THE INNER WORLDS OF FAITH/SUPERSTITION
“MOKSHA” or “MUKTI” is no longer a HINDUISM myth or belief. Its potent nature has not failed to impress people all around the world of different religious faiths. The search for final liberation from the soul’s recurring transitions into life and death has attracted the attentions of man. “MOKSHA” is the Sanskrit word given to the emancipation of spirit from “SAMSARA” and the continuous suffering that it involves.
The concept was first developed in HINDUISM and later on its heritage was carried forward via BUDDHISM, JAINISM and now by the various spiritual gurus.
I was trying to recollect the facts associated with the attainment of MOKSHA and got to know that it is related with KUNDALINI and arising of SHAKTI, the goddess of power and fearlessness. KUNDALINI means coiled and is considered to be the hidden centre of energy placed at the end of the spine, the arising of which can result into a high level of enlightenment and the FINAL FREEDOM i.e. MOKSHA. There are particular stages required in the awakening of this secret and sacred source of energy. They involve definite ways of meditations which consists of PRANAYAMA, OCEAN BREATH, BREATH OF FIRE and regular practice of this, basically related to the four kinds of yoga techniques as mentioned in YOGATTATVA UPNISHAD.
The concept is pragmatic. Even if we leave the KUNDALINI awakening concept aside, the breath control yogic methods do help you to slow down the mental thought process and helps you to attain the peaceful substances.
Coming to what I feel an exaggeration and self declared strategies are TANTRA and SEXUAL RITUALS.
TANTRA states that the whole world is a play ground of goddess SHAKTI and lord SHIVA. The practice involves worship of SHAKTI through specific rituals involving MANTRA and YANTRA. Apart from these digestible ways there are few secret practices which involve sexual procreations, sepulchral in lieu of death and laxation that involves elimination of fecal wastes in form of vomiting and micturition.
Even relation of such phenomenon can cause nausea in a normal human but there are people who do believe on this. The recent SWAMI NITYANAND episode is an issue of great concern. The consent form which his followers signed had a thorough essence of TANTRA being practiced. It is said to believe that such sexual performance awakens the SUSHMUNA NADI and KUNDALINI rises upward within it.
Sex according to me is very personal for every human being and it should be maintained as it is because this is one of the many behavioral facts which separate a human from an animal and makes us a superior living beings and a better creation of god.
THE WORLD OF NAGAS
After mentioning all these beliefs or should I say credulous nature of YOGIC FAITHS, I would like to mention the NAGA SADHUS who made the front cover news of all the papers in the last thirty days when KUMBH MELA was in progress.
Austere, mystic and nomadic vicars are some descriptions used for the NAGA SADHUS who are believed to be the practitioners of YOGA and believed to be enlightened humans in search of MOKSHA. They are considered to have relinquished all the worldly attachments and pleasures including the sexual desires and live in forests, caves and temples all around INDIA.
Among the many clans of SADHUS like the JATA who carry swords, the AGHORIS who are expected to keep company of the ghosts and reside in the SHAMSHANS where the dead bodies are burnt; there are the NAGA SADHUS who are naked and non shaven wearing their hairs in form of thick locks. They are also called DIGAMBARAS.
NAGAS are considered to be a paradigm of renunciation. With their long hairs and ash smeared bodies, the NAGAS regard themselves as the illustrations of LORD SHIVA. They are even accompanied with ancient weaponries like TRISHULS, SWORDS and STICKS representing their warrior naturism. They smoke on CHILLAMS with marijuana and the blues eyes represent them being high, not due to some enlightenment but due to the dope.
The NAGAS make their public presence felt during the KUMBH by taking the holy bath in the GANGES in HARIDWAR.
They are the sole show stealers of the grand event and people flock from around the corners to see them.
The SADHUS and their unconventional ways have always left the world mesmerized. They feel to be holy because they are not concerned with the regular needs of a normal human. Anything which is different is appealing but to the extent where you are not aware of the grave secrets behind it.
MY INNER BELIEF
Speaking much without knowing enough can be fatal so I want to say that all my views are my feelings and not something which I have concluded through some extensive research work.
The only thing which seems to be rational in all the legends stated above is the YOGA and the breath control practices suggested by it as I have stated before. TANTRA and its secret rituals, the SADHUISM and renunciation of social life is not at all something which satisfies my senses.
All the religions around the world preach one thing in common; WE HUMANS ARE REPRESENTATION OF HOLY ON EARTH AND GOD CONSIDERS EACH OF US AS OWN. Being aware of this doesn’t require bringing such acute transitions in the life given to us by the almighty. It is equivalent being a non believer when you adopt something which is out of the flow. If a person is a devotee, he doesn’t need to reside in the caves with dismantled hair and ugly looks to impress the creator and achieve the immortality as MOKSHA.
The day I was born, I was told that GOD RESIDES IN BEAUTY, LOVE, HUMANITY, CARE, POSITIVITY and UNCONTAMINATION. I feel it is lucid to believe this than staying dirty and living on dope and scarcity.
We are not born humans to stop working and live like wanderers surviving on anything we get. With the size of brain that we are blessed with, we are here to create the wonders that god expected us to do while creating us. Not to waste our life for some hypothetical faith on MOKSHA.
It is great to keep one’s mind balanced but it is insane to go to such an extent just to meet some liberation. Why to? We were not born to think about the pains and hassles of life but to feel the beauty of the world and to enhance it.
The people who take the path of SADHUISM and TANTRA according to me are the most self-centered beings who are so much involved in their personal fulfillment that they just forget their duty towards HUMANITY, EARTH and OTHER LIVING BEINGS.
ARE THESE SO CALLED MYSTICAL THINGS OVER RATED?
With the vast media coverage of all the events involving the BABAS and the spiritual practices, we are giving these renunciates a big uplift to promote their legacy. According to them, they don’t need it but they have not shown any hindrances as yet to stop them being projected as celebrities and holy lots.
I think our media should stop this. Our country has a record population of citizens who don’t work and we don’t need any more. It is going to affect our economy more. 40% of earning mass cannot support 60% of such spiritual mobs.
India has to grow more and for that everyone needs to work, not to search some liberation from it.
THE FINAL VERDICT
If given the full authority I would love to delete the sects in our religions which are so widely misunderstood that they create something so not human. We cannot come closer to god by denouncing our loved ones and all our responsibilities or having some crude forms of sexual pleasure.
OUR COUNTRY NEEDS TO GROW UP AS A WHOLE. SWAMI NITHYANANDA and may be more will not let us do that. I am not against their personal lives and believe me I was speaking in favor of NITHYANANDA till I came to know that he was involved in TANTRIC practices.
TANTRA VIDYAS and all such things will never make your presence closer to god. They cannot. The way in which they defy the rules of being a HUMAN are massive. They create a devil out of a man.
I hope everyone realizes this someday or the other.
TO BE A BELIEVER OF GOD DOESN’T REQUIRE ANY PAINS, IT IS A GIFT TO ALL OF US. WE CAME WITH IT. WE CAME WITH THE FAITH ON ALMIGHTY.
JUST NOURISH IT AND ONE DAY YOU WILL FEEL THAT, THE TIME YOU WERE BORN IN THIS WORLD WAS THE HOLIEST AWAKENING.
THIS WORLD IS A GIFT AND EVERYTHING AROUND IS YOUR GIFT!
…..amit mohan
PS: If you like the post, please visit Indrowine's Curtain Raiser and Blog Post and give some comments which could help me frame a post on Traffic on Indian (PUNE) roads.
Refer my last post here on Life's Lovely Cradle too.
5 comments:
What do you know about Tantra???haanhh?? It was an integral part of Hinduism till the British came and with them comes Christian thinking of witchcraft. They demonized these practices and executed the tribes mainly with the help of The Criminal Tribes Act of India in 1800s. And now our fellow Indians(Christianized in thought obviously) are speaking against it.
And let me tell you what they are doing with it. They are distorting it and repackaging it as Cristian thought. WHEN WILL YOU UNDERSTAND?
I have got a link for you if you really want to know about the power of our DHARMA and its SIDHANTAS.
http://goo.gl/hJHHD
Go and read before you write on something you don't know.
I don't mean to be un-polite but whenever I see someone distorting my faith, I get angry. So bare wih me on that
If there was no curiosity, the modern civilization wouldn't have achieved so much. Many things we believe these days were superstitions or hypothetical in earlier days. You will find tons of examples like earth was not believed to be spherical.
Similarly some people are curious and learn beyond conscious mind, work with subconscious and unconscious mind. You know human being uses maximum 5 % of our brain.
So what Tantra and other mystic practices are dealing with is based on empirical knowledge of over 5000 years. There are undeniable logic discussed and approved by veterans of all time till these days degree holders.
This is why the concept of 'ignorance' and 'wisdom' is important in these philosophy. Until and unless you don't have quest for learning, you will think this is vague. But at present scores of experts in 'Veda', Buddhism and Tantra are from western countries.
@Rabindra
Hi Rabindra,
I wrote this page around 3 years back when I was exploring more about these stuff!
In these 3 years, I have tried to understand the power of yoga and meditation.
But still, tantra (as I know it, and I might be not very educated here) is something that still exists as a doomed following in the rational part of my brain.
I don't know from where it came but it is definitely not something sane that people should be asked to follow.
Same about anything that can give you some unwanted shocks. But, of! course if you want to get those, you are free to; here the only thing that should be taken into concern is that nothing should involve anyone/anything more than 'you'.
I hope you get my point.
@Anonymous
Reveal to get into a conversation! :)
As far as I have studied Hinduism....and particularly it's crown philosophy Adwait Vedant..God/Brahman is the only thing that exists..so ugly or beautiful..both are it's manifestations...plus Dirty and Clean..ugly and beautiful are relative concepts...it's ur personal pov...eg. Jaina sadhus would consider the body itself as dirty ..as well as some hindu sects "shariram vyadhi mandiram" source of all afflictions...These sects that you deride are some other ways to God....by non maintenance of their appearance and bodies...they use a forceful means to detach themselves from physical existence..and find the innermost part of themselves..
As for them being selfish..you really can't say that withouth knowing much about them..and you can know abt them only by practicing what they practice...
They have been the equivalent of what u today call the "civil society" ..teachers..relief workers and warriors in times of need..on ancient and medieval India..potent ones among them are said to do tapasya to influence the events of spiritual planes before they manifest on the material plane(it's said that whatever happens here on material planes is first conceived in Chidakaash..a universal mental plane to be short).
Though personally I would prefer the way of what Aurobindo says..Integral Yog...something that not only transforms inner life..but outer life too
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