| Spiritualism is the ability of a person to know beyond | | | | The strongest arguments prove nothing so long as the |
| the senses. The world can be understood as the | | | | conclusions are not verified by experience. |
| combination of the matter and spirit. While the matter is | | | | Experimental science is the queen of sciences and the |
| visible and known to the senses, the spirit that is the | | | | goal of all speculation. |
| cause of the matter is not known to the senses. The | | | | It is for this reason that Gita has given highest place to |
| knowledge of the spirit is obtained by the observation | | | | Karma amongst all paths of salvation as without |
| of the matter. | | | | action, the knowledge can never be verified. Further, |
| Spirit is all pervasive in the world as all objects are | | | | like scientists, the person has to keep himself away in |
| derived from this spirit. The spirit is, therefore, also | | | | participating the experiments and work merely as an |
| known as God, Paramatma (Universal Soul), Supreme | | | | observer. Thus the requirement is selfless karma. Only |
| etc. All branches of knowledge are an attempt of the | | | | when the experiment is done without selfish motive, |
| man to understand this spirit. Einstein expressed this | | | | the results are accurately known. |
| desire of the spiritual person in the following words, | | | | If the laws of the scriptures are properly understood, |
| "I just want to know the thoughts of God. The rest are | | | | then the result of an action would result into the goal |
| details." | | | | as predicted in the scriptures. If the results does not |
| Spiritualism, contrary to the common perception, is not | | | | match than either the theory is wrong or the |
| other-worldly as it is very much related to this world. It | | | | experiment is wrong. |
| is an attempt to discover the ultimate reality which is | | | | 3. Faith: Believe in Scriptures |
| hidden behind the material beings. When Newton saw | | | | If the theory is correct and the experiment has been |
| an apple falling from tree, he did not focus his thoughts | | | | performed rightly, the results of the action are same |
| on the apple but on the force that is driving the apple | | | | irrespective of the observer and the person. In this |
| to the ground. Then he found that the same force | | | | regard, there is no difference between a scientist and |
| works between every material object of the universe. | | | | a spiritual person. Thus the results prove the theory |
| He called it gravity. Yet no one has ever seen the | | | | that causes the development of faith in the theories of |
| gravitational waves or understood the reason why | | | | the scriptures. |
| such forces emerge from the matter. Yet this | | | | Faith is the first achievement of the spiritually |
| knowledge has been extremely valuable for the | | | | awakened person. He experiments not on others but |
| mankind. | | | | on him, hence there are no chances of errors or |
| Spirituality too is nothing but an attempt of the man to | | | | manipulation. Can anyone doubt the truth of an incident |
| discover the unseen and unknown force that drives | | | | which he has witnessed by his own eyes? Hence the |
| every reality of this world. The only requirement to | | | | faith is automatically generated. Repeated success of |
| become spiritual is to change the focus from the | | | | the experiment deepens the faith of the theory and his |
| "form" to the "formless" as Osho said, | | | | capability to understand the scriptures and the nature |
| We should drop our obsession with form so that the | | | | of the spirit. |
| formless can enter. The moment the manifest leaves | | | | Faith is highly valued in all religions. Bible elaborate the |
| our mind, the unmanifest enters." | | | | importance of faith in the following words |
| Many thousands years back, Upanishads, explained | | | | He (Jesus) told them, "Because of your lack of faith. I |
| spiritualism as the highest knowledge of the world in | | | | tell you with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of |
| the following words (Mundaka, I, i, 6) | | | | mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move |
| By this knowledge, the wise realize everywhere that | | | | from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be |
| which can not be perceived and grasped, which is | | | | impossible for you. |
| without source, features, eyes and ears, which has | | | | Yet faith can never be forced as it is impossible to |
| neither hands nor feet, which is eternal, multiformed, all | | | | influence the soul. No one can lie to himself or fool |
| pervasive, extremely subtle and undimishing, and which | | | | himself. Faith or belief comes only when a person is |
| is the source of all. | | | | really convinced about the truth or accuracy of the |
| If the knowledge of the spirit can not be acquired by | | | | principles. Yet once the faith is achieved, nothing |
| the mind and senses then, how one can get it. The | | | | remains unachievable. |
| answer is that the spiritual knowledge can be obtained | | | | 4. Self-Realization: The Power of Concentration |
| only by the spark of the spirit that is present in every | | | | It takes considerable time before a person has |
| living creature, which we know as soul. Thus the | | | | developed the correct understanding of the scriptures |
| source of spiritual knowledge is the soul which alone is | | | | and able to distinguish the truth from the symbolism. In |
| capable of understanding the knowledge of the spirit. It | | | | the beginning, large deviations are found in the theory |
| is for this reason that the spiritual knowledge is also | | | | and the results of the action. However with |
| called self-realization as it emerges from within and not | | | | concentration, one can realize the fault and get the |
| from outside. | | | | right knowledge and right experimentation. |
| Four Means of Spiritualism | | | | The process of deep thinking or concentration is often |
| The goal of spiritualism is to know the spirit, the all | | | | called the self-realization in religion as this knowledge is |
| pervasive reality of the universe. It was found that | | | | realized from within. In Gita, it is called Dhyanayoga or |
| such knowledge is possible only when the person | | | | self realization which is the pinnacle of spiritualism. |
| transforms himself to a spiritual person and moves in | | | | Self-realization has been given the highest place in all |
| the path of divinity or salvation. This is also known as | | | | religions. In the Gita Lord Krishna says |
| yoga or union of Self with the God or Divine. | | | | I shall fully explain to you the Self-knowledge together |
| Bhagwat Gita provides for four paths of salvation viz. | | | | with Self-realization after knowing that nothing more |
| Gyanayoga (knowledge of Supreme), Karmayoga | | | | remains to be known in this world. |
| (Selfless Action), Bhaktiyoga (Faith) and Dhyanayoga | | | | Francis Marie Arouet de Voltaire (1694-1778) French |
| (self-realization). | | | | writer, philosopher explained the power of thinking in |
| Since all branches of knowledge are nothing but the | | | | the following words, |
| branches of the same tree, hence all the four paths | | | | No problem can stand the assault of sustained thinking. |
| are common in other branches of knowledge like | | | | A Balanced Approach to Spiritualism |
| science which describes these four steps as | | | | Every person who intends to know the spirit or God |
| hypothesis, experimentation, analysis and theory. | | | | has to balance all four paths as no single path can lead |
| However, people often follow the simplest path and | | | | to spiritualism. Mere bookish knowledge of the |
| stick to only one path instead of balancing the four | | | | scriptures can make a person philosopher but not |
| methods of union. However, these people feel | | | | spiritual. Knowledge without knowing is like cloths which |
| disappointed and disillusioned soon as they fail to | | | | are worn externally and can be changed anytime. This |
| evolve spiritually. | | | | knowledge does not transform the person as he does |
| Only a person who strikes proper balance in all four | | | | not really know the spirit. He could only know the body |
| types of spiritualism attaints the spiritual evolution. | | | | of the spirit and not the True knowledge of Spirit just |
| 1. Knowledge: Understanding Scriptures | | | | like none can understand a person merely from his |
| The truth of spiritualism is hidden in the scriptures. Yet it | | | | photograph. |
| is not the words of the scriptures that carry the | | | | Similarly all selfless actions do not provide any benefit |
| essence of the knowledge but the spirit of the | | | | to man. First of all, without knowledge it is impossible to |
| scriptures that can be realized only by the soul. | | | | do any action as every action originates from a |
| Scriptures requires highest level of imagination and | | | | motive or desire. Action without proper knowledge |
| thoughts. The meanings of the texts of Bible are not | | | | may cause more harm to the person instead of giving |
| comprehensible like science. For example, read this | | | | any benefit to him. |
| texts from Bible | | | | The blind devotion or faith in the words of the |
| And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he | | | | scriptures is the most fetal error a man can commit in |
| that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that | | | | the name of religion. Such people are called fanatics or |
| believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:35 (KJV) | | | | fundamentalists as they instead of knowing their |
| Scriptures are like poems which mix reality with | | | | scriptures know only the words. Thus they take body |
| imagination and symbolism. The proper understanding | | | | as the whole truth can commit unpardonable crimes in |
| of scriptures requires deep knowledge of life and man. | | | | the name of God. |
| Try understanding this para of Bible | | | | Finally, mere concentration does not yield to anything. It |
| Jesus said to her, `I am the resurrection and the life. He | | | | is virtually impossible to see the unseen and |
| who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and | | | | understand the formless without having some basic |
| whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do | | | | knowledge of the scriptures. Even the most |
| you believe this?'" (John 11:24-26) | | | | awakened persons started from the scriptures before, |
| Yet man with repeated effort and deep desire can | | | | they could develop their new understanding of the |
| grasp the truth of the scriptures just like a person after | | | | spirit. Self-realization does not come in vacuum but its |
| repeatedly seeing movies of different kinds or after | | | | feet lies firmly on the existing base of spirituality and |
| reading fictions develop the ability to understand the | | | | religion. Yet the understanding and knowledge arising |
| truth after filtering the fiction or symbolism. | | | | out of self-realization is fresh like a new born child, as it |
| 2. Selfless Action: Verification of Knowledge | | | | is designed from a purpose to help solve a real-life |
| Once a person has developed some understanding of | | | | problem. |
| the scriptures, the next step is to ensure that what he | | | | When a person combines all the four means of |
| understood is correct. It has to be tested and verified | | | | spiritualism, he is able to move to the higher and higher |
| just like a theory in science has to be verified by | | | | orbit of spiritualism and attain divinity, the goal of |
| experiments. Roger Bacon (1214?-1294?) English | | | | spiritualism and religion. |
| philosopher, scientist said, | | | | |