BUDDHISM AND QUANTUM PHYSICS

By Christian Thomas Kohl on August 08,2008

What is reality?

The mindsets of the modern world provide four answers to that question and oscillate between these answers:

1. The traditional Jewish, Islamic and Christian religions speak about a creator that holds the world together. He represents the fundamental reality. If He were separated only for one moment from the world, the world would disappear immediately. The world can only exist because He is maintaining and guarding it.

This mindset is so fundamental that even many modern scientists cannot deviate from it. The laws of nature and elementary particles now supersede the role of the creator.

2. René Descartes takes into considering a second mindset, where the subject or the subjective model of thought is fundamental. Everything else is nothing but derived from it.

3. According to a third holistic mindset, the fundamental reality should consist of both, subject and object. Everything should be one. Everything should be connected with everything.

4. A fourth and very modern mindset neglects reality. We could call it instrumentalism. According to this way of thinking, our concepts do not reflect a single reality in any one way. Our concepts have nothing to do with reality but only with information.Buddhism refuses these four concepts of reality. Therefore it was confronted with the reproach of nihilism.

If you don’t believe in a creator, nor in the laws of nature, nor in a permanent object, nor in an absolute subject, nor in both, nor in none of it, in what do you believe then? What remains that you can consider a fundamental reality?

The answer is simple: it is so simple that we barely consider it being a philosophical statement: things depend on other things. For instance: a thing is dependent on its cause. There is no effect without a cause and no cause without an effect. There is no fire without a fuel, no action without an actor and vice versa. Things are dependent on other things; they are not identical with each other, nor do they break up into objective and subjective parts.

This Buddhist concept of reality is often met with disapproval and considered incomprehensible. But there are modern modes of thought with points of contact. For instance: there is a discussion in quantum physics about fundamental reality.

What is fundamental in quantum physics: particles, waves, field of force, law of nature, mindsets or information?

Quantum physics came to a result that is expressed by the key words of complementarity, interaction and entanglement. According to these concepts there are no independent but complementary quantum objects; they are at the same time waves and particles.

Quantum objects interact with others, and they are even entangled when they are separated in a far distance.

Without being observed philosophically, quantum physics has created a physical concept of reality. According to that concept the fundamental reality is an interaction of systems that interact with other systems and with their own components. This physical concept of reality does not agree upon the four approaches mentioned before. If the fundamental reality consists of dependent systems, then its basics can neither be independent and objective laws of nature nor independent subjective models of thought. The fundamental reality cannot be a mystic entity nor it can it consist of information only.

The concepts of reality in Buddhism surprisingly parallel quantum physics.

BALI - HINDUISM IN PARADISE ON EARTH

Hinduism in Bali & Indonesia

Hinduism is generally associated with India, but around the world there are several ancient Hindu communities which do not have their origins in the Indian subcontinent. Foremost amongst these are the Hindus of Bali.

Bali is a famous island of Indonesia. It is renowned for its beauty and is regularly referred to as “paradise on Earth”. It is one of the most sought after holiday destinations in the world, a reputation which stems from both its immense natural beauty and rich culture.

Unknown to most Hindus in the rest of the world, Bali is the place with the highest proportion of Hindus, even more so then Nepal. Over 93% of the Island’s 3.1 million people are Hindus. Therefore they make up a very significant community of non-Indian origin Hindus. Bali can be said to be the most Hindu place in the world, being the only place in which the government offices close daily to observe Hindu prayers. In the past, a far greater proportion of Indonesians were Hindu, a fact which is still reflected in the mainstream culture of the country. So how exactly did Hinduism reach these distant lands?

Throughout history, whenever a new people have adopted Hinduism, it didn’t mark a break with their past. Hindu sages analyzed the cultures and practices of other lands, and tried to see them in the same light as their own. For example, if a new country was discovered, and the people there worshipped in a new way never seen before in Hinduism, and worshipped unknown deities, the Hindu spirit would not be to try and make them worship in traditional Hindu ways and break away from their own way of life. The Hindu spirit is one of religious sharing and actively looking for common ground between the philosophy and customs of different people.

When this is done sincerely, it is often found that the same spiritual outlook underlies both the religion of another people and one’s own religion, albeit with different names and forms. For example, if a deity is worshipped who has functions and attributes similar to Lord Shiva, Hindus will say “Your deity is another form of Shiva, and we have no problem worshipping your deity and sharing in your festivals. You are also welcome to our festivals and to worship with us if you like.”

Gradually many new regions became Hindu through this assimilative process. Each new region developed a style of Hinduism which was unique to that region’s own culture and history. This is the reason why Hinduism contains so much diversity. This diversity is part of the richness of the traditions, and stems from the fact that Hinduism has a spirit which does not wish to impose a uniform monoculture upon its adherents.

It should be noted that although Hinduism fostered a great diversity, it also fostered a great unity. There was and is a deep underlying unity which developed in the consciousness of all the regions and peoples who came under the organic influence of Hindu civilization. In particular, there is a universal respect for the Vedas, the Mahabharata and Ramayana and the major Hindu deities.

After Hinduism spread fully through the Indian subcontinent, it also spread to several other lands. These included Thailand, Malaysia, parts of China, Cambodia, West Asia and of course Indonesia.

Indonesia is now a Muslim majority country, but retains many aspects of its Hindu past. For example, one of the country’s official symbols, the Indonesian coat of arms, is called the “Garuda Pancasila”, after the eagle Garuda who in Hinduism is the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. The Ramayana is a national epic in the country. Hinduism was the major religion of Indonesia until the 15th Century.

It is not known exactly at what period in history Indonesia became Hindu. But what is known is that the last great Hindu kingdom in the country was the Majapahit Empire (1293–1520 AD). At its peak, under a king named Hayam Wuruk, the empire covered most of the modern day geographical boundaries of Indonesia, and therefore modern day Indonesian nationalists speak highly of the empire as laying the foundations of the modern Indonesian nation state. The Majapahit Empire founded a Balinese colony in 1343. Later on, with the rise of Islam, Hinduism was forced into retreat, and there was an exodus of Hindu intellectuals, artists, priests and musicians from Java to Bali in the 15th century.

There are still Hindus in the rest of Indonesia, but not so much as in Bali. There are reports of a large number of people in the rest of Indonesia declaring themselves to be Hindu in recent years. These are individuals and families who have been nominal Muslims, but in actual religious beliefs have been closer to Hinduism.

Hindus in Bali officially call their religion “Agama Hindu Dharma”. An examination of the beliefs of Agama Hindu Dharma show it to be in accordance with mainstream Hinduism except for slight differences in names:

• A belief in one Supreme Being called 'Ida Sanghyang Widi Wasa', 'Sang Hyang Tunggal', or 'Sang Hyang Cintya'.

• A belief that all of the gods are manifestations of this Supreme Being. This belief holds that the different Deities are different aspects of the same Supreme Being. Lord Shiva is also worshipped in other forms such as "Batara Guru" and "Maharaja Dewa" (Mahadeva).

• A belief in the Trimurti, consisting of: - Brahma, the creator - Wisnu (Vishnu), the preserver - Ciwa (Shiva), the destroyer • A belief in all of the other Hindu gods and goddesses.

The sacred texts found in Agama Hindu Dharma are the Vedas. Only two of the Vedas reached Bali in the past, and they are the basis of Balinese Hinduism. Other sources of religious information include the Puranas and the Itihasas (Ramayana and Mahabharata). One thing that Hindus in other parts of the world may find very surprising about Hindus in Bali relates to their diet. The majority eat beef.

The Balinese are fierce and territorial in their love of their land. They have a custom known as Puputan, referring to a fight to the death which the Balinese Hindus undertake when they feel collectively threatened or violated.

It was last practiced when Bali was a Dutch colony, when Balinese royalty—men, women and children—marched into battle with only ceremonial daggers against heavily armed Dutch forces.

Several thousand Hindus died in these futile attacks, but they served their purpose.

Demoralized and shaken, the Dutch withdrew from Bali and allowed Balinese self-governance for the remaining years of their reign in the Dutch East Indies, thus securing religious and cultural autonomy.

In recent years Hindus in Bali have increasingly tried to build links with Hindus in the rest of the world. They have become increasingly conscious of their position as a tiny Hindu minority in the most populous Muslim country in the world. With a large number of Muslims moving to Bali to live and work, Balinese Hindus have become afraid that this last stronghold of Hinduism in Indonesia may gradually lose its status as a Hindu majority land. These fears were made worse by the terrorist attacks in Bali in 2002 and 2005 which killed over 250 people.

This article gives just a glimpse into the rich history and culture of a great branch of the Hindu people. It is hoped that such articles pave the way for a greater understanding and unity between the diverse Hindu peoples in the coming global age, in which it is imperative that all Hindus achieve a greater level of unity and coordination for the continued wellbeing of our great heritage.

ARNOLD JOSEPH TOYNBEE - ONLY WAY OF SALVATION

At this supremely dangerous moment in human history, the only way of salvation is the ancient Hindu way.

Here we have the attitude and spirit that can make it possible for the human race to grow together into a single family.

British historian Arnold Joseph Toynbee (1889-1975)

KATARAGAMA - WHERE SINHALA AND HINDU CULTURES ARE INTERWOVEN

Few places lavish the luxury of extreme serenity and spiritual bliss just upon setting foot into it the way the Kiri Vehera temple in Kataragama does. While it is the Hindu Kataragama, with its myriad and colourful rituals and renowned deity that has captured the imagination of pilgrims’ world over, the more quietly ethereal Kiri Vehera, in its virgin whiteness, has a charm beyond the clash of colour and life that is so much a part of the venerable holy city.

Kiri Vehera

Kiri Vehera is one of the five most important sites of worship in the city along with the Maha Bodhi, Kataragama Devale, Sella Kataragama and Vedihitikanda. The dagoba is also described in the stanzas as one of 16 most important pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka.

The 95 ft. tall Kiri Vehera has a circumference of 280 feet. It is milky white in colour, hence the name. It is situated near the well known Menik Ganga.

There are many theories on the origin of the dagoba. Some believe it was built by Parakramabahu the Great of Polonnaruwa during the Third Century BC, on the request of Queen Subadra. Some think that it was first built by a local ruler named Mahasena on a site made hallowed by the Buddha’s visit.

Some believe that the vihara was originally known as Magul Maha Seya and although there are no clues as to who built it, the bricks used in the construction bear Brahmin inscriptions which point to King Mahanaga’s reign during the Third Century BC. Some records even date it to the first century BC.

The Buddha is believed to have paid a visit to Kataragama during His third visit to Sri Lanka. The Kiri Vehera is said to enshrine the golden seat the Buddha sat on during His sermon, a lock of His hair and the royal sword — magul kaduwa with which Prince Siddhartha cut off His hair at the Great Renunciation.

God Skanda

One beautiful story states that the God Skanda (Kataragama) shot an arrow from the Vedihitikanda (peak) vowing that where the arrow hit, there a temple would be built.
The place is also linked to the reign of Dappula I, Vijayabahu I and Kavantissa, the father of King Dutugemunu and Saddhatissa. However, the Kiri Vehera went into ruin with jungles covering much of the area after the Chola invasions of Polonnaruwa in the 12th century. A renovation programme was carried out at Kiri Vehera in 1912 and again in 1970.

While the Dalada Perahera ranks on top, the Kataragama festival is extremely important amongst the country’s social and cultural events – possibly because it amalgamates all races and religions to one spot.

The predominantly Hindu festival, conducted during July-August, contains some novel features such as kavadi dancers and fire walkers. It ends with a glittering perahera where elephants, chieftains, drummers and up country and low country dancers play a leading role. All Buddhists pay a visit to Kiri Vehera after the festival, and in most cases, before as well.

According to Ven. Soratha Thero of the Kataragama Kiri Vehera Devalaya Lord Buddha visited 16 places in Sri Lanka including Kataragama, and was graciously welcomed by the local ruler Mahasena or Mahagosha, who later became a disciple.

Legend has it that Mahasena, having taken refuge in the triple gem, vowed to remain and protect Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Bodhisattva

Many Buddhists believe that God Kataragama is a Bodhisattva (one aspiring to be a Buddha) who has the power and compassion to intervene in the lives of those who appeal to him. While some scholars are of the opinion that God Kataragama was a local chieftain who was later elevated to the status of a deva, others proclaim Mahasena is still alive and rules to this day.

Local folklore aside though, the belief in the god and the reverence for the Kiri Vehera are deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people of Sri Lanka, and the deity and place of worship are one of the first things that come to mind in times of strife.

God Skanda is said to be one of the four deities guarding the Sinhala pantheon – though he is originally a vedic god.

If ever there was proof that the so-called Sinhala and Hindu cultures are intricately and inextricably interwoven, Kataragama perhaps above anything else, stands for it.

Murugan — the most popular deity

Murukan — also Murugan, is the most popular Hindu deity amongst Tamils of Tamil Nadu in India and in the Tamil diaspora. Although he is popularly associated with the pan-Indian deity Skanda there is evidence that Murukan worship, as seen today, has been a product of syncretism of an indigenous deity with Skanda.

Tamil Sangam Literature (200 BCE to 500 CE) mentions Murugu as a nature spirit worshipped with animal sacrifices and associated with a non-Brahmanical priest known as a Velan , a name later used to refer to the deity himself. The worship of Murugu often occurred in the woods or in an open field, with no particular associated structure. The rituals practised included the veriyaattu, a form of ritual-trance-dancing, which is still a common part of Murugan worship in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Malaysia. Muruga was believed to hold power over the chaotic and could be appeased by sacrifices and veriyaattu to bring order and prosperity.

Architectural findings of pottery in several places in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere had ideographic inscriptions of this name as far back as third century BCE. According to noted epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan, the ideographs signify a brave warrior capable of killing evil demons to save the devoted.

The earlier version of Murugu underwent a radical transformation after assimilation into Brahmanical Hinduism. The Tamil version of Skanda Purana,called Kanda Purânam, was written by Kacchiappa Sivachariyar (1350-1420 AD) of Kumara Kottam in the city of Kanchipuram. He was a scholar in Tamil and Sanskrit literature, and a votary of the Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy.

According to legend, Kachiappa Sivachariyar would leave each day’s compositions in the sanctum sanctorum or mûlasthânam of the Murugan shrine at Kumara Kottam, to find it returned in the morning with corrections, presumed to be made by the deity himself. Hence, the Kanda Purânam is widely considered to be an authoritative account of Murugan.

In the Kanda Puranam, Karttikeya is the destroyer of Taraka and also of his elder and more powerful demonic brothers, Soorapadman and Simha-mukhan. Shiva let out a stream of fire from his third eye on his forehead, that split into six streams. Each landed as a baby on a lotus in a lake called Saravana Poigai.

Six women, called Karttikai Pengal, literally 'Woman of the Pleiades' saw the babies and each took one with her to look after. On the day of Karttikai, Parvati united the six children into a six-headed child, unable to cuddle all of them together. This is also the origin of a common Tamil name of the deity, Arumugan or Shanmukhan, which literally means ‘one who has six faces.’

Apart from the festival of Karttikai, the Thai Pusam festival, celebrated by Tamil communities worldwide, commemorates the day he was given a Vel or lance by his mother in order to vanquish the demons.

KATARAGAMA BELONGS TO ALL PEOPLE

Khizr Maqaam: Refai bawas, Basnayake Nilame and Mosque Trustee Gaffar - Trustee of the Kataragama Mosque and Shrine al-Haj M.L.A. Gaffar said that only at one place in the world do people of three religions worship together. Kataragama belongs to all the people of the world, not only to Sri Lankans.

The hoisting of the Islamic flag to mark the start of the 16-day Esala festival is only one of Kataragama's many traditions associated with the Mosque and Shrine. The origin of many traditions are lost in antiquity.

Kataragama is renowned among pious Muslims the world over as Khidr-gama, 'the home of al-Khidr'. In Islamic lore, al-Khidr 'the Green Man' was the companion of Alexander the Great who discovered the ma'ul hayat or Water of Life. Al-Khidr will live until the end of the world and whatever place he visits remains fresh and green. He is also known as Hayat Nabi 'the living prophet'.

During the Esala Festival, Maulood is recited in the name of Hayat Nabi (Khidr alai) every morning. The final Thamam recital occurs on August 8 after the Buddhists and Hindus celebrate the Water-cutting Ceremony at the Menik Ganga. Following Thamam, a great feast is offered and the flag is lowered to end the festival.

Throughout the Esala festival, bawas or faqirs of the Refai Sufi Order perform Ratheeb ceremony every evening at the Mosque. The dramatic ritual of self-mortification in the Name of Allah attracts hundreds of Muslims and non-Muslims.

"Muslims call him Hayat Nabi," al-Haj Gaffar told the assembled crowd. "To Hindus he is Murugan. Buddhists call him Kataragama Deviyo."

WHAT IS THE "KAILASA PARAMPARAI"

The Kailasa Paramparai is a millennia-old guru lineage of the Nandinatha Sampradaya. In this century it was embodied by Sage Yogaswami, who ordained Satguru Swami Subramuniswamy in Sri Lanka in 1949 to carry on the venerable tradition.

The authenticity of Hindu teachings is perpetuated by lineages, parampara, passed from gurus to their successors through ordination.

The Kailasa Parampara extends back to, and far beyond, Maharishi Nandinatha and his eight disciples--Sanatkumara, Sanakar, Sanadanar, Sananthanar, Sivayogamuni, Patanjali, Vyagrapada and Tirumular. This succession of siddha yoga adepts flourishes today in many streams, most notably in the Saiva Siddhanta of South India. Our subject in this article is the branch of the parampara in the line of Rishi Tirumular (ca 200 bce), of which the first known satguru in recent history was the Rishi from the Himalayas (ca 1770-1840). From him the power was passed to Siddha Kadaitswami of Bangalore (1804-1891), then to Satguru Chellappaswami (1840-1915), then to Sage Yogaswami (1872-1964) of Sri Lanka, and finally to Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927- 2002).

The Tirumantiram states, "Thus expounding, I bore His word down Kailasa's unchanging path--the word of Him, the eternal, the truth effulgent, the limitless great, Nandinatha, the joyous one, He of the blissful dance that all impurity dispels."

The Pernicious, Persistent Ego

Anava is one's personal ego, his identity and place in the world and position on the planet. If his motives are proper and the position is earned on account of good deeds, it is not anava. But if, when praised, he takes credit for himself, it is anava. Anava is the tricky substance of the mind. It is behind every door, it's peeking in every window. It is the first thing to come at birth and the last thing to go at death. To break the chain of anava, the yoking to the Infinite beyond comprehension in any state of mind must be complete and final.

And yet, while a physical body is still maintained, the anava elf is still lurking in the shadows, saying "praise is better than blame, name must come into fame, and shame is to be avoided at all cost." This is the anava routine. It keeps people held down on the planet in the instinctive-intellectual mind of remorse and forgiveness and suffering the adjustments to circumstance that occur beyond their power of understanding.

A big gun that shoots the bullet of the depth of knowledge of karma, the second bullet, of the deep understanding of the perfect universal energies, and the third bullet, of the dharmic way of a balanced life, kills the anava and brings that purusha onto the charya marga, onto the path of the Gods, the hospital of the soul at that point. The final conquering of the tenacious anava is the final mahasamadhi, when all three worlds sing, "Mukti has been attained," the final goal of life that we on this planet know, merger with Siva.

Because ignorance is all-pervasive, equally distributed throughout the world, one must leave the world and get a wise dome, wisdom, a wise head. He must transmute the energies from the solar plexus--nothing must affect him there--to his third eye, see into the past, see into the future, and with that seeing understand the present.

If we were to admit that there are really seven margas, we would find that charya, kriya, yoga and jnana are progressive states of fullness, and the anava marga, by comparison, is a static state of emptiness. This feeling of emptiness is a motivative, driving force of desire toward the attainment of the feeling of fullness. The feeling of fullness is the awakening of the higher chakras, of course.

And the constant feeling of completeness is, of course, the permanent awakening of the sahasrara chakra. The feeling of emptiness distinguishes the anava marga from the other four margas, and this is why it is not included in Saiva Siddhanta, but is not excluded either, because the anava mala is mentioned here and there and everywhere within the scriptures. For the sake of understanding individual ego in its struggles to be whole, we have delineated it as a path leading into charya, kriya, yoga and jnana.

The path of the anava teaches us what to do and what not to do. It creates the karmas to be lived through and faced in many lives to come. And when dharma is finally accepted and understood and the religious patterns of life are encompassed in one's own personal daily experience, then and only then do we see the end of this path in view. So, the anava marga is definitely not a never-ending maze or a no-man's land.

Though a state of ignorance, it is still a state of experiential learning. All is leading, in evolution of the soul, to Sanatana Dharma. Everything preceding charya is anava marga. People try to fill their emptiness with things. They work so hard for their money, thinking, "Oh, when I can buy this object for my home, I will feel fulfilled."

They buy it with their hard-earned money. A day or two later, after ownership has taken effect, the initial fulfillment of ownership wanes, and unfulfillment, which has always been there, takes over, with the accompanying desire for the next fulfillment, object, or in the case of the intellectual, the next idea, group of ideas or new sphere of knowledge.

There is no fulfillment in the instinctive-intellectual mind. This is the way it is. This is the way it has always been, and always will be, too.

MAHAPRALAYA - COSMIC DISSOLUTION

Monistic theists hold that at mahapralaya, cosmic dissolution, all creation is withdrawn into Siva, and He alone exists.

Pluralistic theists hold that world and souls persist in seed form and will later reemerge.

Pluralistic Siddhantins contend that after mahapralaya--the withdrawal of time, form and space into Siva--souls and world are so close to Siva that, for all practical purposes, He alone exists.

Actually, they say, both world and souls continue to exist, not as things, but as "potentialities." As if in a deep sleep, souls, now in a bodiless state, rest. Individual karmas lie dormant to germinate later when creation again issues forth and nonliberated souls are re-embodied to continue their spiritual journey.

Monistic Siddhantins believe that souls persist through the lesser pralayas of the cosmic cycle, but hold that only Siva exists following mahapralaya. There is no "other," no separate souls, no separate world.

The universe and all souls are absorbed in Siva. Pasha--anava, karma and maya--is annihilated. In the intensity of pre-dissolution, when time itself is accelerated, all souls attain complete maturation, losing separateness through fulfilled merger with Siva. Yea, jiva becomes Siva. The Vedas boldly decree, "By His divine power He holds dominion over all the worlds. At the periods of creation and dissolution of the universe, He alone exists."

What Makes a House a Home?

What is it that makes a house a home? A home is a place of companionship with people in it who love each other, who are harmonious and closer inside with one another than they are outside with associates in the workplace or with classmates at school. A home is a place that's so magnetic that it's difficult to leave. In a home there is love, kindness, sharing and appreciation, and the inhabitants help one another. It's a place of selflessness and togetherness, where everybody has time for everybody else. In a home, the guests are treated like

Deities or devas coming to the temple. That is the spirit of hospitality in the Hindu framework. It is the same spirit of sublime energy flowing to the guest that also flows within the household. And a righteous household that worships every morning together as one family is like a temple. That's a home, and everything else is just a house or a hotel lobby.

If you were to look at a harmonious home with your astral vision, you would see the three primary colors--pale pink, pale blue, pale yellow--and white, all intermingling in a big pranic force field. Moving over to another house, you might see a congestion of various colors, with dark and light shades and strange astral forms, and you would know that house was not much different from a hotel lobby.

But if they live together, if they sleep together, if they talk together, if they eat together, they are a family, even if they are destitute. Such a family is at home wherever they are.

The truly homeless are some of the rich people who build multi-million-dollar houses and are too busy to really live in them.

The truly homeless are those who have turned their home into a hotel lobby. The husband works. The wife works. The children are delinquent. There's no companionship. They don't talk together every day.

They don't eat together every day. They rarely see each other. The truly homeless people are those with babysitters, caretakers, gardeners and maids, but who don't spend quality time with the family in their house. Babysitters often abuse their children.

Parents are unaware, too busy making money outside the home that they don't live in. This is another way of looking at the rich and the homeless. Who is to be pitied? Control of the computer and the Internet is also important to make a house into a home. If the computer is on all the time, the house turns into an office, even if everyone is at home.

Many homes these days are just offices. Human communication has stopped. The computer eats up the time that one should be giving to others within the home. Using the computer moderately gives us time for gentleness, play and communication, not with a screen, but with a human being. And that is the vibration needed in a home.

Fear, Anger and Opportunism

Those who want to hold a position and those who don't want to hold a position combined, those who have no time to perform sadhana, who avoid their yearly pilgrimage, whose family cannot gather in the shrine room, who do not read scripture daily and attend a temple infrequently, if at all, they are doing extremely well on the anava marga, in my estimation. Their artha and kama are coming along just fine. Dharma is ignored, and mukti just may not happen. Many people on the anava marga perform yoga, japa, disciplines of this kind, and gain great adulation, as well as business contacts, through it.

But nothing is gained other than a few minutes of quiet and aloneness. These are the opportunists, the people who make the world go 'round as we see it today. Swamis are most precious to those on the anava marga, giving blessings, amplifying their desires; adulation is sincere but not real.

The swami is taken into their family as a personal figurehead of it, like a status symbol. They do not enter the swami's ashram to do sadhana and become a part of his life. And if the swami rebels, preaches dharma and holds back blessings, he is generally abused. "Love you, use you and abuse you" is the methodology of those on the anava marga.

All swamis, gurus and priests know this only too well. The anava margi looks at God from a distance. He does not want to get too close and does not want to drift too far away, lives between lower consciousness and higher consciousness, between the manipura, svadhishthana and muladhara and the lower three, atala, vitala and sutala, which represent fear, anger and jealousy. He does not get into confused thinking.

That is super lower consciousness, in the realm of the talatala chakra. He is guided by reason. That is why he can come into the other margas. Therefore, God is at a distance. He sees himself pluralistically, separate from God, coexistent with God. Those who fear God anger easily. They fear their elders. They fear their government. They fear impending disaster, and they fear disease.

God is just one item on the long list of things that they fear. They are not on the path of spiritual unfoldment. Their higher chakras are dreaming benignly, waiting for the consciousness to explore them. Only when someone begins to love God is he on the path of spiritual unfoldment. Only then is he a seeker. Only then does his budding love begin to focus on religious icons. Only then is he able to nurture his love into becoming a bhaktar and at the same time a religious person, a giving person. This is the charya path. We come onto the charya marga from the anava marga.

We come to Lord Ganesha's feet from the anava marga. He is now the guide. The personal ego has lost its hold. The anava marga, and the glue that holds it together, is ignorance of the basic tenets of Hinduism. There is no way one can be on this marga if he truly accepts the existence of God pervading all form, sustaining all form and rearranging all form.

There is no way this marga could be pursued by one understanding karma, seeing his manifest acts replayed back to him through the lives of others, his secret diabolical thoughts attacking him through the lips of others. The anava marga does not include this knowledge.

The dharma of a perfect universe and an orderly life, the consciousness of "the world is my family, all animals are my pets" is an abhorrent idea to someone on the anava marga, especially if he is casted by birth in this life.

The anava margi abhors the idea of reincarnation. To pay the bill of one's indiscretions in another life is not what anava is all about. There is a forgetfulness here. When you renounce your childhood, you forget that you ever were a child. You forget the moods, the emotions, the joys and the fears and all that was important at that time.