Mysticism and philosophy
This title really implies Eastern mysticism and Western philosophy. I have reduced the title to mysticism and philosophy. We have a general concept, mysticism means it is east and philosophy means it is west. It is not true. There are many mystics, many enlightened persons born in the West and many dull philosophers, dry intellects, born in the East. So both the East and West have contributed to mysticism and philosophy.
What is mysticism and what is philosophy? Philosophy is intellectual; the knowledge; the information; verbalization of experience; memories of the past; assumptions about the future; all these are philosophy. This is more based on logic; collecting and analyzing the information and coming to conclusion.
Mysticism is transforming your life. It is alchemy which happens in your being. The word 'alchemy' is something you need to understand. It is the science of transforming the lower metals into higher metals; copper into gold; mercury can be solidified. The lower metals are raised to higher level metals. Alchemy is the process which makes metals pure. The transformation of the inner being is what I call the ultimate alchemy; this is the alchemy which happens in your inner being. Man becomes God; Devil becomes Divine; Words become realizations. This process is what I call alchemy. Mysticism is more to do with alchemy than philosophy is.
Enlightened persons' philosophies are called darshanas. Darshanas do not mean philosophy or logical theory. It is just a recording of what they have seen. It is philosium. Philosophy is born out of mind. Philosium or mysticism is born out of nomind. Philosophy is born out of matter. Mind is nothing but matter, bio-computer. Philosophy is born out of bio-computer. Mysticism is born out o f bio-energy. Philosophy is an outcome of intellect. Mysticism is the outcome of enlightenment. Philosophy comes from intellect, Mysticism comes from intuition. Philosophy can see only 120 degrees. But mysticism can see all the 360 degrees. That is why the photos or statues of mystics, Buddha, Shiva, Jesus… all the mystics are shown with a third eye. Third eye means 360 degrees; the power of seeing in all angles. It is the complete vision.
With intellect you can touch only the level of head. Intellect is communication. Philosophy is communication between student and teacher. To learn philosophy, just your head is more than enough. If you are little bit attentive, that is enough. If your logic is sharp you can learn philosophy.
But to learn mysticism - it is not even learning, it is picking up, picking up the mystical experiences from the master. Mysticism is communion between master and disciple. It needs your being. You have to experience. Just an intellectual understanding is not enough.
Philosophy is the outcome of conflict. If you are in a conflict, if you are confused even as to whether you are an intellectual or mystical, be very sure you are still intellectual not mystical. The danger is, people think themselves as mystics, or they are in mysticism but still they are philosophers. As long as you have confusion, as long as you are in conflict, be very clear you are still intellectual. Once, I was speaking on different meditation techniques, meditation for intellectuals and meditations for emotional people, one person asked me, "Swamiji, how I can know whether I am intellectual or emotional". I told him, 'the very question shows you are an intellectual. The very doubt shows you are intellectual'; because, only intellectual people have doubts. Emotional people will never have doubts. They are very clear from the day one. Mysticism is an outcome of love.
Philosophy cuts and analyzes; Mysticism unites and heals. That is why mysticism is always represented by the word 'Yoga'. Yoga means union. Mysticism always unites and heals.
Of course, philosophy has got its own use, utility. That is why philosophy is still alive. In the outer world, in the material world, doubt is the language; philosophy is the language; logic is the language; this is what can win; this is what can bring you bread and butter. But unfortunately man cannot live only with bread and butter. If man can live only with bread and butter, just philosophy can win. But unfortunately man cannot live only with bread and butter. In the Bible, Mathew 4:4 reads 'Man cannot live by bread alone. He needs the words of the creator also'. If philosophy can satisfy, libraries are more than enough. There will be no need for temples, churches, and monasteries. If philosophy can satisfy, libraries are sufficient. But philosophy doesn't satisfy. The language of outer world is philosophy; if you want material success, if you want to succeed in the material world, you should know philosophy. You should know logic. You should know how to cut and analyze.
In the inner world, the very language is different. For the inner world you need only mysticism or the help of a mystic. If you try to test the rose flower with a touch stone, what will happen?
Once, a gold smith went to a friend's house. The friend showed him a rose flower. This man being philosophical had a doubt. He wanted to test the flower whether it is a real one or a plastic flower. His friend told him, 'Go ahead, touch it, smell it, feel it.". But the Gold smith refused. He told, "We know how to test only by the touch stone, never by touching or feeling." He started testing the flower with the touch stone. You know what will happen.
Touch stone is useful to find the quality, the originality of the gold but not for flowers. Philosophy or logic is like touch stone. It is useful for the outer world, for the gold, but not for the inner world, the inner lotus. The language of the inner world is totally different. Life is totally different.
Mysticism can be learnt only by body language. That is why in schools of mysticism, called 'gurukulams' in Sanskrit, it is recommended that the disciple should stay with the master, throughout the day. From dawn to dusk and even round the clock. They should live with the master. They have to pick up the master's nonverbal communication. Here the verbal language is not useful. You learn by body language. It is more of communion than mere communication. Communication becomes useless in the presence of the Master.
In an ancient literature named 'Taitreya Upanishad' written 5000 years ago, there is a small incident. One student of mysticism, by name 'Brigu' asks his Master, 'Please tell me about God'.
Master replies, 'See, my son, everything including food, the breath, eyes, ears, mind, speech, everything is God.' and adds, 'The one who has created everything, by whom, everything exists, in whom every thing is going to merge, he is God. You meditate and experience it for yoursel f.' Brigu meditates and then comes with the answer 'Food is God'. Master tells him to continue meditation. Brigu after a strenuous meditation comes up with the answer 'Prana or breath is God'. Master instructs him to go into further meditation. Brigu finally comes up with the answer 'Bliss – the unending joy is God' and by now he is enlightened. Mysticism is more an experience.
On the other hand, if you want to learn philosophy you can learn verbally, words are sufficient. To learn something verbally you need not stay with the teacher. In schools, you learn philosophy; you learn words from the teacher. Whatever be the character, the li fe-style o f the teacher, you are not bothered. You are not worried. The concept is totally different. If the teacher can explain the contents of the book, it is enough. You learn and come out. That is why schools are and can be part time.
A small story: Once an American was caught by cannibals in an African forest. The
American was in search of ways and means to escape. He was taken to their leader. By the side of the leader, there was a young man neatly dressed in American style. The American saw a ray of hope. If at all he knows a little English, he thought. I may have a chance. Just at that moment, that young man asked in a clear Oxford accent 'Tell me your last wishes, if any. I shall try to fulfil. These guys don't know the formalities.' The American was shocked. He asked. "You seem to be educated. Having lived in the most civilized society, haven't you changed even a little?" The African immediately responded indignantly 'Why not?' he added, 'Even now, when they have you roasted, I will use only fork and spoon.' The outer look may change by intellectual education, but the inner flowering cannot happen.
If you feel you have understood something from the Master's words, be very clear you have misunderstood. If you feel satisfied with the understanding of the master's words, you are misled. Somebody asked me, Swamiji, I do not know English, can I come to your discourses. I said, 'you are the right person to come and sit.' Because at least you know that you don't know. But where people know the language, they think they know but they don't even know that they don't know.
Most of the time if you think you are getting something by attending my discourses, be very sure, you are missing something. You are here to listen to my silence. If you listen to words, you will miss the silence. Then what is the purpose of a satsang? (meeting of group of followers to communicate, sing devotional songs, indulge in spiritual activities) My speech is not for you to hear. It is for stopping your inner speech. If I speak, at least your mind will stop speaking, you will start listening. I am speaking so that you may stop speaking within yourself. If you watch thoroughly, you may observe unnecessary gaps in my speech. A good orator will never leave gaps between his flow of words; but I am giving gaps purposefully. I am not here to orate; I am not here to teach you something. I want to give you something. The gaps are for creating vacuum. While hearing my speech, your mind will continuously yearn for the next word. A sudden gap will create a vacuum. This is totally different. If you know how to be aware of the gaps you will be able to feel my presence. You are here to have my presence. You will see something more; something more than just hearing the words, is happening. If you think you are learning you are missing.
If you attend 2 or 3 satsangs, you will know I am just speaking the same thing in different words; the same message in different angles and words. The message has not changed. The main message can never change. It is the same thing I speak about. Why I am speaking every day? My speech is a technique. It is not philosophy or teaching. It is a technique. It is a technique to do something to undo what you have learnt; because, with the process of learning you have lost much.
Till the age of 7 children think by visualization. Not by verbalization. You need to understand the difference between verbalization and visualization. Children see the scenes, they just visualize. But once in school visualization is reduced to verbalization. Visualization is killed. The intuition is reduced to intellect.
There was a great mathematician from Bharat by name Ramanujam. In his time, nobody was able to match his skills. Ramanujam was able to solve any problem in seconds. Tell him the problem; he will give the solution in a minute. He had no logical way of arriving at the solution. Others are concerned by the logic, logical steps; but he was in visualization. First scene is the problem. The very next scene is the solution. Ramanujam was in visualization and others were in verbalization. That is the difference between Ramanujam and others. Ramanujam never had formal education till 8; therefore he could retain his power of visualization. His thinking was more intuitive than intellectual. Every kid, when they come to earth, they visualize. That is why the eyes of the kids are so alive.
That is why they say the eyes are the index of the mind. Not only mind but being. Whatever is inside is shown by eyes. We never look into others' eyes. We dare not to be exposed. In words we can play, we can hide. You can think one thing and tell one thing. But you can't play in visualization. You can't hide anything in your eyes. That is why we dare not look at each other through the eyes. If you are courageous, you can gaze through eyes. It is a meditation to see through eyes.
Kids visualize. Up to the age of 7, as long as the visualization capacity is there the kids' eyes are vibrant. As soon as his visualization capacity is reduced to verbalization, the tongue becomes vibrant. At least till the age of 7 they should be allowed to learn from nature. They have an inbuilt mechanism to learn from the nature, from the trees, from persons around them. Their capacity to visualize will be retained. But in school, visualization is reduced to verbalization. After being in school they are forced to write and read. The mind starts working with words. With words, the length of time is more. In visualization the process is simpler. The solution is more or less immediate. But with verbalization the process is very long. It has to go through the logical steps to arrive at a solution. This is the difference between Ramanujam and others. Ramanujam thought by visualization and others moved through logic.
The society, from time immemorial, is just against visualization. That is why, invariably all the enlightened masters, let it be Jesus, Krishna, or Buddha, all were poisoned, cruci fied or stoned by the society. The entire society is in verbalization and it can not tolerate anyone beyond words, beyond verbalization.
Parents, as they themselves are in philosophical line, are unable to bear the energy of their children. They start conditioning. They go on conditioning till the kid learns logic, learns verbalization. Once the kid is dull, dry, just like the parents, they are satisfied that their heir is okay.
Let us see, how philosophy deals with a problem and how mysticism deals with a problem; physical, mental, and spiritual. If we look at it, we will be able to understand what mysticism is and what philosophy is, the angle of philosophy and the angle of mysticism.
How do mysticism and philosophy deal with your problem; with your physical problem such as disease?
The healing system born out of philosophy or logic, takes the human body for a bio- mechanism. It deals the body in parts. For these healing methods, the body and mind are two different things. But unfortunately, it is not so. If you have a disease, pain in some part of the body, all the medication systems born out of philosophy try to attend only to the particular part, by some chemical treatment, operation or replacement of the part.
For example, if one half of a mango is decayed. Do you say, it is part decayed mango; no, you will discard the entire fruit; but if one part of the human body is affected, philosophy says it is handicapped. Only that part is attended; but then, what happens? Pills taken for headache, for example, create stomach ache. After some time, there is knee pain. In other words, the pills transfer the pain from head to stomach. Moreover, there is no assurance that the pain will not recur. The time gap, the gap between pain in one part and the other is called 'healthy period'.
The philosophical view of the body as a bio mechanism is not right. The human body, as such is not a bio-machine. It is something more. The same energy is circulated all over the body. It can not be that some energy is there in the affected part and other parts are with some other energy. No. Even physically, the whole body is circulated with the same blood. The affected part is not getting a different type of blood. That is why these healing methods are able only to postpone the pain or transfer the pain.
On the other hand, the very view of the healing systems of Mysticism towards the human body is different. They see the human body as a whole. As they see the body as a whole, they are holy. Mysticism recognizes only two levels, healthy and diseased. There is no percentage problem. They see the root cause of the disease. It is not trying to heal the affected part alone. It is not trying to put off the symptom.
For example, if you want to destroy the thorny bushes, you have to pull them out at the root depth. If you go on cutting the branches, what will happen? The bush will not die. It may even spread out with new branches. (Crowd bursts into laughter) The same is the case of diseases.
Mysticism deals with only two things; high energy and low energy. If the energy level is low, the mind-body relationship, coordination is not at ease. It is un-eased. It is diseased. In mysticism there are no names for different diseases; it is not many diseases. It is simply one thing: low energy level.
Once, somebody asked me, 'Swamiji, what are all the diseases you can heal?' I simply replied them, 'I can heal the diseases you can name and diseases that you can't name.'
This is because the same healing technique is able to handle different diseases at the same time. In some cases, if certain chemical balance inside the body is disturbed, Ayurveda medicines are given and for the negativity to be thrown away from inside, meditation is prescribed.
Next is the level of mind. According to philosophy, you are a mature person if you are aware of facts and figures; it's enough if your mind is full of information. They speak only of collection of information, of memory techniques. They speak of analytical skills. They want your head to be full and your mind to expand.
One interesting point; there was a poll survey conducted on the standard of living of the gold medallists in the universities. They enquired about the life of gold medallists after a period of ten years after graduation. The purpose is to expose the effect and importance of education in society. The result was indeed shocking. About 70% of the gold medallists were found to live below poverty line or with broken relationship.
The reason is simple. They have become dry philosophers. You can never have a smooth relationship with a philosopher. Philosophy and logic make them dream. They seldom face the ground reality. They lose the wonderful moment of the present. The common man cannot relate with these gold medallists.
No philosopher can have pet animals. They can't play with kids. They are the worst perfectionists; because, to have a pet or to play with a kid, you should be spontaneous. You should have a sense of humour. You should at least have a smile in your face. But these are too much for a philosopher. They can't laugh. Even if you tell them a joke, they will start analyzing it.
One word of caution; by the name philosopher, I am not only referring to the students of philosophy, but to every one who are all conditioned to the rules in their respective profession and every moment of life.
Have you seen the philosopher's walk? It will be strict to rules. It mostly resembles the army march, that too dull and dry. They are always concerned about the head. They try to expand the head continuously. Their whole life is spent in collection, recall and analysis of the facts and figures. Mostly the later part of their life is full of frustration.
A small story: Once, there was a cat in a philosopher's house (of course, his wife's pet). It gave birth to a kitten. Both made noise at the door step trying to enter the philosopher's room. This sound irritated him. He called a carpenter and instructed to make two holes in the door, one for the cat and the other for the kitten. The carpenter was surprised. He said, 'Sir, one hole is more than enough'. The philosopher shouted, 'Fool, Can't you think logically. How one hole will be enough if the cat and the kitten is to enter at the same time.' (The whole crowd roars in laughter)
Philosophy tends to fill your brain and expand your mind. But common sense becomes uncommon. For them, mind is the ultimate. They can't go beyond it.
But on the other hand, the Ashrams, the mysticism school, trains to switch off the mind whenever not required. For them, mind is one of the parts and there is something more. They deal at the being level and train to handle the mind as you do with your limbs. For them, being is the ultimate. Mind or no-mind is an option. You can toggle between the two.
A mystic lives entirely in the present. He enjoys every moment to the fullest. He is always spontaneous and joy-filled. He merges completely with the nature. His walk is mostly floating. His walk is like dancing.
See, if you are learning driving, driving a car, the first thing you learn is to stop the car; to applying the brakes. Philosophers fuel the car, drive it, monitor the speed, but they are unable to stop the car. If you are in a speeding car, in the driver's seat, does it mean that you are driving the car? It is the car driving you. Only mysticism trains you to apply brakes. It shows you to be in no-mind state.
Next, let us take the problems of the spirit, spiritual plane. For this philosophy offers psychoanalysis. Collecting, cutting and analyzing the other man's mind. For a philosopher, psychoanalysis is the end. They make you talk and talk. There will be a curtain between you and the doctor. You can' t see the doctor. Once, you are exhausted, they will start analyzing your words and inject some new words.
Sitting after sitting, time roles by; one fine morning, the doctor may become psychic and you may be all right. You might have recovered due to the fear of going to the same doctor, repeating the same words; out of sheer boredom of speaking the same words again and again.
With philosophy your head is filled up. Your mind has become a dustbin. What else can you do? You have to vomit. You expect somebody to hear what you vomit. That is why you pay your psycho analyst. Once, they asked me, 'Swamiji, can you see any ma jor problem in psychoanalysis'. The analysis itself is a problem. After so many years of research, continuous analysis, no solution is arrived.
If you should attend to a problem in a vehicle, you should stop it and then try to set it right. But philosophers know of no brakes. They just keep the vehicle moving; of course, they even accelerate it and try to attend to its problem. It won't work.
I think, in a busy hour, one doctor may even attend to more than one patient at the same time. Sometimes, if he is too busy, he may even have the sounds "mmm… yes; go ahead…okay" recorded and played behind the curtain and move out from the treatment room. No harm, even if the patient happens to know that only a tape recorder hears him; because, at the most, the patient requires only a silent hearing for his speech.
What else you think is our 'listening' in our daily conversations? Just a contract; you hear what I speak, so that I will hear while you speak. That is all; nothing else. All we need are only ears before us; even deaf ears will do; just silent hearers. We are least bothered even if it is really a deaf ear.
A survey was conducted among various professionals as to which profession is vulnerable to mental disorders. After a careful survey, they came out with the result; the most vulnerable profession is psychoanalysis and psychiatry. Through his entire life, as the Psychiatrist goes on gathering problems after problems, finally, he falls prey to one.
On an average, it is said that one third of the US population is under depression and one third is in the borderline. This indeed is a shocking fact in a society, where the psychoanalysis is a roaring profession, and the society is considered 'mature, civilized and cultured'. In US alone, in one year (2003), the number of depression medication prescription touches the figure 103 million.
For depression, philosophy can only analyze, no solution is given. In mysticism, enlightenment is given as the solution. Mystics give enlightenment as a solution for the being level problems, spiritual problems. Enlightenment is not analysis. It is dropping. Say, you want to clean your house. Your dustbin is full. Will you sit and analyze the contents of the dustbin? Will you study your dustbin? If you do, will it help in cleaning your house? In the same way, if your being is in a fix, be very clear, analyzing the mind, psychoanalysis can never help you. You have to drop your mind. You should experience the no-mind state. You should become enlightened.
So, whether the problem is of physical, mental or spiritual level, the solution given by the mystics is total; it is holistic. The solutions given by the philosophers are temporary.
If you see superficially, philosophy seems to be good; philosophers' approach to the problems of the body, mind and the spirit seem to be okay. Their medication makes you feel good. Their education makes them earn a living. Their psycho-consultation feels nice. They have become established. They are mass oriented. Mysticism is not for the masses. It is only for the daring few. For the mystical solutions you require more time. You have to wait. You have to be patient. Nothing is instant. But mind is restless. It is a monkey. It always looks for instant solutions.
A small story: once three monkeys found one mango in a forest. They wanted to share it. They went to a man near by and asked him to help them to share the fruit. That man told the monkeys not to share the fruit but to plant it. He said, 'if you plant it, water it regularly, put some manure, it will become a big tree and you can have more mangoes." The monkeys agreed. Time passed by. The fruit had not sprouted. The monkeys again had a quarrel. They came to the same man. He started enquiring. The first monkey said, 'I was watering it regularly'. The second one said, 'I was feeding it with manure' the third one said, 'I was watching it carefully. Daily I pulled it out to see whether it has sprouted.' This will not work. You have to wait for some time. You have to wait for your being to sprout into bliss. If you need a plastic rose, you can have it ready made. If your need is a natural rose from the plant, you have to wait for some time. But we have no patience. Everything should be instant. That is why we run behind the solutions given by the philosophers. The ways of the mystics not only solves the problem from the base, they dissolve you in the eternal bliss.
I wish you all the power to solve and dissolve your problems in the mystical way and to be, in, and experience the eternal bliss, Nithyanandam.
Baja gaaoivandM Baja gaaoivandM Baja gaaoivandM maUZmato saMpaPto sainnaihto kalao / naih naih rxait DukRHkrNao ||
Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam Mudhamathe Samprapte sannihite kale Nai nahi rakshati dukrunkarane
Lift the heart up to Govinda, the Lord, again and again, foolish mind! When death beckons the rules of grammar that you are so studiously swatting will not save you!!
Bhaja Govindam 1