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Thursday, February 18, 2010

This is what I believe!

This is what I believe!
It has been about 5 years since I came in contact with this proposal of Jeevan Vidya. I often seek answer to this question - What is Jeevan Vidya, really? Is it something I believe in, or is there something more to it? Is it an activist-movement? Is it a religion? Is it a "moral-science" sermon? Is it some "cult" around a person?

I am not a very well-read person, and my exposure to science and spirituality is dilettante-level - at best. I would describe myself to be very "normal" kind of a guy - someone who never quite went against the mainstream. I tried to do whatever seemed "right" at any point of time - whether it was preparing for IIT in 1987-88, struggling for grades there, finding a job after passing out, preparing for CAT (and not getting through), seeking foreign assignments and promotions in job, seeking some solace in religion, watching movies, trying to meet parents expectations, getting married in an arranged way, having a daughter, seeking joy in our family-living, pursuing a hobby of painting, and all the time hoping that there should be some "meaning" in all that is happening around me. There is nothing "special" about this life of 39 years.

I had heard of "Jeevan Vidya" from a friend of mine - who used to be with me at IIT, and also we used to share a house at Bangalore. I was not indisposed towards it, and was overall receptive to the idea. I attended a couple of shivirs of Jeevan Vidya - but I remained quite "untouched" really. This is not to undermine the sincerity and knowledge of the shivir prabodhaks - but that's what happened (or didn't happen) with me. In the course of events, I got the set of books of Madhyasth-darshan - and tried to read them... They didn't make sense really in the beginning, the language was Hindi - but wasn't the "regular kind" of Hindi. Job used to be hugely boring for me, but I didn't have any other way to live... What else to do? Where else to go?

In the course of events, another friend advised me to go and meet Nagraj ji at Amarkantak. And as it happened, in Nov 2004 - I went to Amarkantak - a completely strange place for me - along with my wife and daughter, and knocked the door of a dharmshala where Nagraj ji used to stay then. It was perhaps the most unusual and unexpected thing for me to do. It seems almost bizarre - when I think of it now... Nagraj ji - Baba as he is affectionately called - started off by introducing himself. He said, that he had achieved samadhi and sanyam - and with that he has seen existence, and that's what he teaches. He stated this as a matter of fact - and then said, "You see, human-being in its history has always tried seeking trust - but it never really found it. I have found the root of trust, and it is in self, and that happens when self experiences in co-existence, and I can teach you that." It was a heady kind of feeling - I wasn't quite game for this sort of thing.... But it was happening, I was getting hooked. I observed him keenly while his treating the patients (he is an ayurvedic doctor), talking to his family members, getting his feet massaged, reading newspaper, meeting visitors, enjoying snacks... Very normal kind of person - no pretensions. I didn't understand what was happening... He wasn't saying anything "high funda" or spiritual kind of stuff... but still he made sense, whole lot of sense....

I concluded, I could trust him - completely.

There were no airs about him. He would make me sit on his bed beside him, and would lean to listen to what I was saying - since he is a little hard of hearing... Here he was 50 years senior to me, and saying with authenticity that - I know! And that - You can know too! It moves me to tears thinking of my fortune and plight!

In the last 5 years, I must have met him 30 times or so - and I don't remember a day when I have been without thinking about this... We must have talked about everything under the Sun, about the Sun, - and beyond... And my respect and reverence for him has grown, every time. And now I and my family find ourselves to be making some decisions about our future based on this.

Jeevan Vidya is a framework for disseminating the knowledge-essence that Nagraj ji found through his research.

Jeevan Vidya is a proposal for knowing. It is knowing for living with harmony. Knowing is not for the knowing's sake - as a scholarly exercise... It is knowing for living.

It is the wisdom to live a resolved life, and a prosperous life.

It is the wisdom for living fully - without gaps, without compromises.

I believe in it - completely. I don't know it, fully yet... I haven't experienced it. I am not living it, fully yet... That's all I can say, honestly. There are other beliefs. Nagraj ji says that this proposal is alternative to those, and he also says that those beliefs don't lead up to knowing - and living. I believe in that too. I have nothing "against" people following those beliefs. My parents also believe in something different from what's proposed in jeevan vidya.

In this blog, I share - what I believe! Study is the link between believing and knowing. I am studying this proposal of Madhyasth Darshan. Here I share with other students of this proposal, what I am studying - with the hope that they may find my notes useful. It is not a propaganda.

People from all beliefs are welcome to examine what is being said here - as explanation of self, existence, and humanness. If they don't find this agreeable - they can leave it (with hope that they come back to it without getting turned off by my half-baked status). If they find it agreeable, and feel the need to explore more - I will be happy to share what I possibly can.
Posted by Rakesh Gupta at 2/10/2010 1 comments
Tuesday 9 February 2010
Believe to Know
We do, what we believe in. We justify the events that happen around us to strengthen our beliefs. We identify with our beliefs. If someone says something contrary to our beliefs - then we feel that our identity is under threat. Then we say that the other is wrong, we try to find flaws in other's statements, we ridicule other, we become defensive, or we become agressive. We feel that if our belief is proven wrong, then we will have nothing to hold on to... When we see other's proposal to be stronger (and heart in heart "right") - we try to assimiliate it into our belief, or we try seeking common-ness between our belief and this.

It is not possible to actualize convergence or unity in humankind - if each of us is going to be adament to our own beliefs. Individualism and Sectatrianism is at the root of all conficts in humankind.

Irrespective of our beliefs - the reality is. Beliefs are about reality - but reality is irrespective of beliefs. Beliefs can have variety. But Reality doesn't have variety.

Reality can be experienced by human-being as a result of right-education.

It is possible to achieve convergence and unity in humankind only when we human-beings experience the reality - as it is.

When one experiences the reality - it is not a matter of belief any more. It is to say with authenticity that it is so.

When a person-A who has experienced the reality, goes about communicating it to person-B - person-B has to believe that person-A is authentic in what he is saying. If he doesn't believe this way, there is no communication between the two. If person-B tries to mix and match his old beliefs with what person-A is saying - the communication is not possible between the two.

That's the need to believe in the process of education. The use of logic is there only till one comes to the point of believing.

Study begins after believing in what's being told as the Principle (or explanation of reality) by the person who has experienced the reality. Before that, logic is there. Argument and counter-argument is there.

Study is not a lonely pursuit. It is with the guidance of teacher - who has experienced the reality. It is the union of need to know and have known. Study culimates in the student also having known the reality.

Student believes to know.

Experiencing is the point of fulfillment of knowing and believing.

- based on Madhyasth-darshan, while studying it.
Posted by Rakesh Gupta

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