Alive or Dead?

                                         "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs, 14:12).
                                           Notices are usually sent around by the authorities to capture a notorious criminal dead or alive. But , in daily life it is a question of being alive or dead as people apparently seem to be alive and yet are in fact dead! This happens because we fail to discern the thoughts, inclinations and tendencies of our hearts that issue forth in wickedness. The prophet Jeremiah (17:9) announced it by saying that our hearts are deceitful above all things. We have instances in the Bible how following what appears to be right leads to death, sometimes of the body and at other times of the soul. King David's sons Amnon, Absalom and Adonijah died for their sins though they were sure of their ways to be right (2 Sam., 13:1-39; 15:1-6; 18: 1-18; 1 Kings, 2:12-25). Samson, Solomon and Rehoboam sold their souls for what they thought to be right and came to great grief (Judges, 16:1-21; 1 Kings, 11:1-13; 12:1-19).
                                           This happens as we do not care to pause and think before we act. In other words, our view of the world prompted by our unruly emotions lead us astray because of lack of reflection. We are guided by the external world and its appearances and attractions forgetting the riches of our internal world. Our five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch overpower our mind consisting of our intellect and willpower. These two internal faculties of our mind are equipped to shed light and take decisions on whatever concerns us in life. Although they are in fact more powerful than our five senses, their might and power are overshadowed and weakened by the onrush of the senses. If we neglect to shake off our inertia by means of will power, our intellect becomes dormant and unresponsive. As a result the soul or the living spirit in the  human person that is the source of light and love is rendered inactive. Now the field is ready for our senses, that run after appearances without any real substance in them, to play havoc in our life. The person under such a spell unleashed by the senses appears to be alive, though, in fact, is really dead!  
                                           The solution to this problem of appearance and reality may be seen in the Book of Revelation, chapter 3."To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die , for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you (Rev. 3: 1-3).
                                            Waking up from slumber is the basic solution needed to put things right by those who appear to be alive and yet are really dead! Such people are actually sleeping though they might think that they are wide awake. How should one correct course to reverse from the present way of life to the one of really being alive? One has to stop everything right now and turn back to oneself to gain real insight  from within before returning to the world of things. This is what is meant by repentance  when Jesus announced the inauguration of the Kingdom of God. Repentance is not merely being sorry for one's sins and past life, but a total reversal of the present ways of life to be transformed through the new insight and power gained from within ourselves. The realization that we are basically created in the image and likeness of God Himself(Gen. 1:26) and redeemed by Jesus Christ equips us to march ahead empowered by the Holy Spirit of God.      
                                            By waking up, we are able to salvage what still remains of life that too is about to die. This is achieved through strengthening what still remains by remembering what we received and heard and holding it fast. It is like a plant that is about to die due to lack of water and is revived when properly watered. What we have to remember is the Word of God that we received and heard and it leads to repentance in the above-mentioned sense. This process begins with first waking up from sleep. The main obstacle in waking up is our belief that we are already awake and are really alive. It is like a dream when there is no doubt about its reality until one wakes up. The warning is that one should urgently wake up before it is too late. The Word of God has given enough warning in advance to the point of saying that we may be taken unawares like a thief coming when we are least prepared to take any action!                         

The Kingdom of God

                                              Since we arrived at the Kingdom of God as the conclusion in our Post on 'The  Foundation of Perfect Happiness', it is our duty to explain the connection. If the Kingdom of God is something attainable only in the next world and after our death, how can it be the foundation of happiness that we would like to start experiencing here and now in this world? Our contention is that the Kingdom of God already starts here and now in our present life to be completed in its perfection in the next world.
                                               This is why Jesus indicated that the Kingdom of God is within us (Luke, 17:21). It is like a seed planted in our hearts and in due course is expected to grow into a plant producing fruits. It is also like a treasure hidden or a pearl of great value discovered by a trained eye upsetting the whole life of its discoverer. All those who are gripped by the truth of the Kingdom of God are transformed into loving, joyous and peaceful people already in this life! St. Paul specified it thus: "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans, 14:17). It is not something far away in space and time as the Kingdom of God transcends both space and time and the limitations of this material world. However, it does not deny the value of the material world and our life in space and time as all of them have to be transformed and upgraded into a new kind of life called eternal life. Eternal life is meant to start here and now with our self-transformation leading to the transformation of the entire Universe.
                                               Jesus Christ laid the foundation for this kind of momentous transformation of everything beginning with his own resurrection from the dead. He very intimately connected the Kingdom of God, which is also his kingdom, with his own person transformed into a new life-giving Spirit (1 Cor., 15:45) along with a transformed body through resurrection. We are invited to join this new life through our own self-transformation and new kind of life (Rom., 6:5). Jesus announced his own resurrection from the dead, prefigured in his transfiguration on a high mountain before his disciples (Matthew, 17:1-5), thus: "Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom (Matthew, 16:28). Jesus unhesitatingly announced before Pilate that his kingdom did not belong to this world (John, 18:36) indicating thereby that it originated from heaven and will be culminated in heaven. The Kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are one and the same spiritual reality whereby God becomes all in all manifesting His supreme sovereignty over everything and everyone.
                                              How does this spiritual reality of the Kingdom of God invade our life so as to become the foundation of our perfect happiness? It is similar to the function of the real Self as against the false self in the Vedas of Indian Thought. As soon as we come to the realization that our real Self is the same as the Supreme Self, the false identification of ourselves with any other is exposed. This realization and consequent manner of life put an end to the source of all our sorrows and griefs opening the door to eternal bliss. The same is the case with the Kingdom of God that is allowed to govern our lives regulating our false notions and movements and leading us into perfect joy and bliss.
                                              The Kingdom of God governs our life when we are under the sway of divine love, joy and peace. According to St. Paul, these three fruits of the Holy Spirit are followed by goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, long-suffering and self-control (Gal., 5:22-23). Paul adds there that against such things there is no law. It means that a person who lives enjoying those 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit is released from the laws of this world being governed by the laws of a transformed world. This does not, however, preclude the need of taking care of our body and whatever is required for its upkeep and well-being as long as we live in this world. In the new transformed world of the Kingdom of God, all the values of this world too are subsumed and transformed into the new reality. In order to enjoy these fruits of the Spirit we may start with the last one, i.e., self-control that will lead to the gradual emergence of all other fruits. Self-control opens the door to our real Self as images of God Himself and as His children called to share in the bliss of His Kingdom.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

The Foundation of Perfect Happiness

                                            It would seem that we have strayed from our main topic of "Perfect Happiness is our Birth-Right" to various unpleasant measures to gain it! This feeling is due to the fact that we fail to distinguish between what we think should happiness be and real happiness. Let us quote from the famous British Philosopher John Locke's (1632-1704) book "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding": "The necessity of pursuing happiness is the foundation of liberty. As therefore the highest perfection of intellectual nature lies in a careful and constant pursuit of  true and solid happiness; so the care of ourselves, that we mistake not imaginary for real happiness, is the necessary foundation for our liberty. The stronger ties we have to an unalterable pursuit of happiness in general, which is our greatest good, and which, as such, our desires always follow, the more are we free from any necessary determination of our will to any particular action". (1894, P. 348).
                                           We see that Locke makes further distinctions between imaginary and real happiness as well as the pleasures we experience here on earth and those we shall experience in heaven. The great medieval Philosopher Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) made the important distinction between imperfect happiness here on earth and perfect happiness in heaven. Locke stressed the continuity between the two as the present pleasures are sweet foretastes of the pleasures in heaven. He made our pursuit of happiness as the foundation of our liberty and the everlasting happiness as the foundation for our perfect happiness. This is so because: (a) our claim to liberty can be based only on our right to pursue personal happiness; (b) our attachment to perfect happiness enables us to be detached from any apparent and imaginary manifestations of happiness in our life. Because everyone has the secret fear of death, Locke concludes, if there is no everlasting happiness for which we need to order our life morally and practice virtues, there will not be any real happiness at all!
                                           We can perceive that the true foundation of perfect happiness cannot be laid in as temporary and fleeting a feature as the pleasures we enjoy in this world. It is not the case that we are forbidden to enjoy them; on the contrary, there is nothing wrong in enjoying them with a detached attitude. Detachment does not mean indifference or disinterest, but absence of compulsion leading to addictions (See our Post on 'Detachment'). Gradual detachment from everything finite and temporal, even while enjoying them, enables us not to be addicted to and enslaved by them. We are able to be free and be master of everything in the world as our real attachment and addiction are to the Infinite and the Everlasting. Our intimate and deep nature craves for this kind of complete satisfaction derivable from God alone. This is the reason why Jesus offered eternal life to anyone who believed in him as the believer in him turns out to be within the ambit of the Kingdom of God that is perfect happiness.
                                           What is the credibility of Jesus Christ in offering eternal life to anyone who believed in him? What is so unique to Jesus in contrast to all other spiritual masters the world has seen? That he was God Himself become man is part of faith to believe which God has to draw the believer to Himself. Even before this kind of faith is operative in someone, the claim of Jesus that he has words of eternal life may be experienced from the fact that he proved his words by his actions. Jesus offered himself as a living sacrifice on the cross in accordance with his claim that he conquered the world by conquering himself. That God accepted his offering was shown by raising him up from the dead investing him with new life belonging to the Kingdom of God. Unlike the present material world, the Kingdom of God is full of perfect happiness. The foundation, therefore, of perfect happiness is in the eternal and permanent nature of the Kingdom of God.
                                            That Jesus was crucified is a fact of history verifiable by truth-seekers. His resurrection from the dead, however, is both historical and trans-historical, belonging both to this world and the next world. Here historical study alone cannot establish the full truth as faith is required to see through the implications of this historical fact. This is but a requirement of the nature of the subject itself, resurrection being not limited to the confines of this world, but bursting out of it into eternity or being transcendental. Perfect practice of what Jesus claimed and taught and acceptance of the same by God the Father by raising him from the dead is the final proof of his credibility due to which we are in a sure footing if we believe in him!              

Not Peace but A sword

                                     "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew, 10:34). These and similar puzzling words from Jesus have very often been misunderstood even by biblical scholars as they could not reconcile them with the most peace-loving person in human history! Jesus actually used those words to shock people out of their lethargy in understanding words like 'peace' 'division', 'love', 'hate', 'fire', 'sword' etc. People have in their minds certain ideas about those words imagining them to be their meanings and Jesus intends to demolish those false notions to help them 'catch' the real meanings of those words. For, there is no other way than to 'catch' the meanings of words in a flash as when we laugh at a joke if we understand it!
                                       The meaning of a word is not like a label attached to the word as we have the same word for many things and many words for the same thing. Similarly, the meaning of a word is not an object indicated by it as the meaning does not disappear even when the object is destroyed. A word stands as a sign indicating something other than itself and the connection between the two has to be 'caught' by us as its meaning. A word has no more function in guiding us to its meaning than a signpost has in guiding us to the location indicated by it. The one who goes on looking at the signpost forever will never reach his or her destination! Similar is the case with meanings of words.
                                       Those who think that they can safely set aside words like 'God', 'soul', 'spirit', 'Satan', 'sin', 'afterlife', 'heaven', 'hell' etc. as meaningless have never attempted to analyse their own language.
For, the criteria they use to brand these words as meaningless will also make their own use of words meaningless if they are applied to the words they use! The Principle of Verification is the most famous criterion in this field and it has been admitted even in sciences that the most advanced theoretical concepts too should be verifiable within the framework of our everyday use of language. This leads to the conclusion that the meaning of words is in their use and not in anything else. One has to only explain how the words are used to make them meaningful.. Since the question of truth is a different matter altogether, one should not confuse it with meaning!
                                      Given the above context, what Jesus wanted to demolish from the minds of people were false notions and meanings. As citizens of this world, our natural way of looking at the world and forming ideas and meanings are turned outside. Jesus wants us to stop this outflow and withdraw into ourselves, where our original and wholesome nature is available , in order to re-look at the world outside anew. This is what his original message at the beginning of his public ministry brought out:"Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand" (Matthew, 4:17). Repent means to turn back to ourselves in order to renew the world with the divine energy we have at hand. The Kingdom of God starts with us as it already is in us (Luke, 17:21).
                                      Let us now look at the meanings of those shocking words of Jesus. People have gathered the meanings of words like 'peace', 'division', 'love', 'hate' etc. from the external world and go by them in their life. This is why there is no real peace, love etc. in the world as they are not practiced properly because of the distorted meanings attached to them. Do they think that peace will prevail if they make some external adjustments for the sake of diplomacy without an internal conviction of the same? Do people, even in married life, think that they can get away with a sham kind of love and take advantage of their spouses in place of real love? Jesus came to destroy all such shallow and spurious behaviors substituting them with real internal peace and genuine love. A total transformation of the persons concerned is what is intended and for which the Word of God , known as the sword in biblical language, is the apt weapon we have to use. That the disciples themselves including Peter misunderstood the meaning of the word 'sword' is evident from the Bible. Peter who drew the sword and struck the servant of the high priest was ordered to put it back with the stern warning: "...all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword" (Matthew, 26:52). Similarly, when Jesus said: "I have come to bring fire on the earth..."(Luke, 12:49), he meant the Holy Spirit who will purify and enlighten our minds for right understanding.

The Importance of Faith in our Spiritual Life

                                         As soon as we hear the words 'Faith' or 'Religion', we are tempted to think that it is 'unscientific'and therefore uncertain! The answer to this problem is given in our Post 'The Rationality of Faith'. Since Science deals with visible and material things only, it is easy to see its efficacy through the results achieved. 'Faith' or 'Religion' cannot be demoted to a purely visible level leaving out its invisible and immaterial component. A comprehensive and universal attitude, a presupposition for any rational attitude including the one in sciences, is required from anyone who wishes to follow a 'faith' or 'religion'.
                                        We see in the Bible how much Jesus insisted on the need of faith , even when he worked miracles, from everyone who followed him. A clear instance is given in the Gospels ( See Mark, 4: 35-41) how Jesus calmed down a raging wind while sailing the sea by boat. "A furious squall came up, and the waves took over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped" (4:37). Jesus who was sleeping in the stern of the boat was woken up by the disciples with a desperate cry for help. Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind and the waves and they became still. Jesus was taken aback at the lack of faith of the disciples after having known him for so long. A very apt reminder to us how we sometimes panic in desperate situations though help is at hand and is with us through Jesus' presence for which faith is required. We complain about the delay in God's help to us, while all the time He is watching over us hoping that we would remember the numerous instances in our life we have been rescued! Such remembrances and corresponding loving attitudes are the best ways of thanking God for His assistance.
                                       Faith in God and belief in Jesus Christ do not depend on miracles or extraordinary happenings in our life. Hearing the Word of God is enough for this. We see in the Gospels how some people at the cross upbraid Jesus with being the king of Israel challenging him to come down from the cross so that they too may believe in him (Matthew, 27: 40-45). If Jesus were to come down from the cross, those people still would not have believed in him as they were not willing to come to the light Where else do we have light if not in the words of Jesus embodying wisdom and life eternal starting here and now to be perfected in the life to come? That they would not have believed is evident from what Jesus says in the parable about the rich man's brothers even if Lazarus were to return from the dead to warn them! They would have refused to listen to him as they were in the habit of doing with what Moses and the prophets have said (Luke, 16:19-31). It means that the people whose hearts have been hardened by the worldly spirit are living in the dark and are incapable of discerning truth.They need to come to the light, to Jesus who is the Light of the world to see things as they are and not mere appearances and attractions of things. Faith, therefore, transforms us from looking at things merely in a worldly manner to the one of a spiritual outlook. This transformation impels us to produce fruits as grapes are produced by the vine and the vine here is Jesus Christ himself.  
                                     Healing of illnesses, exorcisms of evil spirits etc. need not necessarily be considered miracles, as they may be explained purely psychologically. This is the case especially with psychosomatic illnesses as well as possession by the devils. The fact that they too require faith in their efficacy adds to the psychological component in them.Even treatment by doctors of purely physical illnesses presuppose an implicit faith of the patients and their care-takers about the efficiency of the doctor and the efficacy of the medicines. The faith that Jesus demanded from the beneficiaries of his miracles as well as those interested in them was not an ordinary kind of faith in the natural order.    
                                     The kind of faith Jesus wanted his followers to have was one of a supernatural order. As God and the Spirit world or heaven are not bound by space - time limitations, mere faith in the natural order would not be able to raise a person above the world we are familiar with. This is why faith is always considered as a gift of God coming from above the natural world transforming the one who accepts it. Since Jesus came from above, he could demand this kind of faith in him from his followers whose ultimate focus should be on God the Father Himself. Unless the Father draws us to Himself neither could we believe in Jesus (John, 6: 44). Graces of God are given to everyone just as  the Sun sends forth its light to all those who refuse to hide in dark caves. Faith is a supreme form of grace that transforms a person from this world to the next, that is but another superior plane of existence, not completely divorced from this world!