DREAMS, DELUSIONS AND DIVINITY

DREAMS, DELUSIONS AND DIVINITY

There is no end to the dreams of man and there is no end to their destruction. Such is the struggle between mind and matter. The largeness of conception and the smallness of physical space lock horns to resolve into evolving civilisation. Space, time and circumstance all play their respective roles as history unfolds through its dialectical distribution following inexorable laws that limit as they free up within finite bounds for the manifestation of the flights of the soul. But laws are laws and will not yield easy till fresher terrain is quantum leapt into where freer laws bind in freer terms and allow the freer expression of thought. Eventually though, the laws limit in a manner that further manifestation along progressive cycles becomes impossible as a dead end in evolution is reached and the soul now takes its return flight from fantasy unto reality. And this turning point is the call of the Spirit to renounce all earthly vanity and settle in the Self.

Now the return journey begins and all that have been acquired thus far in countless lives are gradually given up, the dross of desires burnt up in the fire of austerity and the soul progressively released to abide in Self-glory. The shadowy universe and its phantoms are cast aside and the soul reverts to its inner contemplation to return to its primeval roots. But matter has laid its hold on the aspirant for ages and will not easily yield. A titanic struggle for freedom ensues and a reverse career of the soul begins which lasts lives often till release from the shackles of matter be achieved. And this is the essence of spirituality which seeks the Spirit and not matter, longs to zero in to Truth and cares not for earthly vanities, confuses not material aspiration with its appendages in heaven and hell, rewards and retributions with the absolute consciousness of the non-dual Self. And this is the gist of the Vedas, the guiding light for Hindus who dare the heavens and God and transcend them unto the Atman in which all of phenomena, material or psychological, abide or disappear, whichever perspective it be viewed from. What the Abrahamic religions declare as the end-point of human evolution, the Hindus consider it to be a mid-way stoppage at the most and far far below life's ultimate repose in the transcendental singular Self.

Life is, thus, composed of the dual dream of expansion in material and mental terms before it reflects back upon itself to return to its roots in spiritual terms. This final phase of contraction of the desirous world is the expansive world of the Spirit and this latter order of smashing the earthly dream consciously is called spirituality. And this earthly dream includes all heavenly dreams and hellish nightmares as well. All of phenomena being witnessed from the terrestrial standpoint, all of it is collectively called the earthly dream and man must stand clear of it before he begins his spiritual journey in earnest. Till such time all efforts at spirituality are but pursuit of the flesh, camouflaged howsoever they may be under the cover of carnal corruptions in grosser or relatively refined terms. So long as the spiritual energy lying at the base of the spine is not awakened and careered up past the lowest three planes unto the fourth plane of consciousness, the life of the Spirit has not begun. Religion and religiosity are till then baby's prattle and so are most of the spiritual sermons eloquently delivered, for they issue from the lips of men immersed in these lowest three centres of material consciousness, priest or cleric, ordained or lay, whosoever may be they.

The awakening of the kulakundalini shakti or the primal power locked up at the base of the spine is the reference point in spiritual life. Till that is achieved, all else is either pretension, as in the insincere, or preparation for the spiritual life as in the sincere aspirant whose inner urge for reasons of evolution has been quickened. It is a hard hard grind, this awakening of the kundalini shakti and unto that end we must all run in our primary laps of this spiritual race before the race proper begins with a shifting scene and a shifting mind deluding at every step the introspective soul till it discovers the route within this maze of Maya, the enchantress that eludes and evades the advancing reach of the aspirant before giving in finally to his unbending will to know his Self. But progress must be slow and steady, for the desperate dash of the soul lands in it being marooned on many a deserted island and not many Fridays are there to give it company. But once the aspirant has had a spiritual preceptor who has realised the Self himself, the light shines ever on his advancing path to the Divine and guides him along. But all this is of avail only after the primary thrusts have been made of character-formation and basic spiritual kindling by self-effort. Otherwise, however wise a Guru one may have, through one's own lack of appropriate effort, one will ever flounder in following his wise words and remain mired in the meshes of manifold Maya. Thus, sincerity is the key component, the unfailing compass that directs one's spiritual life.

Written by Sugata Bose