2 June 2009

Emerging of a new world

From time immemorial regions in and around the Himalayas were liked by the sadhus, yogis and seekers of spiritual life. For the people of India, the Himalayas generally stand as the platform from where one may reach God. Actually, the most casual travelers also feel a subtle divine presence in the Himalayan regions. One feels elevated and even for a moment, though transitory and short-lived one gets inclined for spiritual life. This is not due to the natural beauty only of the Himalayas but for the spiritual atmosphere of the place thanks to the sadhana of the seekers and yogis that took place for thousands of years in these places. This is not the belief and feeling of Indians only but for many foreign travelers who have also felt the spiritual air of the Himalayas. Therefore, the Himalayas enjoy a special status as spiritual field. However, the spiritual seekers always sought calm, serene natural places for their sadhana. It is very difficult to practice yoga living in crowded, noisy urban places. It is very natural for man to go for secluded life whenever he feels an urge for higher spiritual existence. The human nature with its mind and restless life movements are required to be calmed and peaceful before taking a step in the path. Whatever the spiritual school –all seekers feel the need of secluded life first to discipline the gross human nature-or to get rid of it. Therefore, spiritual life was generally associated with calm natural places in India. Those who did not find the Himalayas convenient to their situation went to different places that were at least a little far from busy places. The riverside, the forests, the hills were most suitable places for living a calm life for practicing yoga. There were exceptions-but very few. The purpose of this writing is not about the seekers of spiritual life notwithstanding. The nature is inner breathing in man though man is not always aware of it. But always seek to rush to the nature for getting refreshed and touched with feelings that are vast, infinite, peace, silence and calmness and for this, peaceful natural places are most convenient and helpful. There was no dearth of such peaceful places in India and other places earlier. With the growing population, massive industrialization and destruction of nature along with change of an all-out system of social life with the support of the scientific developments, the world has become small and very cohesive organisation. In the modern world, man cannot live a secluded life psychologically and geographically ignoring his social involvement. The whole world has changed, with this is changed also our view of the outer world. The sky is not infinite –it is a relative notion. There remains no unknown place for exploration. The Moon is not the same moon; it is going to be a camp for further travel in space. The Ganga is polluted, the Everest has been desecrated. The birds and wild animals are being extinct. The crickets are not found chirping to silence the night. Man has landed in a small, limited and noisy place known conventionally as the beautiful green earth. He, in absence of nature and calm life-is detached from all the great feelings that were solace to his mind and life. He is constantly pushed with his back to the wall. He is now made a nut in a giant and automatic machine-called life. But he is still that man who aspired to go beyond everything, all limitations. But in this way he has lost the world, the natural world also that sustained and supported him. The old world of nature and living will not return for him. They are lost forever. But the basic urge within will push him to get all the great feeling that once nature gave him. But where shall he find the infinity of the sky, the vastness of the oceans, the silence of the forests…? For this, he will fall back on himself to find all that moved and thrilled him earlier. He will discover the world and the universe in infinite ways in himself. The world created outside will find its root in him. Then and only the then the purpose of God in man will be fulfilled.

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2 comments:

&& said...

Dear Debabrata:

I find your writing very interesting.

Here, near my home, there is a mountain that has been frequented by all kind of seekers.
In fact, I was one of these seekers: Throughout seven years of my life I lived secluded in a small wooden house in the middle of one forest of the mountain called Penyagolosa. But the experience did not work...at least to me. I was a young man and outer Life called me too strong. Finally, I returned to my town, I got married and I had two children...Then, in the darkness of my mechanical life, I discovered Sri Aurobindo and Mother.

Now, I try to implement that true..."All Life is Yoga" ... but it is a very difficult work. Sometimes I think it's a job that can only do the Giants of the Spirit.

And, obviously, I'm not one of them.

Peace

Jordi.

Blogger said...

Dear Swami,

All yogas are difficult. But as Sri Aurobindo told us that this Integral Yoga is the most difficult one as you have to transform the whole stuff of your life including the physical body. It is easier (only comparatively) to get rid of the lower nature to remain in the static and absolute Brahman but the nature remains the same unchanged. The truth of evolution is for transformation. None can be successful in this path without the help and Grace of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. On one's own it is impossible to progress an inch. So by the wish of the Lord Sri Aurobindo and the Mother came as Avatars to take the burden in themselves and brought down the Supramental Conciousness in the earth-nature so that it would be possible for seekers to travel in the path to attain the Truth in life.
In this yoga one has nothing to do-(as one can do nothing); one should give out everything of one's life without reservation to the Mother for her doing the thing as required by Her. One should always make oneself open to the Mother so that Her consciousness may enter in the being for doing the needful. Trust in the Divine and have faith in Her love and transforming power. The surrender must be total like the kitten who does not cling to the mother-cat as it has complete faith that the mother will carry it through the path. It is opposite to the ape-cub who cling to its mother in the fear of being dropped in the path. At the beginning we all are like the ape-cubs. We have to leave all the concerns in the faith-absolute faith that it is the Mother who is actually carrying.
You have nothing to worry or getting depressed about your own strength as you have given everything of your life. It is the ego that wants to get felt of itself when we get depressed.
Cheers -my friend. You are the child of the Mother. You have been accepted by her and she is always with you.
Peace
Devabrata

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