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by
Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL
No. 63
May 2006
ATMA- PARAMATMA- Part 2
"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"
QUESTION 1 FROM Sri Kumar Protap
About Shri Mahanty-ji,
Referring to your latest article, I would like to ask a clarification!
In Bangalore, they are experimenting with the photographs of personal Aura of different people of different kind. And I remember from a talk from a Swamiji that when a person was photographed after chanting a Mantra (OHM), a golden yellow aura was found to be covering his body, proving positive vibration around - where as his photograph under normal circumstances found to be in negative vibration.
ANSWER: Every created thing, which has ‘life’ in it, has also energy in it. This energy exists in different forms, one of which is its visible form. This energy or Shakti is expended in different actions and manifestations. The level varies from ‘being’ to ‘being’. The aura is the visible form of this energy and therefore every living thing has its own aura and manifests it.
All visible things can be seen or photographed under certain conditions. (Photography of the aura, I think is known as Kirlian technology).
All energy can also be expended either in a self-enhancing way or self debilitating way. Positive energy or energy sustained by positive actions (more satvik), is self expanding and negative energy associated with evil actions (more tamasik), is self consuming and self depleting. Positive energy enhances the aura and negative energy diminishes it.
Divinity is associated with positive satvik energy. That explains why saints and divine forms in Hinduism (also in Christianity and some other faiths), are often depicted with a halo around.
Satvik energy by its nature, attracts and tamasik energy repels.
When one is engaged in mantra sAdhanA, or any form of Yoga with divinity in mind, the outcome is the increase in positive energy within. The degree of intensity varies with the intensity and quality of one’s sAdhanA. As I have said earlier, it is not only the decibel level of chanting, but there are many many factors that decide the power and effectiveness of mantras. Apart from language, the text, the chanda and the delivery etc, even the environment, time, place also have their influence. But the most important of all of them is the understanding and the shraddhA with which the mantra is chanted.
QUESTION 2 FROM FROM BROTHER SHANE
To have the Mind of Christ is the only way to have total freedom from all doubt, confusion and filthy living. This is where you find Eternal Life...and it can only come thru faith in Jesus Christ...
ANSWER: It all depends on what is one’s perception of ‘Mind of Christ’. Rising above the surface understanding, your statement rings true when only if one realizes that ‘mind of Christ’ means the mind of clarity, faith, right thinking etc that go to define dharma or righteousness. To ascribe it to a personalized limitation and rigidity, is to undermine the power of mind ( more precisely the antahkarana – the mind, the intellect and the performing ego which is the greatest gift God has bestowed on us all). Such a mind is the mind of a conscious soul. Such a mind is the mind of a sthitaprajna as explained in the Bhagavad Gita, It includes all such minds that have risen above the worldly contradictions. True saints in every faith have displayed such mental states in lesser and larger degrees.
The mind has the capability to seek out the absolute truth and raise itself in the ladder of perfection and gnosis. A truly free mind draws assistance from every source and path it is comfortable with. The gurus and prophets etc show you the way, but the search of god is in the domain of the seeker and the “sought” is sustained only by the seeker’s efforts and the grace of the Lord which keeps on flowing unconditionally to all.
Light shines through many rays. Each ray has the power to illumine. Children quarrel with importance of this over that. Wise see the oneness of truth.
QUESTION 3 FROM SRI NAGENDRANATH MOHANTY
Some one has observed: “The preoccupation with one's God is so deeply etched on one's mind that despite social and spiritual ills, one is unable to take an interest in the scientific alternatives to religion.” It is further argued: "It is because one's soul is mortgaged to God with docility and eagerness that a change or a revolution on thinking is hard to grasp". But what has religion got to do with God who, surely, is above religion?
ANSWER:The observations made here might suggest quite a few things that may reveal our own ignorance.
Firstly, is there really any alternative to God consciousness or preoccupation with God as it is put? God consciousness happens to be a basic characteristic of the soul or jivatma. This nature is as unchangeable as the soul itself. There may be temporary distractions, but eventually and most definitely the prodigal returns. It may happen in this life or may take many births but it happens for sure.
Agnosticism is a phase in one’s existence when, one is still searching for self identity and self expression.
Secondly, are ‘science’ and ‘religion’ contradictory to each other? If religion is understood in its higher interpretation as spiritualism or truth consciousness, then science which seeks the truth, in fact tends to merge with religion.
Whatever science has discovered or shall discover in future, are mere expositions of what has already been built into. Science works upon the basic truths but has no power to create new truths
Thirdly it is rather knaive to think that “soul is mortgaged to God with docility”. When one recognizes his ‘ideal’ (the paramArtha), conformity to that ideal, in actions and in thoughts, is the highest form of intellectual submission.
Fourthly, a slight variation in thinking is called for before we separate God from religion. If we consider religion (devoid of all man made aberrations) as a way of life, then it becomes essential for living in the right way, the way the life is meant to be lived. That is also ‘living in God’. God is inseparable from life and life is inseparable from religion.
QUESTION 4 FROM SRI VISWANATHAN
I dont see possibilities of ' Brahmhan' taking birth as Avtar and only the realized ones are those who guide the humanity in right path and come to be known as "Avthars" by the others. Please tell me whether My thinking is correct and pardon me if I had erred in expressing this.
ANSWER:As regards incarnations- meaning the descending of Brahman in a “form”- to accomplish the task of upholding dharma when the need arises, is quite logical. On one hand all forms are His incarnations only but the degree of awareness(or ignorance) possessed by each determines the potential as to what extent they are capable of re-establishing dharma. As the realization grows, so does the power from the source (Brahman) flows in, to accomplish more. Brahman acts through a “form” which is again His own self creation. Depending on the need in the extreme situation, He creates that form (from His own power again) that can have consciousness, knowledge, power and potency of so incomprehensible dimension that nothing is impossible. When the awareness is total (purnacaitanya), as it happens in the case of truly realised souls, there remains nothing to distinguish it separate from Brahman. Brahmavit Brahmeiva bhavati. One who knows, fully aware of Brahman is indeed Brahman. That is the difference understood between Anshika avatars (partial incarnations) and purna avatars (full incarnations). It is all Brahman and Brahman alone. Purna avatars do not happen until the need arises.
QUESTION 5 FROM Enderan A/L Sundram
Can we settle or overcome or free from Karmas?
ANSWER:Through the old articles in AHWAN, we have discussed on number of occasions, that the results of the Karma, good or bad, can never be wiped out. They fructify in our lives with a purpose, which is to teach us the lesson and enrich our spiritual evolution with the knowledge that we acquire once the lesson is learnt. If it could be wiped out, the very purpose of karma would be lost and we shall lose our means of development. With Yoga, we seek the grace of the Lord through which we correctly understand the play of karma and see for ourselves the hidden message behind each happening. When that understanding seeps in, we neither get overwhelmed by good fortune nor get crushed by bad fortune. Mind accepts everything stoically with its true perspective. Our peace of mind does not leave us. To know more about karma please read in AHWAN July 2000 issue the article “Understanding our own position”.
