The Spiritual Paradigm_1

1 The Spiritual Paradigm_1 Dr. P. Subbanna Bhat Each sul is ptentially divine; the gal is t manifest this Divinity within,... 1.1 Intrductin --- Swami Vivekananda Each f us has an inner wrld, which is unique and distinct. When we bserve the external wrld the happenings, events and episdes the facts are interpreted in the backdrp f ur wn inner wrld. While this inner wrld perspective is different, and unique fr each f us, the abstract cnceptual frame f this wrld hw the wrld is created, the law that gverns this universe, the purpse f life etc. is derived frm ur cultural backgrund, which is here termed as the paradigm. A child starts its learning frm the wrld arund it, by interpreting each new experience, the a vague mdel f the wrld arund it is already frmulated, based n the cultural milieu created by the parents, family, cmmunity and sciety. As a child grws, the details f this mdel are filled the paradigm becmes increasingly clearer. The frmatin f the cnceptual mdel (paradigm) is largely invluntary; as we cntinue t grw, we start filling this mdel with details derived frm the senses, but interpreted using the value system already available frm the cultural backgrund. Scriptures (religin texts) cntribute significantly t define the paradigms. As we grw in filling details f ur mdel smetimes the experience may demand mdificatin in the paradigm usually in bits, but smetimes quite drastically. Drastic revisin in ne s wn paradigm (caused by internal r external cmpulsins) can be a severe experience, ften termed as identity crisis. Philsphy begins with the study f paradigms, and helps us t understand the cultural basis f a sciety, pssible challenges t its existence and preparatins t cpe with them. 1.2 Spiritual Paradigm The Indian mdel f the Universe the abstract basis f Indian thught and culture is a belief that this Creatin the animate and inanimate wrld, including the Csms is the manifestatin f the Divine (Spirit). The cncept f Dharma the ethical value system f India stands n this platfrm. There are ther paradigms in the wrld which have given rise t distinct cultures fllwed by significant sectins f humanity. The Indian, Spiritual paradigm assumptin that the Divine Spirit is the substratum f all Creatin sees man as ptentially Divine. Man s spiritual quest ultimately makes him seek divinity

2 within himself; the quest is directed inwards. This has given rise t what are knwn as Ygic religins, where the tuchstne f prgress is experience; the essence f religin is Anubhuti realizatin f the all pervasive Spirit in the cave f ne s wn heart. Accrding t the Semitic paradigm the basis f religius systems f Judaism, Christianity and Islam Gd created Man and the Wrld ut f nthing (the cncept f man and nature being f divine rigin is alien t Semitic paradigm) and gave Man dminin ver all Creatin (animate and inanimate Nature). Accrding t Semitic paradigm, man has nly ne life n reincarnatin, and n karmic bindings. Here, salvatin implies admissin t paradise, which may be granted by Gd (n the interventin and recmmendatin f Prphets) as a reward fr ne s belief and lyalty t the nly True Gd. Thus, Semitic religins are essentially Credal systems, where Creed is defined by a set f nrms t be beyed by the believer, set ut by the Prphets, as directed by Gd. The Semitic religins have n Spirituality (d nt subscribe t spiritual quest r Yga), nr the cnsequent Anubhuti (Realizatin f Gd) ; but seek the gdwill f the Only Gd, and at the end f the wrld (the Judgment Day) seek t enter the Heaven (r Paradise), fr their lyalty t the Only Gd and enjy till eternity the sensual pleasures they have been seeking in this wrld. During the last few centuries, a new mdel knwn as the Mechanistic Paradigm emerged in Eurpe initially as a revlt against Christianity (Church the dminatin f tempral as well as the religius life f the masses by the Ppe) which subsequently rejected all religins as sham, and evlved int a Materialistic Paradigm that the wrld is essentially matter ( Mind is a manifestatin f matter - Karl Marx) that there is n Gd behind Nature and Man! The culture and value systems f the scieties are traceable t the perspectives ffered by their respective paradigms (wrld views). If we need t understand the Indian Dharma, we need t understand the paradigm n which it is based. This will lead t the differences in the perspective f Indian Dharma and Semitic Religins, Indian Shraddha and Semitic Faith. 1.3 Base f Indian Philsphy Indian philsphy and culture its Dharma, the value system stand n the abstract frame that is, its paradigm. The larger, verarching purpse f life is t realize gd in ne s wn heart. The path t this gal are many grants freedm t chse different paths freedm t facilitate the quest within. The quest implies a target a sense f the target, and an emtinal cmmitment t reach the target is knwn the Shraddha. Shraddha is the lamp that guides the seeker in his quest. Shraddha is essential fr the inner quest; shraddha is distinct frm the faith (lyalty t the nly Gd) f the Semitic religins.

3 The inner quest will cntinue ver many lives. The law that gverns life is knwn as the Karma. Karma and Rebirth are cmmn t all spiritual traditins (Advaita, Dwaita, Vishishtadvaita, Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shaakta, Budha, and Jaina traditins) in India. The Upanishads Vedanta cntain the philsphy f the Vedas. There are mre than 100 Upanishads, dcumented by different Rishis at different times. Amng them 10 Upanishads are cnsidered primary Upanishads, fr which cmmentaries f varius Acharyas ( Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhva) are extant. The exact perid and chrnlgy f these Upanishads are nt clearly knwn. The primary Upanishads are: elquence ( Sme ther Upanishads t have drawn the attentin f schlars fr their lucidity and Upanishad is ne f them). All Upanishads assert and expund the same paradigm the spiritual paradigm in varius frms. This finds repetitin in the, written by Maharshi Veda Vyasa, wh respnsible fr the classificatin f the Vedas int fur grups. Vyasa was als the authr f and the scribe f. The and the are cnsidered t be the basic scriptures f the Vedic thught. The very first statement f the upanishad expunds the spiritual paradigm stating that the entire Creatin is pervaded by the Divine spirit. Swami Chinmayananda bserved that this statement frms the essence f Hindu spirituality: ईश व स यम द सव यत क ञ च जगकय जगत I त न कयक त न भ न ज थ ग ध स यत स वद धन II Gd pervades this entire Creatin everything big and small is the manifestatin f Gd. Enjy it thrugh renunciatin. D nt cvet; fr whse indeed is wealth? ---[Ishavaasya Upanishad, 1 ] Indian philsphy lays cnsiderable stress n renunciatin which means restraint f senses (indulgence) and greed cnsidered necessary fr attaining spiritual grwth (expansin f cnsciusness).

4 The reasn fr Gd creating the Universe is indicated in the Aitareya Upanishad, thus: आक व इद एव ग र आस त I न न यत क न चन म षत I स ईक षत ल न न स ज इतत I ---[Aitareya Upanishad 1.1.1 ]. In the beginning the Spirit (Atman) was One and all this (universe) was the Spirit; there was naught else that saw. The Spirit thught, "L, I will make me wrlds frm ut my being". ----- [Sri Aurbind s translatin] In the Brahma Sutra, Maharshi Veda Vyasa asserts mst emphatically: ए ब रह द ववत य न त स त न न न त स त क न चन I There is nly ne Brahman (Gd), nt the secnd, nt at all, nt at all, nt the least bit. --- [Brahma Sutra ] The Bhagavadgita defines the relatin between Gd and Creatin : The Brahman ( unmenifested Spirit ) encmpasses (and surpasses) the Creatin ( manifested Spirit) ; the Creatin is gverned by its Law. Gd, the Creatr remains abve Law. He presides ver the whle shw alf and detached allws the law t take its wn curse. It is the (manifested part f the Spirit) runs the shw, as per the will f the Lrd उद स नवद स न असक त त ष मस I य ध यक ष ण प र तत स यत सचर चर I Reclining back, alf and disinterested, I watch the tides f Creatin. Prakriti manages the Creatin, as per my Will. --- [Bhagavad Gita, IX- 9,10]

5 Elsewhere in the Bhagavadgita, Sri Krishna clarifies that all beings are the manifestatin f the Divine. Gd resides in the heart f all creatures. But this awareness is usually cluded by the divine the csmic delusin created by Gd fr the purpse f His wn riginal game plan knwn as the. ईश वर सवमभ त न ह द श sज मन ततष ठतत I भ र यन सवमभ त तन यन र र ढ तन यय II O Arjuna,...Knw that Gd resides in the heart f all beings. It is He wh creates the delusin by gyrating them n the giant wheel f Maya. ----[Bhagavadgita, XVIII-61] 1.4 Cre f all Beings Evidently, the human kind is the mst sphisticated stage f develpment in Nature. As we see the human cnsciusness can revel in varius levels f his being. The Gd residing in the being is cvered by several layers (sheaths) f increasing subtlety as we apprach the cre Spirit f being. the awareness f being the I am cnsciusness, can revel, stabilize r make transitins amng the varius sheaths ( ) f the being. Spiritual develpment essentially implies f prximity achieved by the with cre spirit. When Prajna identifies with a particular sheath, its reach and capacity is limited by the sheath. Grsser sheaths have limited range, but as Prajna mves t higher (subtler) planes, its reach is wider. The experience f the upn the subtler planes (sheaths) can nt be described using grsser tls. Language (wrds), being a creatin f the intellect, is inadequate fr explaining the subtler experience at the level f the. In that sense, the is, (beynd wrds and language). When Prajna rises t the level f the sul, its range and reach is the whle Creatin. It realizes that it is unified with the Brahman, which is the ultimate Realizatin, fr the individual. आक व धस त द क पररष ठ द त पश च द क प रस त द क दक षक षणत आक कतरत आक व द I

6 What is belw is Atman; what is abve is Atman; what behind is Atman; what is ahead is Atman; what is t the right and left knw that that als is the same Atman ----[Chhaandgya Upanishad,7-25-2] The final gal f life is the glry f realizatin that the individual being realizes its unity with the Csmic Spirit. The merges with the. When this happens the basic illusin the eg, the residue f past karmic experiences autmatically fall ff. Hence, the individual is released frm the cmpulsin f taking rebirth. This is termed as, the final liberatin. And when this happens it is an ccasin fr the final celebratin. As the Upanishad purs ut n the ccasin f final celebratin: श र ण वन त ववश व अ तस य प र आय ध तन ददव य तन तस थ I Hear, O children f immrtality,... Even ye that reside in higher spheres!.. व द न त त प र ष ह न त आददकयवण त स परस त त I त व ववददकव अतत कय तत न न य पन थ ववद यत अयन य II I have fund the Great Being wh shines like the effulgent Sun beynd all darkness, all delusin: knwing Him alne ne passes beynd death, escaping the cycle f birth and death." ----[Shwetashvatara Upanishad 2-5, 3-8]: 1.5 Anubhuti is Persnal Thus, accrding t the Indian philsphy, the verarching gal f life is the realizatin f the Self. Every being in the Universe is entitled t this reward; every being is in the prcess f evlutin twards this final gal. Swami Vivekananda identifies this feature as the cmmn base f Hindu

7 philsphy. In this sense Hinduism is nt a credal system, where the fllwer subscribe believes and beys the wrds f a prphet but emphasizes in the - realizatin f Gd, and nthing shrt f that:... these few pints are cmmn amng all the varius religius sects in India,... Abve all,... religin, in India, means realizatin and nthing shrt f that. "Believe in the dctrine, and yu are safe", can never be taught t us,.... Mere believing in certain theries and dctrines will nt help yu much. The mighty wrd that came ut frm the sky f spirituality in India was Anubhuti, realizatin, and urs are the nly bks which declare again and again: "The Lrd is t be seen". Bld, brave wrds indeed, but true t their very cre; every sund, every vibratin is true. Religin is t be realized, nt nly heard; it is nt in learning sme dctrine like a parrt. ---[Vivekananda,Cmplete Wrks,Vl.3, Cmmn Bases f Hinduism", Lecture at Lahre ] ----[http://en.wikipedia.rg/wiki/swami_vivekananda.] As the Upanishad asserts that gal f life is direct perceptin f the One and the nly Gd the substratum f all Creatin in the cave ne s wn heart. यत स क ष त अपर क ष त ब रह य आक सव मन तर I The gal f life is realizatin immediate and direct perceptin f Brahman (Atman) wh pervades the whle f Creatin at the innermst sanctum sanctrum f ne s wn heart. ---[ Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, III, 4-1 ] 1.6 Multiple Paths t the Single Gal Since is persnal, it is natural and necessary that the individual chses ne s wn path accrding t ne s wn temperament and stage f spiritual develpment. Thus, freedm f chsing ne s wn path (and pace f develpment) is very natural t Hinduism. This has led t a plethra f paths cleared by numerus saints cntributing t the rich tapestry f Hindu spirituality. Says Sri Krishna in the, that the gal is independent f the path. Krishna assures that He wuld respnd and light the path (f the individual seeker), chsen as per ne s wn taste, ability and temperament: य य य य तन भक त श रद य र चमत म च छतत I तस य तस य चल श रद त व ववदध म यह II

8 In whatever frm a devtee cnceives the Gdhead, and ffers wrship, I stabilize his faith in that very frm. ---[Bhagavadgita, VII, 21] In mdern times, Swami Vivekananda declared that the gal f Vedanta is t prmpt, guide and urge every individual t use every pprtunity, every yga, t make quick prgress t reach the ultimate gal f final liberatin. Swami Vivekananda cncisely states the Gal f Vedanta : Each sul is ptentially divine; the gal is t manifest this Divinity within, by cntrlling nature external and internal. D this either by wrk ( ) r wrship ( ), r psychic cntrl ( ), r philsphy ( ) by ne r mre r all these and be FREE. This is the whle f religin. Dctrines, r dgmas, r rituals, r bks, r temples, r frms are but secndary details. 1.7 Religius Tlerance Religius tlerance is fundamental t the Spiritual Paradigm; it is mre than a mere mral value. it is the manifestatin f its philsphy. As Dr. S. Radhakrishnan puts it: Tleratin is the hmage which the finite mind pays t the inexhaustibility f the infinite ---- [S. Radhakrishnan, Eastern religins and Western Thught, p. 317] Even when fllwers f exclusivist religins came t India seeking refuge, India was generus and hspitable. The ldest f the Indian Jewish cmmunities.... (were) traders frm Judea arrived in the city f Cchin, Kerala, in 562 BCE, and that mre Jews came as exiles frm Israel in the year 70 CE, after the destructin f the Secnd Temple. The distinct Jewish cmmunity was called Anjuvannam. The still-functining synaggue in Mattancherry belngs t the Paradesi Jews, the descendants f Sephardim that were expelled frm Spain in 1492.... [The land space granted by the Hindu kings t the Jews was]... cdified n a set f cpper plates granting the cmmunity special privileges.... the

9 Jews f Cchin,...in Anjuvannam,...rights t seventy-tw "free huses". The Hindu king gave permissin in perpetuity (r, in the mre petic expressin f thse days, "as lng as the wrld and mn exist") fr Jews t live freely, build synaggues, and wn prperty "withut cnditins attached". --- [ Wikipedia, Histry f Jews in India ] And when the Zrastrians, defeated and persecuted in ancient Persia... fund refuge in Gujrath under Jadhav Rana, the Hindu ruler.... Hindu India was kind t the refugees frm Pars. They suffered n persecutin, n fear. They were allwed t prsper and grw. They built the first fire temple in AD 721 (at Sanjan, Gujrath), installed with due ceremny the hly fire which they called the Iranshah, the King f Iran.... ---- [Sni Taraprevala, Parsis- the Zrastrians f India ] Abdul Razak Berni, Persian ambassadr at the curt f Hindu ruler f Kzikde, Kerala, 15the century : The peple (f Calicut) are infidels; cnsequently, I cnsider myself in an enemy s cuntry, as the Mhammadans cnsider everyne wh has nt received the Kran. Yet I admit that I meet with perfect tleratin, and even favur; we have tw msques and are allwed t pray in public. ----- [ Murray s discveries and Travels in Asia, vl.- II, p.20] Chhatrapati Shivaji (1630-1680), persnified all that is nble in Indian traditin, emerged as a brilliant respnse t all the alien invasins f centuries. He established the Hindavi Swaraj, based n the traditinal Indian Spiritual paradigm. His religius plicy was strikingly different frm thse f Mughals and the Bijapur Sultanate : In India religius intlerance has been very rare and Shivaji s cnceptin f a Hindu empire was in n way identified with religius persecutin. He enlisted in his army seven hundred (Muslim) Pathan deserters frm Bijapu.; at least three f his naval cmmanders were Muslims by faith, and he venerated the Muhammadan saint Sheikh Muhammad as he venerated the Hindu saints Tukaram and Ramdas. He granted inam lands fr the illuminatin f and fd fferings t, the shrines f Muhammadan saints and Muslim msques were maintained by state allwance. ----- [S.N. Sen, The Military system f the Marathas, p.18]

10... Khafi Khan, wh delights in shwering the mst pprbrius epithets... n him (Shivaji) is yet cnstrained t admit that he (Shivaji) made it a rule that whenever his fllwers went plundering, they shuld d n harm t the msques, the bk f Gd, r the wmen f anyne. Whenever a cpy f the sacred Kran came t his hands, he treated it with respect, and gave it t sme f his Mussalman fllwers. When the wmen f any Hindu r Muhammadan were taken prisners by his men, and they had n friend t prtect them, he watched ver them until their relatins came with a suitable ransm t buy their liberty. --- [Ellit and Dawsn, Histry f India, Vl-II, pp.254,256,262, 269] In his respnse t Welcme at the Wrld's Parliament f Religins, Chicag, n 11th September, 1893, Swami Vivekananda said: I am prud t belng t a natin which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees f all religins and all natins f the earth. I am prud t tell yu that we have gathered in ur bsm the purest remnant f the Israelites, wh came t Suthern India and tk refuge with us in the very year in which their hly temple was shattered t pieces by Rman tyranny. I am prud t belng t the religin which has sheltered and is still fstering the remnant f the grand Zrastrian natin. I will qute t yu, brethren, a few lines frm a hymn which I remember t have repeated frm my earliest byhd:: As the different streams having their surces in different places all mingle their water in the sea, s, O Lrd, the different paths which men take thrugh different tendencies, varius thugh they appear, crked r straight, all lead t Thee. [Shiva Mahima Sttra ] 1.8 Indian Paradigm ----[http://cwsv.belurmath.rg/vlume_1/vl_1_frame.htm] T sum up, the Vedic Philsphical utlk, rests n the Spiritual paradigm, which can be cmpiled int a few pints: Creatin is the manifestatin f the Divine. The whle f Creatin is invlved in the Csmic Game ( ) f evlutin all beings cntinuusly evlve twards the final Gal f life which is t realize the Divine within. Evlutin is gverned by the Law f Nature, under the watchful eyes f the Divine. The Divine may intervene in the Creatin as Avatar, r in respnse t prayer.

11 Belief in Gd is nt an essential requirement fr evlutin. Belief in a persnal Gd is ne s wn chice. The Indian paradigm admits multiple paths t the same Gal. The individual is called upn t make decisins in life n a cntinuus basis the decisins which cnstitute Dharma and is held respnsible fr ne s wn decisins and actins under the Law f Karma. As the Bhagavadgita enjins उद र द क न क न आक न वस धय त I. Each is respnsible fr ne s wn actins and ne s wn prgress r decline. 1.9 References 1. Swami Ranganathananda, The Message f the Upanishads, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1980 2. D.V. Gundappa, Jeevana Dharma Yga (Kannada), Kavyalaya Prakashana, Mysre, 2007 3. Swami Smanathananda, Geeta Bhava Dhare (Kannada), Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, 1982 4. Swami Smanathananda, Upanishad Bhava Dhare (Kannada), Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, 1982 5. Swami Vivekananda, India and her Prblems, Advaita Ashrama, 1976 6. Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Vedanta, Advaita Ashrama, 1974 7. Swami Vivekananda, Cmplete Wrks, Vl. I-VIII, <http://www.belurmath.rg/swamivivekananda.htm> 8. S. Radhakrishnan, Eastern Religins and Western Thught, Vl. 1-2 9. Ellit and Dawsn, Histry f India, Vlume II, 1865 10. S.N. Sen, The Military system f the Marathas 11. Swami Tyagishananda, Shwetashvatarpanishad, R.K Math, Madras, 1949

12 APPENDIX Mundaka Upanishad makes a plain statement: ब रह व द ववश व Knw that the whle f Creatin is Brahman --- [Mundaka Upanishad,2-2-12] Chhandgya Upanishad asserts the underlying unity f all Creatin सव खत ववद ब रह तज जल तनतत श न त उप स त I All this is Brahman; The beginning and the ending f the wrld is Brahman; it is Brahman in which the wrld cntinues t breathe. One ught t meditate upn Brahman with a calm mind... ---[Chhandgya Upanishad, 3-14-1] Brahman cannt be mdeled, nr defined using wrds. It is beynd the grasp f intellect, declare the Upanishads: न तस य प रतत अत स त यस य न हद यश I There is nne equal t Him ; His name is Great Glry -- Shwetashwatara Upanishad [4-19] न तर चक श गमच छतत न व ग गच छतत न न There the eyes can nt reach, nr the speech, nr the mind -- Kena Upanishad [ 1-3 ] यत वच तनवतमन त अप र प य नस स Frm whence wrds, unable t grasp, return, alng with the mind -- Taittariya Upanishad [2-9]

13 Taittariya Upanishad defines the characteristics f Brahman: आनन द ब रह... Brahma is...bliss ----[Taittiriya Upanishad 3-6.1] सकय ज ञ न अनन त ब रह... Brahma is... Truth, Knwledge and Infinitude. ----[Taittiriya Upanishad, 2-1.3] Chhandgya Upanishad tells us hw the Brahman was alne, and thught f becming many: सद व स म य द ग र आस द व द ववत य I.... तद क षत बह स य प रज य य तत तकत ज ऐक षत बह स य प रज य य तत तदप स जत I i i...... In the beginning, alne existed, the One withut a secnd. It reflected: May I becme many? May I manifest as many? --- [Chhandgya Upanishad, 6.2.1-3] Mundaka Upanishad that Brahman pervades all Creatin: ब रह व द त प रस त द ब रह पश च द ब रह दक षक षणतश च कतर ण I अधश च ध वम प रस त ब रह व द ववश वम द वररष ठ II

14 Knw that the whle f Creatin is the immrtal Brahman. What is frnt f yu, is the Brahman; what is behind is als Brahman; what is t yur right and t yur left, and abve, and belw is nly the supreme Brahman --- [Mundaka Upanishad, 2-2.11] Shwetashvatara Upanishad asserts that the ultimate Gd is One: ए द व सवमभ त ष ग ढ सवमव य प सवमभ त न तर क I मध यक ष सवमभ त र धव स स क श च त वल तनग मणश च I Listen, O children f immrtal bliss,... Gd is One, hidden in all beings, all pervading, the inner self f all beings, He presides ver all actins. All beings reside in Him, He is the Witness, pure Cnsciusness, Single, free frm the three qualities ( Satva, Rajas and Tamas ) f Nature. ----[Shwetashvatara Upanishad, 6-11] In the Bhagavadgita, Sri Krishna declares that He is the beginning and end f all Creatin: गततभमत म प रभ स क ष तनव स शरण स ह त I प रभव प रलय स थ न तनध न ब ज व यय II I am the Destinatin, the Husband, the Master, the Witness, the Abde, the Prtectr and the Friend (well-wisher) t all. I am the Beginning, and the End (f the wrld); Knw that I am the seed frm which the Creatin has spruted. ----[Bhagavadgita IX 18 ]

15 The Spirit pervades the entire Creatin: य ततम द सव जगदव यक त ततमन I स थ तन सवमभ त तन न च ह त ष ववत स थत II न च कस थ तन भ त तन पश य य ग श वर I Invisible, I pervade the whle Universe. All beings are in Me (sustained by Me). I am nt in them (nt cnditined and limited by them). See my Yga and my Aishwarya. Yga ONE at the base f all Creatin Aishwarya ONE flwering as infinite variety and diversity ---[Bhagavadgita, IX 4, 5] Acharya Shankara, the great expnent f Advaita Philsphy, established the fur Temples and Guru Peethas in different parts f India. The visin statements f the each f them knwn as is a statement picked frm the Upanishads : अह ब रह त स (I am Brahman) -----[Brihadaranyaka Upanishad,1-4.10] प रज ञ न ब रह (Cnsciusness is Brahman) ----[Aitareya Upanishad, 3.1 ] अय आक ब रह (Atman is Brahman) ----[Maandukya Upanishad, 2; Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 4-4.5] तकव अमस (Thu are That) ----[Chhandgya Upanishad, 6-8.7 ]