Mending One's Relationship With The Ultimate Divine
This lesson course will help assess one’s current stance in the spiritual path. It will involve introspection and open new vistas in a globally balanced connection with the Divine and provide avenues for self- transformation.
The questionnaire is the first step. I would encourage you to write the answers down and keep them for personal reference.
Following the questionnaire are two parts to study with an open mind and then analyze and apply as appropriate, to test the validity of the truths exposed.
1. Why do you feel the need to fine tune your relationship with the divine? Explain in 4-5 sentences.
2. Over the years has this relationship changed? If so, please choose any, from the reasons given below.
A. Personal Experiences
B. Lack of relevancy of beliefs held previously
C. Due to acceptance of another faith
D. Due to the study of and exposure to other faiths
E. Concern about changing social norms
F. Concern about current politics
G. Other: ______________________________
3. Who composed the religious scriptures of all the faiths? God or humans? Explain your choice in 4-5
sentences.
4. Do mythological and scriptural stories help you in your day to day problems? Explain in 4-5 sentences.
5. Which of the following brings you closest to the divine.
Choose any 3.
Nature
Performing Arts
Music
Graphic Arts
Contemplation
Meditation
Houses of worship
Religious Rituals
Humanity
Other: _______________________________
6. Do you believe in the efficacy of prayers and rituals? Does the language make a difference? Explain in 4-5 sentences.
7. Are your acts of worship becoming mechanical or do they hold the same satisfaction as before ? Explain in 4-5 sentences.
8. Do you consider the beliefs of aborigines (adivasis), indigenous folk as (choose only one):
A. False
B. Authentic to their life
C. True
How do you relate to them? Explain in 4-5 sentences.
9. Does the faith you follow now, help or hinder your understanding and appreciation of other faiths? Explain in 4-5 sentences.
10. Do you think it matters to God whether we believe in God or not? Explain in 4-5 sentences.
11. Explain from your understanding, the difference between:
Divine and the Ultimate Divine
Absolute and Personal Truth
The Created and the Creator
Immanence and Transcendence
Explain in detail.
Homage
Ibn Sina ( c. 980-1037)
The Supreme Being is neither circumscribed by space nor touched by time. He cannot be found in a particular direction and his essence cannot change.
Joseph Campbell (c. 1904-1987)
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The Divine has its circumference everywhere and its center nowhere.
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Swami Dayananda Sarasvati (c.1930-2015)
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Ishvara (God) does not stand apart from creation. Some religions say ‘there is only one God.’ Vedanta says ‘there is only God’.
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Rabbi Chaim Solomon
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The Emanator of Light does not judge people, worthy or not worthy of its Light to be bestowed on them. The creator of Light shines his Light, 24 X 7.
General Considerations
The origin of the word God is from the Proto- Indo- European ‘ghu-t0-m’. This simply means, that which is invoked. That simplicity has been lost. We now have a plethora of concepts associated with this word. In this connection the usage of words such as Gods versus God has resulted in much confusion. Usage of terms such as polytheism, monotheism, pantheism only add more to the confusion. Suffice for us to know, that in many ways, from ancient times, man has been aware of powers that are higher and beyond our control. This power has been venerated in many ways since then.
If we move away from the concept that Man is made in the image of God, to the concept that the image of God is made, as man wishes, then it is very easy to see why there are ever so many differences in the way, human beings relate to the Divine. It is time that we accept and hopefully appreciate the differences. This also explains why we have so many scriptures and philosophies. The many cultures and traditions in the world can be truly appreciated and enjoyed only with an open mind, dyed in the pure love of the Divine, regardless of one’s personal faith.
The Ultimate Divine suggests not just the end but also the source, it can never have a numerical value nor gender. This then is the Absolute Truth that cannot be copyrighted nor bound by patents. The term SaThya as used by Sant Kabir refers to this Truth. The word Hakk often used in Turkish ilahis also refers to this too.
The ocean yields it moisture upwards and rain clouds are formed. Then the generous clouds release the rains. The earth is joyous, waterways are formed. The rivers however know that their source is their end too, hence they traverse distances to finally reach the ocean.
In history there are mystics who have been deeply colored by the Absolute Truth. Their message naturally goes beyond any religion. St. John of the Cross, Shri Ramakrishna and Mansur Al Hallaj are classic examples. Many were cruelly persecuted as seen in the lives of Mansur Al Hallaj and Kul Nesimi.
Here is an ilahi by Niyazi Misri, a 17th century Turkish poet who was banished several times from Turkey, by the sultans for his views. Here we see a major change in attitude because of being dyed in the Absolute Truth.
Ben sanırdım âlem içre bana hiç yâr kalmadı
I thought that in this whole world there was, no beloved /friend for me.
Then when I left myself, now no stranger remains in this world (for me).
I used to see in every object a thorn but never a rose.
The universe (now) became a rose garden, not a single thorn remained
Night and day my heart was moaning…
I don’t know how it happened. Now no AH! remains
Duality went, Unity came. I met the Friend in private.
The multitude left, the One came. Only the One remained
Religion, piety, custom, reputation, these used to matter to me.
Oh, Niyazi what happened to you? No trace of religion remains.
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The need to apply human traits to the Ultimate Divine is very natural. This is evident in the iconography of many religions, in the qualifying names and attributes attached to the Divine and the services conducted on behalf of or as an appeal to the Divine. It is important to know however that austerities one undertakes, are best when used for the transformation of oneself.
We arrive at a Personal Truth, from our own belief system. This truth is not the same for all. It is with the use of this personal truth that each one moves about in this world and employs this, in all his or her transactions. This truth often changes as we grow older and have a variety of experiences. The Absolute Truth however will never change.
There comes a time in one’s spiritual path however, one realizes deep within one’s core, that all these are only garments that can be shed off, free of any guilt. However, the dalliance with the Absolute Truth will only remain within our core for the majority, no obvious and complete shedding can take place, as we live in a finite world where only the 1% of reality is workable. 99 % of reality is not available to our senses. But increasing familiarity with the 99% will lend to greater wisdom.
Reminders of the Holy
Many of us, especially when away from home, keep photos of our loved ones. It gives us joy and comfort when looking at them We know that it is only a photo of the person. Yet, if the photos get destroyed, we feel a sense of loss. It is the same but to a greater degree that the need to worship the greater power, as evident in the universe finds avenues in the creation of statues, icons, reverence for books and designation of certain places as holy. It is unwise to allow one’s personal belief system to block other approaches and consider them as false.
In his defense against those who oppose holy images, the Byzantine Saint Ionis (John) of Damascus argued thus. “When forms are given to the formless, shapes to the shapeless, it is done only because our analogies are not capable of raising us immediately to intellectual comprehension but need familiar points of references.”
The founder of the Arya Samaj movement in India, Swami Dayananda Sarasvati at one time, threatened to consign all the idols in Varanasi to the river Ganga. A debate ensued with Yogiraj Lahiri Mahasaya. The latter argued “Water does not have a form of its own but when it is transformed into ice, it has a form. In the same way so long as we try to perceive God through our sense organs, God has various forms. When we transcend our sense-organs we realize the truth. In total self- awareness, we know that God is formless.”
END OF PART ONE
Living a spiritually balanced life
In this section often words from other languages, such as Sanskrit will be used. I have used approximate English words to accompany when possible. For this course I have relied on personal experiences, resulting primarily, from disciplines received from my teachers of Vedanta and the Kabbalah. These two paths provide practical tools for one’s personal transformation.
The ideal divine path travelers who have undertaken serious disciplines for
Self- transformation may be compared to birds, creatures that can be on the earth and in the air. The balance needed on the earth is not the same when they fly, yet they navigate these two realms with ease. Asceticism is not recommended for most of us. It is important to note however that a tryst with the divine is possible even in a public “Meydan” as exemplified in Turkish mystic poetry.
For the human the 2 wings represent devotion( bhakThi yoga) and knowledge( jnaana yoga).The feet represent selfless actions( karma yoga). The tail represents lineage and traditions, sumpradaaya, tariqat. The body is the sumtotal of all the methodologies, disciplines practiced over time. The head represents intuition and mysticism, tasavvuf. The important message here is that a human being has a composite of needs when connecting with the divine. Each need should be tended to. As one ages the intensity of the needs will change. The Delphi maxim “ Know Thyself “ when practiced can be very liberating.
Devotion
Love for God is the main trunk with many branches. Majority of human beings practice exclusively Para bhakti, where prominence is given to the strict adherence of daily acts of worship, music, rituals and ceremonies. This love is augmented by stories from and readings of sacred literature. When the devotee finds the presence of the divine intensely evident more, in creation and its contents, by personal self -discovery, then it is termed Apara bhakti. Emotional satisfaction and love for God remains when serving the Divine in interactions with others. At this stage para bhakti practices may take a secondary role.
Knowledge
The intellect is the main faculty that is employed in knowing oneself and the workings of the world. This involves study, observation, reflection analysis and application. The validity of what is studied has value only after testing it in life. Wisdom from sacred books, and philosophies form the source materials. There are many disciplines when followed strictly, can help to understand the workings of this body -mind equipment, as well as its connection to our divine Core. In Vedanta, the distinctive roles of Manas, Viveka, Buddhi all modifications of the same ChiTTha makes the understanding of human behavior so helpful. One of the most interesting practices is the daily Sentry Duty of our Mind, for three months at least. This is the witness mode prescribed by Vedanta known as Saakshi Chaitanya Bhaava. So too is the Kabbalistic practice of remaining proactive rather than reactive or even non-active, to allow the Creator’s Light, to flow and to share. The result from both these practices is that one’s behavioral stance is that of an integrated character termed STThiTha- pragna,
Selfless action
One cannot be without acting. Actions are generally undertaken with a goal or objective. The final result is always as a result of many forces. Selfless action does not mean negligence of oneself. All actions taken should be tinged with the remembrance of the divine in us and in others. Service done in this manner results in the cleansing of our inner subtle faculties, antahkarana, and our limbs, bahirkarana.
The Octopus hold
Modern day leaders of many religious movements and cults carry often unknown pitfalls for devotees. Most important pitfall is in the form of an addiction to the personality of the leader. This octopus hold can result in the form of financial ties and most important of all is when the devotee loses his own capacity to think for himself.
The ladder of Spiritual Success
The most dangerous ladder is the one to do with Siddhis, paranormal powers associated with spiritual disciplines. This has nothing to do with any one religion. As serious disciplines are undertaken the devotee regardless of the religion followed, can acquire paranormal powers. This is natural however if the devotee uses these powers to gain for oneself, then his personal evolution in the path of the divine, will be blocked. In other words, his spiritual life will be totally imbalanced. A true lover of the divine will climb past these rings of temptation to reach the state of “ no more climbing “!
Many a spiritual leader in today’s world, have stopped climbing the ladder and instead remain on the ring, that brings to them wealth, adoration of the public and more!
NATURE and nature
We humans are only a part not apart from and definitely not superior to other entities in the created world. Many mystics from all major religions have revealed that connection, in their works. Unfortunately, instead of working with Nature, we have controlled and modified the surroundings selfishly. Nature has much to reveal to us about our nature as seen in the sumhiTha portion of the Rgveda.
The indigenous folks in every part of this earth have had a respectful and religious relationship with their environment which unfortunately have been looked down upon arrogantly by modern man and by many organized religions. Ancient Avestan texts of the Proto- Indo Aryan religion, Mazdaism (2nd millenium B.C) in their concept of the Amesha Spentas shows clearly a harmonious relationship that man can maintain with the rest of creation
It is great to see that these days, there is a healthy revival of many ethnic religions all over the world, including Europe. Open minded physicians and scientists are finding out that our DNA carries our subtle ancestral essence which we have been ignoring for so long.
CONCLUDING PRAYERS
For all people by Wisdom Keeper, Black Elk, (Oglala Sioux)
It is true that many of the old ways have been lost. But just as the rains restore earth after a drought, so the power of the Great Mystery will restore the way and give it new life. We ask that this happen, not just for the red People, but for all people, that they may live.
In ignorance and carelessness, they have walked on Ina Maka, our Mother. They did not understand that they are part of all Beings, the Four Legged, the Winged, Grandfather Rock, the Tree People, and our Star brothers. Now our Mother and all our Relations are crying out. They cry for the help of all people.
Web of Life by Wisdom Keeper, Chief Seattle, (Duamish, Suquamish)
The Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth. We did not weave the Web of Life. We are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the Web, we do to ourselves.
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END OF P ART TWO
Thank you for attempting this course.
May each one of you continue on the blessed journey towards the Ultimate Divine
SHUBHAM BHOOYAATh,
Vasantiji
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