Gandhian Mysticism

In this article I will analyze, from my own perspective, the merits and demerits of the book ‘Gandhian Mysticism’ by Mohit Chakrabarti.  I will consider the quality of the book in terms of its contribution to the understanding of mysticism, by means of its structure and content.  Finally, I will conclude whether I feel the author has accomplished his task; –that being a scholarly study of Gandhian mysticism.

 

Chakrabarti defines mysticism as a “beyonding of consciousness” (Chakrabarti, 1).  Further, Chakrabarti refers to Gandhian mysticism as “growth eternal from Truth to Truth” (Chakrabarti, 1).  Chakrabarti’s main focus of his book ‘Gandhian Mysticism’  is to study Gandhi’s understanding of mysticism from various avenues of Gandhian thought.  Gandhian Mysticism is further explained in relation to non-violence, in terms of the concept of joy, as well as in view of its practical application in face of social tension.

 

Firstly, the author attempts to explain Gandhi’s ideas on the various dimensions of mysticism.  Gandhi thinks that “service is the symbol of self-sacrifice and self-purification leading to enlightenment in the mystic vision” (Chakrabarti, 2).  Gandhi believes in living a life based on simplicity, non-violence, and Truth, as revealed by his mystical vision.  Gandhi suggests that all persons have the potential and ability to live likewise.  Gandhian mysticism may be termed “spirituality in action” (Chakrabarti, 2).  Gandhi’s mysticism as spirituality in action is further described as:

“Spirituality in its essence is the direct experience in one’s own consciousness and one’s whole being, of Oneness of all Existence without the least doubt or wavering.  Awareness of such oneness in one’s own consciousness without any feeling of separateness with any thing in the universe…such awareness is said to have two stages, not necessarily one after the other: the perception of Oneness…which is attended by a momentary sense of fulfillment and ecstatic joy.” (Chakrabarti, 3)

 

Gandhi’s personal aspiration and ambition, in terms of mysticism is described as wanting to “see God face to face” (Chakrabarti, 3).  In order to achieve this mystical experience, Gandhi takes on the spiritual discipline of maintaining vows, for the purpose of self purification.  By the process of self purification the ego is transcended.  Thus Gandhi is able to experience the mystical state of being called Superconsciousness.  Gandhi considers mysticism as “the essence of the human soul” (Chakrabarti, 6).  Also Gandhi prescribes the practise of self purification as a means of hearing the voice of God within: 

“Having made a ceaseless effort to attain self-purification, I have developed some little capacity to hear correctly and clearly the still small voice within” (Chakrabarti, 8)

 

To be a continual visualizer in the mystic vision, Gandhi gives prominence to the “still small voice within”  (Chakrabarti, 8).  The Gandhian concept of mysticism suggests a “return to the roots of consciousness, as mysticism makes inroads to higher feeling” (Chakrabarti, 9).  Love, not hatred, is the single factor that has, as Gandhi points out “an abiding force to see inwardly and see in fullness” (Chakrabarti, 10).  The mystic merges in Love, and Love merges in the mystic.

 

Gandhian mysticism in general then progresses to a study of Gandhian mysticism in relation to specifics such as non-violence, the concept of joy and practical applications in face of social tension.

 

In relation to non-violence, Gandhian mysticism has a practical application  of approaching life in terms of “action based on the refusal to harm deliberately” (Chakrabarti, 36).  Gandhi understands non-violence to be the “law of our being” (Charkrabarti, 36).  Gandhi’s mystic vision is that materialism be transformed in the vision of spiritual harmony.  According to Gandhian mysticism, the spirit is more important than matter.  Through the practise of non-violence the spirit can transform matter, by means of the Truth-force or Soul-force generated.  Thus the mysticism of Gandhi aims at a philosophy based on non-violent action.

 

As a seeker of non-violence, Gandhi always makes an inward journey into his own consciousness.  This inner journey, according to Gandhian mysticism, enables one to become more self-aware and to discern right from wrong.  What is remarkable in Gandhian mysticism, is the pursuit of the benevolence of humankind as the means toward achievement of mystic fulfillment.  One begins the journey inwardly, by the process of inward vision.  However, through the observance of outward activities based on non-violence, one continues the journey.  Gandhi always affirms goodness and welfare to all living beings.  He equates non-violence as the means to achieve his mystical vision of Truth, Peace, and Love.

 

In relation to the concept of joy, Gandhian mysticism highlights the conscious awareness “to feel within oneself the spirit of joy arising out of the sense of goodness and love  derived by means of non-violence as the symbol of mystic contentment” (Chakrabarti, 99).  Gandhi mystically visualizes the joy in humanity that must manifest itself in brilliant radiance.  Gandhi’s testimony to the world reveals his mystic concept of joy:

 

“There is a spirit which, I feel, delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things…as it bears no evil in itself, so it conceives none in thought to any other.  If it be betrayed it bears it:  for its ground and spring is the mercies and forgiveness of God” (Chakrabarti, 100).  Gandhi believes that as soon as one achieves control over oneself, the joy in oneself comes out (Chakrabarti, 101).  Gandhi, the mystic visionary, embraces the world as the eternal fountain of joy.  Gandhi insists that we ‘illumine or perish’ (Chakrabarti, 103).  Gandhi says that the ‘gateway to the world of joy is always open for those who come to have an unhindered entry through the vision of joy’ (Chakrabarti, 103).

 

Finally the book on ‘Gandhian Mysticism’‘ relates Gandhi’s mysticism to practical applications in face of social tension.  Gandhi thinks that the modern social pattern of utilitarianism necessitates a mystic breakthrough.  Gandhi feels that much of the modern world is devoid of mutual co-operation, cohesion and of feeling for one and all (Chakrabarti, 105).  Gandhi envisions mankind as becoming “conscious of the inner worth of humanity and so alleviate the sorrows and sufferings consequential to poverty (Chakrabarti, 106).  Gandhi believes that social change can be achieved through a “silent inward revolution” (Chakrabarti, 107).  This inward revolution teaches humanity how to live honestly and with devotion to Truth and goodness.  As a mystic visionary, Gandhi delves deep into social miseries, suffering and poverty.  Gandhi believes and actualises in his activities the fact that Love is the cure for all wrongs and sufferings of distressed humanity (Chakrabarti, 111).

 

The above dimensions of Gandhian mysicism, from the standpoint of his unique strategy of non-violence, brings forth a new awareness of the future potential of humanity.  The potential of social progress, Love and Truth manifest in the world.  Gandhian mysticism encompasses the two aspects of firstly an inwardness of vision and secondly an outward action in response to one’s vision.  Gandhian mysticism thus becomes second to none as a technique of applying the inner essence of humanity toward the good of one and all.

 

I feel that the merits or strengths of the book ‘Gandhian Mysticism’ are found primarily in the depth of insight within the content of the text.  The author has a refined understanding of Gandhi’s mystical understanding and visions.  Furthermore, the author supports his views well with direct quotes from Gandhi, in order to strenghen the content of the text.

 

The structure of the text is good; beginning with an overview of Gandhian mysticism, then focusing on specifics in terms of modern day social tensions.  I feel that the author has accomplished his aim of enhancing the reader’s understanding of Ganhian mysticism.

 

However, I think the text has the demerit of being somewhat too short in length.  An in depth analysis of Gandhian mysticism in relation to Satyagraha (passive resistance) would have enhanced the quality of the text.  Nevertheless, in view of the strengths found in the text, I would recommend ‘Gandhian Mysticism’ as excellent reading.

Written by,

Deborah Morrison

 

Works Cited

Chakrabarti, Mohit ‘Ganhian Mysticism’ 1989.

                    Atlantic Publishers and Distributors,

                   New Delhi, India.

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Suffering & The Theophany of Job

After a thorough perusal of the Book of Job, one can only conclude that Job learns a great deal from his experience.  Of significance is Job’s theophany, his mystical religious experience of communicating with God.  Job’s religious experience results in his new awareness of God’s omniscience and omnipotence.  Job learns to be theocentric, rather than anthropocentric.  In contrast, Job never does learn about the generic cause of his suffering.  The cause being the wager between Satan and God.

 

Job had always been a pious man and had lived a life of material comfort.  Throughout chapters one to thirty-seven in the Book of Job, Job experiences misfortune.  As a reaction to the extreme suffering that Job must contend with, he falls into a deep and continual state of despair.  A despair that threatens his faith in God.

 

Job repeatedly proclaims his innocence.  He feels as if he were being punished by God, with no just cause.  Where there is faith there is hope.  However, Job’s faith in God becomes progressively weak.  Job begins to lose all hope.  The weakening of Job’s faith becomes apparent when he says:

“I tell you that God has wronged me and enveloped me in his net” (Job 19, 6)

As Job’s faith in God becomes weaker, it is evident that Job begins to lose hope of ever seeing happiness again.  Job replies to Eliphaz:

“My days are over, so are my plans, my heart-strings are broken… Where then is my hope?  Who can see any happiness for me?” (17, 11-15)

 

Friends and relatives give advice to Job.  However, everyone believes that Job must have sinned and is being punished.  Job proclaims his innocence and finds no comfort from others.  God seems far away and evil appears to be triumphant.  Evidently, until chapter thirty-seven of the Book of Job, Job maintains an anthropocentric perspective.  If human beings were the centre of everything, then Job’s understanding of his suffering might bring some light to his situation.  However, Job has more to learn.

 

The three sages, the friends of Job, have failed to justify God.  Thus, Job is in a state of ever deepening despair, until God speaks to him.  The discourses of Yahweh are a major turning point for Job.  Job’s theophany, (mystical religious experience), is his direct discourses with God, where he learns the most.  Job’s profound learning restores his faith in the Divine.

 

The first discourse with Yahweh teaches Job about the Creator’s wisdom.  Job learns that God is omiscient, all knowing.  Yahweh asks Job many questions:

“Have you grasped the celestial laws?” (38, 33)

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?  Tell me since you are so well informed!” (38, 4)

“Who decided its dimensions, do you know?” (38, 5)

Job begins to realize that the human intellect is limited in understanding.  Job replies to Yahweh:

“My words have been frivolous!  What can I reply?  I had better lay down my hand over my mouth, I have spoken once, I shall not speak again:  I have spoken twice, I have nothing more to say.” (40, 4-5)

 

Thus, Job acknowledges God’s omniscience.  Job realizes that perhaps he doesn’t understand his own suffering completely.  However, God being all knowing, would have the absolute wisdom necessary to understand Job’s suffering.

 

Secondly, through the discourses of Yahweh, Job learns that God is omnipotent.  God asks Job:

“Do you really want to reverse my judgement, Put me in the wrong and yourself in the right? Has your arm the strength of God’s, Can your voice thunder as loud?” (40, 8-9)

Yahweh reminds Job that he is not strong enough to save himself, let alone anyone else.  Yahweh challenges Job by stating:

“Let the fury of your anger burst forth, humble the haughty at a glance.  At a glance bring down all the proud, strike down the wicked where they stand.” (40, 11-12)

Job finds comfort, as a result of his mystical religious experience, communicating directly with God.  Job comes to know God more completely.  Job has overcome his weakening faith.   Now, he has a stronger faith and a deeper understanding of God.

 

Job also learns of God’s omnipotence.  Yahweh reminds Job of the strength of Divine power.  Through faith in God, Job’s hope is restored.  The suffering that Job experiences must be temporary.  Eventually, Job will experience happiness once again.  The progress of Job’s learning is portrayed in his final answer to Yahweh:

“Before, I knew only by hearsay, but now, having seen you with my own eyes, I retract what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes.” (42, 5-6)

Job’s learning is progressive; from an anthropocentric (human centered) to a theocentric (God centered) perspective.  By understanding that God is in the centre, Job begins to see himself as a small unit within a larger, yet Divine plan.  Job realizes that everything cannot happen for his benefit alone.  By means of God’s omniscience and omnipotence, eventually Divine justice will reign supreme.  Job reaffirms what he has learned through his experience by answering Yahweh:

“I know that You are all-powerful; what You conceive: You can perform.  I was the man who misrepresented your intentions with my ignorant words.” (42, 2-3)

 

In contrast to all the profound learning that Job gains through his experience, Job has learned nothing about the generic cause of his suffering.  Initially, there was a wager established between Satan and God.  Misfortune and suffering, were originally thrust upon Job due to Satan challenging God.  Satan, was sure that Job would lose faith in God, if tested by severe suffering.  Both Satan and Yahweh knew all along about the wager that led to Job’s suffering.  Even after Yahweh’s discourses, Job never learns about the wager between Satan and God.  The real purpose behind Job’s suffering is never revealed to him.

 

One can only conclude that Job’s theophany, his mystical religious experience of speaking directly with God, results in a progressive learning experience.  Before his religious experience, Job understands his suffering from an anthropocentric perspective.  After learning from his mystical religious experience, Job becomes theocentric, or God centered.  In contrast, Job never learns anything about the real cause of his suffering– the wager between Satan and God.  In the heart of the tempest, while in the depths of despair, Job’s faith and hope are restored.  Job learns more about the Divine nature of Yahweh–the attributes of omniscience and omnipotence.  Profound learning results from Job’s experiences, both the suffering and the theophany.  Job’s happiness is re-established, and his love for God deepens.

By

 Deborah Morrison

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

All references to the book of Job in this article refer to:

The New Jerusalem Bible.  1990.  Bantam Publishing Ltd., London

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HAVE COMPASSION FOR YOUR BODY AND TRY NATURAL HEALING

CLASSICAL HOMEOPATHY:

A Scientific Perspective

By Deborah Morrison

Published in Alive Magazine, May 2000

Interest in Classical Homeopathy has grown. What’s grown along with it is the recognition that Classical Homeopathic theories are explained and supported by science.

It is increasingly acknowledged that diseases are the result of diverse causal factors. Therefore, various lines of therapy may be appropriate to help with healing. Homeopathy can often be the main therapy to assist healing; in other situations it may be a useful additional “string” to the therapeutic “bow.”

We know that all material objects, including our own bodies, are actually energy fields behaving as if they are solid. Science reminds us that the atoms that compose seemingly solid objects are whirling zones of energy. With this idea in mind, it is much easier to think of the human body as comprised of many cells, or small energy patterns, linked together in the overall complex. The implications are vast! Changes in one’s personal energy field can affect thought processes, emotional reactions or physical performance.

With this in mind, Classical Homeopathy also considers the mind-body connection. It recognizes that ideas and feelings can determine one’s physical condition. There is an immense potential for healing when working with the composite body energies of thoughts and feelings, along with the physical.

Energy flow changes are associated with disease, even though gross cellular changes cannot always be defined to account for them. Therefore, Homeopathy treats changes in the totality of body energy patterns and not merely the reactions of particular cells. Such an understanding of the body composition opens the way for more dynamic assessments of disease.

The Classical Homeopathic approach implies that any disease is a disturbance of the composite body energies, and is a change that influences the whole system to some degree (even though at times it may appear to focus on a particular part).

The word “homeopathy” can be understood by taking it back to its Greek roots. It incorporates two Greek words: ‘homios’ (like or similar) and ‘pathos’ (suffering). When these two roots are put together we have a single term which implies “like suffering.” The idea fundamental to Classical Homeopathic prescribing is to treat ‘like with like.’

An appropriate remedy presents another stimulus similar to that causing the disease. The remedy is in a form to which the body can respond more effectively and so provokes a self-healing reaction against the pathological condition. This contrary action or “counter-revolution” then over-comes the disease process.

This method works by treating an illness with high dilution levels of extracts that would cause the symptoms of the illness in a healthy person. What’s left is the energetic essence of the remedy, which changes the personal energy field, thereby re-creating a healthy balance within the individual.

Most Classical Homeopathic medicines come from naturally occurring (rather than synthetic) products. There is so much more to research and discover in this field. For example, there are one half of a million plant species on Earth. Only five per cent of these plants have been examined for their healing properties.

Consider, for example, the treating of some types of common cold infections by a Homeopathic preparation of ‘Allium Cepa.’ The cold infection provokes a disturbance to which the body does not immediately respond with an adequate opposition. The ‘Allium Cepa’ prescribed for the cold then provokes a stronger response which corrects the prior disease state.

Most importantly, if the will is set toward recovery, there is a unified movement of body energies and therapies used; these together orient toward health.

Reference:

Glove, Dr. A. Thorson’s Introductory Guide to Homeopathy, HarperCollins Publishers, 1991

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Balance "Secret Principles" with Compassion

“The Secret” reinforces an important message of taking inventory of our thoughts and focusing them in a positive direction to create life changes that we desire. This is a wonderful message, yet without critical examination and thoughtful application, the ideas can prove unskillful in our interactions with individuals who suffer.

The idea that we attract everything through our thoughts is on the one hand a powerful message. However, it can also be a dangerous message when taken to an extreme perspective. We can end up blaming victims for their plight, such as: Individuals in poverty, survivors of disasters, the disabled or the abused.

I believe that at critical moments such as with Hurricane Katrina or with the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, our desire to alleviate suffering is most important. The extreme perspective can also assign wrongful thinking for causing diseases or illnesses. I feel uncomfortable when positive thinking is taken this far because it can allow us to become distant from another person’s need or suffering, since we can at some level just say, “Well, they must have brought this upon themselves.”

If taken to an extreme this perspective of our thoughts alone ultimately influencing the universe can approach arrogance. Certainly our thoughts, intentions and our ability to select our reaction to events are powerful tools for personal transformation, yet this message needs to be balanced with humility and compassion. Thoughts play an important role, yet at times our response needs to come from the heart not the head..

At a human level, we need to balance our positive thinking attitudes with compassion for ourselves and others. When individuals are in need, our hearts need to respond to them with empathy, care and understanding. If our positive thoughts disconnect us from compassion, then even if we succeed at an individual level, we may fail at a social level – we may achieve material success but lose our “soul” in the process.

When we approach positive thinking or “the law of attraction” with a mechanical attitude, then we risk limiting our growth to self-interest rather than growing in our compassion. From a higher perspective, we know that spiritual growth starts within our hearts and is not limited to our thoughts alone. The mind and heart work in harmony in order to create a life that is fulfilling at all levels.

In “NEXUS: A Neo Novel” our focus has been on personal transformation  of people who in one way or another are stuck. Through the journey of people in our book, we discover many insights to expand both our mind and our heart – to develop a positive mind along with a compassionate heart.

Peace & blessings,
Arvind Singh
Co-author of Nexus

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NEXUS Press Release

Deborah Morrison & Arvind Singh from Ontario, Canada explore their gifts as novelists through a captivating book called NEXUS. Deborah has previously written a book of poetry called Mystical Poetry, and she has published many articles on health and spirituality. Arvind has published a number of articles on spiritual and philosophical thought both in English and South Asian languages and this is his first book.

NEXUS is an amazing spiritual adventure of Personal Transformation & Empowerment. Readers have described it as Insightful, Captivating and Inspirational. It builds on the experiences of both authors as teachers of relaxation, breath and yoga therapies. Through a poignant journey to a retreat, each person in the novel is looking to overcome personal pain including the main character, Logan Andrews.

Logan, a journalist in his mid-20s, struggles with depression to the point of suicide. Can he control his troubled mind before its too late?

In a vivid dream, Logan is guided to a spiritual retreat where he meets his lost love, Sarah, along with an arrogant millionaire, a grandmotherly woman and two insightful teachers.

Problems soon emerge for Logan and others at the retreat. What happens to each character and the depth of their personal experiences makes NEXUS a journey of transformation and a compelling read.

I’ve read many spiritual books but this one succeeds where others fail. It successfully combines a poignant story fraught with true human emotions of personal pain along with remarkable spiritual insights. James Bertrand

Nexus made me laugh and it made me cry. The story touched on many issues that I have struggled with in my own life and it gave practical advice on transforming my life. Its perfect for anyone looking for an Inspiring, Spiritual book filled with practical wisdom. Harpal Singh Khalsa.

A simple story with a simple message, Nexus invites you in to explore the characters’ thoughts and feelings along side your own. Nancy Noble

This book is totally amazing!!! It works like a dream at a subconscious level of understanding even if consciously you’re unaware of its full spiritual dimensions. Aaron

Quality Paperback edition

Published by Manor House Publishing

Available online from

Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | Chapters-Indigo

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Dalai Lama on Compassion

Compassion forms the primary message contained in the pages of Nexus, where through empathy and genuine feeling of oneness with others, transcendence from ego-centeredness is possible. Then compassion and genuine love can be enshrined within.

The following excerpts by the Dalai Lama shed practical wisdom on bringing compassion into our daily lives:

Where Compassion Starts

“Compassion is the wish for another being to be free from suffering; love is wanting them to have happiness. ”

“The next matter to be understood is whether it is possible to enhance compassion and love. In other words, is there a means by which these qualities of mind can be increased, and anger, hatred, and jealousy reduced? My answer to this is an emphatic, Yes! Even if you do not agree with me right now, let yourself be open to the possibility of such development. Let us carry out some experiments together; perhaps we may then find some answers.”

“For a start, it is possible to divide every kind of happiness and suffering into two main categories: mental and physical. Of the two, it is the mind that exerts the greatest influence on most of us. Unless we are either gravely ill or deprived of basic necessities, our physical condition plays a secondary role in life. If the body is content, we virtually ignore it. The mind, however, registers every event, no matter how small. Hence we should devote our most serious efforts to bringing about mental peace rather than physical comfort.”

Transforming the Mind

“From my own limited experience, I am convinced that through constant training we can indeed develop our minds. Our positive attitudes, thoughts, and outlook can be enhanced, and their negative counterparts can be reduced. Even a single moment of consciousness depends on so many factors, and when we change these various factors, the mind also changes. This is a simple truth about the nature of mind. ”

Developing Compassion

“Self-centeredness inhibits our love for others, and we are all afflicted by it to one degree or another. For true happiness to come about, we need a calm mind, and such peace of mind is brought about only by a compassionate attitude.”

“Many forms of compassionate feeling are mixed with desire and attachment. For instance, the love parents feel for their child is often strongly associated with their own emotional needs, so it is not fully compassionate. Usually when we are concerned about a close friend, we call this compassion, but it too is usually attachment. Even in marriage, the love between husband and wife…depends more on attachment than genuine love. Marriages that last only a short time do so because they lack compassion; they are produced by emotional attachment based on projection and expectation, and as soon as the projections change, the attachment disappears.”

“Compassion without attachment is possible. Therefore, we need to clarify the distinctions between compassion and attachment. True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. Because of this firm foundation, a truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively. Genuine compassion is based not on our own projections and expectations, but rather on the needs of the other.”

“When you recognize that all beings are equal in both their desire for happiness and their right to obtain it, you automatically feel empathy and closeness for them. Through accustoming your mind to this sense of universal altruism, you develop a feeling of responsibility for others; you wish to help them actively overcome their problems. This wish is not selective; it applies equally to all beings. As long as they experience pleasure and pain just as you do, there is no logical basis to discriminate between them or to alter your concern for them if they behave negatively.”

“Given patience and time, it is within our power to develop this kind of universal compassion. Of course our self-centeredness, our distinctive attachment to the feeling of a solid I, works fundamentally to inhibit our compassion. Indeed, true compassion can be experienced only when this type of self-grasping is eliminated. But this does not mean that we cannot start to cultivate compassion and begin to make progress right away.”

Our Connectedness & Universal Compassion

“I believe that at every level of societyfamilial, national and internationalthe key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in a particular ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities. I believe that the cultivation of individual happiness can contribute in a profound and effective way to the overall improvement of the entire human community.”

“We all share an identical need for love, and on the basis of this commonality, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister. No matter how new the face or how different the dress or behavior, there is no significant division between us and other people. It is foolish to dwell on external differences because our basic natures are the same.”

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New Promotion: Buy NEXUS with THE SECRET

“Nexus” is now being offered with “The Secret” at a special price on Amazon.ca when both books are puchased together. Click on the icon below to visit the link.

Buy Nexus with The Secret by Rhonda Byrne today!

Total List Price: CDN$ 46.41
Buy Together Today: CDN$ 30.98

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Know thyself

To know yourself is the most important aspect of spiritual life.
While no book can reveal this fully, since knowing yourself is a personal journey for each individual. Yet the journey of each person in NEXUS touches the mind and especially the heart. Words are powerful as they can reveal, heal, illuminate and move the spirit. They can act on our mind as a balm.

Ever since I can remember, this quasi-magical quality of language, where the words act upon our psyche to create new insights and meaning, has always fascinated me. The richness of symbolic meaning is given life by our imagination and consciousness.

This is why I have been fascinated by mystical and spiritual language because realities outside ordinary experience are made real by rich symbols. Writing became an extension of this fascination with creative possibilities contained in language.

Deborah and I wrote NEXUS to offer readers a unique journey from surface pain and sorrow to the realization of a deeper peace that is within us – at the core of our being. Journey to this innermost part is “connecting to the Nexus within” and our novel explores this search.

The search for peace is not something new. Ancient civilizations have quested for the answer to self-knowledge contained in an essential question: “Who am I?”

This self-inquiry yields our infinitude as we move past labels of name, nationality, race, gender and religion. At the surface level are these labels deep within is peace.

Our mind is full of worry but when we can objectify our thoughts, we realize that our true nature is outside the thoughts as an ever-present spiritual reality. That realization is the essence of peace. Surface thoughts and emotions pass away like shadows cast by moving clouds, yet at our centre we can find stillness, silence and peace.

The outside is like the rim of a wheel always spinning but the central hub is steady and peaceful.

In NEXUS, we experientially explore many insights into spiritual life in the narrative. The journey of personal transformation needs to communicate to the heart. So it can’t be a theory of living but a unique experience of personal transformation from the struggles of people in the novel.

Each person needs to reconnect to their inner centre of peace, their Nexus within, in order to find the source of compassion, peace and strength. Of course, the centre is always there except it can be covered by hurt and pain of experiences.

In some cases, the affliction can be deeply buried like a wound. So it requires conscious awareness before release is possible. After the heart is unburdened from laden emotions, then the truth of who you really are can be known.

Peace is not something we have to find, since it is always within us. Rather we need to uncover it. Our surface condition has an apparent reality, yet true transformation comes from within – at the core of our being.

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Remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: Why I am Opposed to War Speech

Why I Am Opposed to War:

A Time To Break Silence

Excerpts of speech by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.delivered at New
Yorks Riverside Church on April 4, 1967.

 

 

Over the past two years, as I have moved to break the betrayal of my own silences and to speak from the burnings of my own heart, as I have called for radical departures from the destruction of Vietnam, many persons have questioned me about the wisdom of my path. At the heart of their concerns this query has often loomed large and loud:

Why are you speaking about the war, Dr. King?

Why are you joining the voices of dissent?

Peace and civil rights don’t mix, they say. Aren’t you hurting the cause of your people, they ask.

And when I hear them, though I often understand the source of their concern, I am nevertheless greatly saddened, for such questions mean that the inquirers have not really known me, my commitment or my calling. Indeed, their questions suggest that they do not know the world in which they live.

Since I am a preacher by trade, I suppose it is not surprising that I have seven major reasons for bringing Vietnam into the field of my moral vision. There is at the outset a very obvious and almost facile connection between the war in Vietnam and the struggle I and others, have been waging in America.

A few years ago there was a shining moment in that struggle. It seemed as if there was a real promise of hope for the poor both black and white through the Poverty Program. Then came the build-up in Vietnam, and I watched the program broken and eviscerated as if it were some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war. And I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic, destructive suction tube.

So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such. It became clear to me that the war was doing far more than devastating the hopes of the poor at home. It was sending their sons and their brothers and their husbands to fight and to die in extraordinarily high proportions relative to the rest of the population.

My third reason grows out of my experience in the ghettos of the North. As I have walked among the desperate, rejected and angry young men, I have told them that Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems.

But, they asked, what about Vietnam?

They asked if our own nation wasn’t using massive doses of violence to bring about the changes it wanted. Their questions hit home. I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today, my own government. If America’s soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read “Vietnam.”

In 1957, when a group of us formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, we chose as our motto: “To save the soul of America.” We were convinced that we could not limit our vision to certain rights for black people, but instead affirmed the conviction that America would never be free or saved from itself unless the descendants of its slaves were loosed from the shackles they still wear.

Another burden of responsibility was placed upon me in 1964. I cannot forget that the Nobel Prize for Peace was also a commission, a commission to work harder than I had ever worked before for the “brotherhood of man.” This is a calling that takes me beyond national allegiances, but even if it were not present I would yet have to live with the meaning of my commitment to the ministry of Jesus Christ.

To me, the relationship of this ministry to the making of peace is so obvious that I sometimes marvel at those who ask me why I am speaking against the war.

Washingtons Regime Change in Vietnam

The Vietnamese proclaimed their independence in 1945 after a combined French and Japanese occupation. Even though they quoted the American Declaration of Independence in their own document of freedom, we refused to recognize them. Instead, we decided to support France in its re-conquest of her former colony.

Before the end of the war, we were meeting 80 percent of the French war costs. After the French were defeated, it looked as if independence and land reform would come again through the Geneva agreements. But instead there came the United States, determined that Ho Chi Minh should not unify the temporarily divided nation, and the peasants watched again as we supported one of the most vicious modern dictators, our chosen man, Premier Diem. Our government felt then that the Vietnamese people were not “ready” for independence, and we again fell victim to the deadly Western arrogance that has poisoned the international atmosphere for so long.

The peasants watched and cringed as Diem ruthlessly routed out all opposition, supported their extortionist landlords and refused even to discuss reunification with the North. The peasants watched as all this was presided over by increasing numbers of US troops who came to help quell the insurgency that Diem’s methods had aroused. Now they languish under our bombs and consider us, not their fellow Vietnamese, the real enemy. They move sadly and apathetically as we herd them off the land of their fathers into concentration camps where minimal social needs are rarely met. They watch as we poison their water, as we kill a million acres of their crops. They must weep as the bulldozers destroy their precious trees. They wander into the hospitals, with at least 20 casualties from American firepower for each Viet Cong-inflicted injury. So far we may have killed a million of them, mostly children.

Where are the roots of the independent Vietnam we claim to be building? They ask how we can speak of free elections when the Saigon press is censored and controlled by the military junta. They question our political goals and they deny the reality of a peace settlement from which they will be excluded. Here is the true meaning and value of compassion and non-violence, when it helps us to see the enemy’s point of view, to hear his questions, to know of his assessment of ourselves. For from his view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers who are called the opposition.

The Lies that Lead the US to War

It must be clear that the leaders of Hanoi considered the presence of American troops in support of the Diem regime to have been the initial military breach of the Geneva Agreements. They remind us that they did not begin to send in any large number of supplies or men until American forces had moved into the tens of thousands. Hanoi remembers how our leaders refused to tell us the truth about the earlier North Vietnamese overtures for peace, how the President claimed that none existed when they had clearly been made. Ho Chi Minh has watched as America has spoken of peace and built up its forces, and now he has surely heard the increasing international rumors of American plans for an invasion of the North.

We are adding cynicism to the process of death, for our troops must know after a short period there that none of the things we claim to be fighting for are really involved. Before long they must know that their government has sent them into a struggle among Vietnamese, and the more sophisticated surely realize that we are on the side of the wealthy and the secure while we create a hell for the poor.

I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor of Vietnam and the poor of America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption in Vietnam. I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The world now demands a maturity of America that we may not be able to achieve. It demands that we admit that we have been wrong from the beginning of our adventure in Vietnam, that we have been detrimental to the life of her people.

We must make what reparations we can for the damage we have done. We must provide the medical aid that is badly needed. Meanwhile, we in the churches and synagogues have a continuing task while we urge our government to disengage itself from a disgraceful commitment. Every man of humane convictions must decide on the protest that best suits his convictions, but we must all protest.

A Far Deeper Malady

The war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit, and if we ignore this sobering reality, we will find ourselves organizing clergy, and laymen-concerned committees for the next generation. We will be marching and attending rallies without end unless there is a significant and profound change in American life and policy.

In 1957, a sensitive American official overseas said that it seemed to him that our nation was on the wrong side of a world revolution. During the past ten years we have seen emerge a pattern of suppression which now has justified the presence of US military “advisors” in Venezuela. The need to maintain social stability for our investments accounts for the counterrevolutionary action of American forces in Guatemala. It tells why American helicopters are being used against guerrillas in Colombia and why American napalm and Green Beret forces have already been active against rebels in Peru.

The words of John F. Kennedy come back to haunt us. Five years ago he said, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

Increasingly, by choice or by accident, this is the role our nation has taken, by refusing to give up the privileges and the pleasures that come from the immense profits of overseas investment. I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. When machines and computers, profit and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and America Needs a Revolution of Values

True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice that produces beggars needs restructuring. A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say: This is not just.”

It will look at our alliance with the landed gentry of Latin America and say: “This is not just.”

The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just. A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war: “This way of settling differences is not just.”

This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation’s homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into the veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice, and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

There is nothing, except a tragic death wish, to prevent us from re-ordering our priorities, so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war.

Let us not join those who shout war and through their misguided passions urge the United States to relinquish its participation in the United Nations. These are the days that demand wise restraint and calm reasonableness. We must, with positive action, seek to remove those conditions of poverty, insecurity and injustice which are the fertile soil in which the seed of communism grows and develops.

These are revolutionary times. All over the globe men are revolting against old systems of exploitation and oppression, and out of the wombs of a frail world, new systems of justice and equality are being born. The shirtless and barefoot people of the land are rising up as never before.

We in the West must support these revolutions. It is a sad fact that, because of comfort, complacency, a morbid fear of communism, and our proneness to adjust to injustice, the Western nations that initiated so much of the revolutionary spirit of the modern world have now become the arch anti-revolutionaries. Our only hope today lies in our ability to recapture the revolutionary spirit and go out into a sometimes hostile world declaring eternal hostility to poverty, racism, and militarism.

If we do not act we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight.

Let us re-dedicate ourselves to the long and bitter but beautiful struggle for a new world. Our brothers wait eagerly for our response. The choice is ours, and though we might prefer it otherwise, we must choose in this crucial moment of human history.

 

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Forgiveness in Different Religions

Most world religions include teachings on forgiveness, which provide guidance for the practice of forgiveness. Here are some examples of forgiveness understood from different traditions:

BUDDHISM

Forgiveness is a practice for removing unhealthy emotions that would otherwise cause harm to our mental well-being. Hatred leaves a lasting effect on our karma (“actions”) and forgiveness creates emotions with a wholesome effect. Buddhism questions the reality of passions that give rise to anger through meditation and insight. After examination, we realize that anger is only an impermanent emotion that we can fully experience and then release.

The basic problem in Buddhist psychology is that emotions like anger and hatred are based on projections and ignorance, not on wisdom and awareness. The elimination of anger is a lengthy process but through mindfulness Buddhism is confident that an individual will realize anger is only temporal like many other mental states.

Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a Buddhist Perspective by the Dalai Lama is a wonderful guide on releasing anger. Here are three Buddhist quotes on the folly of anger:

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else but you are the one who gets burned” — The Buddha

You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.” — The Buddha

“It is natural for the immature to harm others. Getting angry with them is like resenting a fire for burning.” — Shantideva

Wheel of Dharma, Symbolizing the Cycle of Rebirth & Death.

SIKHISM

Forgiveness () is viewed as the remedy to anger (). You forgive an offender when aroused by compassion. Compassion generates peace, tranquility, humility and co-operation in human interactions. The act of forgiveness is considered a divine gift, not the work of human agency. Otherwise, pride () would increase when we take personal credit, which would impede our spiritual progress.

Anger is often considered the result of unfulfilled desire. If a person fulfills our desires and wants, we feel love for them but when they impede our desires anger can well up. The ego can easily feel slighted, embarrassed, belittled or in some other way be offended. As we learn to discipline our mind through meditation on the Word, our ego and anger naturally turn to compassion and forgiveness. Since anger and forgiveness are considered opposites, the human mind can only contain one of them at a given time.

Here are some verses from the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scriptures, that capture the essence of forgiveness:

“To practice forgiveness is fasting, good conduct and contentment” — Guru Arjan Dev, page 223

“Where there is forgiveness, there God resides — Kabir, page 137

“Dispelled is anger as forgiveness is grasped” –Guru Amar Das, page 233

Ik Onkar symbol of Sikhism. To further understand this symbol read Connectedness in Ik Onkar Symbol.

While Eastern religions take a more psychological view of forgiveness, Abrahamic religions share a distinctly moral view that varies from idealism of Christianity to relative pragmatism of Islam and Judaism:

JUDAISM

Ideally a person who has caused harm, needs to sincerely apologize, then the wronged person is religiously bound to forgive. However, even without an apology, forgiveness is considered a pious act (Deot 6:9). Teshuva (, literally “Returning”) is a way of atoning, which requires cessation of harmful act, regret over act, confession and repetence. Yom Kippur is the day of atonement when Jews particularly strive to perform teshuva. Two relevant Jewish quotes on forgiveness:

It is forbidden to be obdurate and not allow yourself to be appeased. On the contrary, one should be easily pacified and find it difficult to become angry. When asked by an offender for forgiveness, one should forgive with a sincere mind and a willing spirit.” — Mishneh Torah, Teshuvah 2:10

“Who takes vengeance or bears a grudge acts like one who, having cut one hand while handling a knife, avenges himself by stabbing the other hand.” — Jerusalem Talmud, Nedarim 9.4

The Star of Davidd. See Connectedness: Star of David & Sri Yantra for an exploration of its symbolism.

CHRISTIANITY

In Christian teachings forgiveness of others plays an important role in spiritual life. The Lord’s Prayer best exemplifies this attitude, notably in these words: ” And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” ( Matthew 6:9-13). The final words uttered by Christ during his suffering reinforce the importance of forgiveness: “”Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). We also find instruction to love your enemies and turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:9 & Luke 6:27-31). Another beautiful expression of forgiveness and understanding is St. Francis of Assisi’s prayer:

“Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand. To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. ”

The suffering of Christ is a central theme in Christianity. The symbolic aspects of the Cross are explored in Connectedness of Heaven & Earth: Symbolism of Cross & Tree

ISLAM

The word Islam is derived from the Semitic word slm meaning “peace” and forgiveness is a prerequisite for genuine peace. The Quran makes some allowance for violence but only to defend faith, property or life. Still forgiveness is held as the better course of action whenever possible: “They avoid gross sins and vice, and when angered they forgive.” (Quran 42:37). In terms of clemecy, we find this passage: “Although the just penalty for an injustice is an equivalent retribution, those who pardon and maintain righteousness are rewarded by God. He does not love the unjust” (Qur’an 42:40).

The Star & Crescent Moon, which is a recognizable symbol of Islam

Note: Forgiveness is a central theme in our novel NEXUS available online from Amazon, Barnes & Noble & Chapters-Indigo.

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