jivanmukti

What I would like to do in this blog is come up with one universal explanation of the greater forces of life. There is a LOT to consider and things may not seem to flow very smoothly, but eventually I want to touch on as many different aspects as possible. (Note: these are my views and opinions after having sat through World Religions with Dr. Fox, not necessarily his views.) Have fun on the journey.

What does it mean to "believe in God"? I think everyone has their own idea of what they mean by this phrase. There are tons of different religions out there, and even more sects of each, and there is so much debate about who is right and who is wrong. Call it deitocentrism, if you will. But really, they are all just manifestations of one Great Spirit, one True Self. Every religion has its rituals and rites of passage etc etc, and each one has its own myth. Its own metaphor. The concept of the Holy Trinity is just as much a metaphor as Krishna. Some religions have avatars - human incarnations of God: Jesus and Krishna are two examples. Diverse peoples developed their own cultures and their own stories of the creation, their own concept of the meaning of life.

Well, it happened this way. The beginning came. The first cosmogony, the creation. There was one True Self. Then somehow, it became physically manifest. Earth was created, and eventually life began. And with the advent of life, karma was created. Karma is a selfish type of action that is self-propagating, and leads to more karma. More action for the good of the illusory self, the self that thinks it is a distinction from the others. (This is to be distinguished from the true self and knowing that there is only one true self.) And so life moves on, speciation happens, and eventually greedy people come into being. Materialistic people. People who think they don't have it all, and who will never have it all because there is nothing to "have" in the first place. It is all just an illusion. And to realize this, to become one with nature and non-materialistic, to practice yoga for the good of the True Self, brings you that much closer to nirvana.

So, life is just one of many journeys, one of many incarnations. It is an opportunity to become closer to nirvana - that is, closer to the end. If that sounds too pessimistic, think of it this way: closer to the end of the illusion. Closer to being one with God, the True Self. That is the true paradise and Heaven. And when I say "Heaven," I take it to mean having your spirit - your jiva, energy, chi, ha, prana - released into the air. And this is what I consider the Holy Spirit: the energy that is released into our surroundings. That is what it means to me to "meet God." To become one with the Universe, to realize we are all the True Self.

I believe happiness on Earth can only be achieved by realizing this while in human form. To do this is essentially to have achieved nirvana while being alive. To acknowledge that we are all one True Self and that we will become closer to that one True Self at the death of this reality of each individual's selfish illusion while our jiva is incarnated as human. (Jivanmukti - to be liberated while alive.) Once this realization occurs, we can be much more open to being one with nature and to lending a hand to others, because we can realize that it is all for the good of ourselves. That is why "what goes around, comes around," why we should do our dharma (duty), be nice to others, treat others as we would treat ourselves. The teachings of every religion coincide, once you start to think about it.

A special thanks to Dr. Alan Fox for letting me sit in on his class.