 10 remain. If you minus 20 from 30 or 40 from 50 even then 10 remain. In order to get the same difference (10 in the above example) different sets of numbers are made use of. Despite these varied numbers the difference remains the same. If you want the difference to be 1000 you can use so many numbers to get this difference. The same holds true for measuring speed. Ancient geography specialists measured speed by saying that the sun is motionless. Lunar/solar eclipses, the rising and setting of stars, planets of the solar system which gives day and night etc too has so far been measured on this basis. Yet the measurements have been totally apt so far. Despite this the premise that the sun is motionless which aids in the above measurements itself is baseless and false. When illusory premises give correct results how does one differentiate between the true and false. When one deeply reflects on this subject one’s intellect becomes dizzy.

In ones daily transactions it is necessary to measure distances. Without this travel would not be possible. The Earth is divided into latitudes and longitudes. Without measuring distances air travel etc would be well nigh impossible. The 10 directions (north, south etc) are an important basis for ones successful travel. And yet by themselves they too are illusory and have no absolute existence.

If you gaze at a very large pond while traveling beside it in a parallel manner it will appear that it is absolutely straight. Yet the fact is that after traveling for sometime you will reach the original position from where you started. This is because the pond is circular in nature. Even if you draw a straight line on a rubber ball, it will actually be circular. A straight line is one whose 2 ends never meet and that the distance between them is constant. In the above case of the pond and ball, a so called straight line too is ultimately circular. Even if you draw a straight line on a piece of paper, floor etc it will ultimately be circular and never straight. Minute circular lines may never be identified by us yet they will always be circular. The ground which appears flat to the naked eye too is in reality circular. The sea appears flat and yet when ships travel in it, it becomes clear that just like the ground on which water exists, the sea too is circular. The point at which the sky and sea appear to meet is called horizon. Whenever you watch this horizon it will always appear to be at a distance of 3 miles from where you stand gazing at it. If you stand at a height of 200 feet above the ground the horizon appears to be at a distance of 20 miles. All this proves that the Earth is a globe i.e. round. Despite this our naked eyes cannot perceive the Earth to be circular. Thus our measurements of distances too are faulty.

 The Moon is definitely seen to be higher up in space when gazed at from Earth but if after landing on Moon you gaze at Earth the latter seems to be higher up. If we could manage to station ourselves in interstellar space beyond the solar system it will be clear that there is nothing like north, south, east etc. Meaning no directions exist. Thus directions too are very much relative and not absolute. New Delhi (in India) is west of Lucknow, east of Mumbai, north of Chennai and south of Haridwar. Thus when directions to reach Delhi are given they are relative and that by itself Delhi is directionless.

In worldly transactions time measurement is very much important. It is on the basis of time that offices open/close, railways/buses run etc. Our daily life revolves around time. Yet the premise or basis of time too is no less faulty. The time designated for sunrise and sunset is not as we actually believe it to be. When we actually see the sun arising, the fact remains that it had already arisen 8.5 minutes previously. This time is the time taken by solar rays to reach Earth. When we see the sun setting at dusk it has actually done so 8.5 minutes previously. There are many stars in the sky which although visible to us today have actually set thousands of years previously. This illusion is the result of the light of stars reaching Earth after thousands of years. We become actually aware of the stars setting after thousands of years. The same holds true for all the planets, satellites of the solar system. They have arisen or set much before or after the time calculated by Indian astrologers in their Panchangs (diary).

One may visualize a star in the sky as straight ahead of us yet this need not be true. Light does not always travel in a straight line. Light rays too are material in nature and that it too can be weighed. Light rays falling on an area 1 mile in diameter for 1 minute weighs 1 ounce approx. It is but natural that gravitational force influences objects. When light of various stars enter the solar system it becomes zigzag or staggered in form because of the influence of the force of attraction of sun and the other planets. Despite this our eyes fail to perceive this staggered light and instead out of illusion we see it as straight. It is quite possible that it lies on the periphery of another star, sun or planet yet our eyes see this light as straight. In the same way if our eyes see a star right above our head in the sky the reality is that it could be much lower or diagonal  than the position seen by us. In this manner not only directional data but also time measurements too are no less illusory in the absolute sense.

Philosophical discussions do include time and space related topics. This space is certainly not some country, region on Earth etc nor is time an hour, minute etc. All these are only technical terms. The length, width and breadth of an object is called space and changes taking place in them is called time. Ordinarily objects are seen on the basis of its length, width and breadth whereas while discussing and describing it the 4^th ‘dimension’ of time too should be included. But the problem is that speed and direction keep varying and are illusory too. Time is itself based on them and hence if the basis itself is erroneous how can the result of time be apt? Even if objects are said to be 4 dimensional instead of 3 yet this problem remains unsolved. What exactly are objects? What are its form, nature and quality? This cannot be described in totality because the manner in which its atoms move speedily disproves our description of it in the very next moment because of its uncertain position (something like the great scientist Heisenberg’s principle).

What is big and what is small? Even this question cannot be answered satisfactorily. A stick measuring 5 feet is smaller than another which is 6 feet and is bigger than a stick of 4 feet. A tree trunk with a diameter of 2 feet is thinner than another of 3 feet and is thicker than that which has a diameter of 1 foot. We cannot say whether an object is in absolute terms. An object is labeled thin or thick only with reference to another object. By itself it is neither thick nor thin.

Who is rich, who is poor, who is happy, who is sad, who is a saint and who is a rogue? These questions cannot be answered in absolute terms because all these qualities (richness, poverty etc) are relative in nature. Before let us say calling a person rich or poor we must find out whom we are comparing this person with? With reference to a beggar a person who has a job that pays him 1000 dollars per month the latter is rich. A person with only 1 sorrow in life is happy when compared to another who has 4 sorrows to contend with in life. Thus is reality we cannot say as to who truly is happy or sad. With reference to a dacoit a small time robber is more gentlemanly but with reference to a person of good character the robber is lowly. With reference to a great saint a man of good character is lower in stature. With reference to an Avatar or Prophet of God a great saint too is if a lesser class.

We measure objects, individuals, situations etc only in relation to one another. Comparison is the highest measure used by us all to make ‘apt’ decisions. What exactly are the things which we measure? It is very difficult for our sharp intellect to decipher them because all of them are limited and not omnipotent in nature. In fact in a certain sense they can be called illusory too. In movie theatres pictures are seen moving on the screen whereas in reality each picture is static. These individual pictures move so fast that our eyes fail to see them in a static manner. Thus out of illusion we see these otherwise static photos in motion. Meaning actors are seen to walk, eat, run etc.

Many a times our experiences are bang opposite to the actual situation. Our senses (eyes, ears etc) not only give false information but also tend to give non-existent illusory information. If we insist on depending on our sense organs to give apt information i.e. think direct visible proof as the be all and end all of life not only can we not attain true divine wisdom but that we will fail to even understand it.

For example take the concept of light. What exactly is light? It is an eddy of electro-magnetic waves. The fact as to whether it is intense or weak depends on its measure but yet its overall effect is singular. It moves at a terrific speed of 1 lakh 86 thousand miles/hour (I mile=1.61 km). Light rays have 7 colors. Various types of admixtures of these 7 colors give other resultant colors.

THIS WORLD HAS NO COLOR:

One will gasp in disbelief when one is told that various colors seen in this world of objects are actually non-existent. Every object is basically colorless but when it is exposed to solar rays these objects absorb certain colors from the rays and reject others. It is only on this basis that we see ‘colored’ objects. That color not absorbed by an object is sent back i.e. reflected. This reflected light enters our eye and thus we think that object to be of the reflected solar ray’s color. Plants in reality are not green in color since basically they are colorless. Yet they appear green because plants cannot absorb the green color of solar rays falling on them. Since this green color gets reflected it enters our eye which assumes that the plant is green in color. When the green unabsorbed color gets reflected it enters our eyes and thus the latter out of delusion says ‘the plant is green in color’. This illusory information is taken to be a die hard truth by us all. Bye and bye we keep proving to the world with various hypotheses that plants are green in color. If someone challenges these hypotheses he/she is mocked at and called a deluded fool. No one is willing to delve deep into the fact that our senses and mind are all the time giving illusory information from the absolute standpoint. It should be noted over here that no doubt the mind and senses are needed to carry out worldly transactions yet what we are trying to say is that such information cannot be taken as an absolute truth. They fail to accept that our mind and senses are deluding us by falling prey to the illusory wiles of Mother Nature (Prakriti). Over here the green color of plant is merely an example. This example is meant to show how our senses deceive us with reference to the colors and other qualities of various objects in the world. We say that our eyes, ears, mind, intellect etc is the ultimate proof. But if they are prone to get carried away by illusory information the very theory of direct proof becomes faulty.

According to us all black is darkest among all colors and that there is nothing like white color. Yet the reality is bang opposite to or above observations. Black color is perceived when no other color is experienced and an admixture of the 7 colors is white color. Darkness in reality can be called ‘just about nothing’ when it is perceived as blackness. Hence the state of no-thinking is experienced. Vaisheshik Darshan (Indian Philosophy) does not accept darkness to be material in nature. Other philosophers emphatically proclaim darkness to be a principle. Darkness absorbs all light rays in its womb. Thus nothing is experienced by us due to the resultant darkness.

Those objects that are incapable of absorbing any color appear white in color. All the unabsorbed colors get reflected from the object and enter our eyes. All these colors being an admixture appear white to our eyes. This is indeed an irony as to how our eyes get deluded. From the worldly transaction standpoint we cannot ignore our sense experiences but from the absolute standpoint our sense organs and mind are all the time giving us illusory information. The question torments us all as to how could we ignore modern scientific achievements like technology etc. Heaviness, lightness, darkness etc are definitely great puzzles. Darkness is sometimes very intense and elsewhere it is very little. All this depends on how much light is absorbed in a particular area. The proof that black color results when an object absorbs all colors lies in the fact that in daylight it becomes hotter with greater speed in comparison to objects of other hues.

Now the question arises as to where the 7 colors present in solar rays come from? The answer to this question becomes even stranger. The difference of the width of light waves gives an illusory effect called color. In reality the very concept of color is non-existent in the entire cosmos. What we see as color (red, blue etc) is in fact sheer illusion.

Light is nothing but electro magnetic waves. The width of each type of wave is different. Hence our intellect experiences their resultant effect variedly. These varied experiences give us illusory information of various colors. The 7 colors and their resultant colors due admixture is nothing but the experience of the intellect which is exposed to waves of varying widths. Principally colors have no absolute existence.

Our wonderment does not end here. The world of colors is gigantic and in this melee our identity is very small in stature. All else remains very much ignored. In an area of 1 inch the number of red waves present is 33,000. In 1 inch area green colored waves number to 16,000. In 1 inch infra red waves only 80 are present. As against this the widths of radio waves vary between 20 to 2000 miles. All this is with reference to excess width. If we deal with very small widths an example that comes to mind is light green colored waves. A 1 inch area holds 20 lakhs of these waves. A 1 inch area holds more than 5 crores of X-ray waves and 220 arabs of Gamma rays. Despite this their movements are similar i.e. these different waves move at a speed of 1,86,000 miles/sec.   

Instead of seeing the abovementioned light rays with scientific apparatus if our eyes had the capacity to see them with naked eyes one would be amazed that instead of the 7 colors perceived today we would be capable if visualizing 469 (67x7) other new colors. Today modern science has unearthed only 7 basic colors (VIBGYOR) which on mixing give other innumerable hues.

One gets a glimpse of the illusory nature of the concept called color when we see the red ball of sun shining in the early morning hours of the day. The sun in fact is colorless but during early morning hour it is not vertically up in the sky and is in fact diagonal. Hence its rays have to cover a greater distance in the Earth’s atmosphere. While traveling thus these rays come across a lot of dust particles which cannot absorb the color red. Thus by the time the rays reach our eyes the red reflected color enters them and we say that the ball of sun is red.

How our eyes and frail intellect fall a prey to illusion is proved via the concept of color. In other areas of life too our senses and intellect get deluded intensely. In a certain sense they have totally misled us as far as life’s nature and goal is concerned. They wrongly tell us that material objects are the ultimate reality and that attaining them is the sole goal of life. They also falsely induce us to accept that the vicious cycle of transitory pleasures and pain are a part and parcel of life and that there is no cure in sight. If only one could attain divine wisdom i.e. God/Self Realization could one realize that this world of material objects is one long painful dream and hence illusory. True bliss is attained only via divine wisdom and that too for eternity.

Indian Vedanta Philosophy calls this world Maya (illusion from the absolute standpoint). It says that this world is a long painful dream. This does not however mean that the objects perceived and used by us have no existence at all. In the present tense these objects very much do exist but the fact is that they were not there in the past and that they will not exist in future. If this were not the case why would the Theory of Karma (actions) be valid? What need would there be of performing meritorious deeds (Punya) and enduring hardships while performing penance? What then would be the difference between a man working hard daily and another remaining idle and indolent? Why would one aspire to imbibe great ideals and human values in life? Why would one abstain from and fear illegal and unwholesome acts?

According to Vedanta Philosophy Maya means that which is not real principally. The world appears real in a superficial/relative sense but it is non-existent from the absolute standpoint. The question asked is whether the material world perceived by us all is in fact real from the absolute standpoint? The answer is that whatever we perceive with our 5 sense organs is not exactly as it appears to us. Our intellect collects information based on the directives given by our sense organs. But the problem is that time and again our senses fall prey to illusion and hence the information gathered by our intellect is not free from error.

When we consume alcohol, drugs etc our inner intoxicated state does not allow an apt contact between the sense organs and our brain. The result being that our senses say one thing and our intellect interprets information erroneously. An intoxicated state does not allow a person to think, talk, view things etc aptly. There are other more intense intoxicants which induce our brains to become that much more deluded (example cocaine, LSD etc).

Ordinarily even in our daily lives we experience certain situations etc which cannot be called real from the absolute standpoint. Are the scenes perceived on the movie screen absolutely true? Individual static pictures move so speedily one after another that our eyes falsely visualize them as ‘moving’. That is we see actors walking, talking, running etc. The speech of actors heard by us actually comes from another audio gadget. It is the light from the projector that helps us see various scenes on the movie screen. Thus movies too are illusory from the absolute standpoint.

A moviegoer least realizes that he has spent 3 hours in a maze of cinema technology. All his emotional experiences like sorrow, joy etc experienced while seeing a movie are nothing short of an illusion. There was no real event experienced in a movie theatre. It was only the movie projector that created illusory scenes on the screen which made people cry, laugh etc. The moviegoer falsely thinks these scenes to be real events and hence gives vent to his/her emotions. Maya is nothing but the sense organs falling prey to illusory situations and looking upon them as real in an absolute manner. From a gross standpoint Maya is ‘real’. If this were not the case how could movie projectors and hence scientific technology induce emotional and other experiences in the bosoms of people using them? If one delves deeper on this subject movies can be called a mesh of illusion due to the efficiency of technology and the fact that our eyes are as a result unable to pinpoint this illusory effect of technology (movie projector). Both these aspects are right in their own way. The fact that this material world is very much tangible its events too are very vividly experienced by us. Hence at the gross level these events appear real but a deeper analysis tells us that relatively this material world and its events are real but certainly not from the absolute standpoint. In fact from the absolute standpoint this world and its events are illusory like a dream.

It is very clear that material objects are but the manifestation of various permutations and combinations of varieties of molecules. Every atom is moving speedily. In this manner all atoms of various objects are moving at amazing speeds. Despite this our naked eyes fail to perceive this movement and instead say that all objects are inert and motionless. The same thing happens to our planet Earth. 1) Earth rotates on its axis very speedily. 2) It revolves around the sun. 3) Along with the solar system it circumambulates the super sun. 4) While moving thus its movement is akin to a rotating top which sways on either side. 5) While moving in the cosmos it goes far away from its previous position in inter stellar space. Thus the Earth moves in 5 ways as mentioned above. This ‘ecstatic dance’ of Earth is not experienced by us at all and we erroneously believe that right from our birth to death our planet has remained static in its appointed place in inter stellar space. It is only when our intellect starts deeply analyzing the ‘direct proof’ given by our sense organs that it will realize that in the absolute sense they are misleading us totally. This ‘direct proof’ is only relatively true that helps us carry out our worldly transactions but from the absolute standpoint it is totally null and void. In Vedanata Philosophy this power of illusion which induces our senses, mind and intellect to experience the material world as real from the absolute standpoint is called Maya. Maya means existence of the world only in the ‘now’ or present tense and hence the world did not exist in the past and will not do so in future. This is like a dream which appears true temporarily but disappears the moment you wake up. Our daily dreams are for a few hours only but the dream of Maya lasts for eons together. It is only when spiritual wisdom dawns in our heart can this terrible dream of Maya end.

The reflections of the sun and moon can be seen in ponds, rivers etc. and it appears as though their waters are dazzling with light. Their reflection falls on every rising wave and hence we erroneously see many moons and suns dancing on each wave. A man traveling in a train wrongly thinks that he is seated motionlessly and that the trees, stars in the sky etc perceived by him outside the moving train are moving speedily in various directions. The question to be answered is that are all these experiences true or illusory?

Many of us get dreams at night. The events seen in a dream seem very real while the dream lasts. At that time we feel joyful, sorrowful etc. While dreaming we sometimes yell etc also. But as soon as you wake up you realize that all the events seen in the dream are actually non-existent. In the dream it was our subconscious mind that weaved various movie-like events which appeared very vivid while the dream lasted. Our subconscious mind and intellect was fooled into thinking that the dream events were tangible and real.

If you trek in a dark forest the bushes appear to be ghosts. A rope seen in very dim light appears to be a snake. A mirage in a dessert gives an appearance of a water pond from a distance. All these vivid experiences are far from what they appear to be. Gigantic air planes flying very high up in the sky look like tiny birds from the ground level. There are stars far away in inter stellar space which are n-times larger than planet Earth and more brilliant than the sun. Despite this we denizens of Earth perceive these stars to be like a small flame lamp. The question that needs to be answered seriously is whether all the above experiences of our naked eyes are as real as it appears to be? The same question arises with reference to other sense organs apart from the eyes. We have to perforce conclude that our sense organs have serious limitations while interpreting external worldly events and that there are many instances as mentioned above where the information gathered by them is nothing short of an illusion. When someone gets fever in the winter season he/she experiences heat and in summer he/she experiences cold. When one feels nauseous even a delicious cake appears bitter. A bout of common cold makes us experience foul smell all round us. An attack of jaundice makes our eyes yellowish and objects perceived by the eyes appear yellow in hue. The question asked is that are all these ‘tangible experiences’ true in the ultimate sense?

The taste of an object is not exactly as it seems to be. For example neem leaves seem bitter to a healthy human being but for a camel it is tasty food. The reason why one particular food item tastes differently to animals, birds etc of various species is that the overall designing of their taste buds differ. When food enters our mouth these taste buds experience a particular reaction depending on its anatomical structure and this information is passed on to the brain. The brain then categorizes the taste as bitter, sweet etc. The actual chemical nature of the food eaten is very much different from the taste experienced by taste buds of various creatures of the world.

Anatomists tell us that the body is made up of billions of cells. Amongst these many die and many more are produced. This trend goes on continuously and time and again old cells die which are then replaced by new cells. In this manner our bodies are transformed again and again. Older cells are destroyed and newer ones replace them. One could say that there is a permanent ‘graveyard’ in our body since old cells die continuously and that there is a permanent ‘womb’ because new cells are generated to replace dead cells. Despite this, what is amazing is that none of us are aware of these tremendous activities taking place in our own bodies on a continuous basis. Our 5 senses on whom we depend cent percent for our daily life’s transactions not only have no power to change external circumstances but that they fail miserably in even giving us information of our own inner bodily activities. Thus how can we emphatically say that our 5 senses give us ‘direct proof’ of various events taking place in the external world? Our intellect too is incapable of telling us whether our body is suffering from a particular disease or not. For this we have to take external help from the medical fraternity to diagnose our illnesses. Thus if our own intellect cannot inform us about our own inner bodily state how can one be so sure that its analysis of external worldly events would be error free?

Knowledge/wisdom is the most vital aspect of human lives. Hence it has to be apt and error free. If our consciousness gives us knowledge that is illusory and error prone know for sure that this consciousness has been veiled by the darkness of ignorance (Ajnana). If this veil of ignorance is not lifted and destroyed our consciousness is bound to lead us astray in this world of illusion not for merely one life but for innumerous lives put together. This veil of ignorance is called Maya in Vedanta Philosophy which is the root cause of strife and pain undergone by spiritually ignorant human beings. Maya is not some external object or event of sorrow in the external world. Maya is the deluded state of our individual minds. If we succeed individually in lifting this veil of ignorance i.e. Maya our bondage to the material world will be cut asunder eternally. Salvation which is the eternal limitless fount of spiritual bliss (Ananda) can be attained by just about anyone and everyone.

THE ROOT CAUSE OF ALL MATERIAL SORROWS IS SPIRITUAL IGNORANCE I.E. MAYA

Progress can never be correlated to amassing of material wealth or sense pleasures and nor can it have anything to do with attainment of conducive circumstances in life. In fact progress is totally dependent on how much wisdom has been imbibed by our souls. The more ones inner wisdom is limited the more one is backward. Ones all round powers and capabilities are irrevocably related to how much knowledge/wisdom based wealth is present in ones psyche/soul.

Man’s ethical, cultural and spiritual status is directly related to how sacredly cultured, is his/her consciousness or soul. Mental advancement should also include amassing of material powers and their enjoyment capability. In ancient times man must have been more powerful physically if compared to today’s man. Despite this the state of ancient man’s consciousness was not advanced and hence his all round state too remained lackluster. When one cogitates over the backward state of ancient man it is clear that his/her mental ignorance was so painful and full of shame.

The Associate Curator (Bird section) of the American Museum of Natural History has penned some thoughts wherein he says that tribal men of New Guinea roasted meat of other human beings to fill their hungry bellies. Once, a group of bird hunters reached that area from another alien land. Papua tribes are known everywhere for their barbaric, inhuman acts. No one is allowed to enter this region without a proper security cover yet somehow this bird search group reached this area. The result was that all its members were horrifically killed.

For 45 years a Christian Missionary named Father Ivoschaefer preached Christ’s teachings in Papua region. With his love and kind service he greatly influenced these cannibals. With the help of proper education, health services etc. this great missionary transformed Papua cannibals for better. These cannibals looked upon him as a great saint and hence revered him.

Initially this compassionate and dedicated saint very wisely carved a place for himself amongst these cannibals. Schaefer writes in his book that when he entered this region for the very first time along with a friend all the cannibals surrounded them. These cannibals shouted aloud in order to call 40-50 more man eaters. They all had spears in their hands and started dancing wildly while surrounding Schaefer and his friend. These cannibals were overjoyed because they could now eat human flesh of 2 white skinned men. They would see to it that these 2 men would not escape their clutches. These cannibals were dancing so as to appease demigods before partaking human flesh.

The saintly priest decided to use a ploy. He took out a mirror from his bag and placed it right in front of the face of the cannibal’s leader. The leader was frightened to see his image in the mirror. For these cannibals an object like a mirror was an entirely unknown entity. One by one each cannibal was shown the mirror by the priest. All the cannibals were terrified and thought that this white man is a magician. Hence they were in two minds whether to kill the priest and eat him up. All of them threw their weapons away and bowed down to the priest for blessings. The priest displayed one more magic. The priest had dentures instead of teeth. He removed these dentures from his mouth and waved it in the air for all the cannibals to see. Then again he placed these dentures deftly back in his mouth. The cannibals were so amazed with this ‘feat’ that they truly thought this priest to be a great magician. This gave the priest enough opportunity to work for the betterment of these cannibals. Previously the priest had partially mastered the language of the cannibals so as to help him in communicating with the cannibals.

The pries further writes that cannibals of New Guinea are fighters, heartless, terrorizing, tough minded and lack generosity. If a cannibal of one group enters the area of another cannibal group so as to merely fell even 1 tree the latter become so furious that they see to it that the culprit is killed come what may. While writing about one such attack the priest says that Kangna group of cannibals once attacked the Kararan group of cannibals. The Kangana cannibals chopped off the heads of about 30 Kararan cannibals and brought these heads to their homes. One of these heads was offered as a gift to the priest too.

These cannibals make intense efforts to become a leader or fighter of the cannibal group. At the age of 16 years in order to pass the test one has to chop off the head of his own or a rival group person and present it to his group. For this generally a woman bought from ones own or another group is made use of. These women are easily bought by handing over tamed birds, bird skins, feathers etc. On the day of the festival of killing this unfortunate woman is taken to a shrine of demigods. Over here the 16 year old ‘student killer’ pierces the skin of the woman mercilessly. Once she dies her head is chopped off and presented to the cannibal chief. Now he is elected as a fighter in the cannibal group. Amongst these many such fighters one is elected as the cannibal chief. Once some white skinned men were staying with the priest and the cannibals surrounded all of them menacingly. The cannibals demanded that one white skinned lady be handed over to them for killing. In return the cannibals promised to hand over 20 cannibal women to the whites. This perilous situation too was tided over by using an ingenious ploy.

In ancient times man remained a laggard because of ignorance. Today we take pride in our progress only because of knowledge based materials available for our use. If we so desire that we attain eternal peace in days to come we will have to reach the pinnacle of imbibing human and spiritual values. In the past India had passed through a Golden Era only because of spiritual values imbibed in great abundance by its citizens. Today there is a dire need of world humanity imbibing more and more spiritual values for heralding heaven on earth and making world human beings divine. If one analyzes the past and present world situations it becomes crystal clear that without apt spiritual wisdom a bright future can never be attained by world denizens.

Regarding this wisdom based spiritual practice (Sadhana) Upanishad Seers of yore say:

“Paraanchee khaanee vyatrinat swayambhoo

  Staramatparanga pashyati naantaraatman.

  Kaschidheeraha pratyagatmanamaikshya

  Davrutachakshuramritatvamicchan.”  (KENOPANISHAD 2/1/1).

It means: “The self manifested Almighty Lord created the doors of our sense organs in such a way that they opened externally. Hence we see only external objects and not our inner self. It is only a rare wise soul who in pursuit of immortality encouraged his sense organs to turn inwards (soul) and thus experienced his immortal self or Atman.”

We know a great deal about our external life and the material world of sense objects and yet what is most amazing is that we just do not know anything about our inner self and our inner world. We are so engrossed in our external worldly transactions (eating, sleeping, earning wealth etc) that not only do we fail to study our true inner self but that we do not even think it to be very important to do so. If only we truly realize our true nature, goal of life and duty towards society we will be able to transform our relationship with the world for the better. In this manner this ordinary looking human existence can attain pinnacles of human and divine glory.

In order to carry out our daily life’s chores we possess 9 means to do so: 1) eyes 2) tongue 3) nose 4) ears 5) skin 6) mind 7) intellect 8) psyche (Chitta) 9) ego. It is via these mediums that one gains worldly information. We think this information to be absolutely true and yet a deeper reflection with reference to this tells us that the above 9 means have limited capabilities and give us only relative information. In fact this information is not true in the absolute sense and is also not omnipotent. Vedanta Philosophy calls this unfulfilled knowledge a dream or Mithya.

Due to various causes in the world many sound vibrations are created and each type of vibration has a different speed and movement. Man’s ears can catch only those vibrations that have speeds between 33 and 40 per second. Our ears fail to catch vibrations below 33 and above 40 per second. The flow of sound vibrations beyond this band is so gigantic that we can say that more than half the sound vibrations existing in this world goes unheard by our ears. Thus we can say that our ears hear only a few drops from the mighty ocean of sound vibrations of the world. The rest is totally unheard by us all. This helps us conclude that the sound based information/knowledge attained by mankind is very negligible. Hence we cannot say that we know everything possible about the world.

Knowledge attained via touch (skin) too is as incomplete as that attained via the ear. Further touch sensations give illusory information too. Place a piece of ice on the palm for 1 minute and then dip the palm in ordinary water. The water fells warm when actually it is not. Now place a slightly hot object on your palm for a minute and then place it in ordinary water. This water will feel cold. The water was of one temperature but because the skin touched a cold and hot object at different times the water too appeared hot and cold respectively. Thus how can we depend on our skin for reliable and full proof information? The difference between heat and cold is perceived by our skin only to a limited extent. Our skins cannot bear extreme heat or extreme cold. Thus can we emphatically proclaim that such a skin with limited perception potential can be capable of giving us true knowledge?

At night in sheer darkness our eyes fail to see anything. And yet an owl, cat, cheetah etc can see things very clearly. Modern science says that light exists everywhere at all times. There is nothing like ‘darkness’ in this world. Human eyes can perceive light vibrations only in a limited manner. When the speed of light is less than the power of human eye perception it experiences darkness.

Light waves of various colors move at varying speeds in space. Man’s eyes perceive only a few waves of the 7 colored waves of light. The rest are not perceived by our eyes. A person ill with jaundice sees yellow color everywhere. A disease called retinocytis pigmentasia results in the patient seeing a straight line as a blob or a drop. Take the case of the sky. We all see it as an endless sheet of blue color. Within it we see stars hanging. Yet the question asked is, is this information true in the real sense? Is the sky as limited as perceived by our eyes? Are all the stars uniformly placed in space? Is the color of the sky actually blue in color? Astronomers will definitely answer in the negative and yet what to say about our eyes which insist that the sky is blue in hue?

The same holds true for our nose. We feel that many objects are devoid of smell and yet the fact is that they do possess smell. The levels of their smell too are varied. The nose of a dog can smell all of these and when we get lost our dog can lead us to our homes solely on the basis of smell perception. Specially trained dogs are known to nab criminals who commit theft, murder etc solely on the basis of their smelling capacity. This holds true for the differences as far as fragrance and foul smell is concerned. Many abhor the smell of garlic, onions etc and yet there are others who feel that their meal is not complete without the addition of garlic etc. The same is the case with alcohol, cigarettes etc. Thus how can one depend on the nose sense organ for factual information?

Even our tongue which tastes various food items fails to give us apt information. When a food item mixes with certain secretions from our taste buds our intellect categorizes it as a particular taste (bitter, sweet etc.). If the information given by the brain were to be uniform why would a neem leaf taste bitter to human beings and delicious to camels? Thus it is clear that the taste buds of camels give information of a particular food item which is totally different from that given by human taste buds. The tongue sense organ fails to uniformly identify the taste of a particular food item. Various creatures taste a single food item variedly because their taste bud designing. Uncooked or raw meat is abhorred by human beings but animals, birds etc eat it with pleasure. Dirty food is unacceptable to the human tongue but for pigs etc it is ‘yummy’. When one gets ulcers in the mouth or when one is very ill or when ones taste buds are inactivated with certain herbs etc one does not get any taste while eating delicious food. Thus how can when get ‘direct proof’ of various tastes from our wavering taste buds?

The famous philosopher Faravi says that every object is principle in nature. Every object not only has movement but consciousness too as its substratum. This movement and consciousness pervades not only in objects but in living beings too. Thus how can we deny that behind animate and inanimate objects lies a substratum principle? This substratum can be known by inference and proof too. Which other proof is needed to prove the existence of divine consciousness which is otherwise called God, soul, Atman etc?

EACH ONE IS IMMERSED IN HIS/HER OWN WORLD!!!

The world perceived by us all is not exactly as it appears to be. The reality is this that the material world is but the manifested effect of the movements of various atoms and molecules. Our experiences of various objects, events in this world are directly dependent on the designing of our eyes and level of intellectual perception.

If one person’s eyes sees something in a particular way it is not necessary that others too will visualize it in the same way. Our eye perception varies in accordance with a sharp, dull, diseased etc eye sight. One person sees an event right in front of him in one particular way and another person may experience it differently. This holds true for taste perception too. A person who is very ill finds any delicious food item bitter in taste. If our tummies are full or if we get indigestion delicious food too is unappealing to our taste buds. The matter does not end here because the gland secretion of every individual differs chemically. As a result of this one particular food item tasted by various individuals gives different tastes to all of them. At the gross level everyone finds salt salty and sugar sweet in taste. And yet a deeper analysis tells us that even saltiness and sweetness have many classes. Thus all tastes perceived by various people differ from one another in many ways. This holds true for our eyes too. The differences seen in the designing of the eyes of various people along with that of the brain lead to varied perceptions of a single object or event by different people.

 The designing of the eyes of birds and human beings differ a great deal. This holds true for their brain designing too. Thus birds do not see various things in the world in the same way as human beings do. Birds perceive colors differently when compared to the color perception of mankind.

A Russian animal/bird research centre says that a bull cannot perceive red color. For bulls, white and red color perception is synonymous. Even honey bees cannot differentiate between white and red color. Glow worms perceive ultraviolet hue which cannot be perceived by human beings. Birds perceive only 4 colors viz. red, blue, yellow and green. Birds fail to visualize 7 colors and their various classes as human beings do.

In the same way the greenness of grass is not perceived in the same way by everyone. Our language proficiency has its own limitations and hence we cannot describe the subtle differences in the perception of colors by various creatures. If only we become capable of demarcating these differences it will become clear that the various differences as far as taste and color perception are concerned will widen enormously. These differences will be akin to differences between various human beings is concerned at the level of their voice, face and character. In the same way differences exist as far as color perception is concerned. The same holds true for taste. Smell perception too has such differences. As far as hearing and touch sensation is concerned each individual perceives them differently. These differences are very subtle and hence although grossly they are not detected they definitely exist subtly.

The fact remains that just as differences exist as far as individual taste perception is concerned, color perception too is varied for various individuals. These differences are so subtle that our limited speech fails to express them in totality. When 2 people eat the same piece of let us say a cake their taste perception will definitely differ from one another. The problem is this that the differences in perception of the sweet taste are so subtle that it needs a medium of measurement in order to gauge it which is at present unavailable.

Suppose our eyes perceive a particular color in an object seen by it. The question asked is, is the object actually of that color perceived? Is the color of an object perceived by man similarly perceived by other creatures? The answer is an emphatic ‘no’!!! The bare fact remains that basically all material objects are colorless. The differences in atomic configuration of various atoms of objects give the illusion of colors. Atoms per se are devoid of color. Thus the question arises as to what is color?

Material objects absorb only the white color of solar rays and disallows any one color of these rays from entering it. Leaves of a plant appear green in color because these leaves fail to absorb green color of solar rays. As a result this reflected green color enters our eyes and hence we say that leaves are green in color.

Spiritualists and philosophers who opine that ‘every individual lives in his/her world’ are certainly true if analyzed deeply. Each individual creates his own world and lives in it. What exactly is this world? The answer is one and that is that the world is merely the movements created by various atoms and molecules of inert objects. It is like dust constituted of various atoms and molecules which moves in a directional flow of various types. Over here there is nothing tasty, tasteless, beautiful etc. We find neem leaves bitter in taste but the camel finds it ‘yummy’. Maybe neem leaves are delicious cakes and pastries for camels. The reality remains that food is not sweet, bitter etc by itself. It is only our taste buds and brain that give them various labels like sweet, salty etc. The designing of our taste buds, intellect etc give us various perceptions like taste, color, sight, smell etc.

The same holds true for the concept of likes and dislikes. It is our beliefs and prejudices which tells us this is ‘mine’ and ‘not mine’. The truth is this, that none are our own and nor are they alien to us. In this garden called planet earth many children run around playfully. Many play in one particular ‘team’ and the others in an opposing ‘team’. If analyzed deeply these associations and dissociations are momentary and yet because we give it undue importance due to the influence of our frail psyches and intellects we say that things/events are conducive or otherwise as the case may be. The external events are not to be blamed but it is our weak psyche which labels them as joyful or painful. The differences seen amongst saints and criminals as far as reacting to a particular situation is concerned are solely based on their mental states and attitudes. Thus to a great extent external events are not to be faulted for our lapses.

Just as our 5 sense organs gauge and analyze the nature of the external world so too the 4 conscious centers of our mind too are responsible for this task. Thus the mind too is a medium that experiences external events. All our knowledge and information is attained via the senses and psyche. The different states of the psyches of various human beings are responsible for the varied reactions evoked while they face one particular common situation. If the fact was singular in nature the reaction to it too should be of one type only. One man executes criminal activities and another loves serving the world in various ways. One loves fleeting sense pleasures and the other is a hermit (Tyaagi). One person loves flaunting his achievements, wealth etc and another lives a simple life full of high thinking. One is immersed in amassing wealth etc and the other live a life of a mendicant. These differences clearly prove that the external events are not their root cause but that it is their different mental states and attitudes that are responsible for them. If only this cosmic truth had been accepted by us all there would have been no place for fanatic differences of opinions. Our sense organs are known to misinform us but the bigger culprit is our mind which makes illusory inferences regarding external worldly situations/objects.

The experiences of joy and sorrow are very much relative. A situation is joyous or painful only when compared to another situation. A middle class family is poor when compared to a very wealthy family but it is rich when compared to the poor class families. A patient who has a common cold is less fortunate than a healthy person but is definitely more fortunate when compared to a cancer patient. Apart from the 10% bodily ailment associated pain the remaining 90% joys and sorrows are very relative in nature. A single situation makes one person happy and another sad. On the basis of the various conclusions drawn it is difficult to pinpoint the truth.

This world is made up of material objects. Material objects are made up of molecules. Molecules are made up of atoms, atoms made up of electrons, protons etc and the latter are manifestations of waves. Modern science says that this material world is nothing but a manifestation of waves and vibrations. These vibrations manifest as sound, taste, smell, vision, touch, thoughts, intellectual prowess, experiences etc. Over there nothing other than vibrations exists.

Within Mother Nature or Prakriti the Supreme Power ceaselessly manifests as vibrations that are responsible for union, give & take, attraction, repulsion etc. These vibratory movements in turn manifest as material objects. Whatever is perceived by our eyes is nothing but the manifestation of vibrations at the root level. Our soul based experiences of these objects/events sometimes increase or decrease which in turn manifest as mental likes and dislikes. All the atoms of animate and inanimate objects are heading in certain directions following a definite pattern of movement. If anyone so desires he/she can enjoy the blissful flow of its direction akin to being seated on the sea-shore and enjoying the waves of the sea rising and dashing on to the ground. Only a deluded person will cry in agony when the wave dashes on to the shore and go overboard with joy when the wave rise higher up in the air. The waves of the ocean will definitely continue with this activity of rise and fall. It is up to us as to how we react to them. We can either calmly and detachedly enjoy this scene or get entangled in the mesh of agony and ecstasy with every rise and fall which in turn can induce nothing but stress and tension in our psyche. Today’s creation will definitely lead to destruction one day. A person who dreams of a world that will remain static and unchanging will always remain unfulfilled. Over here a state of changelessness has no place. Anyone who yearns for an unchanging world is in for a rude shock followed by sheer agony and strife.

WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF SORROW?

Sorrow and pain manifest when we are unaware of certain underlying realities. Maharshi Vasishtha while explaining to Lord Rama the cause of sorrow says that it is spiritual ignorance (Ajnana or Maya). This ignorance can be overcome via attainment of divine wisdom via the path of Yoga of Wisdom (Jnana Yoga). As per the scripture Yoga Vasishtha:

“AAYADHO VYAADHAYASHCHAIVA

 DWAYA DUKHASYA KAARANAM.

 TANNIVRITIHI SUKHAM VIDYAAT

 TATKSHAYO MOKSHA UCHYATAY.”

MEANING: “This material world gives us to types of sorrows i.e. bodily and mental. They can be overcome via wisdom (Jnana) based austerities. Moksha or salvation is nothing but this overcoming of material sorrow in totality.”

Thus it is a spiritual law that salvation is attained only when all sorrows are destroyed lock, stock and barrel. Eternal spiritual bliss means destruction of all sorrows. Thus salvation and divine bliss (Ananda) are synonymous. If material sorrows are overcome totally salvation oriented divine bliss manifests in our psyche eternally. Many a times we see people attaining joy time and again in their life. They laugh, sing, dance, crack jokes etc and thus experience joy. The question asked is that is their inner state liberated? Meaning have they attained Mukti or salvation?

Definitely not! The above inner state of man can never be called salvation or Mukti. The state of salvation is ceaseless, balanced, imperishable and uniform and it does not require an external cause to manifest it. This state does not ‘come’ from anywhere nor does it ‘go’ anywhere. It is not created due to an external factor nor is it destroyed by it. It is self manifesting and causeless. It is attained in totality, experienced in totality and exists eternally. It is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent eternally. After attaining the true bliss of salvation no other bliss remains to be achieved. True salvation or Moksha is devoid of any desire, self fulfilling and infinite bliss in nature.

The previously mentioned material pleasures like watching TV, dancing in discos, drinking alcohol, drug addiction etc do not have the qualities of the true bliss of salvation. Material pleasures require external causes and mediums. It manifests due to a cause and when the cause is removed the pleasure too ends. Many a times even if the cause persists, the pleasure diminishes and leads to aversion. Material pleasures are fleeting because they ultimately lead to sorrow and strife. Today is someone is happy because of a certain cause/medium, later at some point in time he/she will definitely get pain precisely because of this very cause. Even if you get intense material pleasures yet your psyche is never satiated and hence begs for more and more. Material pleasures can never satiate us nor can they lead to complete contentment. How can it e called eternal bliss if it is plagued with discontent and lack of a sense of fulfillment? Even if someone is surrounded with innumerable pleasures, it takes only one undesirable event that makes him/her wallow in sorrow. Such a person’s smile is totally wiped off in a second and so does his previously overjoyed bosom experience pain. THUS IT IS CLEAR THAT THE BLISS OF SALVATION CAN NEVER BE COMPARED TO FLEETING MATERIAL SENSE PLEASURES.

Material pleasures are an exercise in futility because they are false and illusory in nature. Their experience is akin to sighting a mirage in a dessert. This illusory experience is the root cause of labeling material pleasures as lowly. True bliss can only be experienced at the soul level and that too without the influence of any external cause/object/event. It is only the bliss of salvation/liberation/Moksha that is true and eternal in the absolute sense. We are dealing with the subject of the illusory nature of fleeting sense pleasures so as to caution world humanity that we are all wasting our entire life span in amassing material pleasures and clinging on to them as though they are our very lifeline. Since our psyches are immersed in this delusion we fail to first even understand what absolute reality is let alone making sincere efforts to attain it. A deluded mind whose sole aim is to amass fleeting pleasures can never even think about the absolute reality. Thus how will it even think of attaining it? A deer in a dessert chases mirages in search of water to quench its thirst. Time and again it thinks ‘just a few feet of running and the water is mine’. Alas! It results in delusion and nothing but tiring delusion. The deer’s thirst thus remains unquenched. If this deer had only realized that this mirage is not a water pond but an illusion of its eyes, it would have instead endeavored to hunt for a real water area and could have quenched its thirst easily. But no! The lure of the mirage makes it run madly in that direction only to end its life without quenching its thirst. Similarly mankind is running after mirage like sense pleasures for his entire precious lifetime. Ultimately he dies discontented and devoid of satiation. Instead if he had realized that material pleasures are like illusory mirages he would have first tried to realize where he could find absolute eternal bliss and then would have made necessary efforts to attain it. It is in this sense that material pleasures are called illusory and fleeting like dessert mirages. True bliss lies not in amassing material pleasures but lies in the eternal bliss of the salvation. One should intensely work hard to attain true salvation since it is the true goal of all human lives.

Thus it is clear that sorrow after all is sorrow because material joy ultimately results in anguish only. It is only when the burning desire for fleeting material pleasures is overcome that eternal divine bliss can be attained. Hence the important question asked is: How does one attain this eternal bliss? An Indian scripture called YOGAVASISHTHA gives the answer:

“JNAANAANNIRDUKHATAAMAYTEE

  JNAANAADANAANA SANKSHAYA.

  JNAANAADEVA PARAASIDHIR

  NAANYASYAADRAAM VASTUTAHA.”

MEANING: O Rama! Only divine wisdom can ward off all sorrow. Divine wisdom destroys spiritual ignorance. Divine wisdom leads us to or ultimate goal of life. There is no other way to do so.

Further elaboration says:

“PRAJNAAM VIJNAATA VIJNAYAM

  SAMYAGA DARSHAN MAADHAYAHA.

  NA DAHANTI VANAM VARSHAAM

  SIKTAMAGNISHIKHAA IVA.”

MEANING: He is a realized saint who knows what is truly to be known with the help of his sacred hindsight (Viveka). Such a saint is never overcome by sorrow just like fire can never burn a forest which is wet with rain water.

WHAT EXACTLY IS DIVINE WISDOM OR TATTVA-JNANA?

At this point before understanding the true nature of divine wisdom it is important to know as to what exactly is the root cause of the manifestation of sorrow and strife? Actually at the root level all creatures are blissful (Ananda) in nature. Thus it is clear that a definite cause exists which creates sorrow, pain, anguish etc. This too has been dealt with in YOGAVASISHTHA:

“DEHA DUKHA VIDURVYAADHI

  MAADHYAAKHAM MAANASAAMAYAM.

  MAURKHYA MOOLAY HATAY VIDYAA

  TATTVAJNAANAY PAREEKSHYAHA.”

MEANING: Bodily pain is called Vyaadhee and mental anguish is called Aaadhee. Both of them are Maurkhya i.e. are created from spiritual ignorance or Ajnaana. Thus they can be destroyed only via spiritual/divine wisdom.

The fundamental cause of all material sorrows of the world put together is none other than spiritual ignorance (Avidya). Just as lack of light results in darkness and vice versa, in the same way lack of divine wisdom leads to spiritual ignorance and vice versa. Divine wisdom helps us attain eternal bliss, peace etc and spiritual ignorance results in pain, sorrow etc.

For eons together it has been proved beyond doubt that sorrow is the creation of ignorance or spiritual darkness. This priceless truth has been accepted by great thinkers, saints, scholars etc of the entire world at all times. In this manner none should doubt this age old truth proclaimed by all great souls of the world. One of them called Chanakya says: There is no other greater foe of mankind apart from spiritual ignorance. The great philosopher Plato says: It is better to remain unborn instead of remaining a spiritually ignorant being because ignorance is the root cause of all our miseries. The great bard of Avon, William Shakespeare writes: Spiritual ignorance is equivalent to darkness.

The root cause of all life’s distortions, sorrowful experiences, problems, discontent etc is spiritual ignorance of man’s psyche. It is the greatest enemy of entire mankind. It is solely due to ignorance that man finds himself in a demeaned/downfallen state like other creatures. Lack of divine wisdom leads to diminishing of ones discriminative faculty (Viveka) and thus our minds remain steeped in sorrow and anguish. Spiritual ignorance induces man to make wrong decisions in life by veiling the true goal of human life. Thus he executes undesirable acts and weaves a net of misery and pain for himself. Thus in order to ward off sorrow if one understands its underlying cause, on