MOHAMMAD GHAZALI ON KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD.
KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD
Whenever man ponders over the
reality of the world, two predicaments arise: whether the world is supportive
of man's spiritual well-being or an obstructionist impediment. That is the
perpetual dilemma in which man lives. With a bit of introspection, it can
be felt that the world supports the man in its existence, in his welfare, yet
spiritually it can wreck the man's objective of life if he falls prey to the
vicious circle of attachments of the material world.
Ghazali has explored both the options very
logically, which are compatible with other mystics' ideas blessed with
transcendental realization. The significant aspect of his views on the world is
that he does not refer to the perception of hells or heavens. He focuses his
viewpoint on this material plane and the frailties of man for disregarding
loving devotion to God, for which the human soul is made to descend in the
universe.
In his mystical connotation, Ghazali
writes—"that the state previous to death is called the world." Thus,
we are born in this world to die. In the profound words of mystic Mirdad,
"As you die continually when living, so do you live continually when
dead; if not in this body, then in a body of another form. But you continue to
live in a body until dissolved in God, which is to say until you overcome all
change"[1].
Impliedly, we continue to resurrect in the body in diverse forms in
this world till we experience a merger with God and termination of feeling of
separation from the Omniscient Lord. But that is not feasible until the eye of
man's judgment is opened by the contemplation of the works of God. There is a couplet by the world's most
renowned Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib—
"Life brings us here at its own
discretion,
Death also takes us away optionally,
Neither we come willingly or depart
willingly.[2]
God made man "top of the creation"
and created an interconnected ecological system for him, the world. According
to the Holy Bible, the world is created and uncreated by the Word. (referred to as Shabad, Ism-e -Azam).
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by
him, and without him was not anything made that was made".
Guru Nanak Sahib details this
world "Nights, days, weeks and seasons; wind, water, fire, and the
nether regions -in the midst of these, He established the earth as a home for
Dharma (righteousness). Upon it, He placed the various species of beings. Their
names are uncounted and endless. By their deeds and their actions, they shall
be judged. God, Himself is True, and True is His Court." [3]
MAN'S NECESSITIES OF LIFE IN THIS WORLD
Ghazali defines the necessities of man in the
world for contemplation on God. First and foremost, man needs the nourishment
of spiritual food for the soul in the form of love and knowledge of God.
The second, that the body should be preserved
with care since it is the container of the heart. As a camel is to a pilgrim,
so the body is like an animal upon which the heart rides. The pilgrim is
obliged to give food and water to his camel. But if he gets over-obsessed with
the fitness of the camel day and night, he will not reach his destination.
Then the body needs food, clothing, and
shelter for which God has infused the desire and sense of discrimination in the
human beings for acting within the proper limits of its requirements. If the
desires for the world become predominant, then man deviates from the spiritual
path. Says Ghazali, yet desires, on
account of their intimate relations with the body, are so essential that their
influence would still have been predominant. But God, in His grace ("my
mercy has surpassed my anger,") has sent his law through the words of
prophets, that it might become amenable to the reason. That is to prevent
the negativity of desire from crossing the barriers where it wins over the
longing for love and devotion of God.
Hazrat Sultan Bahu[4]
writes an allegorical couplet of the persons transfixed in the worldly
cravings, attachments, and possessions. He states -they continue to be
harassed as prisoners in the cycle of
life and death; fight like dogs for pieces of worldly bones and waste away
their precious human lives. The real necessity for relishing the nectar of
immortality ( Aaab-e-Hayat) does not dawn upon them which alone can eliminate
the desires of material world. The only way forward is devotional remembrance;
rest all is trash and futile.
A very significant statement is made by Bhagat
Trilochan in SGGS(page 526)[5],
that the man’s attention at the end of life in this world determines the course
of his future journey in the next life. The stanza reads—” at the very last
moment , one who thinks of wealth and dies in such thoughts, shall be
reincarnated over and over again in the form of serpents. At the last moment , one who thinks of the
Lord and dies in such thoughts, says Trilochan that man shall be liberated; the
Lord shall abide in his heart.
WORLD AS ILLUSION
Indian mystics have often used the word
"Maya"[6]—the
concept of changing time and space-- to explain the illusion and delusion of
this world. Maya is "the powerful force that
creates the cosmic illusion that the phenomenal world is real" and transforms the
illusion of this false world into pleasing authenticity and prevents the soul
from moving towards self-realization. By indulging in the diversity of deceit
and deception, Maya keeps the living entity in the enticement of the world so
that the human being can neither identify its true nature nor can it have
longed for its Source, that God. An Urdu couplet by a poet (Sayyad Baqar
Hussain) describes the world –
"As the Beautiful dame enchanting
like a Nargis flower, you have strange art of intoxicating others
And all wise men come to seek the gift of
madness from you. (All pious and preachers "Zahids" rush madly rush
to you)."[7]
The metaphor of Maya in Ghazali's words is --The
world exhibits itself to you as though he would dwell with you and forever be
at your side. In truth, this world is always upon the point of being snatched
away from you, notwithstanding you are tranquility unconscious of it. The world
again is like an enchanter who performs acts of friendship and manifests love
for you, for the sake of winning your affections to him, but as soon as he has
secured your love, he turns away his face from you and plots to destroy you.
The world resembles the older woman
who arrayed herself in silk stuff, flowered brocades, and ornaments and covered
her head with a beautifully embroidered veil. So that those who should see her
from a distance can notice only her garments and form get deceived. Whenever
she has succeeded in inducing a person to follow after her and decide upon
joining herself, she takes off her robes from the back and veil from the head.
Immediately her concealed horror is brought to light, and the person who had
been seeking her becomes subject to eternal regret and sorrow.
We have received it also by tradition, that
the world will be brought to the great assembly at the last day, in the form of
a woman with livid eyes, pendent lips, and deformed shape, and all the people
will look upon her, (we take refuge in God,) and will exclaim, "what
deformed and a horrible person is that, whose aspect alone is severe torture to
the
soul?"
Sheikh Bu-Ali Qalandar repeats the same
thought process--
This
world is an older woman full of deceit and betrayal,
Which
makes young men old by restlessness and mental turmoil.[8]
Ninth Guru of Sikhs in the lineage of Guru
Nanak mentions[9]--
Like
a dream and a show, so is this world, you must know. None of this is true, O
Nanak, without God.
Night
and day, for the sake of Maya, the mortal wanders constantly.
There
is scarcely one among millions, O Nanak, who keeps the Lord in his
consciousness.
As
the bubbles in the water well up and disappear again,
so
is the universe created; says Nanak, listen, O my friend.
The
mortal does not remember the Lord, even for a moment; the wine of Maya blinds
him.
Says
Nanak, without meditating on the Lord, he is caught by the noose of death (
cycle of birth and death)
Even Allama Iqbal –20th century of
poet and mystics mentions [10]-
This
world of riches, wealth, and close relationships
are
just idols/manifestation of illusions and ego,
all
are fake except 'La Ilaha Illallah'.
PURPOSE OF THIS WORLD
Man fully understands that he
is encapsulated in this cosmic existence and is subject to resurrections and
reincarnations. He cannot physically and mentally walk, fly or swim out of this
complex cosmic capsule of matter, time and space. The only option he can
exercise is to spiritually liberate his essence, the soul, from the compulsion
of cycle of come and go and from being reincarnated even in celestial beings.
The purpose of human being in this physical world with the
trinity of the soul, mind and the body is to understand his/her relationship
with all that he/she can perceive is to understand if there is anything that is
beyond various entities like five senses (touch taste , seeing , hearing and
smelling), five elements (air, water, fire, earth and ether), three Gunas (
noble, possessive or evil deeds) and
Maya or the continuous attribute of change of matter, time and space.
Understanding of expressed outer dimension (perceived through 5 senses) is extrovertly
movement of mind and understanding of unexpressed inner is beyond 5 senses, introvertly
movement of mind. Efforts in this world are required to maintain a perfect
balance between outer and inner movement. In this process many new ideas many
new secrets should come forth which shapes up and provide necessary directions
for further movement of human being into next stage.
The
man has to realize that he does not belong here and gets instilled with the
desire to experience his real self or
God-head. God, in His infinite kindness towards the wayward souls, have given
them the freedom to opt for the way back or have perpetual residency in this
cosmic existence in various life forms and shapes.
As
man grows into maturity with age and the process of life, he realizes that
without exception everything turns into misery, sorrow and frustration. Even if
he is enjoying to the maximum, disease, old age, and death always get you in
the end. With luck, grace and fated destiny, many men opt for true devotion to
God, for attaining Moksha, while taking
care of family responsibilities for attainment for Divine awareness or
self-realization.
SUFISM
In the later
part of his life Ghazali retired in Tus, Iran and started serving people and
pupils with humility. He finally concluded that compared to Sufis, scholars
hardly know anything about the Ultimate Reality. All the accumulated knowledge of the
philosophers and scholars is nothing what the Sufis know about God. It is in
the inner chambers of the spiritual heart, the soul (and not the heart as an
organ) where God can be experienced.
According to Sufism, the
ultimate objective of human life in this world is to attain salvation from the
cosmic cycle of birth and death (काएनत
की हयात से निजात हासिल करना है). Their aim is to attain Maqam-e Haq or Tawhid, Oneness
with God by “annihilation of the self” or elimination of I-ness or duality also called Fnaa. The feeling that I exist as
a distinct entity from God is the most pre-dominant blasphemy or “Kufr”. Baba
Bulleh Shah says[11] in a poetic version—"Oh man first
make a perfume of flowers , then covert that perfumery into a river; and swim
deep in that river many times over like
a fish; even then the foul smell of I-ness shall not wither away”.
The greatest single
impediment in this journey of elimination of ego or I-ness is of Nafs-Mind. So long as mind (Nafs) does not irrevocably shun
worldly temptations, meditative concentration on the Lord cannot be
pursued. Till such time mind is
appropriately molded, this journey remains out of the realm of possibility.
Purity of the heart is thus the sole basis of this path. To tame mind, deterrents
are a must. The Sufis thus keep aloof from worldly desires and cravings of
mind. Self-control, renunciation or detachment is comparable to such
precautions. Some believe that when Sufi Dervish realized transient nature of
this creation, then they considered these deterrents of insulating themselves
from the world as the prime necessity. Sufis maintain that this creation is
exceptionally transitory that it does not merit focus of any sorts. The more a
person gets tangled in this world, the more his complications multiply. Thought
of acquisition of this or that material entity creates anxiety in man. Anything
that man wishes to acquire or accomplish creates attachment in him and thus he
neglects other aspects of human life.
Sufism demands a life of Halal
(purity that inspires Divinity)) and shun all that is Haram ( impure actions,
words, or worldly attachments that pull the mind away from the Divine). Tawba,
Wara, Zuhud, Faqr, Sabr, Twakkul, Rida are defined a Sufi .
Tawba is the repentance of
sin with the promise that it will not be repeated and that the sinner will not
return. 2.Wara translating to
"watchfulness", living by Halal and not by haram, avoiding sinning at
all costs, be watchful from anything that distracts from God. 3. Zuhd,
translated "renunciation", the obligatory action of relinquishing all
desire. 4. Faqr, translated as "poverty", is one of the central
attitudes in a Sufi's life. In a
spiritual sense, poverty is defined as the absence of desire for wealth or for
the blessings of the otherworld. 5. Sabr--The Prophet Muhammad described
patience as the most difficult act of faith as well as the forbearing of
hardship. Because the Prophet viewed patience as such a difficult act, it is
widely followed on the path of a Sufi.
6. Tawwakul, translated as "trust," is a noble stage a Sufi
must reach once he has learned patience so that when something is denied to a
mystic, they trust it is in agreement with destiny. 7. Riḍa, the final station, is a word that
only roughly translates to "acceptance" by the Lord in English.
Four well known steps of
Sufism are—
a) Shariat, following the path of
Dharma.—righteousness as defined by any religion or a Master. The intrinsic aim
and purpose or “maqsad” of Shariat is to
lead a life that benefits the soul for higher realization , but Maulvis or
Kazis of Islam have applied Shariat for the appropriation of daily life,
necessities, money, property and social welfare.
b) Tareeqat, to obtain a technique or
method of self- realization from a Murshid on how to meditate or do
Muraqaba—(an Arabic word meaning "to watch over", "to take care
of", or "to keep an eye" for meditation. The sitting ceremony in
which Muraqaba is taught is called is called Bayaid. Meditation takes care of
spiritual heart (or soul), and acquires knowledge about it, its surroundings,
and its creator. This is the core concept of Sufism). This includes a life
style of purity consistent with precepts of the Murshid. {Note- Spiritual heart is different from the
physical heart which is an organ of the body. The seat of the spiritual heart is deemed at the
forehead just above the eye centre.}
c) Marfatt, is intensive application of
the technique defined by the Murshid for equanimity of mind with the help of
Zikr (simran), Fikr (awe of presence of
God), Tussavar (dhayn or focusing attention on the form of Murshid), and
Riayazat (practice of of Zir, Fir and Tussavar).
d) Haqeeqat is experiencing the Truth.
The above technique of
Sufism is very well acknowledged and captured by the fifth Guru--सर सरीअत ले कमावे//तरीकत तरक खोज टोलावे//मार्फ़त मन मार अब्दुल्लाह, मिले
हकीकत जित फिर न मरा // page 1083 ---The seeker may follow a life of
righteousness (Shariat), getting blessed by a Master (Tareeqat), practicing
meditation, and attainment of knowledge by equipoise state of mind (Marfatt)
and realization of the Truth (Haqeeqat), to get rid of cycle of birth and
death.
ACCORDING
TO SANT MAT
Guru Granth Sahib mentions (SGGS page 378)--The
precious human life is gifted to the man (in this world) with the
abundant Grace of the Lord to experience Him. Pursue the path of getting
associated and also seeking the refuge of His beloved Saints or True Gurus for
attuning Consciousness with Him. All other efforts are futile. No other
technique is bound to assist in seeking the Divine. Defocus mind from worldly
chores and remain focussed on His realization through meditation. भई प्रपात मनुख
दहरिया -
Then again on (SGGS page 1)-- By His Command, bodies
are created (in this world); His Command cannot be described. By His
Command, souls come into Being; by His Command, glory and greatness are
obtained By His Command, some are high and some are low; by His Written
Command, pain and pleasure are obtained. Some, by His Command, are blessed and
forgiven; others, by His Command, wander aimlessly forever.(हुकमी होवान आकार, हुकम न कहा जाए)
(SGGS Page8) mentions in the
37th verse of Jap Ji, says Guru Nanak Sahib-
In the realm of Truth (Sach Khand), the Formless
Lord abides. Having created the Creation (this world), He watches over
it. By His Glance of Grace, He bestows happiness. There are planets, solar systems,
and galaxies. If one speaks of them, there is no limit, no end. There are
worlds upon worlds of His Creation. As He commands, so they exist. He watches
over all, and contemplating the Creation (this world), He rejoices. O
Nanak, to describe this is as hard as steel!
(सच खंड वसे निरंकार --).
“Sach Khand” or the stage
of Parbrahm (beyond Brahm) is deemed to be a realm of consciousness above the
casual plane of Universal mind. It is only when the soul ascends beyond the
mind through a force that also comes from beyond the mind can only reach God (from
the power that comes directly from God) and become worthy of salvation. That
power or force is the Divine word or Shabad.
The process begins by
withdrawing the consciousness from the nine openings of the body (eyes, ears,
nostrils, mouth, and the two lower openings) to the eye centre, and then
traversing the astral and causal realms. Hence Maharaj Charan Singh writes:
“Withdrawing our attention
from the nine apertures (of the body) and connecting it with the Shabd within
leads us to the door of mukti. For, when we have reached the first rung of the
ladder, there is hope of reaching the top as well. The secret of withdrawing
the attention from the nine apertures and the technique of connecting it with
the Shabd is imparted to us only by the saints”.( Light on Sant Mat discourses
3, page 29)
In Christianity, God’s abode is mentioned as “Kingdom of Heaven”, sometimes
also referred as “Kingdom of God” where man’s real “treasure” lies. (For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also—Mathew
6:21). The soul is bound to be experience the reunification with the
Lord –if your heart is pulled towards that immaculate Divine treasure.
Man’s purpose on this planet earth is expected to
seek the real treasure (God realization) in the Kingdom of Heaven. The Lord
(Father) mandates the path to be advised through His sons ( the living Masters)
for practicing the devotion of “Word”[12]—the
cosmic vibrational energy or the creative power of God -- at the “ third eye”--
the middle point in the forehead just above the eyebrows, where the mind and
soul are knotted together for acquiring higher consciousness so that “thy body shall be full of light” of
Divine Understanding.
Jesus has called this phenomenon as “born again”.
The amplified version in the Bible John 3:3 “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, “Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3.).
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit”. Unless
a person is born—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified-- he cannot
[ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” The sons of God of current time and space initiate the
serious aspirants on the spiritual journey.
The Holy Bible mentions
the role of such Saints, Prophets or Sins of God that come for the redemption
of the sincere seekers in this world (John 3:16-18) “For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal
life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in
order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not
condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has
not believed in the name of the only Son of God”.
RECLUSIVE ASCETICISM
In ancient India and even
in current times, physical renunciation from the world is practiced. To stay
away from the family life and its obligations, visiting holy places and
pilgrimages, living aloof and alone from cities and towns in forests, eating
frugal food either by begging or raw vegetables or roots of the jungle, living
under a thatched hut-- is deemed worldly renunciation. This is asceticism and
leads to suppression of desires of mind, which can react and rebound when
re-exposed to the world or weaknesses of desires. The siddha yogis who were
fervent practitioner of this life style in India in 14th-15th
century question Guru Nanak Sahib[13]—“to stay away from
the towns and cities (हाटी बाटी रहे निराले); live
in forests (रुख बिरख उदियाने); survive on intake of dry roots (कंद मूल अहारो) -simple eating habits) and bathing in pilgrimages (तीरथ नायीए) --for getting rid of karmic dross (मैल न लागे काई)” is not sufficient to the
worldly desires and temptations. The response of Guru Nanak Sahib was[14] –
While living in this world (हाटी बाटी), the seeker should have alertness of mind so
as not to fall asleep (नींद न आवे) or get stuck in this illusive (Mayaavi—that
is unreal) creation (पर घर चित न डोलाई). Without the nectar of Nam, mind cannot find
any viable or true support (मन टेक न टिकई) that can check its hunger for ephemeral
entities. Satguru shows the Real city
--celestial abode—(हाट पट्टन) in the home (घर) of this body in a state of calmness (सहजे
सच व्यापारो). All that is required to be done is to curtail sleep, slumber and
laziness (खंडित निद्रा) and live on minimum
intake of normal food (अल्प अहार) to devote maximum time to
Nam-Bhakti (तत बीचारो).
Siddhs and Guru Sahib have the identical
objective of devotion to Almighty—but the former’s formula is emphasis on
“external asceticism”, the latter is for managing the mind through “internal
asceticism” within this blessed human frame with supremacy of Shabad, Satguru
and inner meditation.
To another query by another ascetic - The cosmic ocean of existence is
impassable (दुनिया सागर दुत्त्र) how can it be crossed, Oh Nanak the
yogi— Can you express your views on this subject?” Guru Nanak Sahib mentions[15]-- Just as a
lotus flower remains dry while floating in the water; a duck swimming in water,
does not allow its wings to get wet (नै साने) ---that is
the way of crossing this ocean of existence (भव सागर तरिये) with the help of nam.. A devotee’s
life should be mentally detached from the world, despite being physically
present, by surrendering his will in Omni Will (रज़ा
में रहना-- ख़ुशी ख़ुशी). He (Nanak
Sahib) is servant of the one who experiences the inaccessible imperceptible (अगम
अगोचर) God within and helps others for the same.
THE WORLDLY PEOPLE ---
Ghazali gives two
exceptional paradigms
1) Man in this world resembles the guest who was invited to
partake of the hospitality of a rich man. In token of respect, the servants set
before him silver washing-basins, vessels of costly stones, perfumes of musk
and
amber with chafing dishes.
The poor guest is overjoyed at the sight of these things, thinking that they
have been made his own property. The next day, when he is upon
the point of departure,
they are all taken from him by force. Seeing that this world is itself a
mansion built for travellers a wise guest does not lay his hand upon other
things than his necessary provisions, lest on the morrow when about to move on,
they take them out of his hands.
2) The people of this world are also like the passengers in a
ship, who while sailing upon the sea, arrive at an island. The sailors draw the
ship to the shore, and then call out and say, “whoever wishes for water or other
provisions, let him leave the ship and go and procure them : let him not delay,
for the ship will not remain long. The wise passengers, remembering the
admonition of the sailors, attended quickly to their affairs, and immediately
returned to the
ship. They selected the
places in the ship that pleased them best, and sat down calm and tranquil. Some
of the passengers, however, gazed at the trees, the flowers and the fruits of
the island, listened to and admired the notes of the birds, and places. the ship
leaves and they are left here in remorse without reaching the destination.
Ghazali also cautions
Do not suppose, beloved,
that everything in the world is to be despised; for there are some things that
are estimable and valuable, which belong to the world: viz : knowledge,
worship, war in defence of the faith, and abstinence : and also a sufficiency
of food, drink and clothing, marriage, domestic shelter and other things;
seeing that they are helps on the journey to the future world and in the path
of knowledge, they are all of them exceedingly important and necessary. these
pleasures are not blameable, so the apostle declares but it is a curse who
forsake the remembrance of God, which is the object of love.
[1]
Book of Mirdad by Mikhail Naimy, chapter 20
[2] लाई हयात आए क़ज़ा ले चली चले, अपनी ख़ुशी न आए न अपनी ख़ुशी चले
[3]
Sri Granth, Jap ji page 7
[4]दुनिया ढूंडण वाले कुत्ते, दर दर फिरन हैरानी हू। हड्डी उत्ते होड़ तिन्हां दी, लड़दयां उमर विहाणी हू । अक़ल दे कोताह समझ न जाणन, पीवण लोड़न पाणी हु ।बाझों ज़िकर रब्बे दे बाहू, कूड़ी राम कहाणी हू ।
[5]
अंति कालि जो लछमी सिमरै ऐसी चिंता महि जे मरै ॥सरप जोनि वलि वलि अउतरै ॥१॥अंति कालि नाराइणु सिमरै ऐसी चिंता महि जे मरै ॥बदति तिलोचनु ते नर मुकता पीत्मबरु वा के रिदै बसै ॥
[6]
MAYA (6.2 page 232) – edited version
THE VEIL OF THE PHYSICAL
(FROM THE TREASURY OF MYSTIC TERMS BY JOHN DAVIDSON)
Maya
----supernatural power illusion, unreality, delusion. deception, in Indian philosophy and mysticism, the veil
of illusion; the illusion of sensory appearance; the illusion that veils
perception of the divine Reality, projecting transience as real; all that which is not eternal, which is not
real or true; hence, the phenomenal universe and all material
appearances.
Though often associated specifically with the
physical universe, maya is essentially a power originating with the universal
mind, and prevailing throughout the worlds of the mind. Maya is often
represented as a beautiful, but faithless, woman who lures mankind and keeps
the soul tied to the realm of illusion.
This world is taken as reality by most of its
inhabitants. However, the concept of reality is poorly understood. It is worth
considering, for example,
(a) Whether something that changes, and cannot be
relied upon to remain the same indefinitely, can be considered real in an
absolute sense.
(b) Similarly, can something be considered real if it
promises to be one thing, but turns out to be another if it has actually been a
deception and an illusion? Things in this world are not eternal or unchanging,
but possess only a relative reality.
(c)
Just as a dream
seems real when dreaming, but is revealed on waking to have been an illusion,
so are this world and consciousness here realized to be illusory upon the
awakening of higher consciousness?
(d) Even from a scientific viewpoint, this world and
its experiences are not what they seem. Matter appears to be solid and ‘real’,
yet physicists say that it is actually comprised of tiny packets or ‘particles’
of energy, held together by the forces between them and spinning at incredible
speeds. It is the speed, the mass, the forces between them, and the energies of
these ‘particles’, together with the limitations of sensory perception, which
give rise to the appearance of a stable, ‘solid’ physical universe. In fact, it
is a constantly shifting and vibrating sea of energy, perceived only partially
by the physical senses. This is just one small aspect of maya.
(e) Similarly, man has desires for things and
achievements of the world which he thinks will bring happiness and fulfilment
to his life. However, if he manages to attain them, he finds that they do not,
after all, bring the expected peace of mind. In fact, they may bring even more
worry and unhappiness. He was therefore led on and deceived by the appearance
of things. This, too, is maya.
(f)
In the astral and causal realms, as well as in the physical
universe, maya is all-pervasive. Here,
maya is deceptively beautiful and alluring, blissful and beguiling. And though
a soul may earn the right to a prolonged stay in heaven through devoted
spiritual practice or through good deeds on earth, sooner or later the right to
dwell there is exhausted, and the soul is forced to return to the material
plane. Consequently, the soul’s stay in heaven was deceptive. Souls may even
think they have reached the highest Divinity, when in fact they have only seen
the lord of the astral or causal regions. This is also maya.
(g) The two fundamental aspects of this illusion are
time and space. Many mystics have pointed out that time is not real. It is a
creation of mind and maya. And since, in this world, souls live entirely
enveloped by time and space, the entire fabric of the world is also illusory.
Everything in this world lies within the orbit of time and appears to be
governed by it. No moment has any reality except the present, for that which is
past cannot be regarded as real, nor that which is yet to happen.
(h) Wherever there is mind, there is maya, for the mind
is the divider of the One into the multiplicity and diversity of the lower
realms of creation. Taking this ever shifting many-ness as reality is the
illusion cast by maya over everything within these realms. Souls who live in
the worlds of the mind, therefore, live in a domain of illusion which they take
to be real. This is all the work of mind and maya.
[7]
अजब अंदाज़ तुझको नरगिसे मस्ताना आता है
के हर होशियार यहाँ बन्ने को दीवाना आता है
[8]
है ये दुनिया एक बुढ़िया पुर फ़रेब,
हर जवाँ बूढ़ा है इससे नाशिकेब ।
[9] Page 1427
SGGS
[11] फुलां दा तू इतर बना, फिर इतरां दा तू कड दरिया।। उस दरिया विच
डुबकी ला मछली वांगू
तारियां ला।। फिर भी तेरी बू नहीं
मुकनी ,पहले अपनी मैं
मुका।।
[12] In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life
was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness
comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
ü [13] Q--हाटी बाटी रहे निराले रुख बिरख उदियाने//कंद मूल अहारो खाईये
अवधू बोले ज्ञाने //
तीरथ नायीए सुख फल पाईये मैल
न लागे काई//गोरख पूत लोहारीपा बोले जोग जुगत बिध साई //
[14] --हाटी
बाटी नींद न आवे पर घर चित न डोलाई //बिन नावे मन टेक न टिकई नानक भूख न जाई//हाट
पट्टन घर गुर दिखाया सहजे सच व्यापारो//खंडित निद्रा अल्प अहार नानक तत बीचारो //
[15] --जैसे जल में कमल निराल्म मुरगाई नै साने// सुरत शब्द भव
सागर तरिये नानक नाम बखाने//रहे एकांत एको मन वस्येआ आसा माहे निरासे // अगम अगोचर
देख दिखाए नानक ता का दासो //
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