Finding Heaven on Earth

[Guest guest]

"Our walk is more in heaven than on earth." (Ruysbroek)

"Though his body be on earth, his spirit is with God."

(Sharaf ud-

din)

 

Some might ask, "then why is the scenery so un-heavenly? Why is

life' so full of suffering, with the only comfort the news gives

us

is that we are not suffering alone." I would suggest that they

change the channel, and look at alternative scenery.

 

"God said: `Tell the believers to close their eyes.'"

(Quran)

 

Even with eyes wide open we can close our eyes and ears to one object

of consciousness and open them to another, so long as there is an

alternative—a `heavenly' alternative. Shankara assures

us

that, "This inner Self is not a non-object at all times for

it

is the object of the notion "I," and is the knowledge of the inner

Self by

immediate intuition." In every instant we are, every one of us,

aware of non-sensory perceptions of the infinite while smack dab in

the middle of the finite.

 

"That Self is to be `listened to' and thought over."

(Aranyaka

Upanishad)

 

Our first and foremost impression of the infinite is our "Me"

Experience. We tend to superimpose upon this `Me' ancillary

attributes, such as "10 year old, little Rajaji, me."

`Raj' later

becomes different attributes, but his `Me Experience' never

changes

nor leaves him. His `Me' is his infinite and eternal

Experience, and

his `Raj' is his finite Experience. Both are present to him

right

there in the same place and time, but coming from separate sources.

 

"Wherever you are, you are Here. Wherever you will be,

you'll be

Here." (Poonja)

 

We all live at some address (or, in my case—in an empty crate

near-to

an address). But, we also Experientially live in infinity. You can

ride in a train, and follow the map to see where you are arriving

next, and where you just were, according to your body's physical

location; and you can also notice that you haven't moved one step

beyond a place/Experience called `being Here.' We can

blindfold you,

pack you into a box, and ship you off in the dark to places unknown;

and never once shake your solid impression of being right Here. As

with all things infinite, `Here' too is inescapable,

unchanging, and

Your own Self.

 

Your ever becoming lost is impossible. If you want, you can

superimpose (think) finite and physical geography upon infinite

geography, and then get finitely lost. It all comes down to where

your focus lies, as to whether your walk is in heaven or earth.

 

"Meet your divine nature Itself, Here and Now. Don't stir a

thought." (Poonja)

 

We come into the finite worlds by thinking. I think to know what

time it is: 11:00 AM. "It is now 11:00 o'clock," I think

to myself.

When it `Now' becomes 11:01, the thought has changed,

incremented. I

am focusing on the finite and its motion. But, there is also the

eternal and its stillness. 11:00 or 11:01, either time, I still

remain firmly planted in the beginning-less & endless, duration-

less, `Now.' Do you want to see eternity? Then focus right

now (or

any time) on your "Now Experience." It is none other than

Your

eternity. And it is present to you right here in the finite world.

 

When you physically die, and go to whatever place you think to go, I

can promise you something that may serve you well at that moment.

You will Always be safe and securely lodged in your personal "Me,

Here, and Now," and all the demons in hell, or gods in the

blissful

lokas, will never be able to budge you one single inch from your

eternal Home, that is, if you will it so at that place & moment, or

this place & moment Here & Now. It's your `walk,' your

choice when

and where.

 

"He that is bound by sense-limitations is barred from

supersensuous

knowledge. Real knowledge wells up from the Fountain of Life, and

the student thereof need not resort to senses and gropings."

(Sharaf

ud-din)

Sat-chit-ananda, Non Sum