been a lot of internal change happening, and i've not been able to get a
grip on it.
In the last couple of months, i found attachments fading away. Attachments, yearnings, needs, dependencies, comfort zones ... even the attachment to God - which i found quite perplexing - till a chance discussion with a friend on a parallel path made me understood that it was all okay. this was part of the growth.
And just when i thought i might be losing God, or my connection with Him, it suddenly came back much stronger. I experience God in everything, everywhere. Everything is God, Everything is *just* God. There is nothing other than God. Thus, everything is perfect. I see and feel the perfection and joy in all things.
This is not something that i can explain to someone who is not in this state. You have to be *here* to know it. Otherwise, you can keep arguing with me, and asking questions, and i will keep answering, and more questions will arise, which i will answer. But you would never accept, or be satisfied with the answers, since more questions will arise. A month ago I would not have understood this myself. I think i understood it mentally, but i struggled to understand the perfection at an emotional level. Which is the problem. Today, i know it, thus there is a complete believing. You have to cross over to understand and feel this.
Things look bad when seen in the immediate present. But once you feel God in all things, and you look back at the sufferings of life, you know that whatever happened, is what got you here, into the lap of God. Had anything changed, or been better in my past, i would not be *here*. Thus, all the struggles of this life, the unrewarded struggles of my previous lives (which seemed unjust then), are now clearly perfect. When we reach the vicinity of God (or rather when we begin to realize that we were always there), we will then begin to understand the perfection, and start "sinking" into it, surrendering ourselves to it, we will stop resisting it, we will stop the incessant questioning and doubting.
Everyone, no matter in what situation, is on his way to being one with the maker. And thus his situation is perfect, and he will realize it as he begins to see the light.
I have in these past months realized that:
-God exists
-Everything is God, and there is nothing else
-Everything is perfect, and its all God's grace or blessing
-Everything, being God, is joy and love
-If you call God, He will "come" or awaken in You. If you deeply want to
be one with Him, it will happen.
-Questions can get you only answers, not happiness. Only God can give you
everlasting happiness and peace.
-For God there are *no* rituals, no right and wrong, no auspicious and
inauspicious, no sacred and unsacred. Every day is the same for Him,
every color is the same, every dress/clothing is the same, every place
is the same. We attach all kinds of significance to things, we attach
pleasure and pain to things, and thus increase our suffering, or atleast
complicate our lives. Fasts, incenses, chants matter not to Him. For Him
everything is a bunch of atoms. If in doubt, ask Him and wait for the
answer. Don't rely on others for answers. Society has taught us to rely
on a few others for all answers - you can understand where that will get
you.
-There is no need to place anyone between you and God. You can do it on
your own
- He is there within you, not light years away.
-Perhaps, an enlightened person can raise your consciousness and make
the path easier. Perhaps.
-In the beginning you may find it easier to connect to God through some
physical God/avatar/enlightened being such as Buddha, Jesus etc. But at
some point, you (probably) should connect to God, in His formless,
nameless form, and become independent of His manmade forms or
incarnations. This way you will be free of the discrimination and
separation that religions have caused. This may happen on its own,
particularly if you are already free of religious/racial etc
discrimination.
-Each person's path will be different. What works for one may not work
for another. God will show you the path meant for you. Keep asking and
watching and understanding what happens.
-God's presence may be detected in others by seeing the love and joy in
them - for that is the nature of God. If someone seems lacking in this,
don't go to them for clarity or advice - steer clear. If your inner
voice warns you, listen to it.
Taking guidance from others
When a person embarks on the spiritual "path" he has already made one statement - that physical pleasures and luxuries are no longer meaningful to him. His body is more a means to get him "there", than an end in itself. When a person reaches "realization" or even some level of maturity, his reliance on luxuries dies out or atleast reduces dramatically.
If you see some master or teacher who is fussy, quick to anger, stands on formalities, needs to supported and introduced by others (usually in glowing terms), you probably have someone who may not even be on the path let alone ahead of you. If He is more interested in your money (which is likely to be the norm) than your advancement, then further background checking is required. Masters and spiritual teachers do need food, housing and transport. But not a Mercedes, not fancy silk clothing and 5-star treatment.
Many masters have only a loincloth and walking-stick. (There is more on this below...)
Always remember what God is - the creator of this entire universe, not just this planet, or a single race. Any path, person, practice that makes God someone small, exclusive, judgmental, biased is to be questioned.
God does not get angry, punish, torture, create Hell, send to Hell and do other such mean things. Neither does He get pleased by gifts, false praise, money, fasts, self-imposed penances or pain, unquestioning or blind faith, sacrifices and other such petty things. Same for rubbing your forehead on the ground three times, kowtowing etc. These further trivialize and mock God. People who talk of shortcuts which their path offers trivialize God. People who create seemingly unsurmountable obstacles or prerequisites to achieving realization (such as having to be celibate for 12 years) wish to prevent you from realizing Him.
God is the greatest scientist and artist ever. This entire universe is the greatest invention and work of art ever. You have only to read a book on astronomy or nature to realize that. God is thus the most scientific and rational of all. Bear this in mind always when deciding or in doubt. This gives me great clarity, allows spirituality and God to be properly integrated into (my) real life, keeps my God above the petty, biased, vengeful feudal-lord blood-sucker kind of person who needs to be constantly appeased, that others make him into.
I dont keep jumping between spiritual and worldly, i dont make a mental
context shift between my computer and my meditation mat. God made the
world, how can the two be separate. If your spiritual world and physical
world are worlds apart then your spiritual practice could be based on a
belief in a God who is irrational and small. If you use your brain for
your worldly life, and shut it for your spiritual one, then what kind of
a God do you aspire to be one with, what kind of a mindless path are you
being made to follow. What use is the love and peace you find in God, if
it doesnt spill over into your regular life.
I think i use my brain *more* for my spiritual life - when you converse
with God, you need to be at your intellectual best. For heavens sake,
this is the father of Einstein and Hawkins you are talking to!
I save my mind for my conversations with God, and use it at a lower gear
when with humans.
Most people make God out to be less intelligent than us, less scientific
than us, less rational, less mature ... whereas the truth is to the
contrary. Please, please dont treat God like he's stupid.
There are probably as many charlatans on your "path" to God or
"self-discovery" as there are in any other field, probably more here,
since people dont like to seem questioning or rational when they
approach some guru. If blind-faith is required, think twice. Can you ask
your teacher what his credentials are? Can you ask him what He has to
offer to you, and by when, and what is the total cost up-front? This is
the age of the customer - if people expect you to give them several
years of your life, and often huge sums of money, there should be some
gaurantee as to what you will get by when.
Feel free to walk away if you feel you have got as much as was to be
given, or if that masters path does not suit you, or if you feel
something wrong. It's your life.
Remember this and you won't go wrong...
GOD = father of universe = greatest scientist + greatest artist = most
intelligent + most rational = most fair, most loving, most just
More on spiritual teachers
Can spiritual teachers do wrong/go wrong? I often hear of teachers who have been involved in activities one would not call spiritual. In some cases, the person says he has risen above the illusions of good and bad. But in cases, where he hurts or uses others, it is possible that at some point he has failed and lost, and not gone further. He can give you some
benefits, but he may not be able to take you much further than that. You have to know when you start getting used. He may take some people to realization, and severely abuse and use others.
If it seems like a business, then its not spirituality. Do you find yourself giving more than getting, being promised a lot and getting none, getting excuses for why you are getting nowhere ?
Here is a case of
a realized master. You can judge for yourself whether a realized masters path suits you. Here is a
caution from one of his people.
Here is another (in)famous case. There are more on that website...
Listen to your heart's signals. God will not directly condemn any of His children, so He will never give a clearcut answer about another person who is wronging others, but He may hint to you indirectly to move away. Hear those signals.
Does your Guru claim to be God, charge money, encourage proselytizing for new converts ... Read THIS NOW
Tags: RamanaMaharshi | God
