ONTOLOGICAL VISION

God is everything, God is everything. Without
God, there is nothing at all (sggs 485)
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The Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS) embodies the central theme of spiritual teachings — the Oneness of existence. Seeing nothing as apart from one's own Self. In other words, looking upon others as part of one's own Self is the Gurbani's Vision. So the Gurbani asks all the people to merge in their Self and thus attain the Transcendental experience of linking with the Divine Oneness. This ontological insight is the realization of the complete knowledge of one's essential Nature as undefiled Self or Pure Consciousness (Joti-Svaroopa). Such spiritual experience is a one-to-one communion with God and hence even the fortunate ones who have this experience did not or do not generally speak about it. Accordingly, the Gurbani calls it "Goonge Kee Mathiyaaee" (mute's candy).

Threefold ways are indicated to experience such equanimity of vision: (1) remaining indifferent to the world; (2) realizing Oneness of all beings; and (3) gaining intellectual insight of the non-duality (i.e. absence of Doojaa Bhaav).

Indifference is essentially same as detachment (Bairaag), Udaaseentaa or freedom from the bondage of the ephemeral world. As repeatedly indicated in the Gurbani, detachment from the worldliness is necessary to Spiritual Realization. Hence, the criteria that determines one's Spiritual growth is not one's education, caste, class, creed, skin-color, nationality, religion, gender, age, social status, physical appearance, titles, etc. One of the measuring rods of our Spiritual growth is our degree of detachment from the worldly objects. Our preoccupation, however, is always concerned with undue worldly pursuits and sensory pleasures. Unless dispassion for undue attachment to material pleasures and comforts is developed, one's dependence on them will impel him to more and more reactionary actions (causative Karma), and thereby fueling his desires and fears. Attachment clouds our sense of discrimination, reflection or inner inquiry. Detachment makes us introspective and discriminative (Viveka-Budhi), leading to virtuous and truthful conduct. The reflective mind enables us to discriminate between the eternal (permanent) and the ephemeral (impermanent). It helps us to know the difference between Sat and Asat (truth and falsehood or right and wrong). When there is total detachment from the mind (false ego-sense or Haume), there is no time and space (or the consciousness of plurality).

The Gurbani time and again talks about the Oneness — One God, One Pure Consciousness, One Truth or One Light that has become everything. This one Supreme Essence is the substratum (support or "Adhaar") for all beings, places and things. It is this Infinite Essence, the Homogeneous Oneness, the highest plane of Pure Consciousness, which runs in and through everything. This One Eternal Reality is without-a-second — All-pervading Factor, Formless, unconditioned by time and space. That One Homogeneous Whole ("Saabat") is the Changeless in changing phenomena, like the one gold in ornaments, the one ocean in waves, the one clay in pots, the one thread in pearls, the one sun in rays, and the one moon in the pots filled with water. The sense of multitudinism (the outer or phenomenal world of plurality), individuality or separateness is sustained by the body apparatus, which is the play of the five elements. In other words, all separateness comes via the mind and the body. This body-consciousness (or identity) arises due to spiritual ignorance of the extroversion and the wandering of the Haume- or ego-mind. When there is no false sense of individuality left (Haume or ego), there is no feeling of multitudinism. Those with such all-inclusive vision are called Gurmukhs in the Gurbani. In nutshell, spirituality is none other than to recognize Oneness of all beings, and thus seeing Unity in diversity. The basic truth that is to be recognized is that there is only One Self and that there is nothing as apart from the Self.

Duality (Doojaa Bhaav) is the absence of the sense of Oneness of existence — forgetfulness (or ignorance) of the Ultimate Truth. The One Reality is the substratum of everything in the universe. We are this Pure Awareness (Joti-Svaroopa). However, instead of striving to realize this Truth, when we try to give this Awareness various names and forms, the trouble arises! And that trouble is the movement of the mind (thoughts) manifesting in the notion of division, diversity, subject-object relationship, the feeling of two-ness or duality; which gives rise to the phenomenal world. Seen thusly, the very nature of the world is duality. It contains things and opposite of each thing such as joy and sorrow, love and hate, praise and insult, and so on. Thus, the mind conditioned by the perception of duality sees plurality, which, in turn, hides the Reality. By associating with the duality, one loses Divine Understanding. This loosening of the Divine Understanding gives rise to ignorance of the real Self so much talked about in the scriptures. Only when the duality imposed by the mind (limitations) is transcended is one able to experience the Bliss (Anand) of the unlimited Self, and realizes the inherent Oneness of all creation. After cessation of duality, only the Pure Consciousness remains. When established in such Pure Consciousness one will never again experience lust, anger, greed, attachment and self-conceit (also their numerous variations such as hatred, selfishness, jealousy, stubborn mindedness etc.). Such persons will only know Peace, Love and Happiness. While they continue to live in this world, with full control over their mind and body, they dedicate all their actions to God. When a person so works enlightenedly, his actions do not become binding on him. He is not affected by the pairs of opposites (likes and dislikes), for he is already in the Bliss of God realization. Living in this state of mind, he is a Jeevanmukta — one who has attained freedom even while living by virtue of having extricated himself from the delusions that affect human beings. He continues to live with a sense of total detachment, and works to maintain the bare sustenance of life.

Spiritual life (Gurmukh Lifestyle) is not the privilege of a chosen few because liberation from bondage is the birthright of every human being. But it is not feasible for all to take to the spiritual path by renouncing worldly life. Also, the Gurbani has repeatedly pointed out that it is not necessary to renounce the worldly life. The mind of man is the duality itself. So the practical difficulty that a spiritual aspirant faces is controlling the mind to dwell on God amidst the distractions of the world. This requires mind's constant dwelling in Satsang (Saadh-Sangat) — God's Name (Simran or meditation), prayer, Kirtan, Kathaa (listening to the expositions highlighting God's glory), and so on. Spiritual practices are meant to temper the mind. Therefore, in the very outset of the SGGS, Baabaa Nanak emphasizes conquering one's mind (keeping it in check by becoming the Gurmukh, gaining mastery over it, annihilating it, making it pure or Truthful, etc.).

— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org

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Updated on Friday, November 14, 2008 11:22 AM (PST)

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