Sacrifice

This was a month of sacrifice.

Of letting go and moving on
Of fighting the lower nature
Of effort
Of giving up the lower for the higher
Of investing time in friends
Of supporting other when they needed it most
Of giving up inhibitions
Of striving for unity
Of letting go of my ego
Of trying to see things from others' perspectives
Of lowering expectations
Of being mindful
Of bringing joy to others
Of doing that which makes them happy
Of teaching and sharing
Of consciously being more open in communication
Of giving and not expecting in return
Of sharing and not wanting
Of loving but not attaching
Of patience and not greed
Of surrendering to God and asking for guidance
Of striving to put spiritual growth above all else

This was a month of sacrifice.

Picking and choosing

In recent discussions with W, he brought out the no-doubt common paradigm of picking and choosing that which he thought was right from different religious schools of thought. I myself have been a proponent of this way of forming a consistent philosophy to live life by in the past. The basic idea is this - with so much junk in the teachings of each religion today, and with much that seems not to make sense, a lot of us resort to picking and choosing what we find most appealing in each set of teachings, that which makes sense to us - and putting together this jumble of pieces, come up with our own private worldview.

I've probably already given away my opinion on this method of living life in the preceding paragraph, but lets go deeper into it - why would something like this not really work? As I said, at some point I used to believe in exactly the same thing. Lets look at some of the reasons why I've changed my mind about this one.

1. The process makes the implicit assumption that it is possible to come to an understanding about truth entirely through one's own faculties, which I don't think is true as we're all imperfect. I believe that some level of revelation is fundamentally necessary to advance our understanding of the world. We can all of course form our own philosophies - but seems highly unlikely that as we keep subjectively picking and choosing, we'll all come to an understanding of truth. Abdu'l Baha says:

"God has sent forth the Prophets for the purpose of quickening the soul of man into higher and divine recognitions. He has revealed the heavenly Books for this great purpose. For this the breaths of the Holy Spirit have been wafted through the gardens of human hearts, the doors of the divine Kingdom opened to mankind and the invisible inspirations sent forth from on high. This divine and ideal power has been bestowed upon man in order that he may purify himself from the imperfections of nature and uplift his soul to the realm of might and power. God has purposed that the darkness of the world of nature shall be dispelled and the imperfect attributes of the natal self be effaced in the effulgent reflection of the Sun of Truth. "

and

"If the world of nature were perfect and complete in itself, there would be no need of such training and cultivation in the human world—no need of teachers, schools and universities, arts and crafts. The revelations of the Prophets of God would not have been necessary, and the heavenly Books would have been superfluous. If the world of nature were perfect and sufficient for mankind, we would have no need of God and our belief in Him. Therefore, the bestowal of all these great helps and accessories to the attainment of divine life is because the world of nature is incomplete and imperfect. "

I think it is fairly obvious when we look around us, and see our lives, that we are riddled with imperfections - and so to assume that relying purely on our own strengths will help us get to the truth seems a little unreasonable to me.

2. Ok, maybe picking and choosing won't get us to absolute truth, as we are imperfect. But many might argue that it is still the best we can do in today's circumstances, for there is no one set of teachings that gives us all the right answers anyway. This argument therefore assumes that nobody so far, in all of history, has known truth or understood reality - and everyone so far has only had an imperfect understanding of it. And so the best we can do is pick and choose amongst all those imperfect understandings.

Now this is an argument that people often make without any substantiation. I think its entirely possible to think of a world in which this argument would be true. But we clearly have a situation where several people, through history, have claimed to have some kind of divine connection with truth, with the natural order of things. So as someone seeking to find the truth, our responsibility is to determine whether these claims could possibly have been true. And this I need to do by studying the lives of these people, their teachings, their actions, the effects of their teachings on the people around them, on people through history, the effects of their principles on me and my life when I apply them to my actions - and after doing all this, if I come to the conclusion that no, these people were not who they claimed to be, that they were very wise and intelligent, but nevertheless didn't totally understand things - then, and then alone, can one claim that the best one can do in this world is pick and choose. My own belief, based on the little I've read and understood, is that these people were who they claimed to be - and so I think we can do better than just picking and choosing.

3. Related to the above two - to understand anything, one needs to be able to be greater than it. Comprehension involves encompassing. And so animals can understand plants in a way in which plants cannot ever hope to understand animals. Humans can understand animals and nature in a way in which they cannot comprehend him. It is like humans stand above nature, on a mountain, and look down at it, thereby understanding it in its entirety. This is borne out by how in the physical sciences, we can usually make very categorical statements about the nature of the physical world - for we subsume it.

On the contrary, when it comes to the human sciences, sociology, and understanding human society, one seldom sees things that can be understood entirely, that are cut-and-dried. And this is basically because we are all immersed in that which we seek to understand. Its like this sea of humanity, and each person in that sea is trying to understand the complete picture. And some people are taller, and can see a little further than others - but no one is high enough to see the entire picture. The manifestation, on the other hand, is claimed to exist on a higher plane - and so can comprehend the nature of the spiritual world much in the same way that we stand above material reality and can comprehend it.

Abdu'l Baha says:

"The power of the understanding differs in degree in the various kingdoms of creation. The mineral, vegetable, and animal realms are each incapable of understanding any creation beyond their own. The mineral cannot imagine the growing power of the plant. The tree cannot understand the power of movement in the animal, neither can it comprehend what it would mean to possess sight, hearing or the sense of smell. These all belong to the physical creation.
Man also shares in this creation; but it is not possible for either of the lower kingdoms to understand that which takes place in the mind of man... All superior kingdoms are incomprehensible to the inferior; how therefore could it be possible that the creature, man, should understand the almighty Creator of all?"

4. The fourth thing to consider is a hypothetical question - assuming there is an underlying spiritual reality to this world, that there is some eternal spiritual existence, and that there are some truths about the world we don't naturally understand - assuming that is the case, is it likely that "God" would have left us to just fend for ourselves, without guidance, without support? Maybe - but that would just be too unfair a world. And somehow I think we'd be given a better chance. Of course, this might just be my own sentimental judgment - but its definitely a question to ask oneself.

5. This reason relates to our personal growth. When picking and choosing, it is more than likely that we'll end up picking things that appeal to us, and discarding those that don't. The truth, and reality, however, are greater than anything you or I like or believe - if something is true, however hard it is for me to accept, it still remains true. The process of picking and choosing does not in any way challenge us to realize our own limitations, veils, and barriers. And so if there were some aspects of truth that went contrary to our own instinctual leanings, we would never grasp it, for we would always discard it in our vetting process, as not appealing to our reason or understanding.

6. Last, if we all pick and choose, how would we ever come to a common understanding of truth? Each of us has different predilections - and so we'd all pick that which made sense to us. How then do we ever dialogue, interact with each other, find a common platform to live on the basis of?

Of course, it is important to note that all the above specifically refers to the act of picking and choosing principles one likes - not the broader notion of subjecting any school of thought to rigorous scientific examination. But one always needs to accept that one's own faculties of reason are imperfect and limited - and so relying just on them would be unwise.

Prayer through action

"...speech is not needed. Our actions will help on the world, will spread civilization, will help the progress of science, and cause the arts to develop. Without action nothing in the material world can be accomplished, neither can words unaided advance a man in the spiritual Kingdom. It is not through lip-service only that the elect of God have attained to holiness, but by patient lives of active service they have brought light into the world. Therefore strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers."

-- Abdu'l Baha

Some gems...

...to ponder about.

"...man can never hope to attain unto the knowledge of the All-Glorious, can never quaff from the stream of divine knowledge and wisdom, can never enter the abode of immortality, nor partake of the cup of divine nearness and favour, unless and until he ceases to regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets."

-- Baha'u'llah, Kitab-i-Iqan


"The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements."

-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings

"But, O my brother, when a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading to the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse and purify his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments.

He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in this day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the Embodiments of the divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error.

That seeker must at all times put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence, and refrain from idle talk."

-- Baha'u'llah, Kitab-i-Iqan

"...be thou so steadfast in My love that thy heart shall not waver, even if the swords of the enemies rain blows upon thee and all the heavens and the earth arise against thee."

-- Baha'u'llah, The Tablet of Ahmad

Love

Ponder, O reader, the true nature of love, as expressed in this quote of Abdu'l Baha's:

"Know thou of a certainty that Love is the secret of God's holy Dispensation, the manifestation of the All-Merciful, the fountain of spiritual outpourings. Love is heaven's kindly light, the Holy Spirit's eternal breath that vivifieth the human soul. Love is the cause of God's revelation unto man, the vital bond inherent, in accordance with the divine creation, in the realities of things. Love is the one means that ensureth true felicity both in this world and the next. Love is the light that guideth in darkness, the living link that uniteth God with man, that assureth the progress of every illumined soul. Love is the most great law that ruleth this mighty and heavenly cycle, the unique power that bindeth together the diverse elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movements of the spheres in the celestial realms. Love revealeth with unfailing and limitless power the mysteries latent in the universe. Love is the spirit of life unto the adorned body of mankind, the establisher of true civilization in this mortal world, and the shedder of imperishable glory upon every high-aiming race and nation."

Why?

Why is detachment the hardest lesson of all?

Humility

This was a week of humility.

Of being humble in thought and action
Of accepting my limitations
Of acknowledging the existence of a greater, far more potent reality
Of submission and faith
Of accepting people for who they are
Of not imposing my wants on others
Of realizing that everything in this world is a gift from God
Of understanding that any talent or virtue I have comes from God
Of recognizing that I am not the center of the universe :)
Of realizing that I am but a cog in the wheel of society
Of trying to accept compliments
Of listening patiently to others
Of sacrifice
Of accommodation
Of giving in
Of contentment
Of accepting my finitude, and God's infinitude
Of asking for His guidance
Of being thankful for His grace

This was a week of humility.

Things happen for the best

P once told me about H's grandfather (or uncle?) who, whenever he was asked how he was doing, would reply, "I'm the best I could possibly be, for if I could have been better, then God would have made it so." I've often pondered over how one can say this, and whether there are specific prerequisites for the best to happen to us. Clearly we often find ourselves in circumstances not of our making, in situations where we need to make a certain decision. How can we be sure that our actions in such circumstances lead to the best possible result for us? How can we be sure that even if the immediate consequences of our decisions and actions are not to our liking, in the long run, they are the best thing for us spiritually?

After much thought and observation of people like P, M and V, I've come to the conclusion that there are two prerequisites for being sure, in any situation, that whatever happens is for our best.

1. We make the utmost effort we can in that situation, sincerely try and figure out what the right decision is, and leave no stone unturned.
2. Once we make all the effort that we need to, we turn to God, supplicate unto Him, and ask for His guidance through prayer. We sincerely submit the consequences of our decision to Him, and detach ourselves from the results of our actions completely. We pray not for a particular result/consequence, but pray that whatever is best for us happen (this is key).

Both, I believe, are necessary. Not studying before an exam, but just sitting and praying to God to help us pass will get us nowhere. Likewise, with complex decisions, we can never know all sides of the issue - and so just trying to come up with our own solution may not lead to the best answer. However, trying hard and then praying to God for inspiration will ensure that we are guided along the right path.

Like most spiritual things, this too, I think lies on a continuum - to the extent that we make an effort, and to the extent that we are able to submit to the will of God, we can be sure that that which has happened is for the best. And over time, with more and more such experiences, as our faith is reinforced, and our detachment becomes more steadfast, we align ourselves more and more with that which God has destined for us.

Which brings me to another very interesting point - the notion of destiny. Usually fate and destiny are interpreted as concepts that rob us of our free will. Therefore if there is something like destiny, I am at its mercy, and so my decisions don't really matter, for the consequences are already predestined.

The Baha'i teachings, however, give a very different meaning to destiny. Baha'u'llah, in the Gleanings, says, "How lofty is the station which man, if he but choose to fulfill his high destiny, can attain!"

Interesting choice of words, no? Man can choose to fulfill his destiny. Now what does that mean? In the context of the rest of the Baha'i teachings, I believe this is what it means - God has created everything with a destiny in mind for it. That destiny is fundamentally for it to grow until it becomes the fullest possible expression of its latent capacities. The destiny of a tree, therefore, is to grow and bear fruit. The destiny of an animal is to grow, bear offspring, and utilize its senses to their fullest capacities. The destiny of man is not just to fulfill the needs of his material existence, but to transcend that and to recognize his essential spiritual nature, and to know God. Every man, however, can choose not to do this. By exercising our free will, we can choose to act in a way that will turn us away from this destiny that God has prepared for us.

How can we align ourselves with our destiny? Ironically (or maybe, fittingly), by ultimately letting go of the control we seek to have over every aspect of our lives, and allowing God to take charge of the reins. We do the best we can in this world, but ultimately leave the consequences to God, and don't get hung up on the results of our actions. We allow God to guide us when it comes to making decisions, and then accept whatever comes out of it, and use it as a way to grow, learn and progress. Therefore we use our free will to choose to submit to the will of God - and by deciding that in our minds, we allow God to direct us.

Understanding this, and reaching that state, is enabled by religion and the teachings of the various manifestations of God. Shoghi Effendi states that "it is the relationship of the individual soul to God and the fulfillment of its spiritual destiny that is the ultimate aim of the laws of religion." So the laws and the teachings of the manifestations of God are maps that help us navigate through the worlds of God. We, of course, must choose whether to accept this guidance or to set our course without regard to His counsels. In other words, we apply our free will primarily in choosing whether to embrace our high destiny or to deny it.

Detachment

This started out as a response to an email, but I figured I might as well blog it so as to get more opinions on it.

Detachment is something I've wondered about a lot over the years, and figuring out what it really means is still an ongoing process. But here are some of my current thoughts on this concept.

First, lets consider the notion of detachment when it comes to the consequences of our actions. Often we commit a certain action, or make a certain decision, and then have expectations of what the result of that action/decision should be. However in many instances our expectations are not met, and can cause us a lot of grief. So you might be kind to someone, and expect them to be thankful, and it hurts you if they are not. Or you might decide to join the masters program at Stanford, and expect it will be a fulfilling course, and are disappointed when it is not. Detachment in these situations, I think, then boils down to ridding oneself of all expectation. And there are 2 reasons why one should do this. One involves realizing that in essence, we aren't really the doer of our actions - but rather, everything we do is enabled by God's grace. And so we don't really "own" our actions (or their consequences). Second, the consequences of any action are hugely influenced by the actions of other people, and existing circumstances - and so though we might expect a certain consequence, the interaction between different people's actions might result in something else. Therefore from both these perspectives, it makes sense to detach ourselves from expectation, and from the consequences of our actions. We do what we need to do in any situation - and then leave the consequences to God. I think there are a few more nuances to this, especially in relation to how the combination of prayer/submission/detachment can affect the consequences of actions, but I'll leave it at this for now.

There is a pretty famous verse from the Bhagavad Gita (one of the Hindu holy texts) where Krishna says,

"Karmanye vaadhi kaa raste maa phaleshu kadaachana
Maa karma phal hetu bhurma te sangostva vikarmani"

Loosely translated, this means, "You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty."

So though we can act, we are not the cause of the results of those actions - and so we should not be attached to them. This, of course, is not a reason to not act at all.

The other situation where detachment comes into play is when we talk of detachment from people/material objects - and here I see it largely in terms of being the opposite of attachment. For the longest time, however, this confused me a little - for, I wondered, does not being attached to people mean we don't love them? But I think there is a subtle difference between love and attachment - and here's my understanding of it. I believe one should love everyone to the utmost possible, as all religious teachings enunciate - but one should never be so attached to someone or something that it deters one from the spiritual path. Attachment can detract one from the spiritual path in two ways - one, we are so attached to someone that we expend all our energies on fostering that attachment, and have little left to focus on our spiritual growth. Second, in a situation where we are separated from the loved one (through distance or death), our attachment is so strong that it produces an intense sadness/depression that again causes one to lose sight of the broader spiritual objective. Therefore we need to find the right balance between love and detachment when it comes to all our relationships. And detachment of course does not mean that we do not express our love for someone, that we do not miss them when they are not with us, that we are not full of joy to be with them - but it does mean that all these feelings are never so intense that they cloud our vision, and are ultimately subservient to the greater goal of spiritual growth. As long as one always keeps that in perspective, one can find that balance between love and detachment.

Its interesting to think about how developing this attitude would affect our relationships/friendships with people. We would still continue to love them just as much, and do all we can do for them - but the greater spiritual perspective that detachment gives us would enable us to handle problems/separation with much greater ease, And ultimately if one has to let go of certain relationships because they contribute negatively to one's growth, or because other kinds of problems arise, it would be much easier to do so again, because the final objective would always remain at the forefront.

Attachment can also be expressed in other ways - one can get attached to one's dislike for certain things, or to inaction in certain situations. In general this sort of attachment can lead to rigidity, and prevents one from being flexible or accommodating. Its therefore important to realize why one holds on to certain things, or refuses to do certain things - whether it comes from holding on to a principle or value, or whether it arises purely from a personal dislike. For example, my holding on to eating vegetarian food is a matter of principle - but my dislike for eggplant is purely a psychological attachment. It is therefore probably better, in the longer spiritual run, to detach myself more from the latter.

All this is of course easier said than done :)

Faith

This was a week of faith and trust.

In myself
In God
In the right thing happening
In consequences of actions being for the best
In the assured presence of guidance
In friends
In their intentions, even if their actions might speak otherwise
In their love
In knowledge
In wisdom
In the transitory nature of uncertainty
In our ability to overcome our doubts and fears
In the power of the spiritual word
In the power of prayer
In the power of love
In time, and its healing powers
In the inherent goodness of people
In knowledge of the sacred writings
In my own actions as a result of that knowledge, and their consequences
In virtue
In being able to learn from mistakes
In God's mercy and forgiveness
In His infinite grace and benevolence

This was a week of faith and trust.