This paper was presented at the
National Seminar on
Indian Psychology: Theories and Models
SVYASA, Bangalore,
December 26 - 28, 2007
 

The relationship between the real and apparent in the light of MeherBaba

Ramanakumar. K.P.V — Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswamahavidyalaya, Kancheepuram

“To be infinitely conscious, you must consciously lose consciousness of your self,” says MeherBaba. The above quote gives a hint to a very important puzzle which is baffling intellectual minds all over the world since quite sometime. To understand the quote an effort was made through this paper to find what exactly he would like to convey to humanity. When trying to decipher the meaning and depth of the sentence at times the question arose sincerely, whether it is that easy to discuss intellectually a topic of such nature, which definitely can be talked about without doubt only if it is experiential. So this paper tries to understand the meaning of the sentence based on the explanations given by the universal master. According to him there are differences and interrelationships between four states of God. They are natural light (Self), natural darkness (Spirit), unnatural Darkness (Mind), and unnatural light (Body). These four states are encompassed in the game of consciousness, which lies latent in sound sleep, dreams in both ordinary human dreaming, and in divine dream of the planes, and comes to full wakefulness in ordinary human awareness as well as in the divine awakening of God Realization. What God in the states of ignorance (unnatural light, unnatural darkness) must bring to pass is the complete cessation of all activities of the mind. Can mind be silenced so easily? A God realized perfect master can silence the mind in an instant. When the mind is thus eternally silenced, the infinite ego of God experiences the Sound-Sleep-In-Awake state. The link between consciousness and the mind is broken, the spirit sees the Self, and the goal of existence – to experience God –realization – is attained. This is the theme, ancient but contemporary.

Email the author, Prof. Ramanakumar Kanuri, at meherramana@yahoo.com