Beyond Egocentrism

 

Consciousness and God

 

      It really matters not whether one is a Christian, Jew, Muslim or Hindu - the meditative knowledge inherent in Yoga is relevant to all people with faith in God, irrespective of their creed. All true minded people know this, and they know that Truth is absolutely essential in faith. Whilst the Buddha remained silent about God, Buddhists, too, recognise the universal values, such as inner peace, love and non-violence, which can be found in all of the major religions around the world. To commit to Truth, and to be conscious of these spiritual values, is a major step in the spiritual development of all aspirants on a religious path to the divine. Consciousness and mental cogitation are not identical internal experiences, and experiencing God through meditation and surrender, which is beyond an intellectual comprehension of the divine, was clearly understood by William James as being the essence of religious experience. That such experience is open to all is not in question. That access to this spiritual knowledge is not available to a great many people is true in a modern world that currently does not usually acknowledge Truth. Estranged from Truth, human beings have nothing to enjoy that has a permanent value because death takes away everything in life that has been acquired materially. Knowledge of worldly transience makes acceptance of Truth, and the experience of God, quite imperative. Experiencing that bliss is what makes this acceptance totally worthwhile.

 

      Indian philosophy has many concepts which would be useful to incorporate in modern psychological practice, particularly in the context of self-knowledge and self-development. These constructs can help to discriminate between the mind, which, in the conventional world, frames modes of cognitive processing, and the underlying consciousness, which sheds light upon the relative knowledge that is manipulated by the mind. The mind itself, known as the Manas, in the Indian tradition, can be separated, conceptually, from the Buddhi, which is the higher discriminating intellectual capacity, and which, if it is in control of our internal faculties, enables us to see with clear vision. If we do not use the Buddhi, whilst actively engaged in the world, we get tied to untruth, and the confusion and conflict which such a life entails. Consciousness utilizes the Buddhi to enable clear perception, which itself can be purified by practising yogic disciplines.

 

Surrendering to God

 

The ground of our being is the Atman, and experience of our identity with the Atman is the goal of yoga. The individual soul, or Jiva, in Indian parlance, comes home, to God, and is forever established in God, once we surrender to Truth, and accept our divine status. The discipline of yoga involves detachment, concentration and meditation, leading to union with the divine. The ideal of spiritual detachment, as practised by spiritual masters throughout the ages, is relevant for life in the modern world. While divine grace is essential for this ideal to result in self-realization, efforts to put detached action into practice should be made so that conscious transformation can be manifested in life in response to the necessary spiritual preparations. As one cannot bake a cake without using an oven and gathering together all of the necessary ingredients and utensils, so, too, receiving divine grace will not be experienced by the practitioner before certain psychological adjustments have been made. To then experience grace, one must understand and know what the experience is, as well as be in a receptive state to receive it.

 

      Deciding to surrender oneself to God is not an easy decision to make. All sorts of external pressures that can attach oneself to various selfish concerns can give rise to a considerable amount of anxiety, doubt and confusion. Such attachment to these misguided insecurities, which play upon the minds of those whose egos tend to dominate others, as well as those who are subject to their dominance, can distract the aspirant from the spiritual ideals which he or she wishes to put into practice. The egoistic priorities of those who place power and personal security before care for others, for example, can cause much conflict and heartache during processes of spiritual endeavour. These trials must be patiently borne with full faith that liberation will be achieved through grace. Standing firm and facing these challenges reinforces and confirms the full process of conscious, spiritual transformation, and reflects the strength which is developed from within.