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It is a way of life - its natural flow - the method behind conscious living. It is a most lovable and liveable mode of existence that is free and independent of one's own complexes and barriers of inhibitions and suppressions of any sort. It has no set conceptions or pre-judgements to bind one down and thus is conducive to a much fuller living.
What is the role of the Scriptures?
They teach us that each one of us carry some attributes with our person. We should not be influenced either with our own qualities or with those of others. They create an inhibition or a hurdle within us. The Intellect should remain absolutely unaffected by others or our own self, to enable us to see behind the actions or words of others or likewise ourselves.
Introspection means peeping behind the extroversion or the outward façade - it means knowing our self, consciously, as we are today, i.e. our:
a) actions;
b) thoughts;
c) intellectual reasoning and approach;
d) basic incentives to action;
e) basic urge that prompts our thoughts and thought processes;
f) habit patterns formed at the gross, emotional and intellectual levels, etc;
g) why our judgement is the way it is today,
h) what we are ever trying to hide or camouflage from others,
i) why we are either so assertive or total escapists,
j) why we lose our temper or become sarcastic,
k) whether our humility is genuine or put on,
l) whether we are ourselves sincere, honest, humble or loving? In short, what we are ourselves today. What sort of persons we are as father, mother, companion, husband, wife, brother, sister, friend, etc.,
m) what the qualities in others or ourselves that we like/dislike and get influenced by either positively or negatively,
n) what and why our own reactions are what they are, i.e. why we are what we are today.
The endeavour to find this out and to know ourselves better than we do, is the beginning of spirituality, i.e. introducing ourselves to our conscious being for the first time. It is the first step towards a wholesome life or a wholesome being.
The question to be settled is:
1. Why am I living as I am - unconsciously?
2. Why am I being knocked out by the unconscious level instead of having mastery over it?
3. Why do I reason the way I do?
The resolution will be: today onwards I shall decide what:
a) my body will do,
b) my mind will like or not like,
c) my intellect will concentrate on and reason out.
I want the independence and dominance over the fettered 'I' that is presently burdened with the load of complexes, past experiences and knowledge picked up for expediency.
It is a very natural desire - be it any
Faith or Religion, thought or Era, this demand for freedom
is eternal. The Scriptures help in giving us a capacity to
dole out and bestow on others what we have been merely craving
for, for ourselves so far, e.g. Love, Consideration, Magnanimity,
Forgiveness. We have to first inculcate these qualities in
ourselves.
Spirituality will give us freedom to be able to take each circumstance, situation, emotion and intellectual experience in its stride without being influenced by them either way for good or for evil. Each individual wants to be healthy, i.e. free from disease - dis+ease. Complexes are the unhealthy element that pollute a healthy existence. They should be weaned out and the result will be a healthy living - for the rich and poor alike. The rich cannot enjoy their riches when they are so impoverished and bound by their complexes. They need freedom from the yoke of the unnecessary beliefs they carry.
Spirituality alone leads us up the ladder of Happiness and Freedom - from ourselves and others - Intellectual acumen to discern what to do or not to do and thus to the Lord Himself, the Ultimate haven of Blissful existence.
Source: "Arpana Pushpanjali", Arpana's quarterly journal.
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