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Should Free
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(1/27/02 5:55 pm)
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 God Alone?
This simple affirmation, quite famous because of Gnana Mata (mother of wisdom) represent metaphorically the deep gap between monasticism and the householder path. We have all heard or read those two famous words, isn't it? But did we understand what she meant?

Did she mean, God Alone can give me happiness and I should not have desires? or she meant, God Alone is liberation from suffering? or, God Alone exists?

The same affirmation has three QUITE different meanings. All three are profound, but even opposite in nature.

The first one -- pretty obvious -- is the monastic thinking, where they affirm renunciation to the "worldly joys."

In the second one we are just stating an ULTIMATE truth -- "God Alone, enlightenment Alone, can give me complete liberation from suffering." When we affirm such objective fact, we simply remind ourselves of the importance of attaining spiritual liberation, BUT WITHOUT THE DREADFUL MEANING THAT WE SHOULD DENY OUR LESSER DREAMS AND GOALS. The monastic would not accept such interpretation; because they like the self denial stuff and denying the world. However, for the householder this interpretation and affirmation can be quite valuable. It reminds us that we can pursue wholeheartedly our dreams but they can’t grant us Freedom.

The third meaning -- "'God Alone' exists" -- is a marvelous all embracing idea, where every experience, situation, thought, feeling, individual, animal, plant, the earth, the sun, planets, stars, and galaxies are embraced as God himself (God is everything said Master). This interpretation is very valuable for the householder. It affirms oneness and denies multiplicity as an illusion. It embraces everything and does not allow space for inner conflicts (Gnana Mata said that suffering is the result of two conflicting thoughts).

Gnana Mata was first a householder and then a nun. And her favorite mantra has that dichotomy embedded -- just a coincidence? But most probably you (as in my case) understood the idea “God Alone” as a denial of the world instead of an all embracing affirmation; isn’t it? You know why? Because of the influence our teachers -- monastics -- had in our psyche. We got caught in their renunciation B.S.

Let us celebrate life and embrace everything by taking out of our minds all thoughts of renunciation. We are not monastics. I tell you, that dirty word is useless for the householder whether it is qualified as inner renunciation or outer renunciation. Try next time you affirm "God Alone" to say it with the underlying thought that Only God exists -- your surroundings and everything is Him. It creates a nice feeling.

Should Free

Edited by: Should Free at: 1/28/02 12:55:53 am
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