By Dr. Jagessar Das
All living things must maintain a balance or harmony with the environment
as is well known from the modern science of ecology. Humans are not
exceptions, but they are more complex. The body, mind, emotions, intellect,
ego, soul and God are integrated in all of us to create of the human being.
We must fully understand this relationship and live in accordance with the
spiritual laws, in order to develop spiritual growth.
The goal of integration of life is not difficult to attain. It does not
involve secular or religious activities but an inner awakening. It involves
an understanding of the relationships mentioned above, and then living in
accordance with that understanding. Being hypocritical will only result in
a disintegration of life. Rationalization of behavior only compounds the
problems.
As stated earlier, life is integrated from the beginning, because at no
time can we separate the various attributes as long as there is life.
However, our ignorance readily creates divisions, not realizing that in the
UNI-VERSE there is a UNI-TARY power. The mind, intellect, soul and God,
cannot stand sub-divisions. One would be hard pressed to say where one mind
stops and another starts. The same holds for the intellect, the soul and,
of course, God, who is Indivisible and is Omnipresent.
Integration goes further than what I have discussed so far. Life consists
of five sheaths (koshas) to make it whole. The body is physical and
requires food. The BODY would be lifeless if it did not have AIR as the
second kosha. But a living body is useless in God’s plan without the MIND
(third kosha) The mind has thoughts, emotions, feelings, will and value
systems. So far the body is alive, but the mind needs a controller as the
fourth kosha of the INTELLECT. Life then becomes logical and meaningful,
but to what end? What would be the goal? So God instilled the goal of BLISS
(fifth kosha) that would be the fulfillment of life. Then what is the
foundation on which all of these can take place? Obviously, it is the soul
(atma). The koshas are there to house the soul so that it can manifest life
in all its divinity, and experience the bliss of Self-realization. (The
koshas are: अन्नमय कोष, प्राणमय कोष, मनोमय कोष, प्रज्ञानमय कोष, आनंदमय कोष
– annamay kosha, pranamay kosha, manomay kosha, prajnanamay kosha,
anandamay kosha)
At the beginning of this article I mentioned harmony with the environment.
Let us look briefly at this. Life requires the earth with all the minerals,
water and air. The earth needed to produce plants to provide organic
matter and nutrition. But plants need sunlight to grow. Sunlight is energy,
and energy manifests in the universe. What is the source of energy? The
universe with all its varied manifestations, including energy, has only one
source – God, the Omnipotent Being.
Now we can see the total picture of integration – the body with its organ
systems, the mind and its functions, the intellect, bliss and soul, all
existing in the world with vegetation and other life forms, and
intermingling with the climate. This very complex arrangement constitutes
the Integration of life, a life full of peace, harmony, contentment and
purpose.
Satguru Kabir stated this integration in the Gyan Gudadi, ‘The Quilt of
Knowledge’:
“When the Invisible Lord decided to create this world,
He placed 8.4 million stitches (8.4 million forms of life)
He wove the quilt with the five gross elements of earth, water, fire, air
and space, and placed the three gunas (qualities) in them. In them He
placed the soul, Brahm (God, Himself) and Maya (the creative potency of
God…. whoever realizes this will be able to meet the Creator.”
Dr. Jagessar Das is a Surrey-based spiritualist and head of the Kabir Association of Canada. He can be reached at www.kabir.ca
