Letter to a Christian Nation Essay Pro’s and Con’s

Letter to a Christian Nation

Essay

Part I

The three arguments I find most compelling in Harris address to those who follow Abrahamic rooted religions, specifically, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, are as follows.

a. First, the idea that the Old Testament, New Testament, and Koran claim to be unrivaled sources of goodness, compassion and love.  All three testaments claim to be divinely inspired.  The idea of these sacred texts being the perfect guide to morality is simply outrageous.

b. These texts also contradict themselves hypocritically, acknowledging and endorsing violence in different scriptures and verses, completely contradictory to the supposed values and morals of each particular belief system.

c. Self-righteous egoism masqueraded as dogma gets in the way of proactive action in the resolution of human suffering and pain.

Take the following Biblical verses representing God’s counsel to parents:

Whenever children get out of line, we should beat them with a rod. (Proverbs 13:24,20-30, and 23:13-14).  If they are shameless enough to talk back to us, we should kill them. (Leviticus 20:9, Deuteronomy 21:18-21, Mark 7:9-13, and Matthew 15:4-7.)  We must also stone people to death for heresy, adultery, homosexuality, working on the Sabbath, worshiping graven images, practicing sorcery, and a wide variety of other imagined crimes. (Harris, XXX)

As stated in Article 5 of the United Nations Human Rights Declaration, “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”  How can this and other similar concepts within sacred texts containing such statements be revered as the backbone and morality of our contemporary society?  If one were to act upon every single piece of advice in the above quoted verses , any person would be charged with multiple felonies at the least.  It is outrageous and barbaric to actually continue this collective delusion and the whole, uncontested belief in Abramaic-based theologies and their respective evolutions without critically revising these Holy Scriptures.  I don’t understand how anyone in their right mind who has truly studied these verses can attest to their ultimate truth, let alone the ultimate hypocrisy.  As stated in Article 3 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.”

In addition, more human rights violations are found in the verses of these sacred texts.  Take, for example, the following:

When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.  If she does not please her master who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed, he shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt faithlessly with her.  If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.  If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.  And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing without payment for money (Exodus 21:7-11).

This verse clearly violates Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.”  How can an exemplary book of ultimate goodness and guide to values in one’s life actually endorse such a horrendous verse, in which slavery is completely condoned, as well as all of the obvious human rights violations that are expressed?  Lastly, as stated in Ephesians 6:5, look at how this debauchery is condoned and intertwined with the obvious manipulation of dogma, as stated: “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with fear and trembling, with singleness of heart, as to Christ.”  And furthermore, there is the following verse:

Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the word of God and teaching not be defamed.  Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the grounds that they are brethren; rather, they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved.  Teach and urge these duties.  If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching which accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit, he knows nothing; he has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions…(1 Timothy 6:1-4)

In violation of Article 18:

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

In this previous verse, we see how even the basic right to intelligently question the ideology is completely oppressed by the totalitarian Christian regime of that period.  The inference of said scripture shows the complete lack of regard for the individual’s freedom to think and to speak freely in his or her relationship with the Divine and their faith.  It obviously, again, displays how a religious structure uses the inference of divine authority and intolerance for those basic human rights that we hold most dear today.   All of these statements are in complete contradiction to the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  In addition, as stated in Article 19 of the same Declaration:

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

How can modern Christianity in the United States ignore such a contradiction in moral values?  It is as if the archaic belief system of unquestionable “faith” in supposed “divine

inspiration” can outlandishly supplant common moral logic.

Let us now take the following verse on the Day of Judgment according to Islam, as stated in 16:27-32 of the “Holy” Qur’an:

This Day indeed are the Unbelievers covered with shame and misery (namely) those whose lives the angels take in a state of wrong-doing to their own souls.  Then would they offer submission (with the pretense), “We did no evil (knowingly),” (The angels will reply), “Nay, but verily Allah knoweth all that ye did; So enter the gates of hell, to dwell therein.

In these verses from the holy Qur’an concerning the Day of Judgment we see how there is an obvious manipulation utilizing concepts of shame and misery to instill fear of all those who would not surrender to the ultimate word of this infallible sacred book’s verses.  How can it be possible to believe that people who have lived a righteous life would not enter “Heaven” because they have not accepted a belief system other than their own?  This is self-righteous egoism masqueraded as dogma to manipulate and instill fear into “infidels” that would not accept Islamic beliefs fully and wholly.

Part II

a. The sacredness of human life: the Judaic perspective

The sacredness of human life according to the Torah comes from the concept that man is not only on this earth as a being, but is essentially of divine essence.  As stated in Living Religions,

All people are potentially equal; they are said to be common descendants of the first man and woman.  But they are also potentially perfectible and in raising themselves they uplift the world.  God limited the divine power by giving humans free will, involving them in the responsibility for the world’s condition, and their own.  If we are suffering, according to the Talmud, we should examine our own deeds. (Fisher, 263)

As stated by Hillel’s interpretation of Torah, man’s divinity comes from the gift he received by the creator to have free will, the ability to choose right from wrong and humanity’s divine nature directly as representatives of the true God on earth.

Additionally, in the practice of the sacredness of human life, the following statement bears true to the implementation of man’s practice and sharing of this gift:  “What is hateful to thee, do not unto thy fellow man: this is the whole Law; the rest is mere commentary” (Hillel, quoted in Schecter). In this we see the concept of brotherly love and the sacredness of human life as a whole.

By this example embracing the transformative concept of brotherly love by acting to others as one would also wish be treated.  By this nonjudgmental and compassionate way of being, the conversion from egoisms and the acceptance of all others in with compassion, we could mirror our own perfect illuminated relationship with the divine, and in the same way, accept that the divine that lives within all our brothers and sisters as an ultimate mirror for our own realized higher consciousness manifest.

b. Kenoticism is a path of realization within Orthodox Christianity whereby selflessness and complete surrender to the divine within both the monastic and or Deacons faithful clergy begin to embody traits attributed to divine incarnation. The pious devotee basically emulates aspects of Christ’s divine attributes in human form.  Throughout Orthodox Christianity in Russia various prominent monks and deacons have achieved levels of liberation through acts of selflessness as well as acceptance of unwarranted suffering and service to others.  This concept within Russian Orthodox theology is defined by Jahn as follows:

Theological basis of the teaching of voluntary acceptance of undeserved suffering as was by Jesus Christ in His crucifixion. Acts of kenosis were a frequent theme in Old Russian literature, and from the earliest period. The Chronicle, for example, contains an account of the murders of Boris and Gleb, two young princes who were slain on the orders of their ambitious brother Sviatopolk. Though they were warned of their brother’s plan, Boris and Gleb made no resistance to their enemies, accepting their deaths without complaint.

Another example is Fisher’s description of the life of St. Theodosius found on p.312 of Living Religions.  He ate a Spartan diet, wore peasant clothes, habitually did backbreaking manual labor, and despite being honored both within the religious community and by the people, refused the honors and trappings of any privilege.  A story is related of how a prince offered St. Theodosius a carriage to ride home in.  Mistaken for a beggar by the driver, he not only willingly relieved the driver of his duties, he paid him for the privilege of doing so.

The example of Kenoticism via selfless acts towards others could dramatically affect and benefit all of humanity. These acts could create a shift of paradigm and spread by way of a transcendental inspirational consciousness to the whole of humanity.

This new consciousness would usher us into a new era worldwide compassion love and peace as one people the human race.

c. The Oneness of God and Humanity Islam in Sufi Theology. Within Islam the unity and oneness of humanity is the central prime theme for humanities perfection in divine communion.  The passage known as the  Surah Aal-e-Imran or “The Family of Imran” 3:18, “La ilaha ill-Allah,” is translated as, “Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge, maintaining His creation with justice; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise.”

The primary theme in Islamic theology is that of one god bearing ninety-nine names with ninety-nine individual aspects, and one primary name, Allah, that encompasses the essence of all other names.

As explained Sara Sviri,

The Primordial Covenant is understood also as an intimation of the ultimate proximity between human beings and God at this Timeless Time.  It alludes to the primordial ‘union’ between human beings and the divine.  It is this state of nearness (qurb) and intimacy (‘uns) that the mystic longs for during his lifetime.  The journey in this respect is nothing but a ‘return to the beginning’, or more precisely: ‘return to the “Source of Being” (in Arabic – al-ma’ad ila al-mabda’).  The ultimate goal, the arrival (wusul) at a state of Oneness with the Beloved, is the return to the state in which one was before one was (Sviri, 199).

This state of oneness is also, I believe, a universal theme that is palatable by most and or all other religious paths. The benefits of the faithful of all religious paths attaining this Ideal and state of oneness would lead us to see that all others are truly ourselves and leads to a place of love, compassion and harmony in the world we inhabit.

Part III

A spiritual teaching that resonates with my core values, and a teaching that I believe holds universal truth, is the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jainism teaching called ahimsa, which holds that all living sentient beings on all levels, within the earth, the seas, the air, all animate beings, should be left to live in peace.  As stated below in the sacred Jainist Acaranga Sutra,

Knowing and renouncing severally and singly

Actions against living beings in the regions

Above, below, and on the surface,

Everywhere and in all ways—

The wise one neither gives pain to these bodies,

Nor orders others to do so,

Nor assents to their doing so.

We abhor those who give pain to those bodies

(of the earth, of fire, of water, of air, of plants, of insects,

of animals, of humans).

Knowing this, a wise person should not cause

Any  pain to any creatures. (Acaranga Sutra, 1.7.1.5, quoted in Chappelle, 4)

I believe the concept of ahimsa to be one of the foremost concepts and genuinely an instinctive universal truth that with its full practice would dramatically enhance the quality of human life on earth.  Our relationships as individuals and the shift of our collective human focus and consciousness could usher in an age of peace and prosperity never seen before on earth.  The act of this collective shift our human paradigm to that of a unassailable respect for human life by both governments as well as individuals would be unprecedented.  The concept that relationships between nations are completely subverting violence and war to peaceful dialogue would save millions of lives.  These formerly wasted resources could be collectively focused to help the hungry the ill, develop economies, and educate the underprivileged .This already exists conceptually as an integral part of most religious traditions on some level.

In Judaism, Christianity, as well as Islam, the ideology represented by 6th commandment, “Thou shall not Kill,” inherently already exists in their mutual Abramaic rooted theologies.

Inherently this also already exists as a core value of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” (Article 5).

The ultimate point herein is the truth we know that lies behind the concept of ahimsa.. In renouncing cruelty, homicide, and murderous behaviors by ways of wars and personal agendas by which we instinctively know to be wrong to our true nature, a new, proactive humanity could emerge.

When will humanity shift its consciousness and act upon what it knows innately is not only is true to its nature, but just for all living sentient beings?

End Notes

Abrahamic religions of the Middle East – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – share a common historical root. These three religions are monotheistic;

Judaism: a religion developed among the ancient Hebrews and characterized by belief in one transcendent God who has revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions

Christianity a religion of Abramaic roots  derived from the belief that Jeshua of Nazareth or Jesus Christ was the messiah ,Christianity is based both the torah of the Hebrews as well as the new testament , Bible as sacred scripture, and professed by Eastern, Roman Catholic, and Protestant bodies

Kenoticism A path of  selfless sacrifice to the extent of the pious own personal detriment in the dedication and loyalty to god and the benefit of other in complete submission and compassion ,with the intention of emulating  jesus Christ sacrifice for man on the cross to correct the fall from grace by original sin

Islam a religion of Abramaic roots monotheistic that believes that Mohamed was the prophet of the creator commonly referred to as Allah  and its faithful known as Muslim or those who submit to god

Old Testament known also as the torah is the body of wisdom and law contained in Jewish Scripture and other sacred literature and oral tradition

Surah Aal-e-Imran The Family of Imran” 3:18, “La ilaha ill-Allah,” is translated as, “Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge, maintaining His creation with justice; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise and or Allah is the sole god and Mohamed is his prophet

Muslims those who submit to god members of Islamic religion

Sufi the members of the Islamic faith who practice the deep mystical esoteric aspects of the Islamic faith

New Testament the second part of the Christian Bible the first being the old testament comprising the canonical Gospels and Epistles and also the book of Acts and book of Revelation

Koran or Qur’an the book composed of sacred writings accepted by Muslims as revelations made to Muhammad by Allah through the angel Gabriel

Hinduism a religion of braministic Vedic roots predominant in India and the precursor of Jainism and Buddhism

Jainism a religion of Brahmin Vedic Hindu roots who’s primary doctrine is the ahimsa the belief that all living sentient beings should be allowed to lve in freedom and peace

United Nations Human Rights Declaration A charter created by the members of the United nations reaffirming their mutual belief in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom

Primordial Covenant a promise made to man by Allah the creator and sole godhead  in the holy quran as follows “And [remember] when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed, and made them testify of themselves, [He asked]: “Am I not your Lord?” They said “Yes, we testify!” Lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: “Of this we were unaware.”
<Quran, The Heights 7:172>

Ahimsa   Hindu , Jainism and Buddhist doctrine of refraining from harming any living being

Bibliography.

Chappelle, Christopher Key.  “Jainism and Nonviolence.”  Smith-Christopher, Daniel L., ed.  Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Nonviolence in Religious Traditions. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2007.

Fisher, Mary Pat, & Lee W. Bailey, ed.  An Anthology of Living Religions, 2^nd.ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, 2008.

Fisher, Mary Pat.  Living Religions, 7^th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2008.

Harris, Sam.  Letter to a Christian Nation. New York: Vintage Books, 2008.

Holy Qur’an. Trans. M. H. Shakir. Elmhurst, NY: Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., 1983. 08/12/2009. <http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/k/koran/koran-idx?type=DIV0&byte=72808>.

Jahn, Gary R.  “Kenoticism.”  from  Russ3421 Literature: Middle Ages to Dostoevsky in Translation.  08/12/2009.  <http://www1.umn.edu/lol-russ/hpgary/Russ3421/kenosis.htm>.

Schecter, Solomon and William Bacher.  “Hillel”. JewishEncyclopedia.com. West Conshohocken, PA: jewishEncyclopedia.com, 2002. 08/12/2009.  <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=730&letter=H>

Sviri, Sara.  “The Mysterium Conjunctionis and the ‘Yo-Yo Syndrome’: from Polarity to Oneness in Sufi Psychology.”  Jung and the monotheisms.  Ryce-Menuhin, Joel, ed. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 1994. p.199.

 

The Mystery and Power of Diksa Essay

The Mystery and Power of Diksa
Essay III

Part I

Evolving from ancient times thru conception into practice, by way of Indo-Aryan beliefs and traditions. Diksa an enigma cloaked in the secrecy of the unmanifest divine and the obscurities leading from creation to divine rite, in and thru the Vedas, Upanishads, and thereafter the Bhagavad Gita. A symbol that continues evolving throughout Buddhism, Jainism and their respective evolutions. Emerges this metaphor, within the context of an ancient wisdom a compelling gesture, a timeless phenomenon thought eternally present. Believed to be empowered to command the divine and initiate its communion.  In ancient and in contemporary accounts are documented supernatural experiences as well as scientifically validated altered states of consciousness in laymen and women, as well as the pious servant.
Arise and is known the metaphor and mystery renowned as Diksa.
Diksa is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity.  A person expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this process as diksa.
(C.c.  Madhya, 15.108, purport, cited in Krishnakant)

Diksa is derived from the root do – (dyati), meaning to cut. The belief is that the ceremonial or gestural act of diksa is used metaphorically to cut the root of the causes that leads to all miseries of Existence in this world of pain and suffering, living and
dying. “Akhilam pad am” the Reality underlying all divergent manifestations of existence.
There are various meanings associated with diksa. There is the diksa known as a rite of initiation in Hindu sects necessary in initiation of devotees initial rite of passage to divine communion. This is in some ways is similar to Western notions of baptism. But with diksa, other attributes are given, such as the devotees potential ability to initiate the awakening of the chakras and development of the siddhis.
Part II
Diksa in Brahmin Upanishads
The following passage from the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad reflects Brahmin theology, specifically, the Idea of no separate self thereby developing one’s full potential as an aspect of god manifest.  As the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad puts it:

If a man knows ‘I am Brahman’ in this way, he becomes the whole world. Not Even the gods are able to prevent it, for he becomes their very self (atman). So when a man venerates another deity, thinking, ‘He is one, and I am another,’ he does not understand….
It is his self (atman) alone that a man should venerate as his world. And if someone venerates his self-alone as his world, that rite of his will never fade away, because from his very self he will produce whatever he desires. (1:4:10/15)

In this verse we see the true power of divine communion and the attainment of awakening the inner god (Atman).  Diksa was and is used as the catalyst—via the diksa initiation, the act itself created for the devotee the conditions to open his or her perception to the consciousness and potential state of unity described above. The idea being that by this act of surrender, the full presence of atman would become present via the diksa cutting out of the “self” and full self-realization could be achieved.
By knowing oneself, one knows all, and by surrendering to the divine, one attains awakening. Realization to the vacuum, emptiness of what was once perceived as the “self” yet at the same time becoming one, the full embodiment and personification of atman.

Diksa From Brahmanism into Hinduism

As stated in the Bhagavad Gita,

One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Bhagavad Gita 8.10:)

In this verse from the Gita we see how Vishnu explains to Arjuna the way to achieve full communion with the supreme divine Godhead.  In diksa, the notion of death in the verse can also be interpreted as a metaphor for the death of the “Self”
In Hinduism, soma initiations are done at various levels determined in part by the caste of the devotee. A pandit, who can also be an Archarya but does not necessarily have to be one, usually carries out these Diksa in soma initiations. Another important ritual is the  havas ritual, another important Brahmnistic Vedic ritual. Those who have undergone the first of the various forms of Diksa belong to the denomination are the entry-level initiation, called Samayin, thereby followed by putraka sadhaka, and Archaryas.
The Archaryas are the elders of the sect and have the rite of consecration that preceded the Vedic sacrifice in ancient India in later and modern Hinduism, in the initiation of a layman by his guru (spiritual guide) into a religious sect. In the soma sacrifices of the Vedic period.
Like similar rites observed throughout the world, dīkṣā also carried with it the meaning of a “rebirth,” and the scriptures describing the ceremony made use of explicit symbolism, such as the “womb” of the hut. At the end of the soma ritual, the sacrificed went through a reverse ceremony, the avabhṛtha (“concluding bath”), in which he again bathed, and his sacred garments, the ritual utensils, and the pressed shoots of the soma plant were all cast into the water. In modern Hinduism, rites of consecration and initiation show many regional and sectarian variations. They are generally preceded by preparatory fasting, bathing, and dressing in new clothes and include in the act of initiation diksa the placing of special marks on the body or forehead, taking on a new name, receiving from the preceptor a selected mantra (prayer formula), and worship.
The following are the documented major sects of Hinduism: Vaishnava, the largest Hindu denomination, Saivism, Shaktism, Smartism, Balinese Hinduism, and Tenggerese.
All of these vary widely and have forms of Diksa that are tailored specifically to their view of the divine. From initiation in communion to the divine to the development of supernatural abilities given by diksa from their respective Guru
In Krishna consciousness
The spiritual master awakens the sleeping living entity to his original consciousness so that he can worship Lord Vishnu.  This is the purpose of diksa, or initiation.  Initiation means receiving the pure knowledge of spiritual consciousness. (C.c.  Madhya, 9.61, purport, from Krishnakant)

Diksa has since become the Holy Grail, the most important symbol for and of divine initiation and communion in Vedic Brahmin Hinduism as well as all of its successive evolutions leading to contemporary times.

Part III

In my research of diksa I came across a modern sect called the Oneness Movement aka The Foundation for World Awakening, which utilizes diksa as its main central theme in unifying people of all religious paths and creeds.
The leaders of the Oneness Movement, Sri Kalki Bhagavan and Amma, his wife, are believed to be twin avatars of mukti or as known in the west enlightenment. Kalki is believed be his devout monks, nuns and devotees, to be an incarnation of Vishnu who has incarnated as an avatar of enlightenment. According to Hinduism to come and slay ignorance and take us from the age of Kaliyuga to the golden age.
The sect utilizes diksa as its central theme and gives a Diksa to all the devotees to empower them to be able to give “Diksa” to other non initiates.
The Oneness Movement incorporates traditional Brahmanism with a universal theme and theological concepts as it fits into a Universalist modern day philosophy. It also draws from Christ, Buddha, Lao Tse, Mohammed, Sri Krishna, Confucius and many other great saints, mystics and sages
By using and incorporating classic Brahmin universal themes, especially Diksa as the core, it has become appealing to people of diverse religious paths.
I had the fortuitous opportunity to personally interview Sri Archarya Ananda Giri, the principle teacher under Sri Bhagavan, and Sri Amma, now doing a series of talks around the United States.

Interview with Ananda Giri:
Gregory Armando Peralta: What is the oneness movement?
Ananda Giri: The oneness movement is a spiritual movement of all races and religions and we ask people two questions: Are you suffering?  Do you want to be free from this suffering?  If your answer is affirmative to both questions, we embrace you, and then our Foundation can help you.
GAP: How and what is the relevance of Diksa in this process?
AG: Diksa is a transfer of divine energy a form that the divine can come and directly and erase the charge of negative personalities that exist in you and clearing you to oneness with the divine.
What I find appealing about Diksa is actual documented research that I found performed by Dr Erik Hoffman, PhD . In the study it was documented as follows
After that she put her Hands on the head of the recipient, now concentrating with closed eyes on transmitting energy. A few seconds later the brain map shows intense, high frequency Beta/Gamma activity in the left prefrontal and temporal areas but only for a few seconds. One minute later, still with closed eyes, the left frontal area relaxes and Beta/Gamma activity is strongly reduced. At this point the fast brain wave activity is substituted by widespread Theta and Alpha activity in the brain. (Hoffman)

At the interview I had the opportunity to experience the Diksa first hand and it was an interesting experience. The Diksa giver placed their hands on my head, and I felt warmth come over my body as well as a feeling of deep inner calming. Objectively I don’t know whether it was because of the feelings possibly as a child of having my mother stroke my head and the warmth and security associated to that, or to some type of divine experience. But it did make me feel more relaxed and present.
I do feel drawn and very curious now to this and other phenomenon or processes in divine connection.
Diksa in my personal experience does seem to have a deeply rooted mystery and what appears to be the potential for opening people to some sort of mystical and or psychologically induced “experience”. What I can be certain of is that there is definitely something happening on a level that I cannot intellectualize.
But as said by one of the greatest minds of our time, Albert Einstein: “Its not about what’s in the knowledge but what’s in the Mystery.”

End Notes
Indo—A tribe, separate from the Aryans, which warred with them in the pre-Vedic era.
Aryan— Aryan is an English word derived from the Sanskrit, and Vedic term Arya, meaning noble. An Indo-European people who settled in South Asia during the 17th-15 centuries BCE.

Diksa or Diksha—an ancient rite of passage associated with Brahmin and Hinduism in which devotees are initiated into divine communion his student by giving him or her a mantra.

Bhagavad Gita–A Vedic text, the sixth book of the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita was narrated by Krishna to Arjuna as he waited on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra

Vedas—The original sacred texts of Brahmanism and the roots of Hinduism, written in Sanskrit.

Upanishads—Vedic texts, composed in Sanskrit from the late Brahmana to the medieval period.

Buddhism—the religion and practices based on the teachings of Buddha, who lived in Northern India around the 5th and 4th centuries B.C.E.

Jainism—an ancient religion originating in India that advocates self-denial and non-violence against all animals as well as all living beings even plants.

Akhilam padam—”the reality underlying all divergent manifestations of existence.” (Gupta, Sanjukta, Laksmi Tantra. Del—hi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2002. . p.269)

Siddhi—A set of supernatural powers such as becoming invisible, leaving and re-entering the body, or radically changing the size of one’s body.  Also, one who has attained such powers.

Chakras—The  seven energy centers or channels in the body corresponding to the peritoneal glands. Believed to be the centers that tie us in and connect us to different states of consciousness .

Brhadāranyaka or Brihadaranyanka Upanishad—An early Vedic primary text that comes a series of books called the Upanishad describing in ancient Vedic theology the nature and essence of the Divine and creation.

Atman—Sanskrit term for the Hindu concept of the inner living god.

Brahmanism—The Vedic religion, ancestor of Hinduism.

Hinduism—an ancient and diverse religion and philosophy originating from India.  Central tenets include the ideas of karma, the guru system of knowledge transmission, and the practice of yoga.

Acharya—a spiritual teacher or guide.

Vedic—relating to the most ancient of Hindu texts.

Pandit—honorific title for a revered spiritual guide .

Mantra—a repeated phrase or formula that focuses the devotee’s meditation and helps them attain closeness to the Divine.

Guru—In Sanskrit Gu mean darkness Ru means light usually associated with one who brings students into the light as a spiritual teacher or guide.

Krishna consciousness—founded in the 1500s as the Hare Krishna movement and reorganized in 1965 by Swami Prabhupada.

Lord Vishnu—Also known as Devangari, or Bhagavan.  Considered the Supreme Godhead in Hinduism in both the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita.  Appears on Earth from time to time, reincarnated as a human, who is otherwise known as his avatar.  “The all-pervading essence of all beings, the master and sustainer of all creation.” (Bhagavad Gita)

Mukti—Sanskrit, moksa, let go, release. Salvation, liberation, emancipation.

Kali Yuga—according to Vedic scriptures, the age of ignorance, lasting for the first 5,000 years of the Saka era.  Characterized by hypocrisy, violence, and darkness.

Golden Age—the era post-Kaliyuga, starting 5,000 years after the beginning of Kali Yuga, or approximately 2012.  Kalki Bhagavan, tenth incarnation of Vishnu, was sent to slay ignorance and end the Kali Yuga, to bring humanity into the Golden Age.

Soma–the Hindu god of the moon, symbolized variously by a hare, bull, or bird; also, a drink, possibly based on mushrooms and ephedra, said to confer strength

Bibliography.
Bhagavad Gita As It Is. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, gen. ed. Alachua, FL:: Krishna Books, 2007.
Datta, Amaresh. “Arjan Dev Guru.” Encyclopedia of Indian literature, vol. 1. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi 1987 p.228.
Fisher, Mary Pat, & Lee W. Bailey, ed.  An Anthology of Living Religions, 2nd.ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, 2008.
Fisher, Mary Pat.  Living Religions, 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2008.
Krishnakant, “Reply to his Holiness Jayapataka Maharaja.”  Iskcom Revival Movement.  Bushey, Great Britain.  07/26/2009.  <<http://www.iskconirm.com/docs/webpages/reply_to_his_holiness__jayapataka.htm>>

 

Harvard Intellectual Properties Class

Hello thank you for your interest in me . I want to share with you that I just started college I never really knew if I had the substance to do it and do work that was up to par with the highest acadmic standards . My life just through this experience has changed and improved ten fold to say the least .I feel so fortunate to be attending Harvard University in a special program that will allow me to travel and study abroad as well as spending some semesters full time  time in Massachusetts. This program gives me the ablity to also pursue my career in usic as well as buisness endevours with an amazing flexibility .I feel so excited feel so privileged to be accepted and part of this amazing academic institution .

I m taking an wonderful class on intellectual properties with Professor Ryan former staff attorney at Harvard . It really thoroughly explains and covers all aspect of patent , copyright and trademark law .As a “Recording Artist”  musician its really being so helpful to understand the parameters of how copyrights work for me and how the laws affect my financial benefit and involvement especially with how these dramatically changeing times have created a whole amd radically different music Business than even 4 years ago.

Ive learned thru this experience now after so many years more about myself and how education really enhances our lives on so many levels . Looking forward to sharing more with you .Thank you for stopping by.

 

Hello Welcome .. World Religions “The World of Illusion ” Essay

This is my personal blog Ill be updating my travels and other aspects of my life .. Especially for friends and famly  Thanks for checking me out

Ive added my Harvard essay on “The World of Illusion ” for my  World Religions Class

“The World of Illusion” Essay By Gregory Armando Peralta

In this essay, we take a close look at the first verse of the illustrious poem, “The World of Illusion,” composed by Ravi Das.  It is found in the Sikh bible, known as the Adi Guru Granth Sahib.  Ravi Das is also known by the spiritual titles “Sant” and  “Shri” Ravi Das.  The title Sant, meaning “saint” in Sanskrit, is a derivative from the Sanskrit sat, or “truth;” Shri or Sri is a term used in the East  used as a prefix to the names of men and women who are considered great or holy, Those who derive their guidance from the divine. When used as a title for Avatar or Saints, Śrī is sometimes translated into English as Lord.  Ji is appended to a name as a term of endearment to one who is most beloved, so among the Sikhs, Ravi Das is often referred to as Guru Ravi Das Ji.  Gu in Sanskrit is darkness and ru is light; hence Guru is used to describe a person, or conceptually, a manifestation of divine light wisdom that dispels ignorance, i.e. gu, darkness, and Ru together are perceived by devotees energetically as having the capacity to transfigure and bring hence fourth from darkness into full enlightenment.  In Sikhism in particular, the Guru was regarded as the embodiment of Divine Light.  The Prakrit word sikh is related to the Sanskrit word shishya, or disciple.  Sihks see themselves as disciples of the divine and the one god by way of their guru who intercedes, dispelling ignorance and bringing them into the light.
Ravi Das was a shoemaker that came from an extremely low caste, but grew in recognition to be considered a Hindu saint and social reformer during the medieval period, 14t-15th C. in India.  Ravi Das was a devout worshipper of Lord Rama, and the founder of the Rai-dasis Hindu sect.  Rama (Ramayana in Sanskrit) is an avatar (Sanskrit avatarati, literally, meaning human embodiment of Vishnu who is considered in Hinduism as the Supreme Godhead creator. Lord Rama was considered to be seventh of ten incarnations of Vishnu. There are other incarnations but these ten most prominent avatara are considered most important in helping the evolution of human consciousness to reach communion with the Divine.
There are forty-one verses composed by Ravi Das in this Adi Guru Granth Sahib, one of which is the revered, “The World of Illusion.”  This saint song is used in readings within Sikh liturgy on specific occasions as well as general reading of scripture.  These Sikh liturgical services commence on a daily basis at 3:45 am with readings of divinely inspired scripture.  The Adi Guru Granth Sahib is considered a living entity and treated as such, being transported in a ceremonial parade by adoring faithful devotees from the original home of Guru Gobind Singh directly into the Golden Temple, located in the city of Amritsar in the Punjab region of northern India.  According to Sikh theology, by Guru Gobind Singh’s wishes and his divine authority, his consciousness and that of all proceeding Sikh gurus Including Guru Ravi Das Ji and whose consciousness were transferred directly into this Adi Guru Granth Sahib, which is considered a living entity.
The saint song begins,
“There is but one God.  He is obtained by the True Guru’s grace.
When there was egoism in me, Thou wert not with me.
Now that Thou are there, there is no egoism,
As huge waves are raised by the wind in the great ocean, but is only water in water,
O Lord of wealth, what should I say about this delusion?
What we deem a thing to be; in reality it is not like that. (Fisher, 77)

The initiating statement, “There is but one God.  He is obtained by the True Guru’s grace,” is an expression of Sikh theology.  Their concept of the divine is that of one God Creator and the devotee who can only reach His grace through intercession of the “guru,” as stated in the commencement of the Sikh Mool mantra, which is also the opening verse of the Guru Granth Sahib:
There is but one God. Truth by name, the creator, all-pervading spirit, without fear, without enmity. Whose existence is unaffected by time, who does not take birth, self-existent, who is to be realized through his grace. (Singh, 1)

In this concept, the Godhead is the sole creator and sole refuge for the devotee Through the devotee’s complete submission to the divine through the guidance and grace of his guru (guide or enlightener) as intercessionary, the devotee can obtain direct contact and appropriate guidance to obtain communion with the godhead.
From a Hindu perspective, the following definition applies:

According to Swami Vivekanand, “Onkar is the most holy word of the Vedas”. A symbolic word meaning the Supreme Being, the Ocean of Knowledge and Bliss Absolute”. (Raja Yoga)
Another definition of the word is given in the Mandukopanishad: “That which was, is and will be, is all Onkar. And that which triple time transcends is Onkar too. (Verse 1)
The figure ‘one’ appended to Onkar does not merely signify God’s unity as against trinity, but also affirms His being a personality and not merely a Shunya or void. “Transcendent (O-an) – Immanent (-kar)”, suggests Kapur Singh (“Ek Onkar”)

The statement, “when there was egoism in me,” refers to the devotee’s full identification with his concept of the “self,” to the notion of being fully present and in control as a separate experiencing “personality.”  The devotee manifests his “self” as the center of this subjective perception as a separate self.
Thou wert not with me
Now that Thou are there, there is no egoism,
As huge waves are raised by the wind in the great ocean
but are only water in water…
…is a metaphor for the same likeness we experience when we are submerged within this reality we experience subjectively, as is within water all becomes the same with no separation or distinction of the grand illusion that becomes the delusion and measure by which we distinguish our reality based on our perception via our outer world.  The day-to-day identification with the outer, unstable experience represents itself as problematic to the devotee.
O Lord of wealth, what should I say about this delusion?
When we deem a thing to be, in reality it is not like that.

In this statement, the devotee cries out lost and almost in desperation, overcome by the indistinguishably chaotic experience within which he is immersed. Through this chaos, the delusion and uncertainty of the subjective ego experience is realized, allowing him to use this as a catalyst for his personal liberation later on in the verse.
The nature of the relationship of the devotee with the divine in this verse is that the devotee fully identifies with his self and separate from the greater divine by recognition and full identification with the ego.  This separation disconnects him from fully experiencing liberation and reality as it truly is.  In contrast, later, with the devotee’s submersion and surrender to the divine through the guru’s intercession, the devotee receives liberation by identifying the separate self, and by that observance, detaches and allows himself to become one with the divine. In a mirror image of the ocean metaphor, which described the indistinguishability of all being, the devotee completely submerses himself, surrendering his ego in the ocean of the divine, and completely losing his sense of individuality.  This brings him into this ultimate state of oneness in that same ocean of Divine consciousness., thereby attaining liberation.
This act of complete surrender to the divine through the guru is itself its own reward for the devotee, allowing him to experience liberation and his own inner living atman (Sanskrit, inner dwelling God) in that state of samadhi, or full immersion into the divine.
“Now that Thou art there, there is no egoism”: Again this realization completely dissolves the ego, relieves the devotee of the burden by lifting the burden of that self and shifting the subjective experiencer’s perception from his state as a subjective experience to that of the observer of the experience.
For the devotee the divine is experienced as a very intimate personal God, by way of the intersession of the Guru. Through bhakti and surrender, the presence and realization of a living and manifest atman is experienced.
This view is in conjunction with my own belief in the core concept of releasing the ego and surrendering the self to allow the divine universal consciousness we perceive to become a fully present experience in our own inner guru.
I believe the teachings of Hinduism and Sikhism do exemplify my definition of religion because the devotee has multiple ways to connect and tune in to a higher consciousness by giving him practices, and particularly in the Sikh religion, a liturgical structure, to step in and immerse himself in that consciousness.

Bibliography.
Datta, Amaresh. “Arjan Dev Guru.” Encyclopedia of Indian literature, vol. 1. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi 1987 p.228.
Feuerstein, Georg, & Wilber, Ken. The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy, and Practice.  Prescott, AZ: Hohm Press, 2000.
Fisher, Mary Pat, & Lee W. Bailey, ed.  An Anthology of Living Religions, 2nd.ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, 2008.
Fisher, Mary Pat.  Living Religions, 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2008.
Kaur, Takhar, Opinderjit. Sikh identity: an exploration of groups among Sikhs.  Surrey: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2005.
Shapiro, Michael C. “The Guru Granth Sahib; Canon, Meaning and Authority.” The Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 122, 2002.
Singh, Gopal. Guru-Granth Sahib Vol.1. New York: Taplinger Publishing Co., 1965.