Hari OM

[Guest guest]

The World Is Not Our Enemy!

By

 

Sri Swami Chidananda

 

Our goal is the one non-dual Supreme Being. However, we live our

spiritual life in the midst of this outer world. We are obliged,

therefore, to function not only in the inner spiritual world, but in

the outer spiritual dimension—which is manifest as something

gross, material, physical, with varied multiplicity.

 

Placed amidst these two seemingly different factors, we are required

to consider the mutuality and interaction between the two. Are they

to be tolerated and suffered as a negative, minus factor in our life,

or are they to be understood in a different light? Are they meant to

be understood, utilised and profited from in a way that, in spite of

duality, there is no contradictory dichotomy between the two?

 

In this connection, is there something that nature has to offer us,

some insight, some guidance? Where there are dual factors, is

opposition inevitable, or do dual factors provide two halves that

ultimately go to make a whole—they complement and complete each

other? What exactly is the situation?

 

In the Gita we are told that we have to deal with the three gunas

because we are in prakriti, cosmic nature. And prakriti is made out

of the three gunas. So they are part of our life. Sattva guna takes

one upward, rajas plies on the horizontal plane and tamas takes one

downward. Seeming opposition, but the great insight given to us is

that all three are necessary and each has a legitimate function. They

are indispensable.

 

And if we observe nature, we see a tree able to exist on a piece of

ground because its roots go deep into the soil. At the same time the

roots tend to make the ground hold firm and strong. The roots

provide, as it were, a framework, while it is the ground that enables

the tree to stand firmly and strongly. There is a duality, yet it

seems to be to the advantage of both. The ground is necessary for the

tree; the tree also gives something to the ground.

 

We are surrounded by a world of many things. Are they necessary? Are

they unnecessary? Are they so many obstacles to our spiritual

evolution? What exactly are they? If they are unnecessary, God would

not have put them there. If they are necessary, they must have a

purpose. What is their purpose? To hamper our spiritual progress? To

become so many obstacles, so many troubling factors? We must think

deeply over this and benefit out of this reflection.

 

Sometimes seemingly opposing factors serve a purpose. The arouse from

within us certain faculties, certain determinations, certain plus

factors like strong resolution—"I must overcome this!" They offer

a challenge, and you are meant to exercise your intelligence—how

to meet the challenge and overcome it. They are factors that make

many positive things happen within our psyche. We take it as a

challenge; we use our intelligence to ponder, "How can we deal with

this?" They bring about the power of resolution and determination: "I

must deal with it!"

 

So they are stimulators of many things from within, which otherwise

would not be stimulated. We would be dull and drab. Thus, because

they stimulate the inner aspect of our being, antahkarana, they

don't seem to be entirely negative. They do serve a positive

purpose, a constructive purpose, that goes beyond mere mutuality or

interaction. They seem to have a positive purpose.

 

Without a pair of oars, the boat cannot move. Without the boat, the

oars are useless; they serve no purpose. When both are together, they

help us to cross the river. The upper and lower teeth are not at war

against each other. Both are necessary if we wish to chew our food

properly. Perhaps this is how we should view our life and things and

factors, both outer and inner. God is all-intelligence. He would not

have committed an error, a blunder.

 

All other forms of life, no matter how strong, how dynamic, how well

endowed they are, when they are moving forward and come across a

formidable obstruction, change their direction. Man alone asks how he

can scale it, how he can overcome it. He does not think of changing

his direction. He thinks of continuing his onward movement. If a

river comes, build a bridge to cross it! If a mountain obstructs a

railroad, bore a tunnel through it! Perhaps this has something to

teach us. Man alone does this—no other creature.

 

Thus, all things have been provided because they are necessary. They

test us, try us: How far are we really sincere? How far as we

determined? What is the quality of our aspiration—how authentic,

genuine and true? Therefore, they are necessary. They offer

challenges. They also offer us a way of estimating our spiritual

life. They thus become contributors to our meaningful progress.

 

If we thus begin to understand them and view them, our reaction to

them will also change. We will not be so frequently overcome by

despondence or be taken aback and doubt the possibility of moving

forward when these negative things come and bother us. We will not

lose confidence and be disheartened when we begin to see that all

these things are necessary. They come to test and train us, to arouse

from within us dormant faculties. They are challenges.

 

When seen as such, a whole new vision dawns upon you. Your approach

to them is an intelligent one. All reactions to them become positive;

your entire life, in addition to your spiritual life and sadhana,

takes on a new attitude and nature. It no longer reacts in a negative

way. It reacts in a positive way: "God has sent these things; they

are necessary. I must try to understand in what manner I can gain, in

what manner I can utilise them."

 

The whole approach, therefore, is not one of diffidence or

trepidation or insecurity and doubt. The whole approach is very

positive and understanding. It is creative and constructive, and the

very approach itself is constituted as a forward movement. This is

the light in which we should view the world in which we have to live

and to carry on our spiritual sadhana. Then the world is seen with a

different meaning; it is not a foe or an enemy.

 

But then, why have the scriptures painted the contrary. They call it

maya, a trap, bondage. They call it a jungle in which you will become

lost, a net in which you will be caught. There is a purpose. It is

all to make us move cautiously and carefully. That is all. Because if

you are not intelligent and perceptive, then due to your non-

perception and lack of discrimination, you may make them into binding

factors. Not that they are there as binding factors. They are just

there to tell us: "Here are things of value, but if you don't

deal with them properly they may become liabilities. Therefore, open

your eyes, move forward cautiously and carefully."

 

When humanity was in a much lower scale of evolution and human

intelligence had not evolved, perhaps it was necessary to paint that

negative picture, but it is no longer necessary. So if we allow

remnants of that to still continue in our life, it is because it is

good to be cautious while we boldly move forward. It is good to

exercise a degree of care in living our spiritual life. That much we

must see while we make this world and all the things in it a valuable

part of our training and spiritual education.

 

Thus, the way the world has to be dealt with, so that it may cease to

become our enemy and obstacle, is to add to the mutuality and the

interactive situation a positive attitude and approach—the

utilisation of all these various things for our own benefit. May the

grace of God and the benedictions of the guru enable us to do this

intelligent act and profit thereby. God bless us all!

[Guest guest]

--- kvashisht <kvashisht wrote:

> The World Is Not Our Enemy!

It is a 'good vyavahaar' from a good ego.But that is

only the beginning,'chttashudhi'.BG tells Arjun

'nistraigunnyo bhava Arjun'.by non-attachment(nishkaam

karma).But in the end you have to uproot the Ego(Aham)

lock,stock and barrel including 'good' Ego.That will

be the state of Jivanmukta.For us common folks the

odds are,maybe, 1 in billion.

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

--- vasant godbole <vggodbole wrote:

..For us common folks the

> odds are,maybe, 1 in billion.

 

True - funnily we increase these odds by reconfirming it. Many feel

that self-realization is not in this life hopefully in the next life.

But they forget that they made the same statement in the last life.

manushyaanaam sahasreshu kaschit yatati siddyaye ... Krishna gave us

the statistics. The question we need to address is why not we make

ourselves fall in to that one in that billian. Evey sage was a

sinner and every sinner is a potential saint.

 

Hari OM!

Sadananda

 

=====

What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift

to Him - Swami Chinmayananda.

 

 

 

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