IMPORTANT UPDATE: The following article (including the update at the bottom) is inaccurate about spirituality. The description of spirituality below is at best of my personalized version of spirituality. That doesn't invalidate the article, but just to be clear, I no more subscribe to any type/version of spirituality. Philosophy, pursued in a right way, is the only way to attain wisdom.
I am not talking about the salvation after death. The one promised in the Christian religion. That's downright bullshit. There's nothing after death. In this article salvation is meant simply as problem-free life.
If asked in that sense, i.e. life without problems or crises, whether salvation is possible then no, such state is not possible. Existence without crises is impossible. It has never been so. For as long as the existence has been, it's been filled with crises. The universe is a massive chaos, and life in it exists as a constant battle of survival. We have learned about "survival of the fittest". Without crises how is fitness to be established?!
It's an inadequate and shallow notion that only humans create problems and that if all humans followed certain standard behavior then the problems will cease to arise. When a natural calamity strikes who are we to blame? Isn't that a crisis? And taking an absolute view, a burglar who robs your wealth and an earthquake which shatters your property are the same phenomena. They are just different faces of the crisis. After all, every atom in the universe follows the same natural laws. And human beings can not be functioning outside of it. Nature itself creates crises.
Even if all humans are enlightened the crises will not cease arising. If we don't consciously create crises then crises will create themselves beyond our consciousness. Because crises are the nature! We should get rid of the false hope that life is ever going to be without crises.
Of course, that is not to mean that we should not fight crises. In fact, the only right and moral thing to do in life is to always strive for survival and wellness. Anyone who follows one's true nature would do just that. Apparently, avoidance of crises is a part of this endeavor.
However, the important thing to see and understand is that crises will keep arising and we are to try to win over them every time. Not that every time we will succeed though. But that doesn't (and shouldn't) matter. Think of life as a continuous game. It has to be played with worriless enjoyment of every moment of it. If you play it only to win then you will miss life completely because winning (so-called salvation or the problem free life) is not a part of the game called life!
Crises are the reality. They are woven in the very fabric of existence. No amount of spiritual development can rid us of crises.
What spiritual development can do is make it easy for us to bear the suffering arising out of crises and enable us face life in its true form and live it with utmost enjoyment. That is the closest to the salvation one can get, and it is only possible through spiritual development!
Freedom through spiritual development is not the freedom from crises, but from the curse of consciousness, that is, suffering!
Update: Complete freedom from suffering is not possible. Some suffering is unavoidable. Spiritual development only makes it bearable.
I am not talking about the salvation after death. The one promised in the Christian religion. That's downright bullshit. There's nothing after death. In this article salvation is meant simply as problem-free life.
If asked in that sense, i.e. life without problems or crises, whether salvation is possible then no, such state is not possible. Existence without crises is impossible. It has never been so. For as long as the existence has been, it's been filled with crises. The universe is a massive chaos, and life in it exists as a constant battle of survival. We have learned about "survival of the fittest". Without crises how is fitness to be established?!
It's an inadequate and shallow notion that only humans create problems and that if all humans followed certain standard behavior then the problems will cease to arise. When a natural calamity strikes who are we to blame? Isn't that a crisis? And taking an absolute view, a burglar who robs your wealth and an earthquake which shatters your property are the same phenomena. They are just different faces of the crisis. After all, every atom in the universe follows the same natural laws. And human beings can not be functioning outside of it. Nature itself creates crises.
Even if all humans are enlightened the crises will not cease arising. If we don't consciously create crises then crises will create themselves beyond our consciousness. Because crises are the nature! We should get rid of the false hope that life is ever going to be without crises.
Of course, that is not to mean that we should not fight crises. In fact, the only right and moral thing to do in life is to always strive for survival and wellness. Anyone who follows one's true nature would do just that. Apparently, avoidance of crises is a part of this endeavor.
However, the important thing to see and understand is that crises will keep arising and we are to try to win over them every time. Not that every time we will succeed though. But that doesn't (and shouldn't) matter. Think of life as a continuous game. It has to be played with worriless enjoyment of every moment of it. If you play it only to win then you will miss life completely because winning (so-called salvation or the problem free life) is not a part of the game called life!
How spiritual development helps?
Crises are the reality. They are woven in the very fabric of existence. No amount of spiritual development can rid us of crises.
What spiritual development can do is make it easy for us to bear the suffering arising out of crises and enable us face life in its true form and live it with utmost enjoyment. That is the closest to the salvation one can get, and it is only possible through spiritual development!
Freedom through spiritual development is not the freedom from crises, but from the curse of consciousness, that is, suffering!
Update: Complete freedom from suffering is not possible. Some suffering is unavoidable. Spiritual development only makes it bearable.
Hi Darshan,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post. Learning to accept crisis in life as an absolute is a really important idea, one that everybody who is concerned with personal growth should contemplate. I do have a couple of comments, though. One, I would say that, as far as Christianity goes (the religion of my culture), salvation is seen as something that happens after death, as in being saved from hell. Being a "believer" often allows people to deal with crisis in a way that feels better to them, but this is different from salvation. It is a minor point, but one I thought you would like to know.
Two, I don't necessarily think that we should try to dodge all crises in our lives. Sometimes, crisis is how we grow. There is a famous saying in 12 Step groups (addiction recovery) that "pain is the touchstone of all spiritual progress." I have found this to be very true in my own life. When I am feeling good and things are going well, I'm not nearly as interested in growth as when I am hurting and wanting the pain to stop (emotional pain, of course). Emotional pain is often--almost always, in fact--how lesser-developed people become more developed! It is a great motivator! So if we try to dodge every crisis that comes into our life, we lose out on many opportunities to become more Whole. It is a paradox that trying to avoid pain is how we eventually become able to be present with it, but that is how is seems to work.
Thanks again for a great, thought-provoking post! Please let me know if I'm not thinking about it right!
Kitty
Thanks Kitty, for the appreciation.
ReplyDeleteI have used the word "salvation" not in a theological sense. A more general meaning is to be taken: Being saved from harm or from an unpleasant situation. Will spiritual development give that? - is the point here. Because people tend to look for THE solution, you see, which IS NOT. Apart from that, your point is noted.
As for the second point, yes, you are right. I agree with what you said. Instead of "dodging" I should have written it as -
...crises will keep arising and we are to try to win over or overcome them every time.
That makes it more right. I will implement this change in the article later.
Thank you.
i have discounted spirituality as a hogwash long before.., its just an illusion created by the mind..
ReplyDeleteNo amount of spiritual activity will GET salvation. Salvation, realization, enlightenment, whatever name you want to give it cannot be purchased at any price,whether that be money , spiritual sweat or religious gymnastics. All that is necessary is seeing our situation without all the perceptual filters we've acquired through , out parents , families , school system , culture , ect. Once you strip all that away you are left with a body , mind , thoughts , perceptions , and energy. But there is no I , me , mine , you , they , them. There is nothing behind it all. None of this is permanent and enduring. It is whatever it is taking different forms in what seems to be an act of cosmic playfulness. Forms come and forms go. All just different forms of The One. So why does it seem impossible for us to realize that we already are at one with God , Higher Power , The Creator , Cosmic Consciousness , The Unknown. THOU art THAT. It would be the same as the eye attempting to look at itself. It can't. You might say it can in a mirror but then it would only be seeing it's reflection not it's SELF. As Van Morrison said " Let go into the Mystery, Let yourself go!"
ReplyDelete