Article sent from The Hindu on indiaserver.com

[Guest guest]

=============================================================

This article is emailed to you by Ram Chandran ( rchandran )

=============================================================

Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Way to realise one's spiritual nature

 

CHENNAI, SEPT. 28. There is only one royal road to salvation even

though for the sake of the lay people it has been described as

many. As the level of each spiritual aspirant varies each has to

be given the right guidance to evolve further on the path. For a

clear understanding of the path shown by the scriptures it is

necessary to understand the human personality first.

 

The ``I'' which is the underlying factor in all human experiences

is identified with the body-mind-intellect personality. But, the

Self (Atman) of man is spiritual in nature. Man is a complex

being whose consciousness operates at the different levels of the

body, mind and the intellect. So the spiritual discipline must

take into consideration all the levels at which his awareness

functions so that evolution can be holistic.

 

This spiritual technique is termed as ``Upasana'' in the

scriptures, which literally means taking one near God. It is a

mental process involving God and the mind, which is the vehicle

for realising God. The mind which is subtle is nearest to

experiencing the Divine and the senses and the body being grosser

than the mind are further away, in spiritual parlance. For

practical purpose, the mind and the intellect (Manas and Buddhi)

are treated as one entity. The process of inquiry happens in the

mind and it is at the level of the intellect that the conclusive

certainty takes place.

 

Hatha yoga which prescribes certain exercises and postures to

discipline the body helps to keep the body fit for spiritual

discipline. It is not possible for anyone to desist from action

as long as the body is there and hence attuning one's actions to

the higher purpose of realising God is termed Karma yoga.

 

Man is an emotional being and his love expressed for the Divine

is called Bhakti yoga (devotion). Jnana yoga is scriptural study

under the Guru involving the process of listening to his

exposition of the scriptures and learning and reflecting on them

to experience one's true nature. It becomes apparent from this

that these different Yogas are not exclusive paths to God but are

aspects of the same spiritual discipline. Each one was necessary

at a particular stage of spiritual evolution, said Sri C. G.

Vasudevan in his discourse.

 

There are many lanes in which the spiritual seeker can wander and

lose his way and when he manages to get back to the right path he

may find that he has not progressed much. So comparisons are

odious and it is advisable to stick to the practices recommended

for one's station in life (Svadharma) for realising the goal of

liberation.

 

Copyrights: 2000 The Hindu & Tribeca Internet Initiatives Inc.

 

Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly

prohibited without the consent of The Hindu & Tribeca Internet Initiatives Inc.