Chap. 3 contd.

Enlightenment gained

I regained a sense of control over circumstance, which is influenced and self-regulated by my understanding of the workings of karma and prarabda, about which I write. This means a complex awareness of both the inevitability of some events and the endless possibility for change. Ultimately total self-responsibility leads away from the known spiritual pathways and into the depths of Divine Grace!

I had a feeling of being powerless over my human condition seemed to prevail for quite a few years. Although this was for a seemingly lengthy period I believe it gave me eventually a better understanding with better ability to be realized at all levels of the mind/body, whilst fully in the world.

Practical Enlightenment or Realistic Realization.

My own practice led me to a state where I had the opportunity and ability to control not only major elements of my own life but also that of others if I wished, through yogic powers or siddhis. Somewhat strangely when I had taken those “powers” from India into the everyday life of marriage, children, & career, I found that my spiritual energy seemed to have faded.

Here I developed an understanding, of my philosophy. Where realization of “Aham Brahma Asmi”, (I am the Cosmic Soul), is a completely different and more powerful awareness. This could be called enlightenment or realization. However I consider that true enlightenment occurs only on completion of the spiritual journey and all components of the worldly experience journey.

Looking back some questions arise regarding my degree of spiritual attainment. I spent 10 years in India as a monk, and thirty plus years of struggling with mental health and addiction issues. Had I then attained a state of self-knowledge and achieved Moksha? (Moksha is equivalent to Nirvana which is more common term in Buddhism. Moksha means freedom from the cycle of rebirth, or it just means freedom from this trouble human existence). Release into what? Furthermore had I found my own true religion and philosophy that can even be substantiated, (somewhat), scientifically, and which can be now said to be lasting and permanent benefit all-round?

On leaving India I had developed a clearly defined Hindu derived Vedanta philosophical look on life which did not change with in the passage of time. This was not about having multiple gods, sitting in temples, but was about a very monotheistic outlook that was or even ultra-monotheistic possibly. I find the Vedanta philosophy enables a deeps sense of satisfaction. That I have something that is Truth Unlimited, which is unaffected or swayed by any or all religious type beliefs. It is about oneself as the Divine and about Maya, the illusory and transient suffering filled nature of Life and the Universe. Vedanta though seemingly nihilistic or fatalistic, has given me the means to develop calmness and equipoise, and helped alleviate the ups and downs of life.

Is Grace Divine?

Human beings with intelligence may reflect that something is missing, without understanding the spiritual aspect necessarily, let alone the meaning of Life and the Universe. However even at a therapy level they can be an understanding that you don’t have to do anything really arduous, you don’t have to “retrain”, and you don’t have to like people, or be liked. Think about getting the life that’s going to be source of your Eternal Bliss. (Or some sanity in the case of therapy).

What is the issue with marriage, children, and career? (In regards to both spiritual practice & personal sanity)? Is desire for a new car, kitchen, or overseas travel a bondage or just normal? It come down to whether this Is freedom for you Do you want the bondage based years, and years of life only leading to a death where you can take your “toys” or wealth? If so carry on!

If not, there may not be another way. (Other than Divine Grace). If you have a better way I must have already read your books!

Alternatively if you are already Divine, you are already free. It is your own true nature. If you have removed the veil of ignorance, generated through worldly obsessions. We are all bound to the law of action, bound to death, (and taxes), but karma is not our master. Choose the Divine self & you become the Master, or keep trying your own pathway. Even if you falter & struggle or kind of give up, that’s when your ego takes a hit.

What about the atheist? There will be an alternative way if you look. The Vedanta philosophy can be interpreted in a non-God manner, as indeed can much of Buddhism.

Without discipline nothing much will happen The addictions, obsessive behaviors and negative attitudes, are not bad. They are just about being stuck & the spiritual practice goes nowhere. Then a different program, which is monitored and supported, is needed, with perhaps professional or “sponsor’ support. A position where a decision to have a counsellor, guru, or sponsor, is a statement of decision to change.

The ego can say: “no I can’t do it I’m just a hopeless drunk”, “my depression is too deep”, or “I am unable to escape an unhappy marriage”. Maybe it’s really about being just plain too scared, (to change)? Then one has to agree to cede the power of the ego & maybe even to accept the loss of the ego. Then surrender to receive the Divine Grace. Fix your mind on God your Higher Power or Deity to do this.

The Grace is there, you have just got to get hold of it, or rather not get hold of it, but position yourself where it flows and be in the stream. This logically is an activity that makes things happen, by allowing Grace to flow. Do some prayers, try a mantra, and learn to meditate.

Another way around any doubts & confusion around the spiritual pathway needed is to understand that we are covered in ignorance due to the presence of Maya, the “illusory” nature of the world. Lost in a recurrence of our dream, we are just in our ignorance, and we just can’t see the Truth. Life goes around & around & we are always back to where we started. This ignorance of Truth is our normal self, just our usual every day personality based ego. When we choose to surrender the ego we get the Grace.

Easy on paper!

Another problem lies with promoting human attributes to a computer type vagueness, as in: “I’m just cruising along”, that mostly equates karma with only outcomes, but no real meaning about it all. It’s perhaps a bit of a leap to think about the Divine Grace as belonging in the field of an impersonal, or atheistic type belief, but of course is worse to just be a robot following the herd, as per the rules of evolution. (We are then created only by the developing or evolving human mind – no intelligence required).

It may also seem if we develop more insight that we can attain more by determination to continue the struggles, (to succeed).”  Eventual though in my belief we will end up having to say: “my struggles got me nowhere” but hopefully then this leads to: “the Divine Grace illuminated me”. A bit confusing perhaps if we have to wait until it flows “down”. (Grace that is). What’s the point of doing anything? Can some can get it, but another does not? (No & no!).

Grace is pretty certain if you seek it, but why is it placed sometimes as the ultimate, as “out there somewhere”. Why is it fairly often proposed in religion as being the only way to achieve salvation? The Buddha did not seem to speak much of Divine Grace, whereas in the worlds of other religions, scriptural announcements about being chosen through Grace seem fairly prominent.

This view is not the foundation of the Vedanta philosophy, where it is proclaimed that our natural state is what drives the urge to attain salvation. (Because our no-salvation did not, cannot, & does not really exist, apart from in our “dreaming void” of Maya. In this philosophy the sinner and the saint, good and bad, rich and poor, are equal in terms of being part of the Cosmic Consciousness, (the Brahman), expressed as the individual soul, (the Atman).

All religions are clear that we can be saved in some form, and get into a kingdom of some form of God enveloped environment or presence, but only if we are “good”. If the essence of Truth is within our souls associated with the heart area, it seems like that is all about being totally self-responsible, and about trying one’s best to do good deeds, but not dependent solely on them.  By all means serve others, and pray to one’s Deity. So religion may have as closely intertwined doctrine of Grace, inseparable from the search and the seeker, who is seeking truth within. Thus that grace seems to render self-responsibility nil and void at times.

The agreement is generally, that as humans we are in some sort of a mess, & that we need to get out of this, usually crafted as environmental or political or cultural terms. Spiritual view may still be about whether this is seen as be freedom from sin and placement in heaven, or breaking the bonds of ignorance and preventing future reincarnations. Or some other perspective. (Religions can have some view that the Divine is actually within, as well as without. Usually the heart is designated the place for it all to happen).

So, there is possibly no need for Divine Grace! If we could all achieve Nirvana, salvation, enlightenment, through our own normal natural efforts then we might only need the help of a few teachers or gurus, or just help from Google