Worship at your own doorstep

This morning, before meditating, I read some inspiring words from Vivekananda about strength. Our strength. Not God’s. Not a guru’s. Not anyone else’s.

I decided to ask Google to tell me more about “Vivekananda” and “strength.” In the results I found myself. Thank you, Google. That’s exactly what I need to know.

Or rather, remind myself of. These distant gods, these elevated theologies, these remote sages—increasingly they seem like comic book characters to me. Two dimensional, artificial, unnatural, fantastical.

I may not have the answers to the big questions of life. I may be ignorant of what, if anything, lies beyond the physical. I may be clueless about how one even begins to unravel the mysteries of consciousness, life, death, and existence.

But there’s one big plus to me: I know that I am. Right here, right now, sitting on a chair, typing on my laptop, glancing out a window at a typically gray and rainy January Oregon day, I’m something real.

Now, what that “something” truly is, that’s a question for another day. Or moment. Or lifetime. However, there’s always an immediate answer to my what’s it all about? It’s whatever I’m aware of here and now.

Logically (and also intuitively) that’s always going to be the answer. It’ll shape shift along with every other changeable bit of the cosmos. Which, if the Buddhists have it right, is all the bits.

What I like about Vivekananda is what I like about myself when I’m not avoiding being who I am. He turns us around toward the person we see when we look in a mirror. He urges, “Worship that. Be that. Act boldly as that.”

My knowledge of Tango is as limited as my knowledge of ultimate reality. Still, I’ve learned this much: when the leader leads, he does so decisively; when the follower follows, she does so decisively.

No maybe’s. No perhaps’. No possibly’s. Either take a step, or don’t. If you do, do it. All the way. 100%. Full throttle. Pedal to the metal. That’s the ideal, at least.

Who can live up to it? Only a few, whether on the dance floor or in the meditation chamber. Still, whether we’re leading or following, yang’ing or yin’ing, pursuing or surrendering, the more strength and confidence we bring to whatever we’re doing, the better off we’ll be.

Religion is a strength sapper. Especially when your belief is in a personal god who is separate from creation. Vivekananda says:

There are, no doubt, great and wonderful things in the religions of the dualists. Wonderful is the idea of the Personal God apart from nature, whom we worship and love. Sometimes this idea is very soothing.

But, says Vedanta, that feeling is something like the effect that comes from an opiate; it is not natural. It brings weakness in the long run, and what this world wants today more than it ever did before is strength. It is weakness, says Vedanta, that is the cause of all misery in this world.

Weakness is the one cause of suffering. We become miserable because we are weak. We lie, steal, kill, and die because we are weak…We are miserable through delusion. Give up the delusion and the whole thing vanishes. It is plain and simple indeed.

What is so plain and simple?

I know it is Truth alone that gives strength. I know that Truth alone gives life, and nothing but approaching Reality will make us strong, and that none will reach Truth until he is strong. Any system, therefore, which weakens the mind, which makes one superstitious, makes one mope, makes one desire all sorts of wild impossibilities, mysteries, and superstitions, I do not like, because its effect is dangerous.

…When we have nobody to grope towards, no Devil to lay our blame upon, no Personal God to carry our burdens, when we alone are responsible, then we shall rise to our highest and best…Cry to all the gods in the universe. I cried for years, and in the end I received help. But the help came from within myself; and I had to undo what I had done by mistake.

…The idea that the goal is far off, far beyond nature, attracting us all towards it, has to be changed; the goal has to brought nearer and nearer, without degrading or debasing it. The God of heaven becomes the God in nature, and the God in nature becomes the God who is nature, and the God who is nature becomes the God within this temple of the body, and the God dwelling in the temple of the body at last becomes the temple itself, becomes the soul and man—and there Vedanta reaches the last words it can teach.

…The idea of freedom that you perceived was correct, but you projected it outside yourself, and that was your mistake. Bring it nearer and nearer, until you find that it was all the time within you, it was the Self of your own self.

Comments

[Edward]

What a wonderful, clear essay. So clear that I am able to see the part that is unsaid.

The weakness that Vivekananda talks about is not a bad thing, or a condition to be overcome. I am not a victim of this weakness any more than I am a victim of my thoughts and feelings.

So, as I find the dualists peddling a false narco-ambulation, I must also be aware of over reacting to my disabusement by assuming that there is something inherently wrong with me -- my concentration, education, meditation, orientation.

This delusion that makes us miserable will not go away, just as knowing I have taken an opiate does not negate its effects. I can however acknowledge that all sensations are suspect, and all ensueing thoughts and feelings are thereby suspect as well.

Clearly, no change or striving is required. Just the recognition that what is, and that I am, have been sufficiently True from the beginning.

[LB]

Yes, nature is wonderful. But, least we forget, also quite red in tooth and claw and easily brought to ruin. Bodies, all life, is quite fragile and, well, squashable.

Humans want to part of an Immortal Divine Reality and Plan, and held dear by Something above FAR ABOVE the red in tooth and claw bit.

I do not agree that weakness is the cause of all misery in the world. This world is more than humans, and all life suffers. A friend was walking on a glorious and beautiful spring day. She came upon something in the road that seemed to squirm helplessly. When her walk brought her closer she saw to her horror that it was a small dog that had run over by a car. The poor animal's back end was totally squashed while the front end was whimpering helplessly. The animal was in total agony. My friend wished she'd a gun with her...to put it out of its absolute misery. All of nature, all life, suffers. Small wonder humans desired a "God" apart from nature!

Brian -- I just purchased your book "Return to the One".

[tao]

A beautiful and poignant essay. I couldn't agree more.

[Roger]

Tao,

What are your insights as to what the following statements really mean?

"But the help came from within myself"

"Bring it nearer and nearer, until you find that it was all the time within you, it was the Self of your own self"

If you prefer, send me an e-mail to my address.

Thanks,
Roger

[benandante]

So now I have a question: was Ayn Rand channelling Vivekenanada or was Vivekenanada channelling Ayn Rand? because the two are definitely NOT plagarizing but they are singing the same tune in perhaps different keys.

JH