Understanding Spirituality… and Living It 24x7: Real Questions, Rational Answers

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Understanding Spirituality... and Living It 24x7: Real Questions, Rational Answers is a lucid, reader-friendly straightforward account of a subject that is often made very abstract and philosophical.

In the first chapter on Who Am I? the author outlines the multidimensional beings we are: a living body, a mind with feelings and thinking, and a soul and psychic being. Our psychic being is "an infallible guide" to right and wrong in every situation. Heeding that "still small voice" can put us on the right path. These dimensions of the person are explained in accessible language, telling examples and transformative stories.

The next chapter on The Purpose of Life opens with the author distinguishing mental consciousness from mystic consciousness. While mental consciousness is consciousness of the sensory world, mystic consciousness sees a deeper or divine dimension that is present within, behind, and beyond all created things. If we heed the "voice of the soul" or "psychic being" then we begin to develop a consciousness that is rooted in the Divine. As we develop this deeper consciousness it brings joy, mental and physical well-being, and a sense of fulfillment. And in Sri Aurobindo's teaching this "approaching mystic consciousness or spiritual growth is the purpose of life." The author asserts that spirituality "enriches, enhances and ennobles worldly life. It brings joy, peace, and fulfillment to individuals as well as makes the world a better place..."

The third chapter, No Stress to Manage, builds on the insights and wisdom gained of who we are and what the purpose of life is, and addresses the issue of stress in our lives. While stress is part of all our lives, it can be overcome. There are insights and practices that can move one toward this goal. Here the author first urges us to relax since obsessing about stress only makes it worse. Secondly, we should understand that stress arises from "the gap between the way things are and the way we would like them to be." And if we can't change the situation, then our only option is to change ourselves.

That involves getting a new way of seeing others they too have the Divine in them and seeing Reality. Once we become aware of the divine presence in and underlying all things, then we should realize that every event or situation is not either "good or bad" but an opportunity for further spiritual growth. The author illustrates this process of internal transformation through many examples and stories. Seen in that larger perspective, he argues that stress evaporates.

In the next chapter, New Wine in Old Bottles, the author outlines the significance of spirituality for education, psychology, and health. It leads to integral education, to integral psychology, and to integral health; education, psychology and health that address the fullness of the human being as understood by Sri Aurobindo, especially the soul/psychic being. Integral yoga is also introduced to underscore how spirituality is relevant to the whole of human life. Again, the author makes his case with many examples and experiences of transformative events.

The Epilogue: Personal Reflections for Public Consumption is the author's own story. It is fascinating, and recounts a personal spiritual journey.

The Appendix on Obsessive Compulsive Spirituality is a welcome little cautionary tale.

Understanding Spirituality is a gem. The author, Prof. Ramesh Bijlani, is a model for folks writing about big issues like spirituality. He writes with great simplicity and clarity, illustrating his work with abundant and helpful examples and stories. This book is a welcome addition to the many volumes seeking to clarify the meaning of spirituality for our time. Here we have a fine exposition of Sri Aurobindo's vision of spirituality, one that in Ramesh's words: "is a life embracing spirituality that has a place in all aspects of life

."

Spirituality is the in-thing today, but does not mean the same thing to everybody. From being a fashionable substitute for religion to a sophisticated synonym for being a good person, and many things in-between, spirituality can mean anything. The root of spirituality is mystic experience, which in turn leads to a philosophy, a way of looking at life, and a way of living a meaningful life. Mystic experience is the culmination of a sincere and persistent search for answers to a few basic questions, such as 'who am I', 'why am I here', 'how did it all begin', 'what is the relationship between the Creator, if any, and Its creation', and 'what is the relationship between the individual and the rest of the creation'. Getting answers to these questions through mystic experience has been the prerogative of only a select few at any point in time at any place in the world. But through their compassion for their fellow beings, many who had the experience have tried to describe the experience, and the answers that the experience suggests. What these descriptions tell us is that, first, the universe is not an accident but was created by a Creator, who has always been there and will always be there. Secondly, the Creator has an all-pervasive presence in Its creation; it is this presence that is called the Spirit, and is from this spirit that the word spirituality comes. Thirdly, the Creator has not abandoned Its creation, but continues to play a role in directing its activities. The spiritual philosophies underlying all religious traditions are united on these three points.

All the three basic points in spirituality are based on the existence of a Creator, known by many names. The existence of the Creator, commonly called God, cannot be proved, or disproved, by rational analysis, but it can be rationalized. Believers, who want to understand this rationale, and atheists who are open to looking at this rationale, will find this book particularly useful. As Sri Aurobindo has emphasized, if we accept something, it should be because we understand it; if we reject something, that should also be because we understand it. There can be nothing more irrational than rejecting something without knowing what we are rejecting.

The next question that arises is whether spirituality is merely intellectual entertainment, or can it influence life? It can influence life in two diametrically opposite ways. One way would be to treat the Creator as the Absolute Reality, and everything else on which our picture of reality is constructed as falsehood. That would make most of us look stupid for wasting life engaging with falsehood, and we would try to find an excuse for the stupidity in worldly compulsions, obligations and responsibilities. We would pin our hopes for release from the labyrinth of falsehood on merging with the Creator in some other blissful world after death. A few may try to seek release in this very world by renouncing worldly life, and going away to a forest or a cave in search of the mysteries of existence. This is a life-negating impact of spirituality. The other way would be to look upon the creation, including ourselves, as manifestations of the Creator. If the Creator is the Absolute Reality, its manifestations cannot be false. The creation may not be everlasting, but that does not make it unreal or false. The creation may not be perfect like the Creator, but even that does not make it unreal or false. The creation is also real while it lasts. And, since human beings are unique in having the capacity to reduce their imperfection during their lifetime, that must be the purpose of human life. Therefore, instead of rejecting worldly life as unreal, we should seek to transform it so that it becomes more and more worthy of manifesting the Creator. This is the life-embracing impact of spirituality.

Unfortunately, the life-negating view of spirituality has made deep inroads in the Indian psyche during the last one thousand years, although in Vedic times we had a rich and vibrant society precisely because spirituality permeated every aspect of worldly life. In recent times, Sri Aurobindo and The Mother have been pioneers in emphasizing the life-embracing view of spirituality. This book attempts to present simply and briefly the basics of spirituality in light of Their teachings.