Beacon Herald 2nd
Edition
The Lifestyle of Enlightenment:
Realizing True Fulfillment and Healing a Bankrupt Culture
The culture of consumerism has an
unconscious mantra at its center: “All is empty, inside is empty,
outside is empty, I am empty, we are empty, you are empty.” The
only thing one can do is go on filling his life with more and more
thoughts, possessions, pleasures, positions, honors, etc.
Fulfillment becomes a distant dream, a goal to be manufactured and
measured by materialistic objects, superficial relationships and
mindless entertainments. The ideal is that when one has amassed
enough wealth, power, prestige, knowledge, whatever it is, then one
can begin to taste “fulfillment”. In practice however, even when
immense wealth and power gets attached to a single individual, the
sense of emptiness only becomes more suffocating. The pursuit for
“more” has become a threat to the very balance of the planet and
the continued existence of the human species.
We are in desperate need of a new
vision of life, one that doesn’t end in some fantasy of
fulfillment, but one that begins with a deep understanding and
existential experience of true fulfillment. The way to this
experience is a lifestyle of Enlightenment, a lifestyle that is
grounded in the understandings of ancient rishis who have perfected
the science of inner fulfillment. The mantra for the culture of the
future is contained in the invocation of the Isha Upanishad:
“Om. That is full; this is full.
This fullness has been projected from that fullness. When this
fullness merges in that fullness, all that remains is fullness. Om.
Peace! Peace! Peace!”
While this mantra may seem to have only
philosophical significance, when its meaning is applied in earnest to
the core of ones life, it creates a lifestyle of constant evolution
into higher states of consciousness, peace and fulfillment. The
vedic rishis, Enlightened Masters, and Avatars of the past embodied a
tremendous realization of this profound truth and consciously
fashioned all aspects of life to help bring others into a state of
superconscious fulfillment. Let us take a look at some aspects of
modern life and see where this understanding can have a healing
effect.
Health: Fulfillment results
from the feeling of being whole and wholeness is the true function of
health. Modern health care is designed in segments by so-called
professionals who, knowing only a fragment of the body, design drugs
made for a part of the body while creating “side effects” that
effect the entire body.
The rishis, or spiritual seers, of the
past had an all encompassing view of human health, one that sees the
body, mind, and subtle spiritual energies as a whole. Rather then
just fixing a part as if a human being works like an automobile, the
subtle science of Ayurveda works to realign the entire flow of the
human system to function in a state of wholeness, a dynamic
equilibrium that is the fountainhead of complete physical, mental and
spiritual fulfillment.
The corporate greed of food companies
has put the demand for increased profits over the interests of
wholistic health. Food advertising perverts the bodies natural sense
of hunger and does everything it can to create a sense of
unfulfillment while providing a temporary fix: “Delight yourself
with a high profit margin, corn-syrup drenched, diabetes inducing
soda with your 'meal', its pure satisfaction!!!”. Consumerism
thrives on cheap food and expensive diseases.
The completeness of true health is
naturally self-maintaining. It naturally raises consciousness. It
creates an appreciation for the profound intelligence of the body and
an awareness of each cell working together towards providing the
foundation for consciousness to realize the inherent fullness in all
that exists. Knowing this, food habits, health care, exercise
routines, all can be aligned to serve the evolution of higher states
of consciousness towards deeper levels of fulfillment. This process
consciously takes one beyond the limited drives of the body and mind
and ultimately creates a lasting state of spiritual bliss which is
unaffected by the happenings of nature.
Education: Realizing the
fullness in all things means that intelligence is a global
phenomenon. That it exists not just in the brain but throughout our
body and the world around us as a living presence ready to unfold
with infinite knowledge, existence and bliss. Somehow, modern
education continually attempts to bypass this inherent intelligence
and turn students into repetition machines, cogs in a wheel that no
one knows for what purpose it is moving, for whom it is turning, or
to where it is going.
Cutting children off from their
inherent intelligence is an act of violence, and leaves them wounded.
Many of the most wounded become teachers in the system, and enforce
their sense of unfulfillment onto children, especially those who
naturally enjoy being fulfilled in themselves. The Enlightened
Beings of the past knew there was only one way out of this trap,
which is to have teachers, or at least the head staff of the school,
be immersed in a state of fulfillment and living with a fully
awakened consciousness. From this experience they could connect with
the natural intelligence within each student and provide the proper
guidance for them to unfold this intelligence naturally from within
themselves.
Anything that can awaken this enfolded
intelligence becomes the practical method of teaching. Chanting of
mantras, imbibing divinely inspired forms, connecting deeply with
nature, moving the body with awareness, meditation, yoga- all act to
awaken this innate intelligence. These methods and many more
techniques will soon be scientifically verified to activate certain
portions of the brain and have tremendous positive effects on
creativity, focus, and problem solving. More importantly, they will
help create a space of lasting fulfillment within each child which
will act as a greenhouse for the seed of Enlightened Consciousness to
grow.
Using strict examinations and the fear
they induce to “educate” children is like ripping growing seeds
out of the earth before they flower. What will be the use of such
half-sprouted seeds? What we need is not education, but
inspiration. Pure inspiration that comes from realizing that the
source of all knowledge is within and each and everyone is imbued
with the power to experience and express from the Source.
Entertainment:
The culture of consumerism is based on creating unfulfilled desires,
the more unfulfilled desires one has, the more desperate one works to
continue a system that is benefiting the greed of a few false kings.
The primary method of creating unfulfilled desires is entertainment
geared towards the lowest of human motivations.
This
is best exemplified in the popular music of today where lust is made
into the highest pleasure, money made into the highest good and
alcohol and drug intoxication glorified as the highest experience one
can hope for. This music is not an act of rebellion against society,
rather it is the twisted reflection of a few unscrupulous false
kings, whose cynical materialism combined with vast media control are
trying to put a noose around the whole human endeavor.
These
dark forces are not just feeding on base desires, but are engineering
them with the latest technologies. How many souls landed on this
planet Earth wanting to brutally murder thousands of people? Yet
that is exactly what is being “virtually” acted out daily by
millions of youth in hyper-realistic video game worlds engineered on
blood lust. The global effect of such activities is yet to be seen,
but on an individual level it creates a confining sense of
unfulfillment towards the lowest level of human possibilities.
There
is a great demand for media producers who are living an Enlightened
lifestyle, who go on creating not for the vested interests of giant
media corporations or personal name and fame, but who act as pure
mediums to the highest truths and experiences that the human spirit
can fathom. Modern media has tremendous potential to share spiritual
truths and visionary experiences, yet most in the spiritual field
have not even begun to tap into these potentials.
Rather
then creating out of greed or fear, the artists of the future will
create from a state of samadhi, a pure state of spiritual bliss, and
it is their profound state of fulfillment that will be passed on
through their art. Just as modern films use light and sound effects
to create an unavoidable sense of fear or restlessness, the spiritual
films of the future won't just be spreading beliefs or ideas, but
will directly induce healing states of bliss, fill the audience with
divine wonder and inspire millions to seek the source of fulfillment
within.
Economy: Living
an Enlightened lifestyle makes one immune to the constant
consumeristic frenzy which lures people into believing they will be
incapable without the latest technology, unworthy without the latest
fashion, and unfulfilled without an excess of expendable wealth.
This immunity is not just based on philosophic or moral principles,
but is the result of a deep existential experience of inner bliss, a
sense of fulfillment and at-one-ment with the world.
To
feel at ease with little, to feel confident in ones being without
status and position, to be able to inspire thousands with little or
no funding, to cherish simple moments freely available in the vast
arena of nature, are all side effects of living in tune with the
fullness of existence.
This
does not mean however a total denial of goods, or a halting of
economic flow. Rather, quality will be valued over quantity, and
the theme of conscious individual fulfillment will replace the
unconscious fulfillment of faceless corporations. One hand carved
desk purchased from your neighbor down the street adds a thousand
times more fulfillment in life then one hundred desks purchased from
a commercial mega-store who will likely not even notice the increase
in sales.
Practical
steps must be taken to wean people away from an overly consumerist
attitude and encourage activities that pose little or no threat to
the environment. The best way to do this is through an increase in
awareness, not through legislation, but through meditation. As more
and more citizens awaken to the experience of inner fulfillment, the
less the negative impact on the environment will occur and a stable
self-sustaining economy can be built that is founded upon the
empowerment and celebration of infinite consciousness.
Politics: In
a society that is at risk of global collapse due to a few poor
decisions made by a couple of political leaders, it is critical that
the leaders of the future be aware of and practice an Enlightened
lifestyle. If this is not possible, then at least there should be an
assemblage of Enlightened advisers directly assisting the leaders in
the decision making process.
In
the vedic times a group of priests and Brahmins would advise rulers
who were genuinely interested in benefiting the people they serve.
While we would like to think that in modern times politics has become
secular and there is no class of priests effecting political decision
making, this is not the case. This class of political advisers has
gone underground, working behind the scenes with vested interests in
the largest companies of the world. The greed and fear based media
that is being spread around the planet is a reflection of a small
powerful elite group of people who, despite owning most of the worlds
wealth, are still faced with a looming sense of emptiness and
unfulfillment.
What
we desperately need now are a group of advisers to world leaders that
are working without vested interests. Beings who have realized the
supreme fullness of life and can not be swayed by any intoxication of
power, greed or fear. Beings who have awakened into super-conscious
intelligence, who can access knowledge inwardly and see far ahead
into all the outcomes of any particular decision. The head is the
most indispensable part of the body and effects the rest of the
organism by its decisions. What is needed is an Enlightened
lifestyle in corporate boardrooms, military meetings, and
presidential offices.
Culture of OM: Om
is the universal vibration of omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient
consciousness. The culture of Om is one that tunes our mind, bodies
and spirit to the highest vibrations of super-consciousness. The
Enlightened lifestyle is one that guides us into uncharted realms of
human spirit, creativity and universal compassion. When fullness is
taken out of fullness there only remains fullness. This is the
supreme mystery, that even in the most seemingly fragmented state,
fullness is there waiting to be realized, and even in the most
divinely fulfilling state, there is yet infinitely more fulfillment
to come. OM
P16 Entertainment
Laughing Buddha: “Relax, Cosmos is
Bliss”
AP, Ananda Press
Laughing Buddha appeared live to a
spirited audience last week at one of the most prestigious venues in
the world, Radio City Music Hall in New York City. In tremendous
bursts of laughter, he sent out vibrations of bliss to the whole
audience. His bright golden form graced the stage with wondrous
beams of light that radiated from His eternally smiling face. After
an hour of only laughter, the audience was drenched in ecstasy and
was wondering if the Laughing Buddha would say anything at all. Then
He broke His silence and spoke with a voice that filled every inch of
the great amphitheater with compassion and infinite wisdom and said
“Relax, Cosmos is Bliss”. This was followed by another hour of
constant laughter and the audience left the hall feeling lighter then
ever, healed of all depression, and with blissful smiles all around.
P108 Ishopanishad Revealed Scripture
Translation by Swami Nikhilananda
Invocation
Om. That is full; this is full. This
fullness has been projected from that fullness. When this fullness
merges in that fullness, all that remains is fullness. Om. Peace!
Peace! Peace!
1) All this—whatever exists in this
changing universe—should be covered by the Lord. Protect the Self
by renunciation. Lust not after any man's wealth.
2) If a man wishes to live a hundred
years on this earth, he should live performing action. For you, who
cherish such a desire and regard yourself as a man, there is no other
way by which you can keep work from clinging to you.
3) Verily, those worlds of the asuras
are enveloped in blind darkness; and thereto they all repair after
death who are slayers of Atman.
4) That non—dual Atman, though never
stirring, is swifter than the mind. The senses cannot reach It, for
It moves ever in front. Though standing still, It overtakes others
who are running. Because of Atman, Vayu, the World Soul apportions
the activities of all.
5) It moves and moves not; It is far
and likewise near. It is inside all this and It is outside all this.
6) The wise man beholds all beings in
the Self and the Self in all beings; for that reason he does not hate
anyone.
7) To the seer, all things have verily
become the Self: what delusion, what sorrow, can there be for him who
beholds that oneness?
8) It is He who pervades all—He who
is bright and bodiless, without scar or sinews, pure and by evil
unpierced; who is the Seer, omniscient, transcendent and uncreated.
He has duly allotted to the eternal World—Creators their respective
duties.
9) Into a blind darkness they enter who
are devoted to ignorance (rituals); but into a greater darkness they
enter who engage in knowledge of a deity alone.
10) One thing, they say, is obtained
from knowledge; another, they say, from ignorance. Thus we have heard
from the wise who have taught us this.
11) He who is aware that both knowledge
and ignorance should be pursued together, overcomes death through
ignorance and obtains immortality through knowledge.
12) Into a blind darkness they enter
who worship only the unmanifested prakriti; but into a greater
darkness they enter who worship the manifested Hiranyagarbha.
13) One thing, they say, is obtained
from the worship of the manifested; another, they say, from the
worship of the unmanifested. Thus we have heard from the wise who
taught us this.
14) He who knows that both the
unmanifested prakriti and the manifested Hiranyagarbha should be
worshipped together, overcomes death by the worship of Hiranyagarbha
and obtains immortality through devotion to prakriti.
15) The door of the Truth is covered by
a golden disc. Open it, O Nourisher! Remove it so that I who have
been worshipping the Truth may behold It.
16) O Nourisher, lone Traveller of the
sky! Controller! O Sun, Offspring of Prajapati! Gather Your rays;
withdraw Your light. I would see, through Your grace, that form of
Yours which is the fairest. I am indeed He, that Purusha, who dwells
there.
17) Now may my breath return to the
all—pervading, immortal Prana! May this body be burnt to ashes! Om.
O mind, remember, remember all that I have done.
18) O Fire, lead us by the good path
for the enjoyment of the fruit of our action. You know, O god, all
our deeds. Destroy our sin of deceit. We offer, by words, our
salutations to you.
