The Personal Truth!

Hello all,

Namaste! All of you, my dear blog readers, know about my website-swaroopa.net. I have started my business, Swaroopa store, which can be accessed from Shop tab on my website, for Souls who are interested in a personal reading. There is also the Swaroopa Store link, on my blog's left side. Now to the post.

Last week, we discussed, how gratitude plays a big part in living the very best life and potential, we can have in this human life. As of now, as a world we have been tied up at home wielding masks, hand sanitizer and constant hand washing. This may be a great time to deeply think about our own lives. Suddenly we have found ourselves in changed circumstances. Many people have lost their jobs and are facing economic down turn. The previous status quo may not work from now on wards.

Instead, of becoming frustrated why don't we think, the Universe itself has given us a hiatus to reconfigure our own lives. Any way, we are finding ourselves in this material realm, in this moment and space. Is it that we just randomly chose here and came to just spend some time, energy and mind. May be, who knows, our life has a deeper purpose and meaning, which we are supposed to find. Look at our own life, within this humanity. Does any of us have any clue, what we are doing? Why are we randomly rushing around like scattered ants?

Have you watched an ant colony that is deeply building or doing tasks, together? Everything well organized and each ant knows its job and purpose. No ant is running randomly here and there, unless an outer force comes and scatters the pattern and the dynamics. If an ant with such a small brain can very efficiently become a part of a greater group, why are we humans who have thousand or even million times bigger brain and mind running around like scattered ants? We have no clue where we are going, what we are doing and is there even value for what we are doing in the greater scheme of things? What are we doing?

Ants at work
Image credits - Pixabay.com

Industrial revolution and progress: The late 1700s and early 1800s saw industrial revolution and manufacturing. This continued for the next two hundred years. Horse buggies gave way to cars, which, nowadays became hybrid and electric cars. Textiles, leather and boom of house hold items took place. Hurricane kerosene lamps gave way to electric lamps and water heaters. Bundled up, cold winters gave way to central or window heating units. 

Along side the industrial revolution, thought and intellectual revolution also happened. Science and innovation became a major part of the equation. Vaccines, antibiotics and other medical developments took place. Science also played a major role in Physics and Chemistry, which led to global travel and all kinds of plastics, materials that gave rise to more and more luxury items. In the 1920s, another regular, every day thing made entry into our life- television.

A box that gives us entertainment. But remember, it is also called an idiot box. This is because the images keep on coming at us. We as a human are not really using our mind or brain. The images, movies, songs, news and other information are coming "at" us. There is no mutual interaction. Now, here is the real deal. Until the TV, we humans who used to read books and think, use our mind. Suddenly we welcomed an electronic box that was spewing information "at" us and "for" us. Here, in these days, as humanity we stopped thinking deeply. This was about television.

Now, fast forward to another  forty to fifty years. Then, comes the internet. Another twenty more years, social media. Along, with that came video and online games. Now, what happens? The information and data that was coming at a slower rate through the television is now coming at a faster pace through the internet. Who wants to think about great and deeper ideas, when such glossy, glitzy, glam internet and social-media is giving such enormous entertainment? Nowadays, the data, information, facts and news are coming even more faster "at" us. 

We are not realizing. Humanity has become deeply hypnotized with this electric energy of technology and fast pace. Nowadays, parents, school counselors and psychologists are complaining about kids having lesser and lesser attention spans. Kids are hyperactive and having a phenomenon called ADHD- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Why?? Because internet and social media are giving continuous stimulating, drip, drip, drip, drip of information. It is like the constant firing and rest, firing and rest of neurons and neural networks. 

Mass production of Consolidated B-32 Dominator airplanes at
Consolidated Aircraft Plant No. 4, near Fort Worth, Texas, during World War II
Image credits -USAF, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This firing and relax, firing and relax of the nervous system is damaging to our thought process and deep contemplative analysis. How can deeper analysis and thought process happen, when every few minutes we are jumping from one topic to another, one subject to another and one thought process to another? The thought or ideas stays at the surface levels, never to reach the level of original ideas and visionary thought process. Then, we as humans keep on complaining we cannot access better ideas and thought process. How can we get access to it? Our minds are swirling with chaos, confusion, random, superfluous thoughts.

Slowing down: Yes, we think. But it became more of a surface or shallow level. In this level of the mind, the ideas are smaller, mundane and about every day things of life. But the original, life and world transforming ideas is at the deeper level of the mind, connected to the heart. Have you noticed? Many times people who are innovative and visionary leaders, once a while take a break from every day living and go on a retreat for two to three weeks. Because in the every day random rush of mundane life, we cannot access this deeper part of the mind as well as the heart. 

If you remember, Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple advised Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook to go and spend sometime in an ashrama (hermitage) in North India. Why? What is the real deal about it?? Usually in an ashrama, what do we do? Many times, we keep away our electronic gadgets, email look ups, project details and target deadlines. We switch off our cell-phones. There may be meditation, yoga practices, silent time or listening to spiritual speeches. What do all these do?

It relaxes the person, so that they slow down from the hectic, busy, surface level chatter of the mind and starts to turn deep within themselves. They are welcomed by their higher Self. Here, instead of randomly going from one thought to the next thought, the person gets to go to the deeper mind and heart and finds themselves- their deepest thoughts, desires, intentions and aptitudes. Many times in the rush to do something or become something in our life, we are actually forgetting who we are in the first place.

So, this slow pace, brings the inner mind and heart to the fore-front. This leads to deeper perspectives and original thoughts and ideas. Also, many times, deep awareness of our own life, comes only when we slow down and deeply contemplate on our life, it's place in the higher scheme of things, why are we here- now, what is the point of our living and is there a purpose behind it. Many of the leaders either found themselves alone for a long period in life or had an epiphany of an unearthly nature. 

Abraham Lincoln found himself alone with his thoughts, during young age, Nelson Mandela was in prison for twenty seven years, Mahatma Gandhi had an epiphany at a Durban, S.A., train station and the western mythologist Joseph Campbell found himself living almost penniless in a log cabin in upstate New York for almost five years. I am nothing compared to these great leaders. 

The slow pace of life and mind
Image credits - Pixabay.com

But my own life after two Masters, brought me and placed within a home (yes, of course, a great comfortable home at that) with no career and an idle brain/ mind to think for years, actually for almost two decades, with an on and off career. Today, my thought process is, I had to be woken up to the awareness and realization, that I have a few spiritual gifts and philosophical notions to share. So, actually, my own life was literally knocking at the door of my own awareness to make me realize of the Dharma, I am supposed to perform in this world.

So, to underline, only a relaxed and rested mind can take the humongous task of realizing itself. Because we need to quiet the mind and calm it a lot, go to the deeper dungeons of truth. Upanishads say, the inner journey is the most perilous of all. Only after taking it, one can reach at-least, the surface levels of Self-realization.

Truth: We have discussed many times, the truth as Brahman, in this blog. This truth is very evasive. The Vedic as well as mythological sages like Vasishta, Viswamitra or Valmiki had tough time to understand this Universe. So, think about us, every day normal beings? In modern life, we as humanity tries to reveal the secrets of the Universe through Science. Now, in Upanishads it is written, the second we try to give the Universe a name, it gets lost. This is because, the Universe as per that book is the essence that is embedded within the matter itself.

It is something like this. That which gives, beauty and smell to a rose, is the Universe. That which gives, the texture and leaves to a tree is the Universe. That which gives, the solidity and roughness to a rock is the Universe. It is not the rose, tree or the rock, itself. The essence that makes the rose a rose, the tree a tree or a rock a rock. Now, even at a deeper level- the tree, if it is a Banyan, the essence that makes that tree, that particular tree is the Universe or Brahman. So according to the Upanishads, the second, we give that essence a name, that essence itself, gets lost.

This was about the consciousness in a non-aware state. Now, let us come to us humans. In our case, the essence that gives the ability for the eyes to see, is the Self or the Universe as the personal self. Same way, the essence that gives the ear to hear is the Self, the essence that gives the taste bud the ability to taste is the Universe. So, actually it is not the taste or the ability to taste, itself. It is not the eye or the ability to see, itself. It is also not the ear or the ability to hear, itself. The essence (Tatwa) that stays underneath the sense organs and gives them the capability to do their Dharma- duty, is the Universe.

In such a case, the Universe, within a human body, the essence or consciousness or personal Self can be truly realized with the deepest of contemplation from the mind and the intellect. Because we have to go beyond the organ as well as it's actions, to realize the underlying essence. So, in such a case, a mind addicted to information/ data, internet, electronic gadgets, drinks, drugs and other hallucinants- can it truly go beyond the person as well as the actions they are involved in? Probably not.

The truth of the Universe is the underlying essence
Image credits - Pixabay.com

So, this television, internet and social-media driven modern age is actually keeping the humans very far away from realizing their life, the meaning for their life and if there is any purpose behind why, as a being we have found ourselves here. Is there any wonder Souls are feeling dejected, desperate and lost in their own life? Because no one is able to access their own deeper truth and find a way to live it. All of us are on a march of hallucinated, hypnotized, mind-focused, glassy eyed Rahu driven world of  the materialistic existence, in other words as Vedic philosophy puts it-the Maya of Samsara Sagara (illusion of the material world.)

Personal truth: Now, even this is not enough. It is not enough to know the Universe as a general consciousness within ourselves. We have to go even further. That makes the task even more difficult. What is the point of just knowing there is a higher Self within us. If it is a static, quiet presence that does not interact with us, the being or our mind, does it has any use in our current life? Think like this. A thin film like astral being which permeates through every cell, fiber and nerve of our body is there, watching and observing us silently, while we, the human itself, carry on with our monkey business of living.

This particular astral being called Soul has come to carry on its Dharma/ duty in the world, as a human. Now, if that Soul sits just without interaction with the mind, is it really achieving any thing? No. So, it needs to interact with us, the being, more properly with our mind. So, this consciousness tries to interact with us, through gentle poke of the intuition. But a mind that is fully involved in its addictions, gadgets, tech, data, jewelry, shopping, makeup or social-media/ internet, can it listen to the gentle inklings of the Soul? No. So, what happens? There is no other way, other than humans marching to the psychologist or doctor's office feeling meaningless, lost and battered down by life. 

If you understand life, this deep meaninglessness and valuelessness can even bring physical diseases. We can realize, why as a whole, humanity, is bogged down with many diseases. This loss of touch with life's deep meaning and value can bring many different physical diseases. Not the pandemic specifically, but reduction in immunity and health. Because meaning and value to life brings vitality and life-force to the body. When, this gets depleted, the body finds itself dis- eased, lack of ease.

So, this personal meaning and truth are very important. That gives value and meaning to our life. Something to look forward to and work towards. This personal truth is not a general blanket truth. Instead, it is very individual and personal. So, according to the person, the truth bedecks itself in the silk of the taste, passions, interests and attitude of the person. So, for me, my personal truth or more correctly, the Universal truth comes as Hindu concepts, Upanishadic ideas, with Indian roots, growing up in Kerala experiences and later moving to the US.  Those are my truths wearing the glasses of my personal life experiences. It is when I write as "I am", the writing takes a unique style, touch and attitude. Because that is my personal truth and I am writing about my experiences.

The key to our life - personal truth
Image credits - Pixabay.com

Same way, somebody from the Middle East who is living the life of a Muslim in Syria would have a very different kind of life-experiences and  their way of understanding Brahman or Universe is as valid as my way of writing. In another case, a Christian who is living in Australia would experience the same Brahman in the form of Christian Gods, guides and experiences from a Christian reality. Same with an agnostic, atheist, Sikh or Baha'i. Each person's truth and life experiences are as valid as any other's.

In such a case, why do we have to fight? Can't we tolerate each other and live from our truth and life experiences. Yes, we can. The Soul or personal truths do not ask us to fight. But it is the mind and the intellect that see divisions, prod us, humans to fight. Now, what has happened? We as a whole are fighting on TV, internet, social-media, news and in real physical life as well, about our perspectives, attitudes, desires, values and every other thing under the Sun.

But do we have to? No. This is where our own will power comes, to tackle the mind and keep it at it's place, the servant of the Master. The Master being the personal will and truth of the being. Upholding this truth, we should live, while allowing another to uphold their own truth. When a being deeply realizes their own personal truth, above respecting their own truth, they would become deeply respectful of other's truth as well. The beautiful concept of Live and Let Live! Hope that day is approaching soon, in the horizon! Let us wish for the very best!!

I wish you a good and safe weekend, and I'll see you next Friday!😉

Next week: Raasa Leela!
Image Credits - Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay.