The world belongs to those who know
According to the Vedic tradition, we are now in what is called Kaliyuga, the age of darkness and ignorance. A time when people further down the path of dishonesty, and virtue is of very little value. The human diet is now “dirty”, and the environment is polluted. Supposedly this will last 4,00,000 years. We are all currently living it.
Unfortunately, there are forces trying to preserve the illusion (of KaliYuga) so it’s up to us to dispel the darkness and bring in the sunshine of Satyuga.
Satyuga is the Golden or Enlightened Age. A time of joy and peace, a time without crime or violence, sickness or suffering. People had yogic powers and lived in higher consciousness, a state of Oneness. Now that would be an amazing world to live in, wouldn’t it?
Satyuga never really ended, except in our minds, as a result of being distracted and seduced by the external world. By simply turning our awareness inwards, away from distractions, we can, once again locate the field of Pure Awareness within and begin to restore the memory of Wholeness in our lives. This is the journey of meditation, dhyana from chaos and confusion to peace and harmony as our everyday reality.
विपर्ययो मिथ्याज्ञानमतद्रूप प्रतिष्ठम् ॥८॥
viparyayo mithyā-jñānam-atadrūpa pratiṣṭham ॥8॥
This is yoga sutra 1.8 where Maharishi Patanjali says yoga practices are aimed at removing wrong knowledge. We often perceive the unreal to be real. Ignorance is the absence of knowledge – Avidya, the root cause of all kleshas (obstacles). It is the path where we choose to avoid responsibility, accountability, & refusal to learn or resist change, often causing us pain.
We can change this by staying focused on our regular spiritual practices, meditation, pranayama, and yoga asana, and doing our bit (dharma) in our daily rituals or practices to help others
This is yoga sutra 1.8 where Maharishi Patanjali says yoga practices are aimed at removing wrong knowledge. We often perceive the unreal to be real. Ignorance is the absence of knowledge – Avidya, the root cause of all kleshas (obstacles). It is the path where we choose to avoid responsibility, accountability, & refusal to learn or resist change, often causing us pain.
We can change this by staying focused on our regular spiritual practices, meditation, pranayama, and yoga asana, and doing our bit (dharma) in our daily rituals or practices to help others.
During this period, we should try to eat a more simple sattvic diet, follow our spiritual practices of Yama’s (Ahimsa- non-violence, Satya – truthfulness, Asteya -non-stealing, Brahmacharya – control over desires & Aparigraha – non-hoarding) & Niyama’s (Shaucha – purity of body & mind, Santosha – contentment, Tapa – training the senses, Svadhyaya – self-study, Ishvarpranidhaan- surrender to the Higher reality), by beginning with ourselves, being truthful and compassionate in our thoughts, words, and actions, and staying in harmony with our life’s true purpose by following parikramas. Some of us may still be searching that but being ignorant or waiting for that Eureka moment won’t just happen. Direct experience is equally as important so I encourage you to choose the practices which resonate with you and make them part of your daily life.
Knowledge is an integral component of our spiritual growth & there is a well-known saying “knowledge is power”. The books we read affect our mind, nourishes our soul, influence our lives & help us grow.
They give us a sense of direction or moments of joy & confidence when we need it. We all have that one favorite book as a child or a book that changed our life.
My favorite book as a child was ‘Esio trot’ by Roald Dahl. I carried it around everywhere & Roald Dahl’s stories still transform me into a happy zone of my childhood.
Now the good news is that we are all already enlightened, all perfect in every way – perfectly happy, healthy, and wise.
Unfortunately, the bad news is that we have forgotten it and so live these less than perfect lives, where we get sick, depressed, and frustrated by unfulfilled desires.
Our spiritual journey to the Higher State of Consciousness is not about learning anything new, it is about imbibing the knowledge, it’s about remembering what’s already here, remembering who we are.