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Why We Need to Get Connected to God
Times of India
The word religion is derived from the Latin word religare
that
means, "to connect"; the word yoga is derived from the word
yuj that
also means the same. So spirituality is all about getting
connected
to God.
Yoga is now a universally sought-out medium and spirituality
as a
subject has become part of the curriculum of leading
B-schools in the
US. What is the reason for the resurgence of spirituality?
There are three interpretations: One school cites that in
the modern
era an organisation needs to innovate continuously to
survive for
which every individual stakeholder in the organisation needs
to
leverage his creative energy by connecting to God's own
creative
energy. The other school feels that the sudden eruption of
numerous
corporate scandals worldwide is due to the lack of an
appropriate
value system. Hence the need to incorporate spirituality in
the
business curriculum apart from outlining the need for an
evolution in
the field of corporate governance. The third school says
that yoga
explains the connect of mind to body and this helps tackle
today's
serious problems of stress at the workplace, home or even
school.
How necessary is it for us to "know" God? Do we establish a
direct
connection or should we leave it to the operational
expertise of
middlemen like pundits and priests? There's this story of a
sadhu who
goes to the Himalayas and brags that he, a mere mortal,
knows its
strengths and glory while it (the mountain range) is still
ignorant.
The mighty mountain replies that it is content just "being"
the
Himalayas rather than "knowing" about the Himalayas.
Obviously one
would prefer to get connected than obtain mere knowledge.
But how
does one know that one is connected? And why get connected
at all?
Modern conceptions about the mind and consciousness do not
go beyond
the ability to perceive through the senses as the result of
bio-
chemical processes of the brain. But Indian scriptures
mention that
Kundalini is the super intelligent energy behind
consciousness and
therefore is the evolutionary mechanism that determines the
capacity
of the brain. The key to achieving higher levels of
awareness or the
way to get connected to God lies in tapping this latent
energy in an
individual. By rousing their Kundalini energy, kings of yore
made
available to themselves a far more potent source of power
vis-a-vis
their adversaries and in order to enable them to deal better
with day-
to-day administrative affairs and to look after the welfare
of
subjects. The founder of Sahaja Yoga, Mataji Nirmala Devi,
sums up
the approach succinctly: "Just as an egg gets transformed
into a bird
or a seed into a plant, Sahaja Yoga helps transformation of
a person
to a higher awareness level. This is accomplished when a
dormant
force within a person (called Kundalini) which resides in
the sacrum
bone is awakened and drawn through various energy centres,
which
describe awareness levels in the subtle body. It can be
accomplished
in a practical and simple manner — a Sahaja yogi would
facilitate
this — and the resulting state is both verifiable (in the
central
nervous system) and consistent..."
Such an evolution can facilitate one to feel the chakras in
his
nervous system and go about correcting imbalances and curing
diseases. This will enhance balance in the central nervous
system
leading to stress relief and mental relaxation. It will also
improve
concentration and communication skills and will help one in
developing the technique of managing by detached
involvement.
Obviously there is merit in getting connected to God even
for
managing one's day-to-day activities
Why We Need to Get Connected to God
Times of India
Other Times of India articles:
One Message Runs Through All Faiths: Only Connect
Yoga - Beyond
The Body And Mind
Guru's
Guidance to a Life of Fulfillment
Every Day is a Celebration For the God-conscious
All about mysticism
Your
Mind is a Monkey, Learn to Steady It
Awaken
Aspiration by Raising Energy
Reason and not Dogma is the basis of Vedanta
Special
Spiritual Benefits (Of Yoga)
Kundalini Yoga
Religion And
Spirituality
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